2006 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings
Based on a combined
touchdown/yardage scoring system
1. Steve Smith,
Wasn’t the
recent craze in the NFL a shift towards a bigger, stronger set of wide
receivers? Somewhere along the way, that became a fad and nothing more. Rather
than superhuman types, it was the smaller, quicker wideouts
that had the biggest impact in 2005: Smith and Santana Moss. Suddenly, bigger
isn’t necessarily better. Smith benefits from the acquisition of Keyshawn Johnson one season after blowing by any type of
defense thrown his way. It’s possible he could improve on his monstrous 2005 in
which he had nine 100-yard games to go along with 103 catches. It’s that type
of production that makes him the top target of fantasy owners. Defenses won’t
be able to throw continuous double teams his way with Johnson on board.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
2. Terrell Owens, Dallas
Who is T.O out
for? Only himself. And now he has a ton to prove to
the football world and a short leash to work with. Don’t think
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
3. Torry Holt,
Easily the most
underrated baller in the NFL, at least Holt gets love
from the fantasy community. While touchdowns were tough to come by early in his
career, Holt has averaged 10.3 over the last three years and a ridiculous 104.3
receptions during the span. As the Rams phase out Isaac Bruce and usher in the
tandem of Kevin Curtis and Shaun MacDonald, Holt’s ability to shoulder the load
becomes an even bigger factor. If the Rams are committed to the run as new head
coach Sean Linehan says,
Holt will lose some catches. However, the transition of the offense as a whole
and his solid touchdown totals keep him among the elite.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
4.
Can the
addition of Edgerrin James actually help Fitzgerald?
Believe it or not, yes. Remember, James played in an offense featuring three 1,000-yard
receivers in 2004. Not that Kurt Warner is a threat to throw for 49 touchdowns
or anything, but hopefully you get the point. There’s definitely enough pigskin
to go around and satisfy the needs of
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
5.
The uncertainty
under center hurts Johnson’s fantasy appeal. Had Jon Kitna
been the backup, we wouldn’t be having this one-sided conversation. But with
Anthony Wright the quarterback currently holding the clipboard, there’s a
potentially ugly situation in the works. Should Palmer miss a game or two, or
even more in a worst-case scenario, there’s no telling what happens to the Bengals offense. Johnson took a major leap forward in terms
of being a playmaker last season, and the return of Palmer keeps him at the top
of the wide receiver charts.
YR TEAM REC REC YDS TDS
04 Cincinnati 95 1,274 9
05 Cincinnati 97 1,432 9
6. Marvin Harrison,
Though
YR TEAM REC REC YDS TDS
04
05
Once bitten,
twice shy. Anyone who thought Moss’ 2004 campaign was frustrating probably
didn’t live through the nightmare of ’05. Will he play? Won’t he? Picking Lotto
numbers was easier than forecasting whether or not Moss would be in the lineup,
and yet the first-year Raider still compiled a solid season by most wide
receiver standards. Change is on the way at quarterback and head coach, and
they both appear to favor the passing game. Seeing Moss hang around on the draftboard will be surprising for some, but it’s because of
recent health issues not attitude for once. That said,
Moss could still be the steal of a draft.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
8. Darrell Jackson, Seattle
Judging
strictly on numbers alone,
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
9. Hines Ward,
Ward’s held a
lofty status among fantasy wide receivers in recent years, but his past
performance won’t be of help moving forward. The Steelers still live and die by
the run, and the philosophy isn’t changing anytime soon. Ben Roethlisberger is simply a manager of the game, unable to
break free of the shackles. Ward welcomes rookie Santonio
Holmes to the fold, but rookie wide receivers fail more often than they
succeed. Ward’s catches (112-95-80-69) and yards (1,329-1,163-1,004-975) have
dropped in each of the last three seasons, and the offensive system doesn’t
lend itself to a major reversal of fortune. As tight end Heath Miller becomes
more established, even the double-digit touchdowns will drop.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
10.
The Cardinals
have a pair of fantasy friendly wideouts, and it’s
nothing short of amazing at how balanced the numbers are. Boldin
and Fitzgerald were separated by one catch, seven yards and three touchdowns.
Did the quarterbacks keep a running tab? The biggest difference between the two
studs—aside from Boldin’s hulking size—is
opportunities in the red zone. Fitzgerald, who can grab anything that skims his
fingertips, is the No. 1 option in the passing game. James’ presence bumps Boldin one more step down the pecking order. There’s no
reason to shy away from Boldin, out to top 100
catches for the third time in four years.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
11. Chris Chambers,
A year ago no
one, including head coach Nick Saban, knew what to
make of the Dolphins. Heading into 2006, the word is out on the streets—this is
an offense to be reckoned with. Young, talented and balanced, Saban’s hand-crafted a potentially explosive unit, capped
by Daunte Culpepper’s entrance to the team. Chambers
has always been a solid receiver, increasing his reception total in each of the
last five years (48-52-64-69-82), he just hasn’t had
the talent at quarterback to help him move into the stratosphere. Catching 11
touchdown balls from Gus Frerrote is merely a
precursor to what will happen with Culpepper at the helm. Chambers fills up the
stat sheet across the board and has not yet reached his ceiling.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
12. Andre Johnson, Houston
A superfreak in terms of physical ability, Johnson’s been
held back by the play of his quarterback…or at least the offensive line that’s
supposed to protect David Carr. It’s tough to catch passes when the quarterback
is constantly forced to eat the ball on a blitz. By the time Johnson got
downfield, Carr, sacked 67 times, always seemed to have one or two defenders in
his grill. Things are changing, however, now that head coach Gary Kubiak is in charge. A former NFL quarterback himself, Kubiak is probably the best tutor for Carr. Throw in the
acquisition of Eric Moulds from
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
13. Roy Williams,
The mad
scientist, Mike Martz, is currently racking his brain devising schemes to get
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
14.
No. Moss is not
a one-year wonder. He’s still a game-breaking wideout
who leads the
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04 N.Y. Jets 45 838 5
05 N.Y. Jets 84 1,483 9
15. Deion Branch,
WR,
What more does Branch
have to do in order to earn respect? He’s got a Super Bowl ring, a Super Bowl
MVP and a solid stat sheet hanging out of his back pocket. Because the Patriots
are of the team-first ilk, Branch has never really gotten an opportunity to pad
his numbers. He still managed to fall just two yards shy of a 1,000-yard
campaign and pulled in a career-high 78 balls.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
16. Derrick Mason, Baltimore
Few receivers
have been as consistent as Mason over the last five years. Pencil him in for 85
receptions, 1,137 yards and six touchdowns--his average during the span--and
wipe the smirk off your face. Grabbing 86 balls in what
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04 Tennessee 96 1,168 7
05
17. Donald Driver,
Much like
Mason, give Driver credit for the numbers he compiled in 2005. Brett Favre was clearly not himself, the
running game was awful and inconsistent at times and Javon
Walker missed all but Week 1 with a knee injury. Driver still managed to fight
off defenders, and some wild Favre throws, to finish
with more receiving yards than Marvin Harrison. The clear cut favorite of Favre, Driver’s success will continue.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04 Green Bay 84 1,208 9
05
18. Joe Horn,
Forgive Horn if
it seemed like 2005 seemed like a wasted season. He and the Saints witnessed
destruction at its worst in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and stepped up
to become some of the biggest contributors during the rebuild. With things
getting back to normal, or as close as they can to it, look for improved play
from all of the Saints. Drew Brees, one of the more
efficient quarterbacks around, hits town ready to take advantage of Horn’s
talents. The veteran has topped 1,250 yards receiving in three of the last five
years, and averaged nine scores in the four years prior to 2005’s output (one).
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
19. Reggie Wayne,
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
20. Javon Walker,
The good news—
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04 Green Bay 89 1,382 12
05 Green Bay 4 27 0
21.
Talented, explosive, moody. Yup. Burress is the typical wide receiver. He wants the ball,
wants it now and doesn’t care if 10 defenders are on him. The moodiness can be
problematic, and it did seem to rear its ugly head in the playoffs last season,
as the Giants made an early, disappointing exit. His Big Blue mood aside, Burress rebounded from a pair of subpar
years in
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05 N.Y. Giants 76 1,214 7
22.
The odds-on
favorite as a hot sleeper last season, Bennett fizzled faster than pop rocks in
a fresh can of soda. Injuries curtailed his disappointing campaign, but a funny
thing happened during the offseason. Bennett’s
favorite quarterback was handed the starting role again. When Bennett was
carrying teams through the fantasy postseason in 2004—including this
writer—Billy Volek was the signal-caller launching
passes. Though 80 receptions may be unattainable, a solid 70-catch campaign
isn’t out of the question.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
23. Lee Evans,
Give Evans a
reliable quarterback and he’d challenge the elite wideouts.
Throw him into an unsettled mix that includes Kelly Holcomb and J.P. Losman and disaster could be just around the corner. The
third-year veteran is now top dog in an otherwise weak passing game. His runningmates—Peerless Price, Roscoe Parrish, Andre
Davis—are a collection of average receivers, and defenses will have little
trouble directing the focus in Evans’ direction. Even after playing all 16
games last season, he still managed just 48 receptions.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04 Buffalo 48 843 9
05 Buffalo 48 743 7
24. Jerry Porter,
Some may feel
Porter’s ranked too-high on this list after failing to take advantage of Randy
Moss’ various maladies in 2005. A drop in receiving yardage hardly paints a
forecast of domination with a healthy Moss back in the lineup. The optimist, on
the other hand, is no doubt pointing out Porter’s uptick
in receptions, a dozen more than his previous best. Take the middle ground on
this one. The Raiders have one of the deepest stables of wideouts
in the league—yes, Ronald Curry and Doug Gabriel are quite capable
playmakers—but Porter still stands out from the crowd. His touchdown total will
remain a low because of the aforementioned weapons, and we don’t doubt a drop
in looks, either.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
25. T.J. Houshmandzadeh,
Tell me Carson
Palmer’s 100 percent, and Houshmandzadeh jumps
several spots higher. Consecutive 70-catch seasons and fantasy friendly
consistency—at least five catches in all but two games—demonstrate his standing
in the offensive flow. The simple thought of Anthony Wright taking snaps,
however, should be nothing short of nauseating for fantasy owners.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
26.
Somewhat of a
disappointment until the 2005 season, Kennison developed
into
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
27. Nate
Burleson, Seattle
This much is
clear on the heels of Burleson’s injury-riddled 2005: He’s not a No. 1 receiver
in the NFL. He didn’t record more than four catches until Week 17 , and coincidentally, that was also the only game he
posted more than 48 yards receiving. Before writing the ’05 bust off, however,
try not to forget his 1,000-yard, 10-touchdown 2004 campaign. What has come
into focus is how effective Burleson can be as a Robin to his team’s Batman.
Some players just perform better without the pressure from fans and defenses.
As such, the move to
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
28. Michael Clayton,
A foot injury
contributed to Clayton’s massive sophomore slump. Rest assured head coach Jon Gruden knew what he was doing when he tabbed Clayton in the
first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Still a key component in one of the emerging
offenses, Clayton joins Carnell Williams and Chris Simms as the Buccaneers
version of the Big Three. Joey Galloway’s career-year at 34 years old was done
with smoke and mirrors…at least that’s what opponents saw after he turned the
corner. Healthy again, Clayton will become top dog by season’s end.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
29. Donte Stallworth, WR,
Talented but
always nicked up, his 70 catches indicate he’s ready to take over for Horn.
Funny thing is, Horn is still king of the mountain in the Big Easy, so don’t
elevate Stallworth to top-dog status just yet. Stallworth’s overall numbers look solid, but he posted just
one 100-yard game after Week 4 and had the following yardage totals over the
final six games—48, 20, 43, 102, 47, 61. Does that sound like the production of
a No. 1 receiver?
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
30. Eric Moulds, Houston
Moulds didn’t
wear out his welcome in
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04 Buffalo 88 1,043 5
05 Buffalo 81 816 4
31. Rod Smith,
The list of
veteran wide receivers having a huge fantasy impact in 2005 is both long and
impressive. From Joey Galloway to Eddie Kennison to
Eric Moulds and Rod Smith, age was nothing but a number. In Smith’s case that’s
still true. He’s pulled in at least 70 balls in nine consecutive seasons and
accumulated 1,000-yard campaigns in eight out of the last nine. As much as Mike
Shanahan loves to shuffle his running backs, Smith is his rock in the passing
attack. And don’t worry about Javon Walker hitting
town, either. Smith learned to play nice with a 1,000-yard receiving teammate
when Ed McCaffrey was in town.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
32. Reggie Brown, WR,
Someone has to
be Donovan McNabb’s favorite target and it may as well be Brown. It’s rare that
a second-year player has such lofty goals thrown his way—even Randy Moss
benefited from Cris Carter early on. Opportunities
should be plentiful for Brown, even though head coach Andy Reid has promised a
more balanced attack. Few other dependable options exist aside from running
back Brian Westbrook, giving Brown some value as a No. 2 in some leagues and
No. 3 wide receiver in others.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
05
33. Samie Parker,
WR,
Teammate Eddie Kennison’s on the downward spiral, and the player ready to
fill the shoes is Parker. A gamebreaking threat,
Parker fought his way into the lineup and responded with a strong close to 2005.
Larry Johnson is expected to get more than his fair share of work, but
stretching the field is an avenue Herm Edwards can explore thanks to Parker’s
speed.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
34. Muhsin
Muhammad, Chicago
Don’t waste
your time with Muhammad. Honestly. He’s a fat cat with a long-term contract and
the best years behind him. Last season was proof positive. The Bears passing
game is going nowhere, and Muhammad stands firmly in the middle of it. He has
far too many unproven talents fighting for playing time and questionable
quarterback play to deal with on top of it. The only Bears that warrant fantasy
time this minute are Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
35.
It’s possible
that Coles has already peaked after just six seasons in the league, yet highly
unlikely. Unsettled quarterback situations have doomed Coles ever since he left
the Jets for
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05 N.Y. Jets 73 845 5
36. Isaac Bruce,
Gone are the
days when Bruce and Holt ran free for big gains as part of the Greatest Show on
Turf. Well, in Bruce’s case anyway. Age has caught up to Bruce along with
several teammates, including Kevin Curtis. There’s a mark in the stat ceiling
where Bruce banged his head two years ago. Keep an eye on his situation in
training camp, because his value could take a big hit with the upstarts ready
to take over.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
37. Antonio Bryant,
Bryant’s
baggage, both physical and emotional, hit the West Coast, where well-thrown
balls may be at a premium. Bryant has never played for a high-scoring team, or
even one whose offense was respectable, so he’s never been a big benefit to
owners in touchdown-only leagues. Assuming the Niners
remain near or below the .500 mark, however, means plenty of catch-up work and
garbage time stats. Signing with
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04 Dallas/Cle 58 812 4
05
38.
The beauty of
Givens is knowing exactly what contributions he’ll
make to your fantasy team. You may get a big game here and there, but the
bottom line will remain the same. Givens will pile up somewhere in the
neighborhood of 60 receptions and about 800 yards. There is potential for
growth in
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
39. Matt Jones,
The Jags have a
2004 No. 1 draft pick at wide receiver (Reggie Williams), but it’s a converted
quarterback (Jones) who’s got the best chance to step into Jimmy Smith’s former
role. Jones is like a dazzling shortstop in baseball. He’s got the
show-stopping catches down to a science but needs some work on the routine
ones. Considering he’s only had one full year of seasoning at the position, the
progress is remarkable. Besides, the routine only becomes routine after
hundreds of repetitions. Here’s an excellent sleeper candidate.
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
05
40. Kevin Curtis,
Curtis has the
type of quick-cutting ability
YR TEAM REC REC
YDS TDS
04
05
Best
of the Rest…
41.
42. Joe Jurevicius,
Cleveland
Yes, the stats
are correct. Jurevicius scored 10 touchdowns with
43. Joey Galloway,
Younger weapons
will begin to take control of Bucs’ offense.
44.
45. Terry Glenn, Dallas
46. Roddy White,
47.
Rookie has a
clear shot to earn No. 2 spot behind Branch
48. Brandon Stokley,
Numbers sawed
in half, even David Blaine was impressed by the disappearing act.
49. Antwaan
Randle El,
50. Marty Booker, Dolphins
51. Mark Clayton, Baltimore
A definite sleeper after some solid games midway through rookie
year.
52. Keyshawn
Johnson,
Veteran
possession receiver is a perfect complement to Smith
53.
Written off by
some, Toomer still grabbed 60 balls with seven
scores.
54. Ashley Lelie,
55. Braylon
Edwards, Cleveland
Watch him play
in the preseason before making a decision..
56.
Spectacular
catches don’t earn extra fantasy points, consistency does, and Lloyd lacks
exactly that attribute. Could be fourth option in ‘Skins pass
attack.
57. Santonio Holmes,
58. Michael Jenkins,
Size makes him
an attractive red-zone target for Vick.
59. Troy
60. Mike Williams,
61.
62.
Rookie’s behind
Burress, Shockey, Toomer, Barber and maybe even Jacobs in the pecking order.