Wide Receiver is going to be a little bit crazy this year. Tons of moving and shaking going on in the next few weeks. Receivers re-signing and getting cut. Lots of new quarterbacks and coaches in the league. That being said, I think this is one of the deepest WR years in recent memory.
As usual, if you've got any questions for us, go ahead and post them in the comments. If you missed our running back and quarterback Q&A, check those out on our homepage godhateslosers.blogspot.com. And stay tuned for tomorrow's post, answering the popular questions on tight ends, kickers and defenses.
1) Which wide receiver should be selected first in your 2011 NFL fantasy draft?
Andrew: Well, Roddy White's reign lasted only one year, the drafting of Julio Jones has likely dropped Roddy's total catches a bit. He's still a top 10, but not number one. There are about 10 WRs that are worthy of being top 2 round selections, but for my money, I take Andre Johnson. He's still the lone wideout talent in Houston, he was a beast last year playing through injury, and frankly, I think he is unstoppable.
Jordan: Andre Johnson. He’s a man. Period. The most dominant and consistent fantasy WR for the last few years. His abilities cannot be matched and I’m not sure he has seen his plateau. He might not see a sharp incline, but he certainly won’t decline.
2) Which rookie wide receiver will put up the best fantasy performance? Jones, Green, or other?
Andrew: Definitely not other. Jones is definitely going into a more talented system than A.J. Green, but he will be competing with other receivers for the ball. Green on the other hand is likely going to be without Ochocinco (is it Johnson again?) and T.O. in Cincinnati, making his only competition Jordan Shipley. But he will likely be with a rookie QB, or a unwanted veteran. Doesn't matter though. He's a freak. A.J. Green gets it.
Jordan: Julio Jones is going to be one of the top WRs this year—rookie or vet. Matt Ryan is STILL getting better, and with Roddy White being a threat to society at large with his murderous talents, Jones is a homerun. Period.
3) Which wide receiver will have the best second year in the league?
Andrew: There are only two that I think are even close to being mentioned here: Mike Williams of Tampa Bay and Dez Bryant of Dallas. The TB coaching staff has stated that they want to get Benn more involved in the passing game, and I think that TE Winslow could show up a bit this season, so I'm giving the nod to Bryant. Had it not been for a late injury, I think Bryant had a good chance to take Rookie of the Year, and he could very well see the most yardage and receptions from Tony Romo this year as a Cowboy.
Jordan: Mike Williams. He is the future, but the future is now. Freeman and Williams are going to be lights-out this year. He was dominating defenses last year as a rookie. As a rookie. He can’t stop himself from being awful….ly amazing. And while Dez looks sexy to a lot of Dallas fans, let’s be serious: He’s not focused and he’s injury prone. He’s like one of those adolescent wonderkids from the NBA’s nearly destructive 90s: He’s been given way too much way too soon. Even though Williams is gone, I don’t see him being able to take over any of the catches or looks that Austin is getting.
4) Who is the biggest fantasy sleeper out of the receivers (round 10 or later)?
Andrew: Depending on where he lands, I think that Randy Moss still has some good years left in him. Depending on his QB, and his expected place on the depth chart, I think that if Moss lands in a system that makes him happy, he will thrive. A sleeper without the ifs would be Jordy Nelson of the Packers. He had a fantastic playoff run, and with Donald Driver getting his AARP card and James Jones on the way out because he can hardly even hold onto a pen, Nelson could be the number two in a pass happy system.
Jordan: Pierre Garcon is my pick here. He is something of a contradiction: all the physical abilities and skills and PEYTON, but still not hitting on all cylinders. Once he realizes that he really is the best receiver they have, I think he’ll stop resting on his laurels, because……
5) Who is the most overvalued receiver for the 2011 fantasy season?
Andrew: Don't expect Brandon Lloyd to have another megaseason. With Tebow at the helm and an abundance of other WRs to compete with, he will drop off a lot. I also can't see Percy Harvin and Sydney Rice being as high as they are on most boards. They are definite reaches.
Jordan: Reggie Wayne is by far the most overrated top 10 receiver. He’s aging, his numbers are going down, and Garcon is about to do to him what he did to Harrison—replace him. Manning is a loyal character, but Manning spreads the ball around to his men and knows when to play the hot hand.
6) Which wide receiver will be the best comeback player returning to former fantasy glory?
Andrew: Has to go to Vincent Jackson right. Holdout and injury held him to just under 250 yards. He'll come back in a big way this year. I don't really have anything clever to say.
Jordan: Chad Johnson (formerly OchoCinco) just went to the Patriots. The New England Patriots. The New England Patriots that have Tom Brady as their QB. The same Tom Brady that is banging Gisele Bundchen. And throwing touchdown passes all day long, the same one that had his second most statistical year ever last year. The same Tom Brady owns the single season touchdown record.
7) Who will be this year's Brandon Lloyd and come out of nowhere?
Andrew: I already have Jordy Nelson as a sleeper, but don't count on him to rocket to the top 5. I honestly don't see any receiver outside of the top 15 that could possibly make a run for the top. But, I suppose I can gamble. Whoever the Bills decide their number 2 is could make a good run. The Bills have moved to the air pretty successfully and with defenses honing in on Stevie Johnson, Lee Evans or Parrish could move up the boards pretty quick. Pay close attention to the Bills' preseason and find who their number two is and you could have a steal late in the draft.
Jordan: Steve Breaston. I think with Kolb throwing to him, he will definitely surprise a lot of people. This doesn’t make them out-of-the-blue pick that Lloyd was, because he was certainly a fantastic player with Warner throwing to him, but I don’t think anyone has him high on their boards. This isn’t really an easy question to answer, but I’d bet on this dude before I bet on any other dudes. Dude.
