2008 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver
Sleepers By Brandon Anderson
7/29/08
Email Brandon Perhaps no position is as unpredictable in fantasy football as the wide
receiver. Very few receivers ever remain in the top 10 from year to year,
and many players may see the sky as the limit but then sit out the season on
a prima donna rant or some sort of nagging injury. In the meantime, a fresh
set of receivers breaks out every season it seems, anywhere from flashy
rookies to unheralded longtime veterans. As such, sleepers abound at the WR spot, and it’s difficult really to
narrow it down. So let’s not waste any more time. Steve Smith, Carolina
ADP 3.01
There are a lot of folks disappointed with Smith after last year’s finish
barely in the top 20 WRs, and it makes sense. But it wasn’t Smith’s fault
this time. He simply had no legitimate NFL quarterback to throw him the ball
most of the season. Jake Delhomme, when healthy, consistently locks onto a
top WR more than any other QB in the league. And last season was no
different. During Delhomme’s first two games last year, his only healthy
games, do you remember what Steve Smith did? He had 8 catches for 153 yards
and 3 TDs… in one of the games. He had another 7 for 118 and a score in the
other game. Projections don’t mean a whole darn lot, but that would’ve put
Smith on pace for 120 catches, 2168 yards, and 32 TDs. This is still the
most talented all around receiver in the league and he should be, at worst,
a top 3 WR selection. He has as good a chance as anyone – yes, including
Randy Moss – at that coveted #1 receiver spot. Letting him go to the guy
that already has Tomlinson on his roster would be practically criminal! Calvin Johnson, Detroit
ADP 5.01
Ok wait just a minute. We’re letting the dude at #1 get Tomlinson, Smith,
and then Calvin in an average draft? Yikes, I hope that guy is me. Megatron
is the real deal, and he’s worth every part of this pick. Johnson
disappointed owners last year even though his rookie numbers of 48 catches,
756 yards, and 4 TDs were actually pretty solid. He was also dealing with
some injuries last season that hampered his production after a hot start
where he scored a TD in each of his first two games. This year Mike Martz is
gone, and so too should be the spread-like offense that watered down the
production of Johnson and Roy Williams. Last year Shaun McDonald and Mike
Furrey combined for 1600 yards and 9 TDs, and you better believe some of
that production is headed toward Calvin with another year of experience and
all that talent. This may be the last year you’ll ever see Megatron
available in the 5th round. Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis
ADP 5.10
Maybe you’ve heard of this guy before? Just about every year, some receiver
returns from past injury to fantasy glory in the top 10. You can read more
about this in the upcoming Anatomy of a Top 10 WR piece. Suffice it to say
that a Hall of Famer like Marvin Harrison does not come back and play unless
he knows he can. Harrison has always been Manning’s favorite endzone target,
and that alone makes him valuable. Don’t write Marvin off just yet. Jerry
Rice too missed most of the season with an injury at age 35, and put up
three more top 10 fantasy WR seasons before he was done! Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City
ADP 5.11
Bowe was another receiver who started out last season hot but then hit what
many called the rookie wall. We’ll call it the “oh crap, where did Larry
Johnson and our run game go?” wall instead. Without any semblance of a run
game to take the pressure off of him, Bowe suddenly found a lot more
attention from opposing defense last year in the second half and slowed down
quite a bit. But he’s a big, strong receiver with a great run after catch
ability and has already shown a good nose for the endzone. Look for him to
finish the breakout job this season. Donald Driver, Green Bay
ADP 7.03
Driver is an absolutely awesome value right now with owners still sour over
last year’s disappointing finish. Driver was a top 10 receiver in 2002,
2004, and 2006. It’s 2008, see any pattern here? He was actually a great
receiver in 2005 as well, finishing #13 overall. Last year was a tough year
for him, dealing with some injuries and missing a couple of games, and he
also lost a ton of TD opportunities to Greg Jennings while defenses
overadjusted to cover him. Give him back a few of Jennings’ TDs and another
2 games of yardage from last season, and he sneaks right back into the
bottom of that top 10 where he belongs. Nate Burleson, Seattle
ADP 9.04
Burleson seems to be everyone’s favorite sleeper receiver here at Sports
Outlaw, yet his ADP elsewhere remains pretty low. He caught double digit TDs
last year and started to get the yardage going by the end of the season.
This year Deion Branch is injured yet again, and both DJ Hackett and Marcus
Pollard are gone, so Burleson will see more than his fair share of
opportunities in this passing offense. Don’t expect a monster season, but
Burleson has plenty of upside at this point in the draft. Patrick Crayton, Dallas
ADP 10.11
Crayton is just one Terrell Owens broken leg or broken mouth, whichever
comes first, away from vaulting into the top 15 receivers. Even if TO stays
healthy and happy on the field all year, Crayton will be a full time starter
opposite him now that Terry Glenn is gone, and that should make for pretty
good numbers on the season in this high powered Dallas offense. Darrell Jackson, Denver
ADP 13.09
You want a real deep sleeper, a guy who could shock everyone for some big
numbers? How about Darrell Jackson out in Denver? Brandon Marshall has more
problems than we can get into, and Javon Walker is no longer around. Jay
Cutler is going to have to throw to someone, and DJax when healthy has been
a top 10 receiver at times. Denver has had a top 10 WR in back to back years
now. If you’re looking for a real long shot to make it three in a row, DJax
could be your man. Steve Smith, New York Giants
ADP undrafted
How about spending a last round pick on Steve Smith, the other one out of
USC? Admittedly, it may well end up a wasted pick. Smith isn’t even a
starter right now, behind Plaxico and Toomer. But Plaxico is a hothead and
an injury waiting to happen, and now longtime Giant Jeremy Shockey is gone
as well. It just wouldn’t take all that much for Smith to suddenly be a
featured player in this offense. Eli Manning has locked in on receivers in
the past, and Smith could be a surprise beneficiary if he gets a chance to
get on the field. Comment on this
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