Fantasy football: Look for more than talent at WR

By David Moorman  |   Monday, July 07, 2008  |  Comments( 12 )

Fantasy Football
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Stability and dependability are two things to consider when selecting a wide receiver for your fantasy football team.

Does he make the sure catches? Is he reliable in the clutch? Does his quarterback respect him enough to throw to him when a first down is absolutely needed?

Talent by itself is not enough to warrant selection. If it were, Randy Moss and Terrell Owens would have been at the top of everyone’s list for the past several years. Instead, their checkered history has often made them a liability. That is, until now. Moss found new life with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots last season, while Owens flourished with the Tony Romo-led Dallas Cowboys.

Moss led the NFL with 23 touchdown receptions, also ranking second with 1,493 receiving yards on 98 catches. Owens had 81 receptions for 1,355 yards and 15 touchdowns and averaged an NFL-best 16.7 yards per catch.

Impressive, as well, is the Cleveland Browns’ Braylon Edwards, who has plenty of upside. Edwards was second in the league in touchdown catches last year (16) while ranking seventh in receiving yards (1,289) on 80 catches.

Watch out, though, for Reggie Wayne of the Indianapolis Colts. He led the NFL in receiving yards last season with 1,510 on an eye-popping 104 catches, including 10 touchdown grabs. More importantly for fantasy purposes, he’s become the favorite target in a pass-happy, Peyton Manning-guided offense. Manning is bent on getting back to the Super Bowl after younger brother Eli was the MVP of the game last season during the Giants' 17-14 victory over the Patriots. To reach the pinnacle of the sport for the second time in his illustrious career, the elder Manning will have to throw often to Wayne, whose numbers should be gaudy again.

Wayne deserves serious consideration as the top receiver, although you can't exactly go wrong with any of the other three mentioned.
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About David Moorman

Dave Moormann is an award-winning journalist, who has covered LSU athletics since 1980. He began his coverage with the Baton Rouge Advocate, where he was a writer and editor from 1980-98. In 1996, he authored a book on the history of LSU football entitled, "Fighting Tigers Handbook: Stories, Stats ...
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