I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. I figured it would be a good time to take another look at receivers given Hakeem Nicks‘ latest injury. I didn’t downgrade Nicks much in these rankings but he’s starting to pile up the injuries and that’s concerning from a fantasy perspective. The biggest winner is Rueben Randle. The talented rookie will benefit from getting a majority of first-team reps with Nicks expected to miss all of training camp.
There’s a lot of movement as usual with receivers but I’m starting to settle on my Top 20. I still love that 10-25 range. There’s loads of talent in that area, so if you pass on a receiver with your first two picks, there will be plenty of potential studs left on the board. Here now are my Top 100 fantasy receivers.
2012 Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings
(Last updated May 27)
Rankings are based on a 12-team league flex format with 1 point awarded per reception
1. Calvin Johnson, Lions
2. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
3. Brandon Marshall, Bears ↑
4. Wes Welker, Patriots
5. A.J. Green, Bengals ↓
6. Andre Johnson, Texans ↓
7. Roddy White, Falcons
8. Hakeem Nicks, Giants ↓
9. Victor Cruz, Giants
10. Julio Jones, Falcons ↑
11. Steve Smith, Panthers ↓
12. Greg Jennings, Packers ↓
13. Eric Decker, Broncos ↑
14. Jordy Nelson, Packers ↑
15. Dez Bryant, Cowboys ↑
16. Antonio Brown, Steelers ↑
17. Percy Harvin, Vikings ↓
18. Jeremy Maclin, Eagles
19. Mike Wallace, Steelers
20. Marques Colston, Saints
21. Demaryius Thomas, Broncos
22. Miles Austin, Cowboys ↑
23. Steve Johnson, Bills
24. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs
25. Brandon Lloyd, Patriots
26. Kenny Britt, Titans ↓
27. Vincent Jackson, Bucs
28. DeSean Jackson, Eagles
29. Sidney Rice, Seahawks ↑
30. Robert Meachem, Chargers ↑
31. Reggie Wayne, Colts ↓
32. Michael Crabtree, 49ers ↑
33. Lance Moore, Saints
34. Anquan Boldin, Ravens ↓
35. Greg Little, Browns
36. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Raiders
37. Pierre Garcon, Redskins ↑
38. Torrey Smith, Ravens
39. Denarius Moore, Raiders
40. Titus Young, Lions ↓
41. Michael Floyd, Cardinals
42. Santonio Holmes, Jets
43. Mike Williams, Bucs ↑
44. Justin Blackmon, Jaguars ↓
45. Nate Washington, Titans
46. Kevin Walter, Texans
47. Malcom Floyd, Chargers
48. Nate Burleson, Lions ↑
49. Doug Baldwin, Seahawks
50. Earl Bennett, Bears
51. Austin Collie, Colts
52. Davone Bess, Dolphins
53. Damian Williams, Titans
54. Brandon LaFell, Panthers ↑
55. Randy Moss, 49ers ↑
56. Randall Cobb, Packers
57. Leonard Hankerson, Redskins
58. Golden Tate, Seahawks ↑
59. Brian Quick, Rams
60. Mohamed Sanu, Bengals ↑
61. Laurent Robinson, Jaguars
62. Mario Manningham, 49ers ↓
63. Danny Amendola, Rams ↑
64. Alshon Jeffery, Bears
65. David Nelson, Bills ↑
66. Rueben Randle, Giants ↑
67. Kendall Wright, Titans ↑
68. Vincent Brown, Chargers
69. Jerome Simpson, Vikings ↑
70. Jordan Shipley, Bengals
71. James Jones, Packers ↑
72. Josh Morgan, Redskins ↑
73. Jonathan Baldwin, Chiefs ↑
74. Jacoby Ford, Raiders ↓
75. Emmanuel Sanders, Steelers ↑
76. A.J. Jenkins, 49ers ↑
77. Steve Breaston, Chiefs ↓
78. Andre Roberts, Cardinals
79. Donald Jones, Bills ↓
80. Stephen Hill, Jets
81. Chris Givens, Rams ↑
82. Jason Avant, Eagles
83. Ryan Broyles, Lions ↑
84. Devin Hester, Bears ↓
85. Brian Hartline, Dolphins
86. Santana Moss, Redskins ↑
87. Preston Parker, Bucs ↑
88. Greg Salas, Rams
89. Mohamed Massaquoi, Browns ↓
90. Harry Douglas, Falcons
91. Eddie Royal, Chargers
92. Devery Henderson, WR Saints
93. Brandon Gibson, Rams ↑
94. Andre Caldwell, Broncos
95. Early Doucet, Cardinals
96. Greg Childs, Vikings ↑
97. Nick Toon, Saints ↑
98. Jerrel Jernigan, Giants ↓
99. Carlton Mitchell, Browns ↑
100. Donald Driver, Packers
In the Mix
Marvin Jones, Bengals
DeVier Posey, Texans
Riley Cooper, Eagles
T.Y. Hilton, Colts
Adrian Arrington, Saints
Dezmon Briscoe, Bucs
Lee Evans, Jaguars
Josh Cooper, Browns
Going Up
Marshall - I’m not going to shy away from my original thinking on Marshall, so I moved him back up to No. 3. That’s where I had Marshall in my initial rankings. He’s going to have a huge season with Jay Cutler throwing him the ball. It’s hard to trust Marshall over the long-term because of his off-the-field shenanigans but just for 2012 I believe he’ll be a monster. I don’t see my Top 3 receivers changing again. Megatron, Fitz and Marshall are the three top fantasy receivers for 2012 in my opinion.
Jones - The more I think about Jones the more I believe he should be ranked in the Top 10. Jones put up 959 yards and 8 scores in only 13 games as a rookie. White is still going to gobble up a lot of receptions but with Tony Gonzalez turning 70 soon, I can see Jones going for 75 catches, 1,200 yards and 10+ scores this season. That sounds like a Top 10 fantasy receiver to me. In my opinion A.J. Green, Jones and Dez Bryant will all be ranked as Top 10 fantasy receivers heading into next year. That’s why I have all three ranked in my Top 15 this year. I’m confident that at least two of the three will be huge for fantasy owners in 2012. If I don’t end up with one of those receivers in all of my leagues it means I probably fell asleep during the draft and the computer selected for me.
Decker - Decker has been one of my favorite players since I saw him at the University of Minnesota and I love him this year for fantasy owners. When this guy had an average pocket passer throwing to him last season he put up big fantasy numbers. Now he has Peyton Manning throwing to him and the future Hall of Famer has already been raving about his new target. I say Decker catches 90 balls this year. Decker is currently being drafted on average in Round 7. I think that could go up to the end of Round 5 by the time August rolls around and all the training camp reports talk about the chemistry between him and Manning.
As high as I am on Ronnie Hillman in Denver, I have no doubt at all that Decker will be a stud fantasy receiver this year as long as he stays healthy. No doubt at all. People have their own rankings and opinions but it’s difficult for me to comprehend not having Decker as a Top 20 fantasy receiver right now. I believe what I’m seeing is there for everyone else to see, they just choose not to see it for some reason. We’ll find out in a few months if I”m right or not.
Antonio Brown – I watched a couple Steeler games over from last season and it boggles my mind that people aren’t sold on this guy yet. He has it all. Brown runs great routes, he goes up and gets the ball and he makes catches with defenders draped all over him. Mike Wallace has blinding speed but I’ve never seen him do the things I saw Brown do last season. In my opinion Wallace will remain the deep threat but Brown is the new Hines Ward in Pittsburgh’s offense.
I can’t tell you how many times last year I wrote that Brown is becoming one of the top receivers in the NFL. So then what happens over a few months? People remember they saw Wallace catch a deep pass once and now Brown is going in Round 7. That’s fine with me because Brown is the better overall player. Just for the record, Brown only scored twice last year but he was knocked out of bounds inside the five yard line on four other occasions. I believe those things will even out in the end. If you don’t believe in Brown, you will by the time September comes to an end.
Bryant – I feel like I have a good handle on Bryant. First, for all the complaining from fantasy owners the guy did catch 63 passes for 928 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2011. Those are virtually the exact same numbers Greg Jennings put up only Bryant was in his second year and didn’t have Aaron Rodgers throwing him the ball.
I get that Bryant disappeared at times but trust me as a Dallas fan, that’s because of idiotic coaching and playcalling. So why do I expect Bryant to breakout in 2012 and have a monster season? That’s easy. The Pigskin Guy isn’t the only person who wants to see him get the ball more. The other person just happens to be the owner, GM, president, coach, valet, peanut vendor, etc. of the Dallas Cowboys and he usually gets his way. I’m the most miserable, disgruntled Cowboys fan on the planet and I can say I would be fine if Bryant happens to be my No. 1 fantasy receiver heading into the season. That’s the best selling point I can give you because I usually undervalue Dallas players due to my current rage towards the franchise.
I believe Bryant is one of the most physically gifted receivers to come out of college football in a long time. I also believe he’s pound-for-pound one of the most talented receivers in the NFL. However, he also plays for one of the worst coaching staffs in the NFL. I’m betting this is the year talent trumps bad coaching. Then again, there’s a reason why I retired from gambling eight years ago.
Cobb -One of my top sleepers of 2012 is Cobb. I know we’re not allowed to compare black slot receivers to Wes Welker. For some reason the media has a rule against that but I’m going to do it anyway. I believe Cobb will be the Packers version of Welker. With Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and Jermichael Finley drawing most of the attention from opposing defenses, I see Cobb being a much bigger factor this season. Cobb caught 25 balls as a rookie. He will more than double that total in 2012. I have Cobb ranked higher than probably anyone on the planet but I really believe he’s going to be a big part of Green Bay’s passing game this season.
Randle - I only dropped Nicks one spot in my rankings. I’m going to take a wait and see approach before overreacting to his foot injury. Let’s be honest, we have the time to adjust. If Nicks is going to be ready for Week 1, I don’t see a reason to downgrade him that much. I will say this though; I once declared I had the worst lower legs ever created by God (four surgeries for compartment syndrome in 10 years). Apparently, Nicks is looking to take over that title. I agree with Nicks that he’s a fast healer but I wish he didn’t have to do so much healing.
The guy I believe we should be focused on and who benefits the most from Nicks missing time is Randle. I moved him up a whopping 27 spots in my rankings this time around. I really thought after the draft we were going to hear that Randle had an undisclosed injury or failed a drug test. I still have no idea how a guy with his skills fell all the way to the end of Round 2 but that’s why the Giants are arguably the best drafting team in the NFL right now. They capitalize on other team’s mistakes.
I’ve been saying since before the draft that Randle could end up being the best receiver to come out of this class. He was difficult to breakdown because LSU is running Woody Hayes’ offense from 1968 but there’s no doubt Randle has elite talent. The best thing I saw from Randle is he has a really quick first step. Randle really gets into that extra gear quickly, which makes it tough for defensive backs to judge his speed. I still think he needs work with his route-running but Randle landed in a great spot now that he has Eli Manning throwing him the ball.
Randle is going to get a lot of first-team reps in training camp, which should help speed up his development. I believe Randle will have much more fantasy value in 2013 but now with Nicks’ injury that could certainly change in a hurry. Move Randle up your rankings in re-draft leagues. In dynasty leagues Randle is becoming one of my top targets. He looks like another draft day steal for Jerry Reese and the Giants.
Coming Down
Jennings - I have Jennings ranked lower than most (12) and that still may be a little high. I had Jennings last year and he’s a good fantasy receiver but I think we’re ranking Jennings based on his name and what he did three years ago. Still, it’s hard to drop a receiver too far that’s scored 21 times over the last two years and has Rodgers throwing to him. My gut tells me Jordy Nelson is the best fantasy receiver in Green Bay. Now I just need my head and balls to follow my gut.
Britt – I was actually going to move Britt up a few spots in my previous rankings from 23 until it was announced that he needs another procedure on his injured knee. The Titans say it’s minor surgery but let’s not kid ourselves, having a second surgery in May isn’t the ideal situation for a guy recovering from a knee injury. Britt may very well be ready for Week 1 but I’m taking a wait and see approach with him like I am with Nicks until we get closer to the start of the season. If Britt is going to miss most of training camp and preseason, he’s not worthy of being ranked in the Top 20 with all the other good players to choose from at the receiver position. With Britt’s status up in the air right now rookie Kendall Wright is moving up my board. Wright comes in at 67, a 9-spot jump from my previous rankings.
Blackmon - I like Blackmon but when when I’m rooting for Chad Henne to win the starting quarterback job for a team, that’s a big problem. Jacksonville’s offense just looks like absolute trash. Henne would have a hard time winning the No. 2 job on most teams, yet he could begin the season as the Jaguars starting quarterback. That really says a lot. Matt Barkley could be on his way in 2013 to help Blackmon but it’s hard to imagine a rookie receiver having a ton of fantasy success with guys like Henne and Blaine Gabbert throwing him the ball. I see 55-60 receptions for Blackmon this season, which shows just how talented he is given Jacksonville’s miserable quarterback situation.
Massaquoi -I’m so sick of hearing about Massaquoi. I hate guys that every summer it’s their “breakout” year. How many years does Massaquoi need to break out? Don’t insult our intelligence. As I’ve been saying since he was drafted, Massaquoi sucked at Georgia. Now he’s sucked in his three NFL seasons. Sometimes if it walks like a duck and looks like a duck, it’s just a duck. This guy can’t play. He showed it in college and in the NFL. I don’t know what more to tell you.
Hester - Read above and just replace Massaquoi with Hester. The only difference being Hester is obviously an elite return man. Unfortunately that isn’t going to help fantasy owners unless they get points for return yards. Hester has caught 66 passes over the last two years. He’s a duck.
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I think once again you are way off on the Jets. Again, last year was a disaster of a year and IMO worst case scenario and you have things getting even worse…
If healthy, Holmes will outproduce WR 42 by a wide margin. I’ll have Hill on every team at WR80!
I disagree. The Jets passing game is trash. He may do better than No. 42 but it won’t be by much. And why is that team no longer a disaster? Did they get a new coach? I do think they will be an even bigger disaster this year. They have the same team only with Tebow and Tony Sparano. Oh, and Chaz Schilens. I appreciate the love for your team but even if I’m wrong and the Jets win 12 games I think it will be because of defense and the running game. Hell, it may even be with Tebow under center. I don’t see any Jet being a Top 30 fantasy receiver personally but I’ve been wrong before. Keep the pro Jets stuff coming though. I’m anti-Jets at the moment so it helps even things out. Thanks for the comments. I always welcome a different point of you. If you noticed, I did move your boy Shonn Greene up a view spots after our discussion, so I do listen closely to feedback.
Hester is not a receiver. He will not even be on my draft board. I like Jeffery there. It sets up good for him to play a lot as a rookie.
Two things I don’t like to overplay - One is stats, I get what I want from them and move on while I see people crunching numbers for countless hours - The other is the Homer Card - I’d rather bet you 10 bucks and move on….
But, I’m pretty sure if You crunch some Jets stats you will see an offense in 2010 with Not One but TWO Wr’s in the top 30. Holmes missed 4 games with suspension so, yeah he actually just missed, makes no difference to me. Heck 2009, rookie Sanchez, barely out of diapers, who barely played enough college ball had 2 WR’s higher than you have Holmes!!!!
I never wanted Sanchez and I’m no Sanchez Flunky BUT, he really has been whiplashed in this league by his own team and once again last year they took away “his” #1 WR and left him with no Deep threat while teams easily took Holmes away and knew nobody else could go deep - certainly not Plaxico…
If I were a stats junky I would shoot the Deep pass Jet stats at you right now from 2009, 2010 and then 2011 and show you exactly what happened last year without Braylon…. This is another reason why I’m high on Stephen Hill - he has opportunity that a lot of those 80 or so WR’s you have ahead of him do not…
Also I’ll never claim to be able to evaluate players like youself or really anyone with any experience at all BUT, what I find is QB is the hardest to predict and to me when you see a guy with at least decent tools, what makes me lean one way or the other is work ethic - And regardless of the rumors out of NY or what any anonymous source may say - I Know Mark Sanchez is a Workaholic, coaches son who eats and breathes FOOTBALL…. I expect yet another step for Mark.
If I were a stats junky I’d also show you the shots Miami’s offense took downfield and I could guarantee you the Jets are going to shoot down field a lot more than last year - Ground and Pound or not….
We discussed it before but, IMO this offense is going to be a lot crisper without the confusion of the Schottenheimer Cluster-####….. Last year’s OL fell apart - Of course like most teams THAT is where my concern lies - not, Sanchez, the WR’s or a Ground and pound philosphy or oh yeah the backup QB.
IMO, the circus stuff last year was overblown and Holmes acted like many Diva WR’s have always acted…. The offense failed, fell apart, had no deep threat had an OL that fell apart, it happens. - Holmes was pissed, pretty simple. Holmes was blanketed and frustrated….Sounds like many of them are much happier without Schottenheimer.
That’s all I’ll say But, for Side notes - I’ll find it very interesting to see how that Schottenheimer offense takes hold In STL and how those players stats show up…..Then again, it’s not his fault either that the Jets took away the only deep threat the offense had and had the OL collapse but, it all adds up.
Who let Mark Sanchez on this site? The Jets are terrible they are quickly becoming the next act at Ringling Brothers. Yes one of their WRS might get lucky week to week and have a big game but this isn’t 2009. The Jets don’t have Thomas Jones (since your living in the past) or a running game, all they have is a headache for fantasy owners with Teblow and Yourself Mark. So Step right up, Step right Up and witness the spectacle that is the New York JETS offense, so save your 10 dollars and move on.
I also agree about J.Jones… I want him…now
LOL…. OK… Like I said, I won’t sit here and debate more than I laid out already - Anyone wants to place bets on Holmes at WR40 I’m here…. I’m not here saying Holmes is top 25 or anything.
But, I know the QB I see today, with proper protection is a whole world better than the one who came out of college way too early a few years ago.
I think people buy into the NY media frenzy a bit and forget the team was better than the Giants for 2 years and then neck and neck with them until Victor Cruz got loose and all of a sudden the Giant team that WAS the NY Circus and the media wanted Coughlin gone quickly switched roles… that’s the NFL today and how thin a line you are from Two Championship games to the Circus.
I love how I’m usually a polar opposite as concensus - I was the guy who stood on the mountain and Said NEVER Draft a Qb from the west coast who has barley seen snow and has little experience at all to Win Now In NY……. to……MARK SANCHEZ….
This is why Iove the Game !!!!! Good Stuff
A couple of things. First of all these are rankings in progress. I doubt Holmes will ever make my Top 30 but he may also not stay where he is. Most people don’t update rankings as often as I do. The reason I do is not for the Top 20. We pretty much know those guys. It’s so I can noodle with the bottom portion of my rankings more and try to be as accurate as possible. Also, you have now complained that I have Shonn Greene, Dustin Keller, Holmes and Hill too low, talked about Sanchez’s work ethic but not the fact that he may be the dumbest quarterback in the NFL and actually hinted that Tony Sparano has some kind of big-play offense. In my opinion you are speaking more of a fan now. I don’t care if Sanchez works hard. Romo works hard, yet he still throws dumb passes at key moments in the game. A lot of guys work hard and they’re on the practice squad. Call me when Sanchez can read a defense and doesn’t get rattled when his first option is covered because that’s all I care about. I mean Stephen Hill is going to be running go-routes. Let’s say he catches 6 touchdowns. How many receptions can he possibly put up in that offense? He’s a rookie coming from an option offense playing on a team that doesn’t throw a lot. Maybe 40 receptions at best? So 40 catches and 6 scores would be my best-case scenario for Hill this year. So how much fantasy value does he have? I like to see fans pumped up for the season. Behind closed doors I’ll even get myself to believe Dallas can win something. But to say the Jets passing game is all of a sudden going to take off because Sanchez works hard and they hired an idiot from another team is reaching in my opinion. We’ll see what happens. Maybe I’m overrating the Tebow signing but in my opinion you are underrating it. He didn’t come there to play on punt coverage. Thanks as always. I moved Shonn Greene up for you and I’ll take another look at Holmes but I disagree with you on the other stuff. I like the passion and arguments though. Keep them coming. That’s what this site is all about. The funny thing is I actually like the Jets in terms of teams I root for. I just feel Tebow is going to have a big, big role. I think at the end of the day that’s where you and I really disagree. Tebow Time baby.
Stampats - count me in as someone who agrees with you regarding Santonio I posted in the previous WR rankings update that he was undervalued and got the same negative feedback that you are getting. No doubt that he had an inconsistent and disappointing year in 2011 but he’s one season removed from a 12 game 750 yd 6 TD campaign. I think the Jets are one of those teams that was affected more than most by the lockout. Holmes and Sanchez couldn’t get on the same page and their OC Schottenheimer was a big part of the problem as well. Just about everything went wrong last season but I think things will improve this year. Holmes is still in his prime (28) and they will make it a priority to get him the ball more. The Jets can talk about ground and pound all they want but I don’t see them as having the RB personnel to pull this off consistently. You have to throw to succeed in today’s NFL and when the Jets are able to do this better than they did last season, Santonio will be the prime beneficiary. So what if the team switches to Tebow - he locked onto his #1 WR DThomas last year in DEN and I believe he was a top 10 WR in the games that he and Tebow started together.
I’m not saying Holmes should be ranked as a top 20 WR but at the same time it would not shock me if he finishes the season as one. I would rather take him than the following guys that are ranked over him: Young, Floyd, Garcon, Little, Boldin, LMoore, Wayne. It’s sort of splitting hairs because all of those guys are ranked after 30 but I definitely like Holmes closer to 30 than 40. If I can draft Holmes as my #4 WR, then I will be very happy.
Yeah, marlin, I’m stepping away… I NEVER Complained as stated - I’m here to point out slight value opportunities and all of a sudden this Tom guy is saying I think the Jets offense will ‘Take off”…
Just kidding - IMO, this is the best site-blog I’ve found in a long time!!!!!!!! But, the Homer calls are way offbase and uncalled for IMO. I started this hobby to get away from Homer-ism and enjoy Straight Talk while recoginizing people who may watch and understand certain teams more than others…
But, yeah, I think Tom is looking at the jets as a complete Fantasy wasteland and I see some value - Not, some fan looking for the Greatest Show on Earth….Curiously, I just looked at FBG concensus rankings and they have Holmes at 32 which I kinda agree with a little more, though Waldman who I lean towards more has him at 46… Again, claiming a “Circus” wasteland - Fine with me, I draft Vs these guys and I’ll probably own Holmes and Hill… especially in these All-play drafts this time of year where I can have Holmes as WR4 and Hill as WR8!!!
You are taking the term “homer” wrong. If I meant it to be a jab I would say “blind homer.” We are all homers for our favorite teams to some extent. It’s human nature to want to believe the best from the teams we root for. I’m the anti-homer and I admit it. I tend to rank Cowboys a little low because my way of dealing with the pain Jerry Jones has brought upon me is to be negative. I admit that all the time but I would do anything for Dallas to win something again. I look at the personality of a coach. Both Ryan and Sparano are hard-nose guys that like to rely on defense and few mistakes to win games. That doesn’t mean Holmes isn’t talented enough to be a Top 30 receiver and as I stated, these rankings are an ongoing process. It’s just that I see the Jets getting back to the formula that got them to back-to-back AFC Title games. How many times last year did Rex complain that the team was throwing too much? Also, I admit I may be a little bias towards Holmes because I had him all of last season and kept defending him. I thought it was only a matter of time before he broke out and he never did. My one main argument is you tend to think one disaster season somehow can’t lead to another. Well, I’m on season 16 in Dallas. I’ll let you know when the disaster is over. But like I said, I’ll look into Holmes a little more.
I wouldn’t mind Holmes as my no. 4 receiver either. I just don’t want to have to rely on him every week early in the year.
You gotta think Tebow’s going to have a bigger offensive roll than Sanchez, any Jet fan, or fantasy football lover would like. I don’t think you give up a 4th, 6th, and 2.5 mil for a special teams guy. So either i hear circus music too because, they over paid for someone NOT going to have an offensive roll, or here in fact come the juggling monkeys. I hope for your sake Sparano can juggle too, stampats.
I’m starting to think that Torrey Smith could be one of those guys that has a much better than expected year. In a 3 WR league, he’s someone that I’d like to have as my #3. He will definitely have some dud weeks but I see him being more consistent and having some huge 100+ yd & multi TD games that win you weeks. I read somewhere that he was dealing with a sports hernia for most of last season, had surgery in Feb, and is now back to 100%. What was your evaluation of him coming out of Maryland TPG? He’s had some issues with drops but he’s got great speed and seemed to get better as a route runner as the season went on. There’s still a decent chance that we see a significant statistical jump from Flacco. If this happens, I would think that TSmith will be the primary beneficiary.
I liked Smith but thought he was a little raw. I view both Smith and Denarius Moore as the same guy. They both have a ton of ability but weren’t asked to run a lot of different routes in college. I see Moore and Smith being solid fantasy receivers this year and then I can see a big jump in 2013. I think your breakdown is right. They are both guys that will have some duds and some big weeks. The consistency is probably still a year away.
“Also, I admit I may be a little bias towards Holmes because I had him all of last season and kept defending him. I thought it was only a matter of time before he broke out and he never did.”
See, UP UNTIL NOW…. I’ve told anyone and everyone who would listen to Never Draft Shonne Green cuz he was one dimensional…. On Jets sites I’m known as what long Term Jets fans call a Darksider… I rarely own Jets players on my fantasy teams because I don’t want the misery of the Jets Reality to spill over to Fantasy…
You happen to have caught me at a time where finally I see “Some” value in some Jets players - But, for the decade before this I probably ranked them Lower than You!!!!! I never even wanted Curtis Martin - I wanted more dynamic RB’s at the time and didn’t like the upside… heck, I wouldn’t have voted for Martin for the HOF!!!!!!
That’s why I laugh at even a hint of homerism….
But at WR42 and RB35 or whatever it was, heck, I’ll buy Some. We’re at a point here where people are ranking Jets starters as not even your backup players so, yeah, I’ll take them as backups.
But, yeah I also look at Tebow as the Brad Smith role player like they are saying and not someone who has any shot at taking over at QB… Jets also signed a few OT’s today - I remember liking Ray Willis at draft time guess he never panned out as expected.
BTW - I’m buying Big on Torrey Smith!!!!!!
A little bias? It’s a year later, you admit he never broke out,.. did you buy actual stock in the dude? ha
As for Shonn Greene, the only reason he gets so much shit is because everyone wanted him to be the next big stud. Even last year when folks should have known he wasn’t he still went in rd 3 in my league. He’s only gotten better every year though, all be it at a snails pace. He played all 16 last season, put up 1000 yards, and caught for 2x more then he ever had. I’ve never drafted the loser to date, but i think i like his value middle of the fifth now.
…i’d like him more if Tebow wasn’t there though.
Yes, I defended Holmes for so long I’m just now admitting that he didn’t work out. At least that’s how it felt last season when I kept starting him thinking, “this is the week.” lol
Ouch.. sorry. no I didn’t own any Jets last year. I suffered enough with the real football part.
Tom one thing that stood out in this conversation that I will lean to your wisdom on… “Tony Sparano is an Idiot”????
Please elaborate,…..
See, I see people hanging their hat on other teams with Brian Schottenheimer or Brian Daboll - Brian Daboll - Look at that guy’s resume - He went from ball boy to QB coach to running an offense in a snap. No way would I hire Brian Schott or Dabol and those are 2 guys I’m interested in watching next year and how the players respond fantasy wise - Of course Talent usually trumps all.
But, Everything I know about Sparano makes me believe this guy is a smart, hard working disciplinarian.. I wouldn’t expect “Idiot” to be assoicated with him.
I shouldn’t say idiot. I thought he was a terrible head coach. However, he was good when he was in Dallas and I actually wanted him to be their head coach at one point. My big problem is people credit him with coming up with the Wildcat, which is completely inaccurate. The Wildcat was created by Houston Nutt and David Lee at Arkansas and then Lee installed it in Miami the week before the Patriots game. I call Norv Turner an idiot too but it’s as a head coach. I would love to have him running my offense. Sparano is probably where he belongs now. For instance, I think Jason Garrett is a bad coach overall. I don’t think he would be good in any capacity. The guy is still living off a 7-game run in 2007 for Christ sakes. I wouldn’t put Sparano in that class. To say he can’t possibly be any worse than the idiot that was there before him is an understatement. However, I see Rex and Sparano being the same person, that’s why he’s there. I think it’s line up and bloody your opponent. You know after all of our Santonio Holmes discussion I’m actually starting to like Greene a little more. I really believe Rex wants nothing to do with all the passing the Jets did last year. That’s not his personality and that’s not the way the team played the two years before. Again, that’s also why I think he brought in Sparano and why they traded for Tebow. I don’t think Sparano is a bad coach, I’m just used to picking on him over the last two years in the Fire Sale. And you’re right about the Rams. I forget who the OC is there sometimes. I have to start taking that into consideration more because that guy is a Grade A douche. Thanks as always for the comments.
Meanwhile… A report I just read out of STL say’s Amendola, “I’ve learned more last 2 months than I had in 3 yrs.”…. I still think Schottenheimer is probably great “One on one” as a teacher but, his overall game plan and execution is where he becomes dopey, we’ll see - people can also develop and change as a play caller, and he’s probably smart enough to learn from mistakes….. That said, last year and ‘Rex:
“I really believe Rex wants nothing to do with all the passing the Jets did last year.”
I disagree - What happened last year is that the OL fell apart early (Mangold Out - Street FA IN) and then went up against the Raiders, Ravens and Pats Defenses all in a row without protection and got DESTROYED and punched in the mouth and never really recovered… Frustration set in as Schottenheimer tried to outsmart opponents instead of allowing players to execute what they are good at….
I know excuses excuses but, playing Denver in Denver after a Sunday Noght Pats game was a real kcik in the nads… That team was gassed…. Jets were 8-8 last year and people talk like they were 2-14..
And Rex and co want to Pass!! Believe me!!! But, Where the hell was the Play Action last year???????????? Mark Sanchez is a Play action, roll out QB - WTF was THAT????? !!!!! ARRRGGHHH! Luckily, I don’t break things anymore watching the Jets!!!!!
And Schottenheimer would never take a shot downfield at the right times IMO…. IMO he was Bizzaro- World play caller - But, I’ll say it again, The Jets really had no WR other than Holmes that could stretch the field at all and teams blanketed Holmes leading to more frustration combined with the play calling…Combine that with suspect protection at times and I have to question peopel who lay all that on Mark Samchez.
If Stephen Hill can catch just a few balls deep and blow away a few CB’s that will go a long way - And I love Hill just for the instant blocking aspect alone… Plaxico Burress also really hamstrung this offense other than being a decent red zone target - though they made Sanchez force him the ball - Look at all the teams lining up for Burress now!!!! I’d MUCH rather have a healthy Braylon Edwards - You-tube some Sanchez to Edwards plays and you’ll be like WHOA!!!!! I forgot about that Deep connection and the throws Sanchez made in some huge games Vs some great D’s…
Guy Beat San Diego, New England, Cincy and Indy All ON THE ROAD in the playoffs in his 1st two years - THAT IS INSANE IMO - and those games were’nt all Defense and Run game - Also came close and played great ball IN Pitt, while the defense actually blew the game….. People forget all this… how many QB’s have 4 Road Playoff WINS period:????
I feel like I always have to repeat this though - I NEVER WOULD HAVE DRAFTED MARK SANCHEZ!!!!! But, DAMN, give the guy a break people - Guy shouldn’t have left college early - Guy should have held a clip board 1 year but, instead won 4 Road playoff games - In the NE win people said he was the best palyer on the field… Then he almost came back VS Pitt….
Fortunately - regardless of the circus, the NY media and outsdie perception - Mark is a coaches sonm takes it all in and works his ass off to try to prove people wrong - Maybe he just doesn’t have it but, Personally I know Work ethic and trying won’t be the issue.