Entering the 2007 fantasy football draft, many owners decided to look the other way went it came to a certain wide receiver. A receiver coming off a year with only three touchdowns. A receiver who had averaged a mundane 775 yards per season over the previous three years.
Owners willing to take a chance on this receiver, one Randy Moss, reaped the benefits of 1,493 yards and a record 23 touchdowns. Moss is on everyone's radar this year and, with Terrell Owens, is one of the top two receivers in fantasy football.
There are too few legitimate arguments not to make Moss the first receiver taken, with Owens a close second. Both have an uncanny ability to get to the end zone. Both pose a deep threat. Both have a top-tier quarterback.
The sole downside to Moss is that he has admitted that he does not always give his best effort. He did not tank any of 2007, though, never having a three-game span with fewer than three touchdowns.
Owens averages slightly more yards per catch, yet he just cannot beat out a determined Moss. Both receivers will score at least a dozen touchdowns and cover 1,200 or more yards. A fantasy owner cannot go wrong with either of these players, but if they are both on the board, the choice is Moss.
After years of being the second-best fantasy receiver on his team, Reggie Wayne is now the third choice in the entire NFL. With an injury to Marvin Harrison in 2007, Wayne led the league with 1,510 yards. He also scored 10 times.
Because Harrison played only five games before enduring a troubled offseason, Wayne will continue to be Peyton Manning's most reliable target. Expect Wayne to have another spectacular season, even if his yardage drops a bit from last year.
One of the more quietly consistent wide receivers in the league is Torry Holt. He may be the lone threat in the St. Louis offense in 2008, depending on Marc Bulger's health and running back Steven Jackson's continued contract hold out.
Even with other offensive options detracting from his touches recently, Holt has managed to reel in 91 or more catches in six straight seasons. He reached the end zone seven times last year, his lowest total since 2002. Still, he will be good for 85 catches, 1,100 yards and at least a half-dozen touchdowns. Holt is worthy of being the top receiver on a fantasy team, and he will be an outstanding value as a No. 2 receiver.
Two receivers enter the year amid a maelstrom of problems. Carolina suspended top receiver Steve Smith for two games for breaking teammate Ken Lucas' nose with a punch during a training camp tussle. Denver receiver Brandon Marshall will also miss the first two or three games of the season because of off-the-field problems.
Smith and Marshall have taken a hit in value, but the patient owner will be wise to take Smith in the fourth round or Marshall a round later. They will be valuable enough over the last 14 games of the season, that missing the first two games will appear to be insignificant at the end of the year.
Good value picks abound in the middle rounds of the draft. Jerricho Cotchery, Kevin Walter and Bobby Engram are nice options as third wide receivers.
Despite the danger in hitching a wagon to anything associated with Brett Favre's flickering star, Jerricho Cotchery has been a solid possession receiver for the Jets. He has 82 receptions in each of the last two seasons and has averaged 1,045 yards during that time. Unfortunately, he only scored twice last year. Remember that the knock on Andre Johnson entering last year was that he didn't score enough; he went on to record eight touchdowns in nine games.
Johnson's teammate Kevin Walter came out of anonymity to total 800 yards and four touchdowns. He established himself as a legitimate secondary receiver, and he will get plenty of attention from quarterback Matt Schaub in a Houston offense that will have a lot of trouble running the ball.
Bobby Engram is 35 years old and coming off of a career-best season in 2007. He caught 94 balls for 1,147 yards and six touchdowns. Seahawk quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is a consistent passer, and Engram will be his primary target. Owners should not expect a duplication of last year's success, but Engram will make an outstanding tertiary receiver.
1. Randy Moss, Patriots; 2. Terrell Owens, Cowboys; 3. Reggie Wayne, Colts; 4. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Bengals; 5. Braylon Edwards, Browns; 6. Andre Johnson, Texans; 7. Torry Holt, Rams; 8. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals; 9. Chad Johnson, Bengals; 10. Steve Smith, Panthers.
Dan Massey's Fantasy Sports appears each Sunday. E-mail him atdmassey@lnpnews.com.
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