Outlook: Well, what is there to say other than “Wow!”? Johnson was absolutely amazing in 2012, having the best season of any wide receiver in league history. He shattered Jerry Rice's record for most receiving yards in a season, hauling in 122 passes for 1,964 yards and five touchdowns. Unfortunately for Johnson and his fantasy owners, the five touchdowns were a bit of a disappointment because he was regularly hauled down inside opponents' five-yard lines. Hey, the fact of the matter is that had Johnson scored 10 touchdowns yet gained “only” 1,600 receiving yards, he would have come close to matching the 226 fantasy points he had last season. Sure, that's nitpicking, but Johnson's amazing real-life season didn’t translate as a truly amazing fantasy season. The Lions will throw it plenty once again in 2013, and there are question marks opposite Johnson with an aging Nate Burleson returning from a broken leg and Ryan Broyles coming off a late-season ACL tear. Johnson will be the first WR off the board in all drafts this season. The only question is whether he will blow away the next best WR.

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Outlook: Looks like the light went on, folks. Make that, the light definitely went on. After opening the 2012 season with 164 yards and no touchdowns over the Cowboys’ first three games, Bryant exploded over the final 13, catching 79 passes for 1,218 yards and 12 touchdowns. Maybe he was trying to single-handedly prove the third-year WR breakout theory, because his season was certainly that. While the routes he ran during his first two years in the league seemed to suggest a lack of command of the Cowboys playbook, Bryant was a dominant force in all aspects in 2012, turning short and intermediate passes into big plays and hauling in deep passes on his way to averaging 15.0 yards per catch. As the Cowboys’ top offensive threat, Bryant should see the team continue to devise ways to get him the ball in 2013, and another monster year seems likely. After Calvin Johnson, Bryant is in the mix to be the next WR off the board at your draft, and there is a good argument that he should be, given the problems the Cowboys had rushing the ball in 2012.

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Outlook: After putting together a Pro Bowl season as a rookie in 2011 with 65 receptions for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games, more was expected of A.J. Green last season, and it’s safe to say the Bengals weren't disappointed. The 24-year old Georgia product scored ten touchdowns in his first ten games on his way to a 97-reception, 1,350-yard, 11-touchdown season. The sky is the limit for Green and he is in the conversation as the league's second best wide receiver behind the Lions’ Calvin Johnson. In fact, if not for the other contenders having more proven quarterbacks throwing them the ball, there might not be any conversation as to who is Johnson's heir apparent as the league's next top receiver. Unfortunately, Andy Dalton's arm strength and lack of deep ball accuracy hold Green back a bit. Consider Green a lock to be a top five WR in 2013, and don’t be surprised if he winds up second.

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Outlook: Since the Falcons traded away a pile of draft picks in order to draft Jones with the sixth overall pick in 2011, he has displayed tantalizing potential. Despite missing three games as a rookie, he caught 54 passes for 979 yards and scored eight touchdowns. Last season he was even better, catching 79 of his 128 targets for 1,198 yards and ten touchdowns. While Jones has the potential to be the league's second most productive receiver behind Calvin Johnson, the truth is that he is unlikely to reach those heights playing alongside the equally productive Roddy White, and that limits his upside. With defenses more focused on Jones due to his blazing speed, White led the Falcons in targets and receptions in 2012. In another year or two Jones figures to emerge as an elite fantasy option, but we don't see that happening just yet. Consider him a mid-tier WR1 with upside.

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Outlook: Reunited with quarterback Jay Cutler during the 2012 offseason at the bargain basement price of a pair of third-round picks, Marshall was expected to provide the Bears with a true No. 1 wide receiver and ignite the team's passing attack. Well, at least his acquisition accomplished one of those goals, as he set team records in receptions (118) and receiving yards (1,508) while scoring a whopping 11 touchdowns. Unfortunately, Marshall loaded up on his production by hogging all of the team's targets in the passing game with Cutler looking his way 192 times, the third most in the league. Can you say lack of balance? While the Bears plan on spreading the ball around more in 2013, the truth is that the team's wide receiver depth chart offers little in the way of upside outside of second-year player Alshon Jeffery. That should mean plenty of work for Marshall once again, justifying his ranking as that of a top five fantasy WR and a pretty low risk one, given that he has missed just five games during his seven-year career.

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Outlook: While Thomas was expected to top 1,000 receiving yards in 2012, he blew past that mark, finishing the season with 1,434 yards and 10 touchdowns as he enjoyed a breakout season catching passes from Peyton Manning. After hauling in just 45.7 percent of his targets in 2011, Thomas upped that rate to 66.7 last season while averaging a very solid 15.3 yards per reception. At 6'3” and 229 pounds with outstanding speed, Thomas is a matchup nightmare for opposing cornerbacks, but there are questions about whether he will replicate his 2012 workload this season. There is another mouth to feed in the Denver offense with the acquisition of Wes Welker, and the team shored up the running game by using a second-round pick on Montee Ball. Thomas is such a superior talent that the coaching staff will ensure he gets plenty of looks in 2013, but a drop-off from his 141 targets last season is expected. He still rates as a mid-tier WR1 but his ultra-high potential isn't likely to be reached in 2013.

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Outlook: Entering 2012, expectations for Johnson were lowered due to a pair of injury-riddled seasons and his advancing age. He proved his skeptics wrong, topping 100 receptions for the fourth time in his career while reaching a career-high in receiving yards with 1,598. If there was blight on his season, it was his lack of touchdowns, as he found the end zone just four times, his lowest total in any season in which he played every game. Johnson will be 32 by opening day, so age and injury concerns will likely prevent him from being taken among the top five at WR in fantasy drafts. Those risks are somewhat offset by his lack of competition for touches in a Houston offense that has been unable to develop a solid threat opposite him. Johnson rates as a mid-tier WR1 because of his outstanding rebound season in 2012.

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Outlook: Jackson arrived in Tampa Bay in 2012 and promptly put together the most productive season of his eight-year career. His ability to generate big plays didn't suffer with the move from San Diego, as he set career highs in receptions (72) and yards (1,384) while continuing to score plenty of touchdowns, finishing with eight on the season. He also averaged a healthy 19.2 yards per reception as he remained one of the league's preeminent deep threats. And he did all that despite the streaky play of quarterback Josh Freeman. Therein lies the problem with Jackson. While he finished the season as a top 10 fantasy WR, he caught less than half of his targets and had several poor outings, including six games where he was held to six fantasy points or less. With Freeman essentially in a make-it-or-break-it season, there is hope that Jackson can avoid the lengthy slumps that have plagued him throughout his career, and that would go a long way in reducing his own inconsistencies. Consider him a low-end WR1 in 2013.

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Outlook: After a breakout season in which he caught 80 of his 104 targets (a remarkable completion percentage of 76.9) for 954 yards and eight touchdowns while chipping in 132 yards on the ground, Cobb has risen to the top of the Packers depth chart at receiver. A dynamic playmaker, the Packers’ 2011 second-round pick could be in line for an even better statistical season in 2013 with the departure of veteran Greg Jennings. Of course, Cobb will also have to deal with the extra attention that comes from being a team's top threat. At 5'10”, 192 pounds, Cobb has the ability to line up outside but does his best work out of the slot, using his speed and elusiveness to generate big plays. Cobb rates as a low-end WR1 with upside in standard scoring leagues; and move him up slightly in PPR formats, as he has an outside chance of hauling in 100 receptions if the Packers curtail his use on special teams.

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Outlook: White has been a regular as a WR1 over the past five years and we don't expect that to change in 2013. With the more explosive Julio Jones attracting plenty of attention from opposing defenses, White was the most targeted Falcons receiver last season with 143 looks. He hauled in 92 passes for 1,351 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 11.1 PPG for the second consecutive season. That marked the sixth consecutive season that White has topped 1,000 receiving yards, and in five of those seasons he topped 1,200 yards. At 31 years of age, White still provided plenty of big plays, and that shouldn't change in 2013. The Falcons have clearly morphed into a pass-based offense, and the presence of free agent running back Steven Jackson shouldn't change that. With the fantasy world tantalized by the potential that Jones possesses, there is a solid chance that White will represent solid value on draft day. Consider him a mid- to lower-tier WR1, and one that comes with little risk, especially in PPR formats.

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Outlook: Well, aren't we all glad that Cruz got his contract extension so we don't have to read about it anymore? Kudos to Cruz, who erased any doubts that his 2011 breakout season was a fluke by catching 86 passes for 1,092 yards and a whopping 10 touchdowns last season. That brings his two-year haul to 168 receptions for 2,628 yards and 19 touchdowns. If you weren't convinced that he was a worthy WR1 prior to last season, you should be now. While Cruz may lack Hakeem Nicks' athletic ability and he failed to generate as many big plays as in 2011, he has clearly earned quarterback Eli Manning's trust and has been a healthy, consistent producer with 12 100-yard receiving games over the past two years. The Giants like to throw it, they don't have a proven No. 3 wide receiver, Nicks can't seem to stay healthy, and there are questions about how well Brandon Myers will fit into the Giants offense. That makes Cruz a relatively safe low-end WR1 in 2013.

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Outlook: You would be hard-pressed to find a player who remained healthy for 16 games and was a bigger fantasy disappointment than Fitzgerald. Just don't go blaming him for that. Despite possessing some of the best hands in the league to go along with his 6'3” and 218-pound frame and excellent leaping ability, he caught just 45.5 percent of his targets in 2012. Blame that on the shoddy play of the Cardinals quarterbacks. Fitzgerald finished the season with just 71 receptions (the third lowest of his nine-year career) for 798 yards (the second lowest total of his career) and four touchdowns (a career low). Ouch. Want more ugly? He caught just six of his 37 targets during a four-game stretch from Week 11 to Week 14. He had nine games with four receptions or less. He failed to top 50 receiving yards eight times. Not pretty, but things are looking brighter for 2013 with Carson Palmer now heading up new head coach Bruce Arians' downfield passing attack. While Palmer isn't a world-beater at this point of his career, he is light years better than the quarterbacks employed by Arizona in 2012. Can you say bounceback? Consider the 29-year old Fitzgerald a low-end WR1 for the coming season.

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