Week 1 of the NFL season is finally here and more than likely your fantasy draft is taking place this week. The Wide Receiver position has not released its reigns on being the “prima donna” position of the NFL. From the constant Terrell Owens soap opera to Brandon Marshall being put in timeout in Denver, these wide-outs have no problem basking in the spotlight. My personal issue with these “athletes” is their inability to use common sense (see: Dante Stallworth and Plaxico Burress). It must suck to get paid multi-millions each year to catch a ball, but I guess I would shoot myself in the leg too if I just won the Super Bowl. Enough venting, on to the projections…..
The “Sure Things”:
1: Larry Fitzgerald- Living in Arizona for the past 12 years has been a trying endeavor being a big time sports fan. That all changed last year with the Cardinals miraculous run through the NFC playoffs. Arizona managed to make it to Super Bowl for one reason, Larry Fitzgerald. Fitz absolutely dominated every secondary throughout the playoffs and most likely would have been the MVP of the Super Bowl if not for the unworthy effort of the Arizona Defense on that last drive. Fitzgerald will again benefit from the ability of Kurt Warner to throw the long ball and the opening up of the running game with newcomer Chris “Beanie” Wells. Look for a 1400 YD/12 TD as Larry shares the red zone targets with Anquan Boldin. Fitz is a flat out monster and the best wide-out in the NFL today no question.
2: Calvin Johnson- In a true cluster of “all-star” wide-outs drafted this decade, Calvin Johnson may be the first Detroit WR draftee to pan out into a Pro Bowler annually. He may finally have a franchise QB at the helm with the acquisition of newly named starter Matthew Stafford, Johnson may finally have someone with the arm strength to get the ball to him on deep routes. Known as “Megatron” by his teammates, CJ will have the ability to transform games all year if he gets as many looks as last year where he was third in the league in target percentage. A 1,500 YD/ 13 TD season is not out of the question if Stafford keeps his mistakes at a minimum and the Lions can hold on to the ball.
Other sure things: Andre Johnson, Texans/ Randy Moss, Patriots/ Greg Jennings, Packers
The “Coin Flips”:
1: Reggie Wayne- Peyton Manning and the Indy Colts aren’t going anywhere from their perch as the one of the top teams in the AFC, but their offense is certainly on a down slope from the monster efforts of the past few years. The reason Reggie Wayne can’t be considered a sure thing anymore is he lost his partner in crime Marvin Harrison. Harrison’s exit means the secondary will be able to focus on Wayne until new blood Anthony Gonzalez has his coming out party. A two-headed running game with Joseph Addai and Donald Brown (both 1st round picks) may also hurt Wayne’s numbers as Manning may be throwing the ball less. I’m not sold on Wayne and his 400 YD production drop last season, but if you can get him later than the 3rd round go for it.
2: Roddy White- Roddy announced his arrival last year when he and Matt Ryan formed a strong duo to complement the running game of Michael Turner. The Falcons went out in the off-season and got Pro Bowl TE Tony Gonzalez and that is where my concern with Roddy White lies. White got close to 35% of the QB’s targets last year and Gonzalez will certainly get some looks on play action passes and in the red zone. Atlanta has a very good chance to be an NFC contender but Roddy may not have the chance to repeat his numbers. I see a 1200 YD/ 8 TD season because of Tony Gonzalez’s presence in the red zone but if White is available late 2nd, early 3rd round he is a strong no. 2 option at receiver.
The “Untouchables”:
1: Terrell Owens- T.O. is just a head-case. It is hard to imagine being let go by a team you just gave back to back 1,000 YD efforts to, but this guy managed to do it. Owens had a busy off-season, going to the Buffalo Bills of all teams, and he got a reality TV show on VH1. Safe to say this guy’s first concern may not be football. Trent Edwards may be able to get Terrell the ball in space but he also has Lee Evans as a deep threat and T.O. hasn’t been participating in the preseason to form that bond. Some may see a potential 1,200 YD/10 TD season out of this “prima donna” but I think he will be lucky to break 1000 yards.
PREDICTIONS:
Biggest Stud:
Calvin Johnson
Biggest Disappointment:
Reggie Wayne
Biggest New Star:
Robert Meachem, New Orleans
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