Fantasy Football: Larry Fitzgerald on top at reciever

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

We move on to wide receiver spot this morning. If you play in a league where you get points per reception, than the wide receiver position is at least as important as the running back, if not more so. The main league I play in adding reception points last year, and people learned quickly how valuable certain receivers are.

The Top 20:

1. Larry Fitzgerald - Cardinals

Big Fitz is the most complete wide receiver in the NFL. 96 catches, 1400+ yards and 12 touchdowns is about a normal year for Larry, but he did set all sorts of records in the playoffs. It also helps to have Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston on the same field to help reduce single coverage. He should put up another solid year.

2. Andre Johnson - Texans

Did you realize that he led the NFL in catches (115) and and receiving yards (1,575) last season? If you know football, than yes, but if you're just a casual fan that plays fantasy football you need to take notice. He's the go to guy on that team and finally put together a complete fantasy season for the first time. I'm sure having a legitimate receiver, like Kevin Walter, on the others side has helped.

3. Randy Moss - Patriots

A lot of people have Calvin Johnson at #3, but the return of Tom Brady increases Moss's value and production this season. Wes Welker will certainly get his balls, and so will Joey Galloway, but it's been shown that Brady loves to stretch the field with Moss. Look for him to get 15+ td's and 1,200 yards.

4. Calvin Johnson - Lions

I did not put him at #4 because of his quarterback situation. The third year receiver has clearly shown it doesn't matter who's throwing the ball to him. After struggling in his rookie season, he burst out with a 1,300 yard season with 12 touchdowns. He may not increase much on those numbers, but look for him to grab more than 78 receptions. If you play in a reception league, this alone will increase his value

5. Steve Smith - Panthers

Despite missing two games last season, Smith still put up 1,421 yards on 78 catches. If he plays 116 games, and averages 5.5 catches per game like last year, he should get his total up to 89 catches. That could get him over the 1,600 yard mark for the season. Hopefully Jake Delhomme's arm can hold up and can consistently feed him the ball.

6. Roddy White - Falcons

Rowdy Roddy will continue his improvement this season along with Matt Ryan. The two have had great chemistry from the get go, so White should improve on his touchdowns this season after getting 7 in 08'. He's shown improvement in each of his first four years, but it'll be hard to improve on 88 catches and 1,300 yards.

7. Greg Jennings - Packers

If you read my QB ratings then you know I think Aaron Rodgers is going to have a huge year. The same should hold true for Jennings. He's clearly Rodgers favorite target after amassing 80 catches, 1,292 yards and 9 touchdowns. I expect him to at least hold those numbers making him a top 10 fantasy wide receiver.

8. Anquan Boldin - Cardinals

It's hard to imagine one team having two receivers in the top 10, but the Cardinals had it last year, and they'll have it this year as well. After a hot start, Boldin missed 4 games and still had 89 catches, 1,038 yards and 11 touchdowns. He's about as motivated as a player could be to put up even better numbers this year, and Kurt Warner has never had a problem spreading the love.

9. Brandon Marshall - Broncos

Speaking of players who have motivation to put up another great season, Marshall is an incredibly talented player who just needs to keep his head straight. I actually think Kyle Orton will play pretty well this season, and Marshall and Eddy Royal will certainly help him out. He's missing some practice time right now, but expect him to be good to go by week 1.

10. TJ Houshmandzedah - Seahawks

Now that TJ is the undisputed #1 receiver on his team, watch out for a big season from him. Matt Hasselback is healthy and must be salivating to throw the ball to a receiver that can actually catch the ball and stay healthy (we hope). While he did catch 94 balls last year, he had a down year in yards (904) and touchdowns (4). Look for drastic increases this season.

11. Reggie Wayne - Colts

12. Marques Colston - Saints

13. Vincent Jackson - Chargers

14. Dwayne Bowe - Chiefs

15. Wes Welker - Patriots

16. Terrell Owens - Bills

17. Roy Williams - Cowboys

18. Braylon Edwards - Browns

19. Lee Evans - Bills

20. Chad Ochocinco - Bengals

Watch Out For:

Kevin Walter

Earl Bennett

Donnie Avery

Torry Holt

Be Wary Of:

Antonio Bryant

Michael Crabtree

Roy Williams

Worth a Flyer:

Deion Branch

Devin Hester

Josh Morgan

(Stay tuned for the Tight End rankings tomorrow by Chad Garner)