An Early Look At Top 2009 Rookie WRs
January 22, 2009 at 7:17 am | Article by Paul Hickey |
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With the Senior Bowl taking place this week, the NFL Scouting Combine right around the corner, and the NFL Draft just a few short months away, one question is on the mind of dynasty owners at this point in the season - who will the hot rookies be in 2009?
But taking that a step further, where do they rank in terms of long-term dynasty value? In other words, compared to last year’s strong draft class that produced 10-11 strong running backs and 4-5 top caliber wide receivers, how will this year’s class do, and who should owners really be paying attention to?
A couple weeks ago, we took an in-depth look at the top five rookie RBs heading into the draft, and now we’re delving into perhaps the most talented offensive position in this year’s draft as it relates to fantasy football - the wide receivers.
1. Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech - We’ve jocked Crabtree harder than any other 2009 rookie thus far - and if you saw the kid play at Texas Tech, you know exactly why. He’s 6′3″, 208, fast as anything and catches everything in sight. He looks like a left-handed Calvin Johnson, and could end up going to a team like the Seahawks, Bengals or 49ers - where he’d step in and be the number one option on offense. As long as he doesn’t end up in Oakland, he’ll easily be the number one overall dynasty rookie pick in most drafts. Oh yeah, and his production will live up to the hype from day one. Not only will Crabtree himself be a fantasy stud next season, but he’ll make whoever is throwing him the ball one as well.
2. Jeremy Maclin, Missouri - Maclin is a few inches shorter than the freak-of-nature Crabtree, but he’s in the same league in terms of pro potential. The early entry candidate from Missouri caught 102 balls for 1,260 yards and 13 TDs in 2008, and projects to be a mid-first rounder. Regardless of where he ends up, this kid has the talent to turn a franchise’s offense around and become their number one WR from day one. I know, it sounds a lot like the prognosis for Crabtree, but this is the year to have multiple first round fantasy rookie-only draft picks.
3. Percy Harvin, Florida - Think a mixture of Denver’s Eddie Royal and Pittsburgh’s Santonio Holmes. Harvin is a playmaker. Even though he only caught 40 balls for more than 600 yards and seven TDs this season, he also rushed for more than 500 yards - showing his extreme versatility. He’ll have his critics, but then again, so did Philly’s DeSean Jackson heading into 2008 - and we all saw how that turned out for dynasty owners that drafted him. Harvin is a sure-fire first round dynasty rookie draft pick.
4. Brandon LaFell, LSU - We know less about LaFell, but we know he’s a freaking beast. At 6′3″, he’s extremely intriguing and someone we’ll monitor closely throughout the combine. Pro scouts will likely love his size, and if he can show consistent ability to separate from defenders, then we could be looking at the hidden gem of the draft.
Editor’s Note: LaFell decided to go back to school after this article was published.
5. Kenny Britt, Rutgers - Britt, like LaFell, has something that you just can’t teach - SIZE. Not only does Britt look the part at 6′4″, 215, but he also certainly acts the part, hauling in 87 balls for 1,371 yards and seven TDs in 2008. He may be a second or even a third rounder, but Brandon Marshall was taken in the fifth round and Marques Colston in the seventh - and that’s who Britt reminds us of.
Others sure to make an impact: Darrius Heyward-Bey (Maryland), Hakeem Nicks (North Carolina), Juaquin Iglesias (Oklahoma) and Brian Robiskie (Ohio State).
This article is also featured on Athlon/Grogan’s Fantasy Football, your spot for Cheat Sheets updated daily, and Fantasy tools to manage your team all year long.
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