Wide Receivers / Tight Ends
Start 'Em
Vincent Jackson vs. MIN
I’m clearly not going out on a limb here, but it’s hard to ignore
the excitement V-Jax brings to the table this season. The Vikes
were decent against the pass in 2010, but they did serve up 25 aerial
scores, which is music to the ears of quarterback Philip Rivers
and Jackson owners alike. In 2011 look for Jackson to best his career
highs of 68 catches, 1167 yards, and 9 TDs.
Mario
Manningham @ WAS
Mario's ready for a bigger role.
Another buzzworthy player coming in to 2011, Manningham has improved
in each of his three professional seasons with the Giants. Last
year, amid a variety of injuries to Giant receivers, he set career
highs in catches (60), yards (944), and TDs (9) and is poised
for a bigger role this year. In 2010 the Redskins ranked 31st
against the pass, allowing an average of 261.7 passing YPG and
23 aerial TDs. Look for Mario to take advantage of the extra attention
that Hakeem Nicks will draw.
Danny Amendola vs. PHI
PPR leaguers took note of Amendola’s 85 catches from a year
ago, and all signs from St. Louis indicate that he is in line
for another solid campaign. Those in leagues that give points
for return yardage like his game even more, as he remains the
primary punt returner and the No. 2 kick returner entering 2011.
As Sam Bradford’s play continues to ascend, it is likely
that Amendola’s will too. He is a solid WR3, and if he starts
scoring more, he could be a quality WR2 for your squad.
Santonio Holmes vs. DAL
Santonio should make some big plays on Sunday Night Football against
a Cowboys pass defense that gave up a whopping 13 plays of 40
or more yards in 2010. While he may not be running the deeper
routes as often, Holmes enters the season as the Jets’ primary
receiving option and is in line to challenge his career high of
79 catches (2009).
Bench 'Em
Sidney Rice @ SF
Rice’s matchup is nice, but when you factor in a murky status
due to a shoulder injury (held out of practice Wednesday), the
red flags are up. Rice would have been on this list regardless
of his shoulder issue, however, mostly because of Seattle’s
quarterback, Tavaris Jackson, who is making a name for himself
by missing receivers and frustrating teammates with lackluster
play. Hold off on Rice until he shows he can get on the field
and find some chemistry with T-Jax.
Reggie Wayne @ HOU
Wayne has been a model of consistency with six straight seasons
of at least 82 catches, and three out of the last four have produced
at least 100 catches—although his six TDs in 2010 were a
bit of a disappointment to fantasy owners. It’s not fair
to call this an outright benching; clearly Wayne is not ‘done’,
and he has a quality matchup with Houston this week. I wouldn’t
expect him to put up WR1 numbers, however, as he is not the deep
threat he once was, and 67 of his 69 career TD receptions have
come from Peyton Manning, who will likely miss this contest.
Brandon Lloyd vs. OAK
In the seven seasons prior to last year’s breakout (77 rec,
1,448 yds, 11 TDs), Lloyd’s best campaign involved 48 catches
for 733 yards and five TDs. Really, did anyone see this coming?
It’s no secret that new Broncos head coach John Fox loves
his team to run the ball, so it seems Lloyd will be hard-pressed
to come anywhere close to those numbers again. Wide receiver Steve
Smith was able to put up some big years with Fox at the helm,
but don’t be surprised if Lloyd’s start to the season
resembles more closely that of a WR3.
Chad Ochocinco @ MIA
It wouldn’t surprise me to see Ocho get into somewhat of
a groove later this season, but I’d let that happen before
plugging him into your lineup. The Pats are loaded with offensive
weapons, and Tom Brady has always spread the ball around liberally.
There’s chatter that Chad hasn’t quite picked up the
offense yet, so let things shake out before considering him a
quality starter on your squad.
Good luck this week!
Quarterbacks 
|
