Fantasy : 2007 WRs Booms and Busts! : Dear Fantasy Doctor X.

By Garth Gregor.

I predict these wide receivers will make some noise and easily outperform their projected Average Draft Position in this year’s draft. If a wide receiver like Driver will be available in the 5th round, a top 5 quarterback, the top tight end, or depth at other positions can be looked at in earlier rounds.

Donald Driver – Green Bay Packers what does this guy have to do to crack the top 10 wide receivers’ list drafted in 2007? Yahoo currently has 15 wide receivers with an Average Draft Position ahead of him. If you can get him in the 5th round, it is money in the bank. His quarterback is a gunslinger and the Packers will be playing from behind often. Driver will likely be a top five receiver again this season. Until Favre turns in the towel, this guy has great value.

Joey Galloway – Tampa Bay Buccaneers this is too easy. He was a top 5 wide receiver in 2005 and top 15 in 2006. Sure he is old, but averaging 17 yards per catch in 2006 is not showing signs of slowing down. Also, he will have Jeff Garcia throwing to him instead of the duds he has been working with. Keep an eye out for him after the 7th round as he is slipping in the drafts.

Deverey Henderson – New Orleans Saints expectations are for Henderson to secure a starting spot in the high-powered offense and transition into the number 1 receiver. Marques Colston is my biggest bust, so it becomes a process of elimination. This guy averaged a staggering 23.3 yards per catch in 2006, the chemistry with Brees is there.

Kevin Curtis – Philadelphia Eagles Curtis is a quick, confident, and talented receiver. Last time I checked that is about all Donovan McNabb needed. Curtis’s value will depend on McNabb’s health, so stay tuned.

Deepest Sleeper:

Ronald Curry – Oakland Raiders sure the Raiders offense is horrible, but Curry is the lone bright spot. While starting only 4 games last season, Curry hauled in 62 catches. This included 33 receptions and 339 in his last 4 games. He is more of a possession receiver than a homerun threat, so keeping an eye on his numbers is strongly adviced.

For busts, I am looking at players whose final seasonal standings will be significantly lower than what their Average Draft Position indicates prior to the start of the season. My definition of a bust is that they will give their owners headaches this season and in many cases, fall significantly in next year’s draft. Age and injury potential are important considerations but I looked for inflated value and hype in my bust predictions.

Donte Stallworth – New England Patriots this offense is expected to do great things in 2007. Stallworth has always been injury prone, if you don’t believe me take a look at the games started each season. Then, there is the usual inconsistency of the position and the fact that New England likes to exploit specific matchups each contest. This combination will make him a headache as he has always been, a flash in the pan every time owners are frustrated enough to bench or drop him.

Santana Moss – Washington Redskins I doubt his talent; I doubt the Redskins’ pass offense, and I doubt his red zone utility with Chris Cooley and the strong running game. There are too many solid wide receiver options after the 5th round (his current yahoo ADP).

Joe Horn – Atlanta Falcons has a certain amount of upside but when you combine the inconsistency of a wide receiver with the most inconsistent fantasy star QB that has ever played the game, you get…well…a heck of a lot of inconsistency. He is worth a late round pick but a young wide receiver with upside and a good offense such as Vincent Jackson might be worth moving up for if wide receiver depth is needed.

Bernard Berrian – Chicago Bears look at what happened to Muhsin Muhammed when he landed in a Bears uniform after a dream season in Carolina. He scored an incredible 16 touchdowns in 2004 and then dropped off the face of the earth. Berrian might be the best wide receiver today on the team but the Bears run first, and they run out the clock. Look carefully at other receivers available in the late rounds before pulling the trigger on Berrian.

Biggest Bust:

Marques Colston – New Orleans Saints yes, he plays for a powerful offense, no, that does not make him an automatic top 10 receiver. There are many great receiver options available in the 3rd and 4th round. I look for Brees to spread the ball around, but more importantly for Colston to regress a bit from his fantastic rookie year as defenses will game plan to stop him this season. Beware: Colston will not finish the season in the top 10.

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