Fantasy Football

Upon request, I will toss out my top 50 WR rankings for the few of you left who still have drafting to do.

1. Chad Johnson (CIN)- Palmer is due for his career year, which bodes well for CJ. He was in top form Monday night when he toasted Falcons’ corner DeAngelo Hall on numerous occasions.
2. Reggie Wayne (IND)- He is only getting better and Peyton Manning knows it. The favoritism of Manning has to be passed from Harrison to Wayne sometime soon.
3. Steve Smith (CAR)- If Jake Delhomme was playing better, Smith would be my #1. He is the most explosive WR in the NFL, bar none.
4. Marvin Harrison (IND)- Is there any reason to believe he won’t be a top 5 WR once again?

Houshmanzilly, don’t be afraid to put him on the board…..championship.

5. TJ Houshmandzadeh (CIN)- He just keeps moving up my board, and for good reason. You do realize he would have lead the NFL in receptions in ‘06 had he not missed 2 games? 90 catches in 14 games, and Palmer loves to look to him inside the 10-yard line. Take him with confidence.
6. Anquan Boldin (ARI)- He is falling way too far in drafts. He is the most dominate WR in the league after the catch, as defenders can’t bring him down. Ken Whisenhunt wants to use him as a RB in some formations, which adds to his value. Ken would be smart to do so.
7. Larry Fitzgerald (ARI)- Fitzgerald and Boldin go hand in hand. You can’t go wrong with either one, but there is no reason Larry should be going 8 WR ahead of Anquan in drafts (ESPN average). Can someone give me the logic on that?
8. Torry Holt (STL)- If it weren’t for his knee trouble, he would be in the top 5. I have to admit, I’m very concerned. I would steer clear.
9. Andre Johnson (HOU)- I have said it once and will say it again, he’s going to be huge in ‘07. He probably had himself a party when he found out the Texans weren’t bringing David Carr back.
10. Terrell Owens (DAL)- He can still play, but I worry about him both getting injured and/or punching a coach. He is capable of both.
11. Roy Williams (DET)- If he wasn’t so injury prone he would be higher on the list. When he is on the field he will put up great numbers.
12. Marques Colston (NO)- Drew Brees loves Colston, and he was just too good in ‘06 to be a fluke.
13. Randy Moss (NE)- Here is the ultimate wildcard. He has lost a step, I don’t care what he says. However, he has never had a QB as good as Tom Brady slinging him the ball, so the two cancel each other out. It could be feast or famine.
14. Javon Walker (DEN)- If I was a fan of Jay Cutler, Walker would make my top 10. However, I am not, so he is here.
15. Lee Evans (BUF)- I almost feel as sorry for Evans as I did for Andre Johnson while David Carr was in Houston. JP Losman is terrible, but Evans is awesome.
16. Hines Ward (PIT)- Ben Roethlisberger will be much better, as I have alluded to, so Hines Ward will as well. Ward has one great season left in him.
17. Plaxico Burress (NYG)- Eli Manning will not improve, but he is just good enough to get Plax the ball when need be. He should have around the same stats as ‘06, which is just fine.
18. Donald Driver (GB)- While I was extremely high on him prior to last season, I am extremely low on him this year, even before his foot injury. He is coming off of a career year, and I just can’t see him staying healthy.
19. Santana Moss (WAS)- He will make big plays and have huge weeks, so he can’t be ranked too low. Jason Campbell will make or break him.
20. Calvin Johnson (DET)- He is in the right situation to back up the hype. I don’t see anything but an above average season or better from the rook.
21. Darrell Jackson (SF)- He continues to have injury problems and now has downgraded at QB. He’s still good enough to draft as a WR2 or WR3.
22. Deion Brach (SEA)- Darrell Jackson’s loss is Branch’s gain. He should get plenty of looks from Matt Hasselbeck.
23. Reggie Brown (PHI)- Like Tom Brady, McNabb loves to spread the ball around. I’m just not as high on Brown as some are, but he should still have a decent season.
24. Donte’ Stallworth (NE)- Stallworth should benefit from defenses worrying about Randy Moss. He needs to stay healthy to be a factor, which as been his strong suit.
25. Bernard Berrian (CHI)- Berrian can’t reach his full potential because of Rex Grossman, but he’s too talented not to put up some good numbers anyway.
26. Vincent Jackson (SD)- When Gates isn’t targeted in the passing game, Jackson will. He has red zone skills and deep play ability that should result in solid numbers.
27. Chris Chambers (MIA)- Recent reports have Chambers being shopped in the trade market, but it looks as if he will stay. If I were him, I would want out. Trent Green shouldn’t do him any justice this season.
28. Laveranues Coles (NYJ)- He’ll likely be on the injury report every week and but manage to play. His could get to 1,000 yards but his TD total will be very low.
29. Mark Clayton (BAL)- I never thought I would say this, but Clayton would be better off with Kyle Boller throwing him the ball. Steve McNair can’t get Clayton the ball deep down the field and that is where he should make his killing.
30. Braylon Edwards (CLE)- Edwards will be inconsistent because of his QB play, but he has the skills to be a solid fantasy producer. Maybe once Brady Quinn gets settled in, Edwards can be big down the stretch.
31. Joey Galloway (TB)- He’s 35, but he still has plenty of speed. Had a 17.0 yard per catch average in ‘06. Jeff Garcia could ensure that he has one more 1,000 yard season.
32. Santonio Holmes (PIT)- Showed signs of growth toward the end of last season. He should be good for a few 50+ yard TDs this season as Big Ben’s only deep threat.
33. Greg Jennings (GB)- With Donald Driver banged up, Jennings should move up on draft sheets. Brett Favre believes in Jennings, and should look his way plenty again this year.
34. Terry Glenn (DAL)- He would be higher, but he’s having knee trouble that he may not recover from. It is probably better to stay away and grab Patrick Crayton instead.
35. D.J. Hackett (SEA)- Hackett will get his first chance to start in Seattle in ‘07. Many feel that his is going to have a big season, but I am a little more reserved.
36. Jerricho Cotchery (NYJ)- He will only be valuable if he becomes targeted more than Coles. I just don’t believe Pennington is good enough to make both of them fantasy factors once again.
37. Kevin Curtis (PHI)- He is now starting for the normally pass happy Eagles, so he has to be considered a sleeper. Again, McNabb likes to spread the ball, so there is no telling how good he will be.
38. Devery Henderson (NO)- 23.3 yards per catch in 32 grabs in ‘06 shows his big play potential. He should start in Week 1.
39. Mike Furrey (DET)- 98 receptions, 1,086 yards, 6 TDs. Can he do it again? No.
40. Isaac Bruce (STL)- With Torry Holt’s knee becoming an issue, Bruce may be looked upon to produce more than he has in a while. He still managed 1,000 yards in ‘06.
41. Drew Bennett (STL)- I like Bennett as a Ram. With his TD ability, he could become quite a late round fantasy pick.
42. Muhsin Muhammad (CHI)- Bernard Berrian is the better WR to own, but Muhammad is good enough for a bench spot on your fantasy team.
43. Ronald Curry (OAK)- It remains to be seen whether he or Jerry Porter will emerge as the go to receiver in Oakland’s passing game. My bet is on Curry, but the “go to receiver” in Oakland is not that prestigious of a title.
44. Jerry Porter (OAK)- It will be Porter or Ronald Curry claiming garbage yards at the end of games in Oakland. We should know the story after the first few weeks.
45. Derrick Mason (BAL)- Mason is still Steve McNair’s security blanket, so he should have some decent yardage games. He may only see the end zone once or twice.
46. Joe Horn (ATL)- When he is healthy and plays, he should produce a decent game or two. His age and Joey Harrington make the overall outlook very shady.
47. Patrick Crayton (DAL)- Crayton can play, and he may get a chance to start with Terry Glenn hurting. Tony Romo likes Crayton a lot, and so do I.
48. Tedd Ginn Jr. (MIA)- The rookie will begin the year as the 3rd WR, but he should be starting by mid-season. He will make at least one long TD catch before the season is over.
49. Anthony Gonzalez (IND)- The slot WR in Indy is always an intriguing choice. Peyton Manning seems to like the rookie, and he there is no reason he shouldn’t produce some decent numbers.
50. Dwayne Bowe (KC)- The Chiefs have limited options at WR, so the rookie will get every chance to start the season. He could score 4 or 5 TDs.

Feel free to email me at Joseph.Badalucco@451press.net with any questions you might have regarding your own team or draft.