As is the case with fantasy football running backs in 2010, the wide receiver pool has a clear-cut top dog.
Houston's Andre Johnson will be the first wide receiver taken off the board in most every fantasy football draft in 2010.
After that? The wide receiver rankings are a little less clear-cut, but one thing's for sure: there is no shortage of receiver talent in this year's fantasy football draft.
1. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
As fantasy football players go, Johnson is among the elite. The 29-year-old receiver caught 101 passes for 1,569 yards and nine touchdowns in 2009, his second consecutive season with at least 100 catches, 1,500 yards and eight touchdowns. Johnson topped the 100-catch mark in three of the past four seasons, coming up short in 2007 after missing seven games with an injury. Best of all? The Texans love to pass the ball, with quarterback Matt Schaub attempting a league-high 583 passes for a league-high 4,770 yards in 2009.
2. Randy Moss, New England Patriots
The Brady-to-Moss connection was as stellar as ever in 2009, with the 33-year-old wide receiver catching 83 passes for 1,264 yards and 13 touchdowns. It was the 10th time in his 12 seasons that Moss topped 1,000 yards, and in three seasons with the Patriots, he has 250 receptions, 3,765 yards and an astounding 47 touchdowns. He should again be among the best fantasy football players in 2010.
3. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts
Many fantasy football rankings have Wayne lower than the top three, but there are three things that are tough to ignore: Batman's consistency, his durability and his quarterback. Wayne hasn't missed a regular-season game since 2001, his rookie season. He has topped 1,000 receiving yards each of the past six seasons. And he has Peyton Manning throwing him the ball. Oh yeah, and without Marvin Harrison around to compete for looks in 2009, Wayne caught 100 passes for 1,264 yards and 10 touchdowns.
4. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Johnson is worthy of a top-five spot despite a slight dip in production in 2009. Remember that Johnson's quarterback, Matthew Stafford, played in just 10 games in ’09, and the wide receiver still caught 67 passes for 984 yards and five touchdowns, despite playing in just 14 himself. With both players healthy heading into 2010, there's no reason to think Megatron won't return to something resembling his 2008 production — 78 catches, 1,331 yards, 12 touchdowns — making him worthy of an early-round spot in the 2010 fantasy football projections.
5. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons
White is coming off three consecutive seasons with more than 83 receptions and 1,100 yards, making him worthy of a top spot in the 2010 fantasy football rankings. With Matt Ryan throwing him the ball, and running back Michael Turner healthy, the Falcons' offense should be clicking in 2010, with White again putting up nice numbers. His 2009 returns — 85 catches, 1,153 yards and 11 touchdowns.
6. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
Experts don't seem to know where to place Larry Fitzgerald in 2010 — fantasy football projections have him all over the place. The departure of Kurt Warner leaves question marks in Arizona, for sure, but it's tough to bet against Fitz, even though nobody is quite sure what to expect from quarterback Matt Leinart in 2010. Still, Fitzgerald's numbers are impossible to ignore — more than 1,400 yards in three of the past five seasons; 10 touchdowns or more in four of the past five; 293 receptions, 3,932 yards and 35 touchdowns over the past three seasons; 523 receptions, 7,067 yards and 59 touchdowns in his six-year NFL career. The Cardinals' mascot could be under center, and Fitzgerald still might be worthy of a top 10 spot in the fantasy football receiver rankings.
7. Brandon Marshall, Miami Dolphins
Miami's quarterback situation is not exactly enviable, with Chad Henne and Tyler Thigpen slated No. 1 and No. 2 on the depth chart, but Marshall manages to produce no matter what. In 2009, he put behind him a contentious offseason that included demanding the Denver Broncos for a trade, then caught 101 passes for 1,120 yards and 10 touchdowns. Marshall, who hasn't dipped below 1,100 yards in the past three seasons, got the trade he wanted, and he's easily the Dolphins' best fantasy football player.
8. Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys
Austin was one of the breakthrough fantasy football stars of 2009, catching 81 passes for 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Cowboys' offense is littered with talent, and the addition of rookie Dez Bryant means Austin will have to share the ball with several receiving threats (Bryant, Roy Williams and Jason Witten, not to mention Patrick Crayton). Even still, Austin is the lead receiver, and he has one of the best fantasy football quarterbacks throwing to him in Tony Romo.
9. DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles
There's a new starting quarterback in Philly, but Jackson and Kevin Kolb shouldn't have too much trouble connecting. After all, in the two games Kolb started in 2009, Jackson caught four passes for 101 yards and a touchdown, and six passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. Always a deep threat, Jackson went on to grab 63 passes for 1,167 yards and nine TDs, and also scored twice on punt returns.
10. Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints
What's not to like about Colston? He's 6-foot-4, 225 pounds; has 285 catches, 4,074 yards and 33 touchdowns in four NFL seasons; is coming off a Super Bowl victory; and has Drew Brees throwing him the ball. Colston was among the top fantasy football players in 2009 with 70 receptions for 1,074 yards and nine touchdowns; no reason to think he won't be among the top receivers again in 2010.
Adam Sparks - Adam Sparks has been a reporter, copy editor and designer during a 14-year newspaper career that has taken him from Oregon to Hawaii and ...
