Fantasy Football Wide Receivers

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Xtreme Team Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings

Terrell Owens XR: 2 CR: 3 BW: 10 Final 2007 Grade: 96%

2007 Projections: Receptions: 91 ReceivingYDs: 1,271 ReceivingTDs: 15 Fantasy Points: 217

2007 Final Stats: 81 1,335 15 225

2008 Projections: 88 1,419 16 238

2007 Bottom Line: Last year about this time we said: "Owens is not only the best WR, he's a first round pick." Anyone who drafted him late in the 1st round will tell you we were right.

2008 Outlook: The Cowboys decision not to add another WR means that Owens remains the main cog in their passing game. Despite that, we've seen him ranked as low as 5th, which means he may very well drop into the 2nd round. Our only serious concern about Owens is the fact that he hasn't played 16 games since 2001. but his value is too great to let that scare you off. It also doesn't hurt that his schedule includes games against teams that finished 20th, 21st, 22nd, 24th, 26th, and 28th against the pass in 2007.

In many ways, wide receiver numbers are the most difficult to predict in fantasy football. Limited opportunities, weather, QB injury or just plain old QB ineptitude are just some of the factors that must be taken into consideration when projecting WR performance. That being said, we were very satisfied with our 2007 WR projections finishing with an 83% average. Highlights included a 98% for Chad Johnson, Marques Colston and Larry Fitzgerald, a 97% for Plaxico Burress and Joey Galloway, and a 96% for Terrell Owens, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Santonio Holmes. Looking ahead to 2008 we answer some of the toughest questions fantasy owners will have to answer such as: Can Randy Moss repeat last year's performance? Will the Packers WRs suffer without Brett Favre? Will Marvin Harrison rebound from last year's seasonending knee injury? As always, we will continue to update these rankings and projections throughout the pre-season.

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Marvin Harrison XR: 2 CR: 5 BW: 6

2007 Projections: Receptions: 90 ReceivingYDs: 1,222 ReceivingTDs: 13

At some point age is going to start to catch up with guys like Owens and Harrison, we just don't think it will be this year. Amazingly Harrison's yards per catch has actually increased over the past three seasons and he remains Peyton Manning's favorite target. As such, Manning goes out of his way to make sure that Harrison stays involved and gets his catches which means you rarely have to worry about the dreaded "daily double" of few yards and no TDs. It's worth noting that Harrison (and Reggie Wayne) went without a TD for the first month of the season in 06 and still finished with excellent numbers. As with most WRs there is week to week variance to deal with but you can be sure that at the end of the season his numbers will once again be among the league leaders.

Larry Fitzgerald XR: 5 CR: 6 BW: 7 Final 2007 Grade: 98%

2007 Projections: Receptions: 93 ReceivingYDs: 1,309 ReceivingTDs: 11 Fantasy Points: 197

2007 Final Stats: 100 1,409 10 201

2008 Projections: 93 1,292 11 195

2007 Bottom Line: Fitzgerald is the picture of consistency as he failed to break the 70yd. receiving mark just two times in 07 while scoring in 6 of the team's last 7 games.

2008 Outlook: If Kurt Warner wins the starting QB job, we look for these numbers to be even higher with Fitzgerald making a run at the #3 fantasy WR spot. Last year Fitzgerald had 1 TD before Warner became the starter and 9 after the Leinart injury - it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. The numbers we have projected for now are based on the alternating QB strategy that HC Ken Whisenhunt used last year.

Chad Johnson XR: 10 CR: 8 BW: 8 Final 2007 Grade: 98%

2007 Projections: Receptions: 98 ReceivingYDs: 1,422 ReceivingTDs: 9 Fantasy Points: 196

2007 Final Stats: 93 1,440 8 192

2008 Projections: 86 1,274 8 175

2007 Bottom Line: We said going into last season that Johnson would end up with top 5 numbers but his inconsistency would kill you. Case in point, after scoring on Sept.16th, he didn't score again until the week of Thanksgiving - that's two looong months.

2008 Outlook: Johnson's off-season antics did nothing to earn him any points with his QB. (Palmer even went so far as to say that rookie WR Andre Caldwell was ready to start.) Combine that with a difficult schedule and the team's plans to run the ball more and you begin to understand why we don't have Johnson in the Top 10. By the way, it's worth noting that last year Johnson only scored in four games for the second consecutive season.

Donald Driver XR: 7 CR: 14 BW: 7

2007 Projections: Receptions: 91 ReceivingYDs: 1,286 ReceivingTDs: 9

Yeah we know Brett Favre is well past his prime, but he still throws a lot, and Driver is his favorite target. Over the last three seasons he has been an automatic 1,200yds. and this year should be no different. (If anything, with the departure of Ahman Green these projected numbers may be a little on the low side.) Last year he only scored 1TD at home, but we certainly don't look for that to happen again. If Greg Jennings can stay healthy this year that should also help open things up a little more for Driver who was quite often the only receiver opponents worried about last year. Like Favre, Driver will occassionally disappear, but he scored in 8 games last year and never went more than two weeks without a TD catch.

Steve Smith XR: 20 CR: 10 BW: 9 Final 2007 Grade: 77%

2007 Projections: Receptions: 91 ReceivingYDs: 1,301 ReceivingTDs: 9 Fantasy Points: 184

2007 Final Stats: 87 1,002 7 142

2008 Projections: 89 1,201 9 174

2007 Bottom Line: You can talk about the injury to Jake Delhomme all you want, the bottom line is we were right when we warned you that Smith was over-rated last year.

2008 Outlook: It's not that we don't like Smith, we'd just like our # 1 fantasy WR to catch more than 8 passes in the red zone. We would also like to see him average more than 52yds. a game on the road or maybe score more than once in the last nine weeks of the season. Yeah we know Delhomme's healthy and Smith's healthy, we just don't have a lot of confidence that they can both stay healthy. We like Smith as a # 2 fantasy WR - just don't make him your # 1 guy.

Reggie Wayne XR: 4 CR: 2 BW: 4 Final 2007 Grade: 90%

2007 Projections: Receptions: 92 ReceivingYDs: 1,302 ReceivingTDs: 10 Fantasy Points: 190

2007 Final Stats: 104 1,510 10 211

2008 Projections: 99 1,462 10 206

2007 Bottom Line: With Harrison out of the line-up for most of the season Wayne saw his opportunities increase - and he made the most of it.

2008 Outlook: Many questions still surround Harrison's health (not to mention his possible legal problems) so there's no reason to expect a big drop off from Wayne. Indeed Wayne may well find himself in a perfect situation where Harrison returns and Gonzalez develops to the point where defenses must account for him but not to the point where he cuts significantly into Wayne's numbers. In a perfect world Wayne would find the end zone more often but the Colts offense will continue to spread the scoring chances around.

Torry Holt XR: 8 CR: 11 BW: 5

2007 Projections: Receptions: 91 ReceivingYDs: 1,273 ReceivingTDs: 9 Fantasy Points: 181

2007 Final Stats: 93 1,189 7 161

2008 Projections: 89 1,167 10 177

2007 Bottom Line: Well, we were certainly right about Holt being over-valued last year. Not only that, the injury parade that was the Rams impacted his scoring opportunities.

2008 Outlook: Don't look now gang, but the world is turned upside down. Over the last couple of years we've been telling you that Holt was over-rated (and we were right) but now he's under-rated. Why? Because people forget just how badly the Rams were beat up last year. Despite that Holt still produced. We've never been in love with the guy but we look for a bounce back season from Marc Bulger with Holt being his primary target. As of now it looks like he will last until late in the 3rd round or even early 4th in most drafts.

Plaxico Burress XR: 7 CR: 13 BW: 4 Final 2007 Grade: 97%

2007 Projections: Receptions: 79 ReceivingYDs: 1,204 ReceivingTDs: 10 Fantasy Points: 180

2007 Final Stats: 70 1,025 12 174

2008 Projections: 72 1,088 12 181

2007 Bottom Line: Despite playing on one ankle all season Burress continued to prove (at least to us) why he should be a top 10 fantasy WR.

2008 Outlook: As long as Eli Manning is his QB, Burress will have the occasional game where he completely disappears. Overall however, we still think that he does not get the respect - or the ranking he deserves. He scored in each of the Giants first 7 games before his ankle injury finally got the best of him and slowed down his production. In addition, the Giants face the AFC North this season meaning Burress will get to play against his old team (the Steelers) and defenses like the Bengals and Browns.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh XR: 9 CR: 5 BW: 8 Final 2007 Grade: 96%

2007 Projections: Receptions: 95 ReceivingYDs: 1,134 ReceivingTDs: 11 Fantasy Points: 179

2007 Final Stats: 112 1,143 12 186

2008 Projections: 97 1,096 11 176

2007 Bottom Line: We had Houshmandzadeh ranked higher than most (if not all) other sites last year and it paid big dividends for our members.

2008 Outlook: So last year we were higher on T.J. than everybody and this year we're lower - isn't fantasy football fun? After a player has a big year most people just assume he'll do it again the next year, but that's not always the case. Not that we're saying T.J. won't have a good year - he will - but he won't be the 5th best WR. Want to see some numbers to back that up? Take a look at what he did the second half of last season. Yep, that's a 58yd. per game average with only 2TDs in 8 games.

Quarterbacks Running Backs Wide Receivers Tight Ends Kickers Defenses

Marques Colston XR: 6 CR: 10 BW: 9 Final 2007 Grade: 98%

2007 Projections: Receptions: 89 ReceivingYDs: 1,276 ReceivingTDs: 9 Fantasy Points: 182

2007 Final Stats: 98 1,202 11 186

2008 Projections: 96 1,176 12 190

2007 Bottom Line: Going into last year we said we knew there was risk involved in projecting a 2nd year guy to be a top 10 WR, but we had to be intellectually honest about this. Proving once again that honesty is the best policy, Colston finished 8th in the NFL.

2008 Outlook: We look for Colston to improve on last year's overall numbers for a couple of reasons. First, this is his contract season and he knows he's playing for the big payday. Secondly, we don't expect him to be kept out of the end zone 9 times as was the case last year. Despite that, we think you'll be able to get him early in the 3rd round, making him a great value pick.

Javon Walker XR: 12 CR: 13 BW: 6

2007 Projections: Receptions: 78 ReceivingYDs: 1,201 ReceivingTDs: 9

The good news for Walker owners is the departure of Jake Plummer, the bad news is the arrival of Travis Henry. While we do see Cutler as an upgrade from Plummer (let's face it, we'd see just about anybody as an upgrade from Plummer), we're still not sold on him as a fantasy producer. (Broncos QBs rarely are.) We also think the acquisition of Henry signals a renewed commitment to a power running game which will mean fewer opportunities for Walker to put up points. Still he did become the Broncos clear # 1 receiver last year (as we predicted), and he will certainly fill that role again this year. With a difficult early season schedule we don't look for Walker to start fast, but don't give up on him, things get a lot easier after the Bye week.

Lee Evans XR: 13 CR: 9 BW: 6

2007 Projections: Receptions: 74 ReceivingYDs: 1,144 ReceivingTDs: 8

While we certainly understand the temptation to put Evans in the top 10, the optimisim must be tempered by a brutal schedule. Do you really want your # 1 WR facing the Broncos, Steelers, Patriots, Jets, Cowboys, and Ravens in your first six weeks? While you can make the argument that the Bills will probably trail in all of those games and will throw more as a result, we're not ready to count on J.P. Losman's ability to get the ball to Evans. Also of concern to us is the fact that Evans is a slow starter, ( he has only scored 1 TD in the first seven weeks of every season of his career) which only further raises a red flag about the early schedule. Should he repeat that performance, you should be able to pick him up via trade in time for his annual strong finish.

Deion Branch XR: 14 CR: 27 BW: 8

2007 Projections: Receptions: 77 ReceivingYDs: 1,083 ReceivingTDs: 8

With the departure of Darrell Jackson there is about a thousand yards and 10 TDs looking for a home in Seattle and we think many of them will find Deion Branch. Sure D.J. Hackett is supposedly taking Jackson's spot, but do you really believe he is as talented as Branch? (It's interesting to us how many sources are predicting worse numbers for Branch this year than they were last year.) Look, Branch had to learn a new offense, his QB was hurt, and Jackson was clearly the go to guy, yet he still finished second in receptions and yards, while tying Hackett for 2nd in receiving TDs. The bottom line is this, this team didn't trade a first round pick for nothing, and they didn't get rid of Jackson without confidence that Branch was ready to fill the void.

Roy Williams XR: 15 CR: 8 BW: 6

2007 Projections: Receptions: 73 ReceivingYDs: 1,140 ReceivingTDs: 7

With all the promises by Lions players of a 10-12 win season, we're looking for an implosion once the losing begins (and it will). As a result, we think a top 10 CR is way out of line. Sure new arrival Calvin Johnson will force teams to pay attention to more than just Williams, but he's also good enough to take catches away from him. QB Jon Kitna had big fantasy numbers last year but Willaims still only found the end zone in six games. One of the reasons for that was his lack of production in the red zone where he only managed 5 catches for the entire season. With Johnson's size and leaping ability there is no reason to expect a huge increase in red zone chances for Williams. He will be what he has been for 3 years - a good # 2 fantasy WR.

Anquan Boldin XR: 13 CR: 14 BW: 7 Final 2007 Grade: 91%

2007 Projections: Receptions: 76 ReceivingYDs: 1,175 ReceivingTDs: 6 Fantasy Points: 153

2007 Final Stats: 71 853 9 139

2008 Projections: 82 1,111 9 165

2007 Bottom Line: Despite missing time due to injury, Boldin reached a personal high with 9 TDs. Unfortunately his consistency was not as good as years past as he failed to surpass 60yds. receiving in 6 of the 12 games he played.

2008 Outlook: With the departure of Bryant Johnson, Boldin should see a slight increase in his workload if he can stay healthy. (He has only played 16 games in a season once over the last 4 seasons.) That and the uncertainty at the QB position is all that is keeping us from ranking him in the Top 12. Keep an eye on this one as camp progresses.

Andre Johnson XR: 11 CR: 7 BW: 8 Final 2007 Grade: Incomplete

2007 Projections: Receptions: 93 ReceivingYDs: 1,027 ReceivingTDs: 8 Fantasy Points: 151

2007 Final Stats: Incomplete due to injury.

2008 Projections: 91 1,091 10 169

2007 Bottom Line: Another year of woulda, shoulda, coulda for owners that drafted him too high.

2008 Outlook: We'll admit that if Johnson and QB Matt Schaub can both stay healthy these numbers may be too low, but we think the odds of that are not great. When Johnson played last year he was very effective, scoring in 7 of the 9 games that he managed to be on the field for. That being said, it wouldn't shock us to see Johnson move ahead of Smith before the season begins.

Randy Moss XR: 1 CR: 1 BW: 4 Final 2007 Grade: 52%

2007 Projections: Receptions: 64 ReceivingYDs: 1,022 ReceivingTDs: 8 Fantasy Points: 150

2007 Final Stats: 98 1,493 23 287

2008 Projections: 93 1,422 17 244

2007 Bottom Line: In all of our years of doing this we never missed on any high profile player as badly as we missed on Moss last year. Of course Raider fans now know that Moss had indeed completely quit on their team in 2006.

2008 Outlook: So after getting burned so badly last year what do we do this year? We predict a drop-off. Maybe not the smartest move in the world but we just can't believe that Moss will put up a record number of TDs again this year. There's a variety of reasons for that belief - an improved (we think) Dolphins team, back to back west coast trips in October and again in December, and a Dec.28th contest in weather-challenged Buffalo. Moss will be the first WR off the board, as he should be, just keep those expectations somewhat realistic.

Santonio Holmes XR: 16 CR: 18 BW: 6 Final Grade: 95%

2007 Projections: Receptions: 66 ReceivingYDs: 1,012 ReceivingTDs: 8 Fantasy Points: 149

2007 Final Stats: 52 942 8 142

2008 Projections: 64 1,028 9 157

2007 Bottom Line: Here's what we said last year: We see it all the time, fantasy experts who wait for a player to have a break out year and then suddenly start talking about him like they've made some kind of great discovery. Not us. We know you come here for more than just the safe, run of the mill, conventional wisdom kinda stuff you can find anywhere and we believe Holmes is poised to become the # 1 WR in Pittsburgh.

2008 Outlook: Holmes has been working hard in the off-season and we expect him to pick up where he left off last year. It's also worth noting that no starting WR averaged more yards per catch than Holmes in 2007 so grab those big play bonuses.

Wes Welker XR: 12 CR: 9 BW: 4 Final 2007 Grade: N/A

2007 Projections: Receptions: N/A ReceivingYDs: N/A ReceivingTDs: N/A Fantasy Points: N/A

2007 Final Stats: 112 1,178 8 166

2008 Projections: 98 1,102 8 158

2007 Bottom Line: We correctly predicted last year that Welker would lead the Patriots in catches, and we expect him to do it again in 2008.

2008 Outlook: There is no reason to expect a huge drop-off for Welker this season. His ability to run the underneath routes was almost enough to save the Patriots in the Super Bowl and will certainly be enough to score your fantasy team plenty of points. The only downgrade for him is if you play in a TD heavy scoring system. Though he did score 8 TDs last year it is significant that he only socred one of those TDs in the Patriots last 7 games.

Reggie Brown XR: 21 CR: 21 BW: 5

2007 Projections: Receptions: 67 ReceivingYDs: 993 ReceivingTDs: 6

The truth is we're not big Reggie Brown fans, but he's bound to get his numbers just due to the fact that the Eagles throw so much. Our biggest gripe about Brown is his lack of consistency. While he scored in 8 games (which is excellent), he also manages to fail to reach 32yds. in 8 games as well - including 5 games in which he didn't even break 20yds. While the absence of Donte Stallworth should mean more opportunities, we can't shake the feeling that a lot of those passes are going to go elsewhere. The expectations in Philly are high, and we'll be watching this position very closely in camp but the bottom line is that Brown looks to be a decent # 2 fantasy WR and nothing more.

Joey Galloway XR: 22 CR: 25 BW: 10

2007 Projections: Receptions: 63 ReceivingYDs: 972 ReceivingTDs: 6

Considering what he had to work with at QB, Galloway's stats last year were nothing short of sensational. So why you may ask with Jeff Garcia at the helm are we looking for a slight decrease for Galloway? Two reasons really. One is that after playing 16 games in each of the last two seasons we feel that Galloway is due (over-due really) for an injury - most likely a hamstring. Secondly, Garcias' experience will most likely result in a more balanced passing game with more involvement by the other receivers and TEs. Still, as # 2 fantasy receivers go, Galloway's game-breaking speed makes him a good one.

Bobby Engram XR: 17 CR: 28 BW: 4 Final 2007 Grade: N/A

2007 Projections: Receptions: N/A ReceivingYDs: N/A ReceivingTDs: N/A Fantasy Points: N/A

2007 Final Stats: 94 1,147 6 151

2008 Projections: 90 1,067 8 155

2007 Bottom Line: Engram was incredibly consistent in 07 breaking the 50yd. mark in 15 of 16 games while catching at least 4 passes 14 times.

2008 Outlook: Yeah, we know he's 35 and unhappy with his contract situation, but Engram is an old school pro who shows up and works hard every week. Combine that with the fact that we think QB Matt Hasselbeck is poised for a big season and you begin to understand this ranking. One other thing to remember, this is HC Mike Holmgren's last season and he will throw everything he has into a play-off push so look for a wide open offense in Seattle this year.

Dwayne Bowe XR: 19 CR: 16 BW: 6

2007 Projections: Receptions: N/A ReceivingYDs: N/A ReceivingTDs: N/A Fantasy Points: N/A

2007 Final Stats: 70 995 5 126

2008 Projections: 76 1,071 6 143

2007 Bottom Line: Bowe quickly emerged as the team's primary WR and surpassed our expectations for him.

2008 Outlook: Before you get too carried away with Bowe keep in mind that the QB situation is tenuous at best and terrible at worst. In addition, we look for Larry Johnson to have a bounce back season and remember that over the last 12 weeks of the 2007 season Bowe only scored twice. Having said that, if Johnson does return to form (or even something close to it) Bowe should find more room to work with as teams are forced to focus on LJ. One last note - remember that HC Herm Edwards teams never seem to score as many points as you think they will.

Chris Chambers XR: 25 CR: 29 BW: 9

2007 Projections: Receptions: 69 ReceivingYDs: 906 ReceivingTDs: 6

For years we told people that Chambers was over-rated, until last year when we got sucked in by the hype and projected him as a top 10 fantasy WR. Guess we should have taken our own advice. Over the second half of last season Chambers only had 1 game over 70yds. and scored 0 TDs leaving his owners high and dry during crunch time. With Trent Green in town we do expect slight improvement from Chambers, but nothing earth-shattering. It wouldn't surprise us to see him move up a couple of notches in the rankings once camp opens and we can see for ourselves that Green has recovered from his concussion. (It will also give us a little more time to stop carrying around this grudge we have because of last year.)

Braylon Edwards XR: 3 CR: 7 BW: 5 Final 2007 Grade: 56%

2007 Projections: Receptions: 63 ReceivingYDs: 902 ReceivingTDs: 6 Fantasy Points: 126

2007 Final Stats: 80 1,289 16 225

2008 Projections: 83 1,337 14 218

2007 Bottom Line: The emergence of Derek Anderson allowed Edwards to put up numbers that nobody anticipated. In many ways he was a bigger fantasy surprise than Randy Moss.

2008 Outlook: We expect Edwards to pick up right where he left off, but a difficult schedule will be enough to prevent him from topping last year's fantasy numbers. Our only true concern is the possibility that the Browns could struggle early which could lead to pressure to play Brady Quinn. If that happens Edwards could easily see his numbers drop by as much as 15-20 percent. We'll monitor this situation throughout training camp, but for now Edwards has to be a top 5 WR.

Roddy White XR: 14 CR: 20 BW: 7 Final 2007 Grade: N/A

2007 Projections: N/A

2007 Final Stats: Receptions: 83 ReceivingYDs: 1,202 ReceivingTDs: 6 Fantasy Points: 158

2008 Projections: 86 1,212 7 163

2007 Bottom Line: White was a consistent point producer and was a big play just waiting to happen in 07 (he had plays of over 25yds. in 11 of his 16 games. (By comparison, Randy Moss had 9 such games.)

2008 Outlook: Sure the QB situation is up in the air, but can Matt Ryan really be any worse than Joey Harrington? Also, the arrival of RB Michael Turner should make defenses a little more concerned with the ground game which should translate into more free space for White. Regardless of who plays QB, you can bet that when they drop back to pass White is going to be their first option.

Jerry Porter XR: 28 CR: 38 BW: 5

2007 Projections: Receptions: 61 ReceivingYDs: 889 ReceivingTDs: 6

After a 2006 season that was lost to controversy, Porter should be back doing what he does best - driving fantasy football players crazy with his occasional big games. Needless to say Porter has never been the kind of consistent performer we look for and he faces the strong possibility of playing with a QB who's learning on the job but that doesn't mean he is without value. Take a look at the other Raiders WRs and then tell us who you would throw to if you were the Raiders QB (you know, when you weren't too busy running for your life). For that reason we would not be surprised to see Porter be more consistent this year than he has been in the past. He should be a solid # 3 fantasy WR.

Laverneous Coles XR: 29 CR: 17 BW: 10

2007 Projections: Receptions: 81 ReceivingYDs: 930 ReceivingTDs: 5

Ask yourself this question, do you want one of your starting fantasy WRs to be a guy who has scored 1TD a month over the course of his career? That's just about what Coles has done - 1TD every 3.5 games. He improved on that slightly last year but he still only scored in two of his first 10 games. By the time he picked his game up in late November and December most of his owners had already given up on him. The off-season trade for RB Thomas Jones should mean an upgrade in the running game resulting in fewer opportunities for a guy who was already sharing a lot of passes with Jerricho Cotchery. Even if QB Chad Pennington were to have a big year (which we strongly doubt), HC Eric Mangini is from the Bill Belichick school of spread it around which means Coles is exactly what we say he is - a decent # 3 fantasy WR and nothing more.

D.J.Hackett XR: 30 CR: 32 BW: 8

2007 Projections: Receptions: 57 ReceivingYDs: 809 ReceivingTDs: 7

Hackett is expected to take over for Darrell Jackson, but we expect Jackson's numbers to be split between Hackett and Branch not simply transferred from Jackson to Hackett. The Seahawks have a lot of decent WRs (such as Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson) who could both steal catches from Hackett. However, D.J. did a good job making clutch catches last year and seems to have earned Matt Hasselbeck's confidence.

Jerricho Cotchery XR: 31 CR: 26 BW: 10

2007 Projections: Receptions: 76 ReceivingYDs: 892 ReceivingTDs: 5

Cotchery scored in 3 of the first four games last year and then only scored 3 more times for the rest of the season. As we said with Coles, the Jets philosophy is not one that produces big time WR numbers. Cotchery's strength as a bye week option is found in his consistency, finishing with 10 games above 50yds. receiving in 2006. As long as Pennington stays healthy we look for a similar performance this year.

Brandon Marshall XR: 15 CR: 14 BW: 8 Final 2007 Grade: N/A

2007 Projections: N/A

2007 Final Stats: Receptions: 102 Receiving YDs: 1,325 ReceivingTDs: 7 Fantasy Points: 175

2008 Projections: 98 1,288 10 188

2007 Bottom Line: No excuses, we just didn't think that Marshall was ready to put up those kind of numbers or that Cutler could get him the ball. Obviously, we've changed our opinion.

2008 Outlook: We certainly understand why many of our fantasy football brethern have Marshall ranked considerably lower than we do - just as they did with Colston last year. Here's the deal - Marshall is the primary receiver on a team that is more inclined to pass than they used to be, and has no proven running back. His catches may drop slightly as defenses focus on him but we expect that to be offset by increased red zone production - assuming he stays out of jail and doesn't get suspended.

Bernard Berrian XR: 33 CR: 31 BW: 9

2007 Projections: Receptions: 55 ReceivingYDs: 803 ReceivingTDs: 6

You just can't count on a wide receiver who's QB is as inconsistent as Grossman is - it's that simple. Should we (by some act of Divine intervention) become convinced that Grossman is going to be a more consistent player this year then Berrian's ranking will change. (It would also help if he could get more than the 2 red zone receptions he had last year.) Like we said, it could happen but we wouldn't count on it.

Greg Jennings XR: 18 CR: 26 BW: 8 Final 2007 Grade: 70%

2007 Projections: Receptions: 54 ReceivingYDs: 787 ReceivingTDs: 6 Fantasy Points: 115

2007 Final Stats: 53 920 12 164

2008 Projections: 49 876 10 149

2007 Bottom Line: Twelve TDs in 13 games is awfully impressive, regardless of who the QB is.

2008 Outlook: Jennings will continue to be the home run threat for an offense that will score it's fair share of points (with or without Favre). Aaron Rodgers mobility and tendency to hold the ball longer than Favre should result in enough downfield opportunities to offset an overall slight decrease in catches. Obviously if Favre returns we'll take another look at these numbers but regardless of the situation Jennings will be a very good # 2 fantasy WR.

Darrell Jackson XR: 35 CR: 22 BW: 6

2007 Projections: Receptions: 56 ReceivingYDs: 644 ReceivingTDs: 5

Somebody's gonna have to explain that CR to me. Sure Jackson is an excellent receiver, but he hasn't played in all 16 games since 2004 and he's now playing for a team that finished 28th in passing yards. While there is no denying that Jackson is far better than any WR that Smith had to work with last year the bottom line is that the Niners will once again struggle to find the end zone on any kind of regular basis. We just aren't comfortable with a WR in our starting line-up that plays for a team that scored fewer TDs than the Detroit Lions.

COMING SOON: RANKINGS 21-25

Hines Ward XR: 27 CR: 19 BW: 6

2007 Projections: Receptions: 69 ReceivingYDs: 897 ReceivingTDs: 6

We are alone in our prediction that Santonio Holmes will become the leading WR on the Steelers this year so it only stands to reason that we're alone in ranking Ward out of the top 20 WRs as well. The fact of the matter is that over the last three years Ward has averaged 984yds. and 7TDs per season (which would make him a borderline top 20 WR) but even if you disagree with our assessment that Holmes will surpass him this year, there can be little doubt that Holmes will at least improve and cut into some of Ward's numbers. If the Steelers actually do use the TE more in the passing game this year that may also take away some of the possession receptions that Ward excels at. Put it all together and we expect Ward's numbers to drop slightly even though Roethlisberger will be throwing more often.