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Heading into your fantasy football drafts over the next few weeks, there is no real question as to who the number one wide receiver is in the NFL: Calvin Johnson. He led all receivers with 122 catches and 1,964 yards last season. Very impressive. Record breaking. But the five touchdowns makes one scratch his head and wonder what happened. Well, thanks to Patrick Daugherty from Rotoworld, the answer is that Johnson was tackled inside the two-yard line a total of six times last season.
I have a feeling the Lions will figure out how to get the ball to Johnson in the end zone just a few more times this season. I don't see him going for 2,000 receiving yards again, as many of those yards came in garbage time with the Lions down big in many games last season.
The rest of the top 10 is loaded with some very talented wide receivers, and you really can't go wrong with Cowboys WR Dez Bryant, who I am very high on, Bengals WR A.J. Green, Bears WR Brandon Marshall or Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas.
Packers WR Randall Cobb makes his first appearance in the top 10 this season, and he has plenty of upside with QB Aaron Rodgers throwing the ball around the yard plenty. Last season, Cobb was used as a WR and RB by coach Mike McCarthy, to increase his touches, and with the injury to Jordy Nelson and the departure of Greg Jennings, Cobb could see plenty more targets in 2013.
Let's take a look at the rest of our wide receiver rankings for 2013:
|
Standard Leagues |
PPR Leagues |
|
|
Rank |
Player |
Player |
|
1 |
Calvin Johnson, DET |
Calvin Johnson, DET |
|
2 |
A.J. Green, CIN |
Brandon Marshall, CHI |
|
3 |
Dez Bryant, DAL |
A.J. Green, CIN |
|
4 |
Demaryius Thomas, DEN |
Demaryius Thomas, DEN |
|
5 |
Julio Jones, ATL |
Dez Bryant, DAL |
|
6 |
Brandon Marshall, CHI |
Reggie Wayne, IND |
|
7 |
Roddy White, ATL |
Wes Welker, DEN |
|
8 |
Randall Cobb, GB |
Roddy White, ATL |
|
9 |
Andre Johnson, HOU |
Andre Johnson, HOU |
|
10 |
Vincent Jackson, TB |
Julio Jones, ATL |
|
11 |
Reggie Wayne, IND |
Randall Cobb, GB |
|
12 |
Victor Cruz, NYG |
Vincent Jackson, TB |
|
13 |
Marques Colston, NO |
Victor Cruz, NYG |
|
14 |
Larry Fitzgerald, ARI |
Marques Colston, NO |
|
15 |
Mike Wallace, MIA |
Steve Smith, CAR |
|
16 |
Dwayne Bowe, KC |
Larry Fitzgerald, ARI |
|
17 |
James Jones, GB |
Danny Amendola, NE |
|
18 |
Wes Welker, DEN |
Eric Decker, DEN |
|
19 |
Hakeem Nicks, NYG |
Dwayne Bowe, KC |
|
20 |
Steve Smith, CAR |
Hakeem Nicks, NYG |
|
21 |
Pierre Garcon, WAS |
James Jones, GB |
|
22 |
Cecil Shorts, JAC |
Pierre Garcon, WAS |
|
23 |
Miles Austin, DAL |
Cecil Shorts, JAC |
|
24 |
Danny Amendola, NE |
Steve Johnson, BUF |
|
25 |
Eric Decker, DEN |
Miles Austin, DAL |
|
26 |
Antonio Brown, PIT |
Mike Wallace, MIA |
|
27 |
Steve Johnson, BUF |
Antonio Brown, PIT |
|
28 |
T.Y. Hilton, IND |
Anquan Boldin, SF |
|
29 |
Torrey Smith, BAL |
Greg Jennings, MIN |
|
30 |
DeSean Jackson, PHI |
Torrey Smith, BAL |
|
31 |
Anquan Boldin, SF |
DeSean Jackson, PHI |
|
32 |
Josh Gordon, CLE |
Josh Gordon, CLE |
|
33 |
Greg Jennings, MIN |
Tavon Austin, STL |
|
34 |
Tavon Austin, STL |
Lance Moore, NO |
|
35 |
Lance Moore, NO |
Mike Williams, TB |
|
36 |
Mike Williams, TB |
T.Y. Hilton, IND |
|
37 |
Andre Roberts, ARI |
Kenny Britt, TEN |
|
38 |
Brian Hartline, MIA |
Denarius Moore, OAK |
|
39 |
Denarius Moore, OAK |
Emmanuel Sanders, PIT |
|
40 |
Sidney Rice, SEA |
Brandon Lloyd, FA |
|
41 |
Emmanuel Sanders, PIT |
Andre Roberts, ARI |
|
42 |
Kenny Britt, TEN |
Sidney Rice, SEA |
|
43 |
Chris Givens, STL |
Brian Hartline, MIA |
|
44 |
Michael Floyd, ARI |
Chris Givens, STL |
|
45 |
Golden Tate, SEA |
Michael Floyd, ARI |
|
46 |
Brandon Lloyd, FA |
Golden Tate, SEA |
|
47 |
Kendall Wright, TEN |
Kendall Wright, TEN |
|
48 |
DeAndre Hopkins, HOU |
DeAndre Hopkins, HOU |
|
49 |
Alshon Jeffery, CHI |
Alshon Jeffery, CHI |
|
50 |
Vincent Brown, SD |
Vincent Brown, SD |
Dez Bryant, DAL
I mentioned earlier that I am high on Cowboys WR Dez Bryant, and I could see him vying for the top spot in our rankings by midseason if he could build on his strong second half last season, when he caught 50 balls for 879 yards and 10 touchdowns. He is big enough to go over the middle and fast enough to turn a short pass into a 55-yard touchdown.
Reggie Wayne, IND
Wayne is the elder statesman of wide receivers at 34 years old, but with Andrew Luck throwing to him, Wayne could easily see his touchdown totals increase from the five he caught last season. I see Luck building on his 23 passing touchdowns from last season, and Wayne could be the main beneficiary.
Chris Givens, STL
After reading the Mike Gallagher piece on Givens on Monday, I moved Givens up a few spots in my rankings here. Last season, Givens caught 42 balls for 698 yards and three scores, but that number should improve in 2013. Givens had a nice game in the Rams' first preseason game with two catches of more than 20 yards, including a 59-yarder. He has breakaway speed, and he can exploit that speed playing his home games on the turf in St. Louis.
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