Archive for Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Archive for Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Chris Gingrich: Catch these wide receivers

August 13, 2008

— Wide receiver is the hardest position to draft for in fantasy football because it is so hard to predict.

After Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson and Reggie Wayne are gone, it's hard to tell who will be worth drafting for your team.

Another factor for wide receivers is inconsistency. Take the Cleveland Browns' Braylon Edwards for example. He had consecutive multi-touchdown games and followed it up with three-straight games of eight or fewer fantasy points. It doesn't mean he's a bad receiver; it's just the ebb and flow of the game.

Here are some wide receivers who may slip through the cracks on draft day and leave you a happy fantasy football player at the end of the season.

• Robert Meachem, New Orleans Saints - After battling through a disappointing 2007 rookie season when he was inactive all year, there seems to be some great news for him coming into this season. Numerous media reports have been saying he is the most impressive player in Saints camp this year.

I'm sure he's chomping at the bit to redeem himself from last year's debacle and take the No. 2 receiver position for the Saints. Meachem also has a Pro Bowl quarterback throwing the ball his way this year in Drew Brees.

• Darrell Jackson, Denver Broncos - After playing in San Francisco's inept offense last year, Jackson should find his groove again and regain his form of two years ago, when he had 10 touchdowns and nearly 1,000 yards. Jackson should be able to beat out Brandon Stokley for a starting spot and be the No. 2 receiver behind Brandon Marshall.

• Anthony Gonzalez, Indianapolis Colts - When you're surrounded by an MVP quarterback and four Pro Bowlers, you're not going to be double-teamed or the focus of the defense, which will leave you open for a ton of passes and most likely more than a few touchdowns. That's the situation for Gonzalez this year in Indianapolis, where he could become the No. 2 wide receiver for Peyton Manning. Every fantasy football player I know is looking for this guy to have a great season.

• Nate Burleson, Seattle Seahawks - He had a rough start to his Seahawk career but still was able to finish the final five weeks with five touchdowns. This year, he will be the go-to wide receiver for Matt Hasselbeck and should have a much better year than last year in this pass-happy offense.

• Jerricho Cotchery, New York Jets - Cotchery will be the biggest beneficiary of the Brett Favre trade. Look for his production to skyrocket from 82 receptions and two touchdowns last year to close to 115 receptions and 12 touchdowns this season.

Craig resident and Fantasy Fix columnist Chris Gingrich can be reached at hops2008@gmail.com.

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