The Fantasy Five: Wide Receivers

Wide Receiver, like quarterback, is a very deep position this year in fantasy.  There are the Calvin Johnsons, AJ Greens, and Brandon Marshalls of the world, but after that there are tons of really good options.  However, I feel like a lot of these middle round guys have some question marks, and aren’t necessarily much better, or any better than the receivers you could get late.  If you want to take a number 1 receiver early I don’t blame you, but I’m waiting until I’m totally set at running back and maybe tight end and quarterback too before I start dipping into receivers this year.  Here are some potential key later round picks, and since fantasy football is all about value, these are guys whose late-round value could carry you to a fantasy championship.

1. Demaryius Thomas

            Thomas is the one elite option on this list.  I put him in because, even though he’s going to go early in drafts, I still think he might be a little undervalued.  People are afraid of Wes Welker stealing catches, and Welker will certainly get his fair share of opportunities.  But most of these will come out of Eric Decker’s total, and with Peyton Manning looking to sling the ball deep to Demaryius, I think he is primed to have just as good a season as he did last year if not better.  You still want to pick 2 running backs with your first picks, but if he’s there in the third round and you don’t see another running back or a quarterback or tight end that really catches your eye, then grab Thomas.  He is about as close as you can get at this fickle position to a sure thing.

2. Torrey Smith

            Smith is crucial to the success of the Ravens this year.  Will he be hit or miss? Possibly.  Will Flacco be able to find him consistently? Can’t say for sure.  But he is the clear number one in Baltimore now, and he certainly has the talent to take advantage of that opportunity.  Look for him (and Flacco) to have more week-to-week success, and Torrey has number 1 fantasy receiver potential, and at worst I see him as being a really good number 2.

3. Tavon Austin

        Now we start getting into guys that aren’t necessarily number 1 receivers, and are pretty questionable honestly as number 2s.  The Rams have not proven a lot over the past few years even with a potentially great combo of Sam Bradford and Jeff Fisher, but this is Fisher’s second year and I think they’ll show improvement.  Austin is a high draft pick that has a ton of potential, and Bradford has the potential to hit him.  It’s not a sure thing, but I look at guys like AJ Green who came in and elevated their quarterbacks and teams immediately, and I think Tavon has the potential to do a similar thing.  Definitely some risk involved, but not a bad pick to try to steal a really good number 2 wide receiver late.

4. Desean Jackson

            I know what you’re thinking.  Really? Desean Jackson? He beat the Giants that one time, but since then he’s gone the same direction as the flashy Michael Vick and his Eagles – down.  But that’s exactly the reason you should draft him.  He’s gonna drop, because people are going to be scared when they remember last year.  But I don’t know if you watched any Oregon football last year.  If you did, you’ll agree with me that Desean Jackson + Chip Kelly could equal good things.  Not necessarily.  But it could.  And if you’re getting down to flex players and question marks, that’s all you can really ask for.  There is potential here to get amazing value on an incredibly dangerous receiver.  There’s a lot of risk involved, but that’s why he’s ranked low this year and you’re not going to reach for him.  If Jackson falls to you, why not take a shot?  At worst, he’s a bench guy who you slot in during bye weeks and hope he goes off.  At best, well, as a follower of the New York Football Giants, I can tell you exactly what he is at his best – deadly.

5. Anquan Boldin

            Boldin is an incredibly tough player.  He played second fiddle to Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona, and was a part of an often-absent passing attack in Baltimore.  But he has always been a very tough guy, and that’s probably what makes him such a great fit in San Francisco.  This team has been the biggest surprise in the NFL since Jim Harbaugh came on the scene.  They went from bottom-dwellers to the toughest, most physical, most punishing team in the NFL.  And now that they have an ultra-athletic quarterback in Colin Kaepernick?  No one wants to play these guys.  The one weak spot, perhaps, is at wide receiver.  Michael Crabtree has got serious injury problems.  Vernon Davis is a beast, but didn’t seem to mesh with Kaepernick all that well.  That leaves Mario Manningham and Anquan Boldin to pick up the reins – both guys who have never been clear number 1 receivers, yet have proven themselves to be very solid options and able to step up for big moments.  I think that with Colin Kaepernick out to prove that he’s more than just a running quarterback this year, there is plenty of work to spread around to both these guys, and if I get to choose I want Boldin who has proven on a more consistent basis that he can bring it.  Especially if he drops to later in the draft, he could be an absolutely great flex play with upside.