Wide Receivers- 2009 Fantasy Overview

It is time to start getting ready for the 2009 fantasy football season (if you haven’t already). Time to spend half of your work day researching this year’s Fantasy football cheat sheet. Standard philosophy for success is get running backs and get them early however with more and more teams going to a running back by committee wide receivers are becoming more and more crucial to winning the championship. If you look around at the champions from last year you will be hard pressed to find one that did not have at least one stud receiver on their team when in the past you would be able to get by with mediocre WR as long as you had decent running backs. Not anymore. Here are six questions to help you with this year’s season.

Q) Many of the leagues big-name receivers have either changed teams (T.O.) or might soon do so (Boldin, Edwards). Who of this bunch is the most interesting this season?

A) Anquan Boldin. It will be very interesting to see if there will be a drop off in production when he leaves the pass happy offense with the best wide receiver in the league on the other side of him drawing double coverage.

Q) There are always certain players that everyone is overly high on despite their inability to put of the numbers. Who is this season’s most overrated wide receiver?

A) Antonio Bryant. This guy has had one good season after 6 seasons of almost nothing. He needs to show me more than one good season in a decade to make me a believer.

Q) On the flip side, there are also players who, no matter how well they produce, people are always looking for the to fall on their face. Who is the wide receiver that get the least respect from the pundits?

A) Steve Smith (CAR) – The guy is a mighty mouse. He is small in stature but big in heart. He averaged over 100 yards per game last year and some rankings still have him out of the top 10 receivers, absurd! He should be top 3, maybe top 2.

Q) With 3 big name college wide outs taken in top 20 in the this year’s draft, there will be endless debate over who is the best in class. So , which rookie is best, this year and long-term?

A) Michael Crabtree is the most naturally talented of the rookie crop and Heyward-Bey is the fastest, but Jeremy Maclin is this year’s impact rookie. With Curtis more suited to the slot and Jackson being a pure burner, Philadelphia was in need of a playmaker at WR2, and they got one in Maclin. Philly is also the only team in question whose QB has proven he can deliver the rock. Long term production, will depend greatly on the Bay Area teams developing a QB.

Q) Which projected No. 3 wide receiver is this year’s best bet to take a flier on in late rounds?

A) Without question, it is Steve Breaston. If Boldin does stay Breaston will remain the third guy but will get more looks than the number 2 wide out on most teams. If Boldin leaves, Breaston become the WR2 in the most pass crazy offense in the league.

Q) Each season brings a player who people have said has lost a step….and they are wrong. Who will be the comeback wide receiver of the year?

A) TJ (whose your mama?) Houshmandzadeh. One of the most productive fantasy wide receivers in the last half decade, he is now in a heavy passing offense and finally the number one guy.

Will Favre Come Back? Does it matter?

Will Brett Favre Come Back?

This is the question that seems to dominate sports talk every year around this time. Will Brett Favre make yet another comeback after calling it quits? Let’s be perfectly clear in my opinion of Brett Favre, and this is simply my opinion. Brett Favre is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. He is a first ballot Hall of Famer, he is also an ego maniac that has no idea who he is if tens of thousands of people every weekend are not telling him how much they love him. I believe that it absolutely killed him last season when the team that he had jerked around for 4 seasons and led to only one post season in that time said, “Hey Brett, we love you, thanks but no thanks, we are going to give the kid a shot.” And they were right!

Aaron Rodgers, the Cal Bear who sat on the bench every year and said nothing while Favre basked in the smell of his own farts and the glow of the cameras. Everyone asking “what ever will the packers do without Brett? This Rodgers can’t possibly be any good.” He sat there and said nothing except how happy he was to be a Packer and be able to learn from one of the greatest of all time. The team gave Rodgers his shot much to the dismay of the Packer faithful and Big Bad Brett and Rodgers stepped in and had one of the best QB seasons in the last decade of Packer history.

Brett decided to show them, he headed to the big stage of New York City. J-E-T-S jets jets jets!! He sold more New York Jets jerseys than anyone in history, even Broadway Joe. He let the media and fans of yet another city tell their young QB that he has no future and tell him that the world is a better place now that Brett is here. The Jet nation could almost taste the Superbowl Champagne. The ran Chad Pennington out of town on a rail and started making championship t-shirts. What happened? Everyone got an eyeful of Brett Favre circa 2006, confused, forcing balls into places they won’t fit and throwing lots of interceptions. You know what else happened? Rodgers had a spectacular season in Green Bay and Chad Pennington got MVP votes!! I know, right! Pennington, the kid with no arm and not options went to Miami and took a 2-14 team to the playoffs.

So, this leaves me with the question will Brett come back? He might, if he can find a situation where it is perfect for him, good defense, good running game, good receivers and friendly faces. A place where people easily forget that this is not the Brett Favre of 1995, 1996 or 1997. A place where he can compete and be successful with diminished skills and an inflated sense of self. Does it matter to fantasy owners? In a good situation where you don’t get dinged too badly for INTs he will still be an adequate QB but you better make other plans if you want a fantasy QB you can count on for 15+ week in and week out.

NFL Draft 2009- Fantasy Impact – Part 2

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17)Josh Freeman QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Tampa has QB issues and has for a long time, that is why they were finalists in the Jay Cutler Sweepstakes. Josh Freeman, although a very effective college quarterback, is not redy to take the field in the NFL just yet. He is another underclassman with great athletic ability but his game is not really suited for QB in the NFL…yet. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders and with the right guidance, he may someday turn into a good QB ala Donovan McNabb. Time will tell. Zero fantasy impact.

18 ) Robert Ayers  LB, Denver Broncos- Well Denver has decided to address their need positions!! Welcome to the party. Ayers is an outstanding athlete and will likely start right away. Unfortunately, it will not help one of the worst defenses in the league. Unless everyone else on the D-side decides to start playing real football, you should stay far away from the Denver D.

19) Jeremy Maclin WR, Philadelphia Eagles- Maclin is one of 2 receivers that should have been taken before Heyward-Bey and in my opinion the player most likely to be a fantasy stand out as a rookie. Maclin is a play making, strong receiver with speed and great hands. Philly is a team in great need of a strong receiver with great hands. Kismet! Steal of the draft. Since Kevin Curtis is more suited to be a slot receiver, look for Maclin to line up opposite Deshaun Jackson and take advantage of single coverage all day. Maclin will also make some noise in the return game. If your league gives you points for return yards, Maclin will be a great sleeper and possibly WR2 potential.

20) Brandon Pettigrew TE, Detroit Lions- The Lions (yet again) ignore their needs and take an offensive player. This move however was not a bad one. Pettigrew will give Stafford a sure handed big bodied safety net to look for when protecion breaks down. More importantly however, Pettigrew is a superb blocker and the Lions need all the protection they can get for their shiny new toy. Fantasy impact is nil.

21) Alex Mack C, Cleveland Browns- Cleveland was looking for reinforcements on the OL this pick will help. Mack will eventually help whomever the starter ends up being for the Browns he will also help clear the way for Jamal Lewis until he losses his job or gets hurt. Lewis is the oldest 29 year old in history. Fantasy impact will be felt next year and following.

22) Percy Harvin WR, Minnesota Vikings- Percy Harvin is a little like Michael Crabtree in the regard that he is not the biggest receiver on the field and he is not the fastest, but he has an inate ability to make plays. This makes him a great compliment to the burner Bernard Berrian. The problem is that Harvin also has an inate ability to sniff out off field trouble and step in it repeatedly. With a real quarterback throwing the ball in Minn, Harvin might be a nice late round flyer, if he can keep his nose clean.

23) Michael Oher OT, Baltimore Ravens- Oher should probably be on several other rosters but since he slipped it allowed the Ravens to move up and grab a plug for the hole left by Jonathon Ogden. This pick will make Joe Flacco happy for many years. Very little fantasy impact this season, watch for him to help Flacco’s numbers down the road.

24) Peria Jerry DT, Altanta Falcons- Although Jerry gives the Falcons a “3 technique” D Tackle which fits their system perfectly, this pick should not affect where Atlanta ranks in the grand scheme of things. They are still a decent middle of the road defense.

25) Vontae Davis CB, Miami Dolphins – Freakishly talented Vernon Davis’s little brother is also freakishly talented.  Let’s hope he produces more then his big brother otherwise the Dolphins just picked a turd.  Fantasy impact will be very little if any.  Miami’s D was pretty good last year already so adding a CB to play in nickel situations for the year probably won’t change much.

26) Clay Matthews LB, Green Bay Packers – Green Bay conclude their great first round by trading up and adding Matthews to fit perfectly in their new 3-4 scheme defense.  This pick should go a long way with BJ Raji to making the Packers transition to the 3-4 very successful.

27) Donald Brown RB, Inianapolis Colts – With Addai having some durability issues this pick makes sense.  You would thinkthat a team probably wouldn’t use a first round pick on a backup, especially at a position where in the past they have said the players are interchangable, so look for a timeshare for the Colts backfield.  If Brown shows promise this pick allows Indy to not resign Addai when he is due to a free agent and give great leverage in the event of a hold out for more money.  With Brown’s own stats and the decrease of Addai’s fantasy production with his presents the fantasy impact is moderate and should be weighed when drafting.

28) Eric Wood C, Buffalo Bills – With the loss of Jason Peters the Bills are going to have to shuffle that O-line.  Wood has the versatility to help with that.  Although the fantasy impact won’t be huge, keep an eye on that offensive line situation as it will drastically effect all Buffalo’s offensive players.

29) Hakeem Nicks WR, NY Giants – Nicks should fill in nicely for Plaxico Burress.  Let’s just hope he doesn’t injure himself with a concealed weapon.  Unless the Giants pull the trigger for Braylon Edwards, Nicks should start and get a good share of the looks from Manning.

30) Kenny Britt WR, Tennessee Titans – The Titans are in desperate need of some help at the receiver position.  It is never good when your top pass catcher is a mediocre tight end.  At 6’3″, 218 Britt give Collins someone to look for that can make plays for them . . . provided they can get some stick’em on his hands.  Any talent at the wide receiver position is going to be a huge impact for everyone on that offense.

31) Chris “Beanie” Wells RB, Arizona Cardinals – As soon as this was made the team started filling out Edgerrin James’s release papers and Tim hightower went from being “The Guy” to one for the guys.  Wells should have decent fantasy production right out of the gate as he will split time with Hightower and vulture some goal line carries as well.

32) Evander Hood DT, Pittsburgh Steelers – Hood is a development player that may start in a couple of years.  Fantasy Impact is zero.