BustedKnuckles
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Second fiddle no more
Better No. 2 receivers have fantasy impact
By Chris Neubauer
Aug. 3, 2007
Sometimes being second isn’t so bad, especially for an NFL receiver.
The No. 2 guy has less pressure. He also draws less attention from opposing defenses than the top guy. Translation: If he plays his cards right, a No. 2 wideout gets wide open more often.
In the fantasy football world, some passing attacks are so potent that their No. 2 wide receiver could be the No. 1 on a fantasy team.
If you are in a 12-team league this season, there is a good chance that three teams will wind up with a No. 2 receiver as their No. 1. And that’s nothing to be ashamed about.
Colts WR Reggie Wayne, Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin and Bengals WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh are ranked eighth, 10th and 12th, respectively, on our draft board (subject to change).
Wayne plays second fiddle to Marvin Harrison; Boldin to Larry Fitzgerald; and Houshmandzadeh to Chad Johnson. But all three still managed to compile more than 1,000 receiving yards last season. And all three, provided they stay healthy, are virtual locks to break the 1,000-yard barrier again this season.
Here’s a look at the top 10 No. 2 receivers, with PFW’s draft-board ranking in parentheses:
(8) Reggie Wayne / Colts — Wayne posted career highs in catches (86) and receiving yards (1,310) last season and continues to inch closer to dethroning Marvin Harrison as Peyton Manning’s top target. Harrison and Wayne each have had more than 1,000 yards receiving in three straight seasons.
(10) Anquan Boldin / Cardinals — The gap between Boldin and teammate Larry Fitzgerald is even closer than the one between Harrison and Wayne. Boldin has had more receptions and receiving yards than Fitzgerald in the past two seasons, but Fitzgerald gets the edge because he has scored more touchdowns.
(12) T.J. Houshmandzadeh / Bengals — Houshmandzadeh has carved out a solid career as a dependable No. 2 in Cincy’s explosive offense and is coming off his first 1,000-yard receiving season. He’s a precise route runner who knows how to get open.
(19) Calvin Johnson / Lions — The No. 2 overall pick has gotten a lot of reps in the offseason because No. 1 wideout Roy Williams has missed practice time with a hamstring injury. Johnson has picked up Mike Martz’s complex offense quickly, and he figures to have an impressive rookie campaign.
(30) Donté Stallworth / Patriots — Stallworth is a big play and a hamstring injury waiting to happen. Stallworth’s tremendous speed is what makes him such a big-play threat (his 19.1 yards per catch ranked second in the league last season), but it is also what has led him to battle nagging hamstring injuries throughout his career.
(32) Jerricho Cotchery / Jets — Cotchery had a breakout campaign in 2006, finishing nine catches behind team leader Laveranues Coles and tying Coles with six touchdown catches. Cotchery is a player on the rise and is better-suited for the red zone than Coles.
(33) Terry Glenn / Cowboys — Glenn turns 33 in July and he is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons for the first time in his career. He benefits from all the attention WR Terrell Owens and TE Jason Witten receive from opposing defenses, and he is the Cowboys’ only true deep threat.
(36) Kevin Curtis / Eagles — Curtis has an eye for talent. After not re-signing with St. Louis, home of the league’s No. 4 passing attack in 2006, Curtis moved to Philly, where he joins the NFL’s third-ranked passing attack. If QB Donovan McNabb stays healthy, Curtis could emerge as an explosive fantasy threat.
(39) Drew Bennett / Rams — Bennett adds size, especially in the red zone, to the Rams’ prolific passing attack. He is the tallest receiver the Rams have ever had, and he should benefit from all the attention given to Torry Holt, the No. 4 receiver on our draft board, and Steven Jackson, the No. 3 running back.
(41) Greg Jennings / Packers — Jennings had a tremendous start to his rookie campaign before suffering an ankle injury that caused him to play tentatively the rest of the season. But the Packers did not bring in a veteran receiver in the offseason to complement Donald Driver, signaling their confidence in Jennings.
Better No. 2 receivers have fantasy impact
By Chris Neubauer
Aug. 3, 2007
Sometimes being second isn’t so bad, especially for an NFL receiver.
The No. 2 guy has less pressure. He also draws less attention from opposing defenses than the top guy. Translation: If he plays his cards right, a No. 2 wideout gets wide open more often.
In the fantasy football world, some passing attacks are so potent that their No. 2 wide receiver could be the No. 1 on a fantasy team.
If you are in a 12-team league this season, there is a good chance that three teams will wind up with a No. 2 receiver as their No. 1. And that’s nothing to be ashamed about.
Colts WR Reggie Wayne, Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin and Bengals WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh are ranked eighth, 10th and 12th, respectively, on our draft board (subject to change).
Wayne plays second fiddle to Marvin Harrison; Boldin to Larry Fitzgerald; and Houshmandzadeh to Chad Johnson. But all three still managed to compile more than 1,000 receiving yards last season. And all three, provided they stay healthy, are virtual locks to break the 1,000-yard barrier again this season.
Here’s a look at the top 10 No. 2 receivers, with PFW’s draft-board ranking in parentheses:
(8) Reggie Wayne / Colts — Wayne posted career highs in catches (86) and receiving yards (1,310) last season and continues to inch closer to dethroning Marvin Harrison as Peyton Manning’s top target. Harrison and Wayne each have had more than 1,000 yards receiving in three straight seasons.
(10) Anquan Boldin / Cardinals — The gap between Boldin and teammate Larry Fitzgerald is even closer than the one between Harrison and Wayne. Boldin has had more receptions and receiving yards than Fitzgerald in the past two seasons, but Fitzgerald gets the edge because he has scored more touchdowns.
(12) T.J. Houshmandzadeh / Bengals — Houshmandzadeh has carved out a solid career as a dependable No. 2 in Cincy’s explosive offense and is coming off his first 1,000-yard receiving season. He’s a precise route runner who knows how to get open.
(19) Calvin Johnson / Lions — The No. 2 overall pick has gotten a lot of reps in the offseason because No. 1 wideout Roy Williams has missed practice time with a hamstring injury. Johnson has picked up Mike Martz’s complex offense quickly, and he figures to have an impressive rookie campaign.
(30) Donté Stallworth / Patriots — Stallworth is a big play and a hamstring injury waiting to happen. Stallworth’s tremendous speed is what makes him such a big-play threat (his 19.1 yards per catch ranked second in the league last season), but it is also what has led him to battle nagging hamstring injuries throughout his career.
(32) Jerricho Cotchery / Jets — Cotchery had a breakout campaign in 2006, finishing nine catches behind team leader Laveranues Coles and tying Coles with six touchdown catches. Cotchery is a player on the rise and is better-suited for the red zone than Coles.
(33) Terry Glenn / Cowboys — Glenn turns 33 in July and he is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons for the first time in his career. He benefits from all the attention WR Terrell Owens and TE Jason Witten receive from opposing defenses, and he is the Cowboys’ only true deep threat.
(36) Kevin Curtis / Eagles — Curtis has an eye for talent. After not re-signing with St. Louis, home of the league’s No. 4 passing attack in 2006, Curtis moved to Philly, where he joins the NFL’s third-ranked passing attack. If QB Donovan McNabb stays healthy, Curtis could emerge as an explosive fantasy threat.
(39) Drew Bennett / Rams — Bennett adds size, especially in the red zone, to the Rams’ prolific passing attack. He is the tallest receiver the Rams have ever had, and he should benefit from all the attention given to Torry Holt, the No. 4 receiver on our draft board, and Steven Jackson, the No. 3 running back.
(41) Greg Jennings / Packers — Jennings had a tremendous start to his rookie campaign before suffering an ankle injury that caused him to play tentatively the rest of the season. But the Packers did not bring in a veteran receiver in the offseason to complement Donald Driver, signaling their confidence in Jennings.
