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2008 FOOTBALL PLAYER RANKINGS - WIDE RECEIVERS

 

The player rankings are based on projected statistics for the 2008 football season.  UPDATED: September 1, 2008

 

PLAYER RANKINGS   -   QB      RB      WR      TE      K      DEF/ST

 

RANK NAME TEAM BYE PS(*) TIER COMMENTS
1 Randy Moss NE  4 * 1 Had an amazing season last year with 98 receptions, 1,493 receiving yards and 23 TD's. We do not see anyway how those numbers will be repeated. We still think he remains the top fantasy WR in the game. Be happy with his projected numbers of 88 receptions, 1,300 yards and 13 TD's.
2 Reggie Wayne IND  4 * 1 When Marvin Harrison went out early last season with an injury, Wayne stepped up and had the best stats of his career. Even with Harrison making a comeback and the development of Anthony Gonzalez, Wayne is a safe bet to get 85 receptions, 1,300 receiving yards and 10 TD's. 
3 Terrell Owens DAL  10 * 1 This is a contract year for Owens, so expect maximum effort from him this season. He is 34, but is still in great shape and had a great year last season. T.O. appears to get along just fine with Tony Romo. Expect another very good fantasy stat line from him, we project 75 receptions, 1,200 yards and 12 TD's. 
4 Larry Fitzgerald ARI  7 * 2 Achieved 100 receptions, 10 TD's and 1,400 yards last season and two of the last three years. Signed a big 4 year contract this offseason, now he just needs to continue to produce at a high level. It should be noted that Kurt Warner was the primary QB last season, so whoever wins the full-time QB battle could play into Fitzgerald's overall numbers.
5 Braylon Edwards CLE  5 * 2 Has progressively improved over the last 3 seasons and had a true breakout year in 2007. With Donte Stallworth joining the team, Derek Anderson will have more WR options. The Cleveland offense is good, so Edwards should continue to produce at a high level, we would expect 12 TD's this season, not 16 like last year.
6 Andre Johnson HOU  8 * 2 When he is healthy there are very few WR better than him. The problem is in 2005 and 2007 he missed numerous games, so he is injury prone. He is still having some knee problems in preseason, but we think he will be ready for the regular season. We project 90 receptions, 1,200 yards and 9 TD's. 
7 Marques Colston NO  9 * 2 Had a great sophomore year. 2008 is a contract year for him and he is entering his third year in the NFL. All of these things point to another great year for him this season. As good as he is, we should note that Jeremy Shockey may take away some of his receptions and TD's and Colston has been battling minor leg injuries this preseason.
8 T.J. Houshmandzadeh CIN  8 * 2 Has put together 3 excellent seasons in a row. He will be 31 at the beginning of the season and is also in a contract year. Chad Johnson is battling preseason injuries and Chris Henry will be out at least the first 4 games this season because NFL conduct policy violations, so Housh will be needed now more than ever. We project 100 receptions, 1,100 yards and 10 TD's.
9 Torry Holt STL  5 * 2 Has been remarkably consistent the past several seasons and even at 32 is still a fantasy WR1.  Even with all of the problems the Rams had last season, Holt was able to have 93 receptions, 1,189 receiving yards and 7 TD's. We expect him to come close to those numbers again this season.
10 Plaxico Burress NYG  4 * 2 Burress rarely practiced during the year and consistently dealt with minor nagging injuries. Even with that, he once again put up good numbers with 70 receptions, 1,025 yards with 12 TD's. With his big play ability and Eli Manning's primary red zone target, expect similar numbers in 2008.
11 Brandon Marshall DEN  8 * 3 The NFL reduced the suspension of Marshall to just one game because he violated NFL's personal conduct policy. He has loads of potential and talent, but with three arrests in the past two years, you must consider that when drafting him. Assuming he stays out of trouble, expect 85 receptions, 1,100 yards receiving and 8 TD's, which is worthy of a WR1 spot on your roster.
12 Anquan Boldin ARI  7 * 3 Along with Larry Fitzgerald, forms the best WR duo in the league. Now that Kurt Warner has been named the starter, our expectations for Boldin increase. It appears to be an ideal situation for him, but he is not happy with his contract and wants out of Arizona.  Too much talent and in a good system a low WR1 or high WR2 option.
13 Steve Smith CAR  9 * 3 Smith punched teammate Ken Lucas during practice and was suspended by Carolina for the first two games of the season. This hurts his fantasy value, but he remains a top 15 WR. Smith is a great open field runner after the catch and with Jake Delhomme back from his injury we would expect a very good season for him in 2008.
14 Wes Welker NE  4 * 3 Had a respectable year with Miami in 2006, but no one expected the kind of season Welker had in 2007 with 112 receptions, 1,175 yards and 8 TD's. We can not see a repeat performance in 2008, but he should still be a quality WR2, especially in Points Per Reception Leagues.
15 Calvin Johnson DET  4 * 3 As a rookie last season Johnson had 48 receptions for 756 yards and 4 TD's, so why do we have him rated so high? Well, as with most rookies he experienced some growing pains in 2007. We expected a full year of experience will help catapult this immense talent into a solid WR2 in 2008.
16 Santonio Holmes PIT  6 * 3 Holmes is a playmaker who led the league in yards per catch at 18.1 yards. Progressed nicely in second season, so we expect even further growth in 2008. We think 60 receptions, 1,050 yards and 9 TD's are a reasonable projection for Holmes.   
17 Roy Williams DET  4 * 3 Williams had a great 2006 season, but with the emergence of Calvin Johnson and a knee injury in the final month of the season, 2007 was just above average. The Lions running game is below average, so they will still pass a lot. Williams and Johnson should finish with around 70 receptions, 1,050 yards and 7 TD's.
18 Chad Ocho Cinco (Johnson) CIN  8 * 3 Would be rated higher, but preseason injury to his shoulder has us concerned. Alge Crumpler and Kellen Winslow wore a harness and played with similar injury, but word is if the shoulder pops out again he could need surgery and be done for the season. Know your risk and reward with Johnson on draft day. 
19 Greg Jennings GB  8 * 3 Made lots of big plays in 2007, where he had 53 receptions for 920 yards and 12 TD's. In 2008 he will be entering his third season in the league. The big question is how well Aaron Rodgers will do as a first time starter. Based on what we have seen, Rodgers is ready to take over the team.
20 Dwayne Bowe KC  6 * 3 As a rookie last season, he did very well. 70 receptions for 995 yards and 5 TD's all while playing in an offense with a poor passing attack. Larry Johnson and Tony Gonzalez helps keep the opponent defense in check, but Brodie Croyle is one of the worst starting QB's in the league. We like Bowe's aggressive play, but with Croyle at QB he is a WR2 at best.
21 Roddy White ATL  7 * 3 The good news is that White is the primary target in Atlanta and is developing into a good receiver. The bad news is that a rookie will be the starting QB and there is not another quality WR or TE on the Atlanta squad. We see Roddy as a lower WR2 or a high quality WR3.
22 Jerricho Cotchery NYJ  5 * 3 Two straight years of 82 receptions. While his yardage went up to over 1,100 yards, his TD's went down from 6 to 2 in 2007. Having Brett Favre as the Jets QB this season should keep his numbers up and we would expect his TD's to go back up to 6 in 2008.
23 Hines Ward PIT  6 * 3 At 32, Ward has taken more punishment than most WR's and all of the hits are now affecting his performance. Hines is a total gamer, but he is coming off offseason knee surgery, so buyer beware. Upside projections around 70 receptions for 800 yards and 6 TD's for the 2008 season.
24 Marvin Harrison IND  4 * 3 Offseason knee surgery and legal troubles from connections to the shooting in Philadelphia have dropped Harrison out of his usual top 10 WR pick. We still think Harrison will get around 70 receptions, 900 yards and around 8 TD's and thus is a low end WR2 or a high end WR3.
25 Laveranues Coles NYJ  5 * 3 Had knee and ankle injuries in 2007, missing 4 games and parts of 2 other games. Last year was a down year, we think now that Favre is the QB and he is healed from the injuries that he could be a good value pick in the 2008 season.
26 Lee Evans BUF  6 * 3 Had a great 2006 season, but he was a bust in 2007. Evans is a very good WR, but with Trent Edwards as his QB, he may never fully reach his potential. The Bills did draft James Hardy who should help keep opposing defenses off of Evans to some degree.
27 Chris Chambers SD  9 * 3  
28 Joey Galloway TB  10 * 3  
29 Donald Driver GB  8 * 3  
30 Santana Moss WAS  10 * 3  
31 Reggie Brown PHI  7 * 4  
32 Patrick Crayton DAL  10 * 4  
33 Nate Burleson SEA  4 * 4  
34 Anthony Gonzalez IND  4 3 4  
35 Derrick Mason BAL  10 * 4  
36 Donte Stallworth CLE  5 * 4  
37 Bernard Berrian MIN  8 * 4 Turf toe injury that hindered him in 2007 is still lingering this preseason. Was signed by Minnesota this offseason to bring a much needed quality receiver to the team. With Jackson still developing as a QB, his fantasy upside is limited.
38 Ronald Curry OAK  5 * 4 The best fantasy receiver on Oakland's team. With that said, we don't see more than 60 receptions, 725 yards and 5 TD's for him in this offense.
39 Vincent Jackson SD  9 * 4  
40 Sidney Rice MIN  8 * 4  
41 Isaac Bruce SF  9 * 4  
42 Ted Ginn MIA  4 * 4  
43 Mark Clayton BAL  10 * 4  
44 Kevin Curtis PHI  7 * 4 Has a sports hernia and will under go surgery. No word on when he will return, but we are guessing at this point he will miss the first 4 weeks of the season. Had a breakout year in his first year in Philadelphia finishing with 77 receptions and 1,100 receiving yards.
45 Drew Bennett STL  5 * 4  
46 Reggie Williams JAX  7 * 4  
47 Kevin Walter HOU  8 * 4  
48 D.J. Hackett CAR  9 3 4 Will start while Steve Smith serves his suspension and will see plenty of playing time as a 3rd WR even after Smith returns. Was having a very good year last season until an ankle injury forced him to miss over half of the season. 
49 Jerry Porter JAX  7 * 5 Has not been a quality fantasy receiver since 2005. Even as a starter with Jacksonville, we would consider him at best a WR4 option.
50 Javon Walker OAK  5 * 5 Signed a big contract this offseason. Had a great year with Green Bay back in 2004, but since then only 1 of the last 3 seasons has he been productive. Walker has various injuries to deal with and is no longer the receiver he once was. We would not draft Walker in any fantasy league.
51 Jabar Gaffney NE  4 3 5 Has more appeal then most third receivers because he plays for New England and their superior passing attack. We expect 42 receptions, 525 yards receiving and 5 TD's. 
52 DeSean Jackson PHI  7 3 5 With the injury to Kevin Curtis, looks to get much more playing time in Philadelphia. Jackson is now moving up the fantasy rankings. He is a rookie with questionable character issues already surfacing. Lots of potential, good late round pick with potential.
53 Bryant Johnson SF  9 * 5 Will begin the season as a starter, but the way Josh Morgan has played this preseason, he will be pushed. Johnson has always been a third receiver, now is his time to prove himself.
54 Bobby Engram SEA  4 3 5 Engram will likely miss the first 4 weeks of the season because of a cracked bone in his shoulder. Deion Branch and Courtney Taylor will now move up in the rankings. Watch for Engram on the waiver wire in weeks 3 or 4 as he is productive when healthy.
55 Justin Gage TEN  6 * 5 Scary, but Gage is probably the Titans best fantasy receiver option. We can not see Gage having more than 50 receptions or 600 receiving yards.
56 David Patten NO  9 * 5 Will begin the season as the starter, but we would not be surprised if Robert Meacham becomes a starter during the season. 
57 Muhsin Muhammad CAR  9 * 5 Will begin the season as the starter, but we would not be surprised if D.J. Hackett becomes a starter during the season. 
58 James Hardy BUF  6 * 5 The rookie has played well this preseason and has won a spot on the starting unit. He could develop into a quality receiver in time, but not this season with Trent Edwards as their QB. 
59 Derek Hagan MIA  4 * 5 Appears to have won a starting spot with Miami, but is a low end fantasy option with minimal upside.
60 Amani Toomer NYG  4 * 5 Starts for the Giants, but is a low end fantasy option with little upside. The veteran has been fairly consistent, but is on the down side of his career.
61 Devin Hester CHI  8 * 5 By far the best return player in the NFL, the WR experiment started last season with mixed results. Hester signed a big contract this offseason and the Chicago offense is in great need of a playmaker, so Hester will be given every chance to succeed.
62 Deion Branch SEA  4 * 5 Recovering from offseason ACL surgery, will probably miss the start of the season. Branch also suffered foot injuries in 2007 prior to the ACL injury, thus he was not healthy for most of the year. Branch will be rusty to start the season, but could put up decent numbers later in the year.
63 Antwaan Randle El WAS  10 * 5 Starts for the Redskins, but is a low end fantasy option with little upside.
64 Justin McCareins TEN  6 * 5 Starts for the Titans, but is a low end fantasy option with little upside.
65 Eddie Royal DEN  8 * 5 Appears to have won a starting WR spot in Denver. Although the rookie will start, he will be spelled by veterans Darrell Jackson and Brandon Stokley. We project around 45 receptions for 600 yards and 3 TD's.
66 Chris Henry CIN  8 3 5 Talented player, but off field problems continue to hurt his playing time. He is out for the first 4 games of the 2008 season for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. We knew the Bengals were concerned with Chad Johnson's injury when they signed Henry. If you draft Johnson, probably a good idea to handcuff him with Henry.
67 James Jones GB  8 3 5 Knee injury will cause him to miss several games to start the season. We would rate him higher, but the injury brings his fantasy value down. Good talent with lots of upside.
68 Michael Jenkins ATL  7 * 5 Probably will be a starting WR, but the team passing game is below average and he is not a quality fantasy WR option.
69 Darrell Jackson DEN  8 3 5 Will start while Brandon Marshall is suspended, after that will be a third receiver for Denver. Earlier in his career with Seattle, he put some good years together. Now he is more of a role player with limited fantasy appeal.
70 Marty Booker CHI  8 3 5 Booker is not the answer in Chicago. He may start, he may be the 3rd WR or he may be cut from the team. Minimal upside, we would avoid him on draft day.
71 Robert Meachem NO  9 3 5 Has plenty of potential, just needs to produce while on the field. We would not be surprised if he has a better fantasy year than David Patten.
72 Shaun McDonald DET  4 3 5 Third receiver on a decent passing team. As long as Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson stay healthy and on the field, his receptions will be somewhat limited.
73 Laurent Robinson ATL  7 4 5 Is listed as the 4th WR on the team, but plays behind Michael Jenkins. Has the ability to beat him out and become a starter, but needs further experience. Could putt together a season of 40-50 receptions.
74 Steve Smith NYG  4 3 5 Was a rookie last year and played like it. With a year of experience under his belt, he should be a better receiver this season and help the Giants offense.  
75 Courtney Taylor SEA  4 4 5 With injuries to Bobby Engram and Deion Branch, Taylor may actually start and have value early on in the season. He may be worth a late round flier with playing potential due to all of the injuries.
76 Demetrius Williams BAL  10 3 6 Currently the 3rd receiver on the depth chart. Is a very low end fantasy option, should be only be drafted in deep leagues.
77 Josh Morgan SF  9 3 6 The rookie has played very well this preseason and is pushing Bryant Johnson for a starting slot. Seems to be one of O'Sullivan's favorite long ball targets.
78 Brandon Lloyd CHI  8 * 6 Probably will be a starting WR, but the team passing game is below average and he is not a quality fantasy WR option.
79 Devard Darling KC  6 * 6 Probably will be a starting WR, but the team passing game is below average and he is not a quality fantasy WR option.
80 Devin Thomas WAS  10 3 6 Currently the 3rd receiver on the depth chart. Is a very low end fantasy option, should be only be drafted in deep leagues.
81 Chansi Stuckey NYJ  5 3 6 With the injury to David Clowney, the third receiver spot is now between Stuckey and Brad Smith. Stuckey has more potential, but Smith is a better fit right now. Either way, he is not a good fantasy option.
82 Brandon Stokley DEN  8 4 5 With Eddie Royal and Darrell Jackson added to Denver's receiving group, Stokley will be a fourth receiver with much less playing time than last season. Expect his fantasy numbers to decline.
83 Bobby Wade MIN  8 3 6 Currently the 3rd receiver on the depth chart. Is a very low end fantasy option, should be only be drafted in deep leagues.
84 Andre Davis HOU  8 3 6 Currently the 3rd receiver on the depth chart. Is a very low end fantasy option, should be only be drafted in deep leagues.
85 Ike Hilliard TB  10 * 6 Probably will be a starting WR, but the team passing game is just average and he is not a quality fantasy WR option.
86 Donnie Avery STL  5 3 6 Sprained his knee in the final preseason game. He was having a decent camp prior to the injury, but has been banged up all preseason. Do not expect much from the rookie this season.
87 Ashley Lelie OAK  5 3   Cut by the 49ers, the Raiders signed him and he should be the 3rd receiver for them. We do not expect much from him, but with Javon Walker as one of the Raider starters, he probably will start for them sometime this year.
88 Arnaz Battle SF  9 4 5 Probably will wind up as the fourth WR and have limited fantasy value.
89 Chad Jackson ZFA     6 Was let go by the Patriots at the end of preseason. Should catch on with someone as he has plenty of potential and talent. We see Oakland as a good fit.
90 Davone Bess MIA  4 3 6 Currently the 3rd receiver on the depth chart. We would expect him to move down to the 4th receiver slot before too long. Very low end fantasy option only in the deepest of leagues.
91 Roscoe Parrish BUF  6 3 6 3rd receiver on a team with a below average passing game. Lee Evans and James Hardy will get the large majority of passes thrown their way, very low end fantasy option.
92 Ernest Wilford MIA  4 4 6 Has fallen all the way down to 4th on the Miami depth chart. Was expected to start after signing a nice contract this offseason, but has been a disappointment. Talent to start, just needs to prove it on the field.
93 Maurice Stovall TB  10 3 6 Battling with Michael Clayton for the 3rd receiver position. Since Stovall works better in the slot position, he will get more playing time. Still, he is not a good fantasy option.
94 Nate Washington PIT  6 3 6 Pittsburgh has an above average passing game, but with Holmes, Ward and Heath Miller ahead of him, there will be limited opportunities.
95 Troy Williamson JAX  7 3 6 His great speed has not transmitted itself into Williamson being a good receiver. Has talent, but has not developed as expected.
96 Jeff Webb KC  6 3 7 3rd receiver on a team with a below average passing game. Dwayne Bowe and Tony Gonzalez will get the large majority of passes thrown their way, very low end fantasy option.
97 Harry Douglas ATL  7 3 7 3rd receiver on a team with a below average passing game. Roddy White and Michael Jenkins will get the large majority of passes thrown their way, very low end fantasy option.
98 Sam Hurd DAL  10 3 7 High ankle sprain will cause him to miss the first few weeks of the season. Even though Dallas is a good passing team, with Owens, Crayton and Witten ahead of him, there will be limited opportunities.
99 Josh Reed BUF  6 4 7 4th receiver on a team with a below average passing game. Has some talent, but unless there are injuries, he is a low end fantasy option.
100 Ruvell Martin GB  8 4 7 Green Bay passing game is still in question and will be based on how well Aaron Rodgers develops. With the injury to James Jones, Martin has some fantasy value, especially early in the season.

 

Fantasy Points to determine the rankings are based on the following:

1 fantasy point for every 2 receptions, 1 fantasy point for every 10 yards receiving, 6 fantasy points for every receiving TD,  -1 fantasy point for every fumble and 2 fantasy points for every receiving 2 point conversion.

 

PS(*) means the player is the expected starter. "3" means they are the projected 3rd or slot WR and "4" means they are the projected 4th WR on the team.

 

Tiers: Based on typical starting lineup of 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 K and 1 DEF/ST

1 - Elite fantasy player, best fantasy football players at their position.

2 - Very good fantasy player, not quite in the elite class but better than a typical fantasy football starter.

3 - Good fantasy player, worthy of a spot on your starting fantasy football roster.

4 - Average fantasy player, not worthy of a spot on your starting fantasy football roster but a player who usually starts or plays a lot for his NFL team.

5 - Below average fantasy player, starters who put up poor fantasy numbers or backups who see some playing time.

6 - Poor fantasy player, typically backups or specialist players who have limited playing time.

7 - Bottom of the barrel fantasy player, likely no or very little playing time unless there are injuries. 

 

 

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