Fighting Chance Fantasy's 2008 Wide Receiver Rankings

We’ve now given you the top 31 QB’s, and the top 40 RB’s. This list will cover the top 49 wide receivers. Our final rankings will cover the best tight ends.

Here are the wide recievers

1. Randy Moss, New England Patriots
   98 catches, 1,493 yards, 23 TDs

   After two seasons in Oakland where it was obvious he was just going through the motions, it would have been hard to predict the kind of season that Moss had in New England. But he and Tom Brady seemed to form a chemistry right away (as two great talents often will), and Moss showed everyone that he still had plenty in the tank. He is a freakish talent when he is applying himself, and seeing that they lost the Super Bowl, I don't see Moss' motivation being any lower this season. The law of averages says he's not going to score 23 times, but he will approach 100 catches again, and the yardage should be there as well. Definitely the first receiver off the board.

2. Terrell Owens, Dallas Cowboys
   81 catches, 1,355 yards, 15 TDs

   T.O. will always be a drama queen. Whether it be whining his way out of San Francisco, Baltimore, or Philly, you can always count on him to make headlines off the field. Unlike many other primadonnas like him, Owens always shows up on Sunday and gives his all. He may get a case of the dropsies from time to time, but he's big, he's fast, and he wants the ball. In two seasons in Dallas he has scored 28 touchdowns, and that is where your fantasy bread is buttered, in the endzone. With his relationship with Tony Romo continuing to be solid on the field, expect Owens to be the focal point of the Cowboys passing attack again, and I expect more catches, more yards, and similar touchdown numbers.

3. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts
   104 catches, 1,510 yards, 10 TDs

   Somewhere over the last two years, Reggie Wayne went flying by Marvin Harrison as the best receiver in Indy. Although his touchdowns remain similar, he caught 18 more passes in 2007, and gained 200 more yards than he did in 2006. And as long as they have that Peyton guy throwing him the ball in an offense that is pass first, Wayne should be looking at another year of 100 catches and double-digit scores. It is time to stop calling him the best number two receiver in fantasy, he is now the man for the Colts.

4. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
   101 catches, 1,412 yards, 10 TDs

   He's had some trouble with some nagging little injuries the past couple of seasons, but Fitzgerald is one of the best. He's big, he's young, and he knows how to go up and get the ball. Fitzy is also helped by having another legitimate receiving threat across the field in Anquan Boldin, and when it comes to the red zone it is almost always Fitzgerald that they throw to. The Cardinals obviously think the world of him, as they uncharacteristically opened up the pocketbook and gave Larry a $40 million contract extension, while Boldin is still waiting to get paid. He is one guy that already puts up good numbers that I can see a possible nice increase in 2008, he's one of my best picks.

5. Braylon Edwards, Cleveland Browns
   80 catches, 1,289 yards, 16 TDs

   After being the number three pick in the draft in 2004, Edwards had been viewed as somewhat of a bust because his statistics were just not what anyone expected they would be after his collegiate career. It's time to take that Bust tag off and save it for someone else, because Braylon broke out in a big way last season. Perhaps it was the lack of talent at the QB position that held him back these past couple years, but he and Derek Anderson were certainly on the same page. Edwards is a big dude, and really knows how to stretch the field for the long pass. I expect that he will catch even more passes in 2008, but another season of 16 touchdowns might be a little too much to expect. I think most fantasy owners would take 12, and that's what I expect he will get.

6. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
   60 catches, 851 yards, 8 TDs (9 games)

   Johnson was on pace for another huge season in 2007 after his breakout the previous year, but was derailed by a knee injury that seemed to linger longer than expected. Now that the Texans are actually turning themselves into a legitimate team, the sky is the limit for Johnson as long as he can stay healthy. He is the focal point of the entire offense, and should be targeted at least ten times a game. He had 100 catches in 2006, and was well on the way to that number again last year, so no reason to think that he can't get over the century mark with 10-13 scores.

7. Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers
   87 catches, 1,002 yards, 7 TDs

   Smith is the motivation for all the short guys out there, that you don't have to be 6'3" to be a star in the NFL. At 5' 9" Smith proves that all you really need is to be really fast. So if you are short and slow, then your dreams are destroyed. Smith is a pretty amazing talent in that every week the defense knows that he is going to get the ball, yet they still can't seem to stop this guy. He has caught 80+ passes for 1,000+ yards for three consecutive seasons, but 2007 took a mighty turn for the worse after QB Jake Delhomme went down to injury. Which is understandable seeing that the next option was David Carr and we all know how that went. His hot temper has gotten him suspended for the first two games of the season, after punching teammate Ken Lucas, but he will be back after that brief suspension. Smith's shining star has definitely fallen from the consensus #1 fantasy wideout, but he still will put up good numbers for you and is still a legitimate first receiver for a fantasy team.

8. TJ Houshmanzadeh, Cincinnati Bengals
   112 catches, 1,143 yards, 12 TDs

   His numbers have increase in each of the past three seasons, but they got to be so good in 2007, that you can't expect them to go much higher than this. Housh finally got the national attention that he has deserved, as he tied for the league lead in receptions. With the drama that is Chad Johnson on the other side, Housh often doesn't get the other team's best corner on him. A former 7th round draft pick, T.J. has turned himself into one of the most reliable fantasy wideouts in the game, as he generally is a possession receiver, but when he gets in the open field, he knows how to make people miss. You can safely expect another 100 catch season, as the Bengals as a team will bounce back from another disappointing season, and Housh will be a big reason why.

9. Chad Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals
   93 catches, 1,440 yards, 8 TDs

   Houshmandzadeh's guy on the other side, Johnson has been a whirlwind of controversy this offseason. He has threatened to hold out, he has threatened to sit out the season, he has threatened to play Arena Football, but my money says he will be in Cincinnati when the season starts. He has gone from funny with his antics and outspoken ways, to kind of annoying really quick He has been great at getting catches and yards, but he has been lacking in the touchdown department recently. I know eight touchdowns looks good, but they all came in just four games, and three were in the first two weeks. That sort of inconsistency will drive fantasy owners crazy, because touchdowns are what you need. He went on a similar binge in '06 when his seven touchdowns all came in four games. It is nice when he scores that two or three touchdown game, but then he disappears from the endzone for weeks at a time. Still a legitimate number one receiver on a fantasy team.

10. Torry Holt, St. Louis Rams
    93 catches, 1,189 yards, 7 TDs

    Once the most consistent receiver in the NFL, you can start to see age and injury starting to take their toll. Although he didn't really miss much time, Holt's knees have been a disaster the past couple of seasons, and at age 31, he is starting to lose a step. Funny, that even with the disaster that was the Rams 2007 season, Holt's numbers are still pretty solid. He still should be good for 85-90 catches and over 1,000 yards, and he is still their go to guy, so his scores should stay around the same. He's still a great receiver, just a tick down from where he used to be.

11. Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints
    98 catches, 1,202 yards, 11 TDs

    One of the up and coming young wideouts in the league, Colston busted out in 2006 after being a 7th round draft pick. He had a great increase in numbers from his first season to his second, as he caught 28 more balls, almost 200 more yards, and three more touchdowns.

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