The 2010 season showed a few wide receivers who may have bright futures as solid fantasy contributors, each of which will have a low-risk cost on draft day and should be targeted late in your draft.
- Josh Morgan - SF
I'll admit I had some hopes for more production from Morgan in 2010 after some promising numbers in 2009 (52 rec, 527 yards, 3 TD's). A slow start to the season. On the positive side, he did improve his YPG (from 32.9 to 43.6) and his total yards from his 2009 total to 698. He's not much of a red zone target (just 8 TD's in 44 career games), but a lot of that could have more to do with Gore/Davis taking most of those targets. A new coach and philosophy geared towards offense from Jim Harbaugh could see Morgan take a greater step forward in his fourth season.
Production Prediction - 65 REC, 800 YDS, 5 TD
- Davone Bess - MIA
Brandon Marshall didn't really have the impact most anticipated in 2010 and the Dolphins offense was rewarded with an increase in production from Bess. So far in his 3 seasons his offensive production has improved each year as the Miami offense gets him more involved. Despite his small stature (5'10", 190 lbs.) he hauled in 79 catches for 820 yards and scored 5 touchdowns. His career 10.2 YPC gives him the profile of a possession receiver, which is just fine if Marshall begins seeing more downfield looks. He cracked the 100 yard mark just once (6 REC, 111 YDS vs. OAK in Week 12) and the Dolphins had weeks of offensive inconsistency, so it could be tough for Bess to really increase his numbers, but another season of similar stats would certainly be easy for owners to swallow.
Production Prediction - 85 REC, 835 YDS, 6 TD
- Earl Bennett - CHI
Outside of Johnny Knox, the Bears receivers were at the mercy of Jay Cutler's inconsistency. Bennett's numbers took a hit after a good 2009 and after getting some hype as a preseason sleeper pick. I'm still a believer in Bennett, as his previous chemistry with Cutler at Vanderbilt showed later in the 2010 season when Cutler was feeding him the ball (See: Weeks 12-13). If his 2011 returns are closer to 2009 he'll be a good backend pick.
Production Prediction - 55 REC, 750 YDS, 4 TD
- Mike Thomas - JAX
People will remember Thomas' 2010 season for his Hail Mary winner against Houston and rightfully so because it rocked. Even with the Jaguars passing woes popping up here and there, Thomas maintained a solid season of 66 REC, 820 YDS, and 4 TD's, leading the Jaguars YDS and REC. He's only 5'8", so expecting his YPC to increase from 12.4 might not be smart as he fits the possession receiver mold for Jacksonville. He's more Wes Welker than Steve Smith, but with Mike Sims-Walker now searching for a new team, the Jags will have to find Thomas more often to win ball games.
Production Prediction - 85 REC, 975 YDS, 7 TD
- Brandon Tate - NE
When the Patriots traded deep threat Randy Moss in Week 5 my mouth began to water at the prospect of Tate's increased workload. I made the add in all my fantasy leagues and was rewarded with just 4 REC, 104 YDS and a TD in the 3 games after the Moss trade. His season line - 24 REC, 432 YDS, 3 TD was respectable for a WR in his first year. His 18 YPC average looks nice and would look even better if Brady could find him downfield more often. Tate doesn't wow you with his 6'1" frame but he does have the wheels to get himself open against defenders. Deion Branch still stands in his way as the primary deep threat, but an uptick in production seems like a given with the way Brady likes to spread the ball to his pass-catchers.
Production Prediction - 45 REC, 655 YDS, 7 TD
