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| Published: Jul 15, 2007 6:05 PM EST |
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30 Best Fantasy Football Receivers Volume #6 |
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1. Steve Smith - Carolina Panthers
Finally we’ve reach the #1 fantasy football receiver for 2007 season. It’s Steve Smith. Smith is as solid as they come and he’s basically the Panthers entire offense. Without Steve Smith, Carolina really has no one to look too. Steve Smith is going to be relied on even more now with Keyshaun Johnson out of the picture. The Panthers do have Dwayne Jarrett and few other nice young prospects like Drew Carter but none of them are consistent enough to be relied on and the pressure is always going to be on Steve Smith.
Last year Steve Smith had what some consider a disappointing year. He was banged up with injuries for some of the years but he still put up 1,000 yards and 8 touchdowns. 2005 was Smith’s breakout year where some thought he had deserved the MVP. Smith had over 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns that year and I think he could come closer to that this year.
Carolina has a bit of a Quarterback controversy brewing even though most within the organization will deny that. I wouldn’t be shocked to see David Carr become the starter sooner rather than later in Carolina. The plus to that is Carr might be the better Quarterback but the negative is Jake Delhomme throws the ball to Smith most of the time.
My projections on Smith is he’ll reach what he did in 2005. I really like Steve Smith for this up and coming fantasy season as long as he remains healthy. I think he’s one of the elite receivers in the league and he’s one of the few that is a threat to score anytime he touches the ball. I look for him to push for 1500 yards and score double digits in touchdowns this year.
2. Chad Johnson - Cincinnati Bengals
One thing I like about Chad Johnson is some people will not pick him because they just can’t stand him. Now I’m not saying you should ever factor something like that in but that happens to be the truth with Ocho Cinco. Whether you like his cocky attitude or not Ocho has been maybe the best receiver in the league the past 5 seasons.
He’s coming off his 5th straight 1,000 yard seasons. He’s in an offense that is very explosive and he has one of the four elite Quarterbacks in the league throwing him the ball. It wouldn’t be a stretch to rank him #1 on your fantasy draft board. The Bengals are certainly a talented team especially on offense and that is a big plus and Johnson is the big playmaker on that offense.
Chad Johnson will have be Palmer’s go to guy and it’s not out of question for him to put up career numbers this year. I think he’ll approach 10+ touchdowns and at least 1,300 yards receiving. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him do better than that. Right now I would take Chad Johnson in early round 3 if your using the running back in round 1 and 2 philosophy which you really should.
3. Marvin Harrison - Indianapolis Colts
Even at his age Marvin Harrison is still one of the best receivers in the game today. Fantasy wise you got to love Marvin Harrison. In my opinion he has been the best receiver this decade. Better than Randy Moss and better than Terrell Owens. One thing that fantasy owners often look for is consistency. That is what people starve for in fantasy football. It doesn’t get any more consistent than the Indianapolis Colts’ offense and Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison. They are the best Quarterback and receiver duo the league may of ever seen. Statistically they are. They are also in the middle of their prime right now.
You’d have a hard time convincing me this season will be different. Anything short of an injury to Harrison or Manning is not going to work for me. They are the best in the game for a reason and they will continue to be All Pros. The one thing that I can find negative on Harrison is that Reggie Wayne could surpass him statistically. People keep expecting it to happen soon and I think it’s possible but when you look at the stat card it doesn’t seem likely.
How good has Harrison been? He has 101 touchdowns in 8 seasons. That’s an amazing statistic. In the last 8 seasons his lowest touchdown total has been 10 and he’s had three seasons of 14 or more touchdowns. Harrison might be the modern day Jerry Rice. So take Harrison in early round 3 if he’s there. Chances are someone will use a higher pick on him in late round 1 to mid round 2.
4. Torry Holt - St. Louis Rams
It seems like Torry Holt is finally getting his due. He might be the most underrated receiver of all time. I gave you my three most in the game today and Hold was certainly in that category once upon a time. This decade the two best receivers have been Torry Holt and Marvin Harrison. I said Harrison was #1 and that means Holt is #2. He’s been a consistently productive receiver and the Rams and fantasy owners of Holt have benefited in big way.
The only thing that will set Torry Holt back is an injury. He’s very similar to Marvin Harrison in the way he plays the game and the way he presents himself. If you want a consistent receiver that you know will get you points then Holt and Harrison are your guys. However I think the upside on them might be winding down and that’s where Chad Johnson and Steve Smith get the nod.
This year expect Holt to put is usual 1,000+ yards and expect him to approach 10 touchdowns. Another year in Scott Linehan’s offense should help him even more. If your worried about the Marc Bugler contract situation hurting Hold in anyway then just stop right now. That won’t be the case. Torry Holt is a legit #1 fantasy receiver and one of the 5 best the league has to offer.
5. Terrell Owens - Dallas Cowboys
Oh boy. Where do I start? Well there is no denying Terrell Owens’ talent or should I call him the player. Talent wise he’s one of the five best receivers and like him or not he does back up what he says off the field with his play on the field. Now the one thing your going to worry about is his drops but in most leagues drop is not an “official” statistic so you really can’t count that as a downgrade fantasy wise. Unless of course you really want to nit pick things.
The only downside to taking Terrell Owens is he’s often injured and then of course you never know if he’s going to explode and breakup a locker room. Terrell Owens has been sent home before and it could happen again. However with Bill Parcells gone that might not be an option any more. Jerry Jones is committed to Terrell Owens and Wade Phillips appears to have a nice relationship with Terrell. At least Phillips calls Terrell by his name instead of the player.
Tony Romo is a bit of an overrated Quarterback in my opinion. In fact I think he’s the most overrated player in the game today. Not to say he’s a bad player but if he wasn’t the Quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys he wouldn’t be getting the attention he is and right now he really doesn’t deserve it. None the less Romo will get Terrell the ball and that will be a plus for Owens owners. I wouldn’t worry about Owens blowing up in Dallas. At least not for this year. I think he’ll catch 10+ touchdowns and he’ll be a good starter. I really see no reason not to select Owens and make him your #1 fantasy receiver. He’s a great player who puts up big stats. After all stats are the biggest thing that matters when it comes to fantasy football. |
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| Published: Jul 15, 2007 6:05 PM EST |
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