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The Shot Caller's Report - WRs/TEs
Your Weekly Guide To Fantasy Lineups
10/7/05
Positions: QBs | RBs | WRs/TEs

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Must Start: The Top 15

1. Terrell Owens @ DAL – Randy’s on a bye, which means somebody else ascends to the top spot this week. No matter how much I’d like that to be someone else, it’s impossible to ignore T.O. He’s leading the league in receiving yards and has also tallied a TD per contest through four weeks. Gotta like his chances of posting big numbers against old nemesis, Dallas.

2. Chad Johnson @ JAX – One primetime appearance this season means only one opportunity for C.J. to shine in front of a national audience. Any chance he doesn’t take advantage? We’re talking about a guy with GOLD TEETH here, people. Shinin’ and blingin’ is what 7-11 does best. I’m gonna go ahead and guarantee another elaborate end zone celebration this Sunday night. Mark it down.

3. Torry Holt v. SEA – He’s as close to a guaranteed touchdown as you can get outside of T.O. these days. Of course, it helps when your quarterback throws the ball more than 43 times per game. With Ike Bruce still ailing, Holt is the number one option in the red zone…and the number two option…and the number three option…and the…. You get the picture.

4. Marvin Harrison @ SF – That’s a little more like it, baby! Marvin and the Colts O emerged from their early-season funk to blow up the Titans in Nashville last Sunday. Specifically, he accounted for 109 yards and a couple scores in the effort. This week, Harrison draws a Niners D that will do well to hold Indy to fewer than 30 points. Translation? He’s a fantastic play.

5. Steve Smith @ ARI – How he managed only 12 yards against the Pack’s generous secondary is beyond me. Then again, when you jump out to a huge lead in the first half, your receivers tend to become less important. Let’s call it an anomaly and give him another chance this weekend, shall we? Don’t forget that the Cardinals have been decimated by injuries in the secondary.

6. Joey Galloway @ NYJ – Informal poll time: who’s been the more surprising receiver stud this season, Galloway or the similarly “experienced” Terry Glenn? As you’ve probably already figured, my vote is Galloway…but only by a nose. The three touchdowns give him the edge and it wouldn’t surprise me a bit to see him tack on another one this Sunday, especially with Cadillac sidelined.

7. Terry Glenn v. PHI – Not that Glenn hasn’t been equally surprising thus far. Was anyone really expecting him to average 100 yards per contest in the usually conservative Tuna offense? Even more impressive than the per-game totals is his 25 yards-per-catch figure, bested only by Antwaan Randle-El amongst regular wideouts. Start him.

8. Donte Stallworth @ GB – If Joe Horn’s healthy, he’s the better start. As of this writing, however, he’s still listed as questionable. That makes Stallworth the better pick for now, especially against a Packers secondary that doesn’t cover well and tackles even worse. Expect around 100 yards and a score at Lambeau this Sunday.

9. Jimmy Smith v. CIN – Smith was the lone bright spot for the Jags last weekend (5 catches, 109 yards, and a score) and though that’s nothing new, we expected a little more from his associates to this point. They’ll get there eventually but for now, he’s still the go-to guy and a good one at that. Keep riding him.

10. Keenan McCardell v. PIT – Smith’s old running mate managed only one grab last weekend at Foxboro but in typical McCardell fashion, he made the most of it (an eleven-yard scoring play). He isn’t Drew Brees’ favorite target (that would be the next guy), but he seems to get more than his fair share of looks in the red zone. Good enough for me.

11. Antonio Gates v. PIT – If McCardell’s the guy in the red zone, Gates is the guy everywhere else. He’s tallied no fewer than 80 yards in his three starts this season and even managed to crack the century mark for the first time against the Pats last Sunday. Defenses have had more than enough time to gameplan for him at this point. The fact they still aren’t able to stop him tells you a lot about the kind of athlete he is.

12. Anquan Boldin v. CAR – I still think Larry Fitzgerald is the better receiver but it’s hard to argue with Boldin’s production so far. In spite of the uncertainty under center, he’s averaging nearly 100 yards per tilt. If he finds the end zone a few more times, he could jump into the top 10 by year’s end, no matter who’s throwing him balls. Give him a go against a Panthers secondary that was exposed last Monday night.

13. Donald Driver v. NO – Driver did most of the exposing in Carolina, grabbing six balls for 92 yards and a score. Unfortunately, he was unable to haul in the one that mattered most, a 4th down quick-hitter that would have extended Green Bay’s comeback bid. He’s obviously Favre’s favorite receiver at this point but he could probably post better numbers if he demanded less attention from opposing DBs. You listening, Mr. Ferguson?

14. Drew Bennett @ HOU – Bennett can certainly relate. He’s the only receiver with any measurable experience for Tennessee and is finding life a little more difficult without running mate Derrick Mason on the opposite flank. Lucky for him, he faces a Texans secondary that is one of the league’s worst (230 yards/game and ZERO interceptions). Could be a sleeper this Sunday.

15. Rod Smith v. WAS – He’s been a sleeper since the turn of the millennium, seemingly. I’m not sure why folks have written him off exactly but he has never been outscored by Ash Lelie since the two started lining up together. Never. Bottom line: if you’re choosing between the two, choose Smith.

Grab A Helmet:

Larry Fitzgerald v. CAR – Choosing between him and Mr. Boldin is getting more difficult by the week. They’ve caught almost the same number of passes and tallied almost the same number of yards. Only difference to this point is Fitzgerald’s two touchdowns. Boldin appears to be getting more consistent looks at the moment so we’ll stick with him as the slightly better choice…but you could do a lot worse than Larry Fitzgerald as your #2 receiver.

David Givens @ ATL – Deion Branch has earned more attention on the other side of late and that makes Givens a more inviting target for Tom Brady at present. Though not as slick as the Louisville speedster, Givens is significantly bulkier and no less capable of turning a quick hitter into a big gain. I like his chances of scoring for the first time this season against the Falcons.

Reggie Wayne @ SF – You always gotta like Wayne’s chances of scoring in the Colts’ juggernaut of an offense, but he’s been slow out of the gates in ’05. Though he finally scored a touch last weekend, he’s only hauled in 15 balls in four games and has yet to top the century mark. How much you wanna bet that changes against the horrendous Niners secondary this weekend? I wouldn’t bet against him. Tell you that.

Shaun McDonald v. SEA – Kevin Curtis has the buzz factor going but this guy’s almost just as productive. After being shut out in Week 3, he bounced back last Sunday to lead the Rams in receiving with nine catches for 121 yards. If you’re absolutely hosed at the receiver position this week, you might wanna go check the waiver wire. He could very well still be sitting there.

Chris Henry @ JAX – So could he. The injury to Houshmandzadeh means Henry will likely get his first start this weekend, a mere five games into his brief career. Wanna know how he ran by Kelley Washington on the depth chart? Watch him play this Sunday night. He looks lanky and almost languid but he’s deceptively fast and has great body control. If he fulfills his immense potential, the Bengals will easily have the most dangerous receiving corps in the league before too long.

Grab Some Wood:

Any Detroit receiver v. BAL – Critics blame Joey. I blame them. Roy Williams has top 5 talent but drops too many balls on the turf. Mike Williams is too green. Charles Rogers is…well, too INTO green. They’d better start helping their besieged QB soon or he won’t be their QB much longer…and they won’t like his replacement.

Brandon Lloyd v. IND – Alex Smith owners might be happy with the kid’s promotion but I doubt Lloyd’s owners are. He could still post decent numbers as the year progresses but it would be foolish to expect much at this stage of the game. The kid’s gonna learn a lot of hard lessons this next month or so, lessons that probably won’t pay off ‘til next season, for Lloyd and the Niners.

Derrick Mason @ DET – Hard to criticize a guy for following the money but you gotta wonder what was going through Mason’s head when he signed up with the Ravens this past offseason. I mean, did he really think he was gonna be able to turn around the Ravens’ pathetic passing attack? If I’m the Baltimore brass, I’m inquiring about Phillip Rivers’ availability right now.

Antonio Bryant v. CHI – He’s not a bad spot starter when you’re looking for a bye week replacement but the matchup isn’t all that great this Sunday. The Bears might be struggling on offense but that defense is holding things together and keeping them in the NFC North hunt. He’ll struggle to get much going against an opportunistic and physical Chicago secondary.

Laveranues Coles v. TB – The switch to Vinny may pay dividends for the fleet-footed Coles in the near future but not immediately and not against Tampa’s long-ball staunching Cover 2. If he’s gonna do any damage, it’ll hafta be done underneath. Though that could still net him some decent numbers this weekend, you’d be better off waiting to see if the chemistry is still there between him and Testaverde.

Best of luck, folks!