NFL Fantasy WR Draft Sleepers 2009
Anyone of these sleepers could lead you to a fantasy title this year.
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Each year young NFL WR’s point themselves out as possible break out candidates for next season with their statistics. Which stat do I mean? Yards per catch. When a young WR has a high average yards per catch in a limited number of catches usually around 20-50 catches that WR could explode the next season and be the next great WR who leads you to a fantasy football championship. I’ve found the magic number to be 14.5 yards per catch average or over.
By following this formula I’ve found Terrell Owens (14.9 yard average rookie year and then 60 catches and 8 scores), Steve Smith (16.1 average and then 88 catches with 7 TD’s), Roddy White (16.9 yard average and then 83 catches and 6 TD’s), Braylon Edwards (14.5 yard per catch and then 80 catches and 16 TD’s) and this past season I drafted Vincent Jackson (15.2 yards per catch and then 59 catches and 7 TD’s) who did most of his damage late in the year and lead me to yet another fantasy football championship.
Other WR’s who also fit this mold but I did not draft include Brandon Marshall (15.5 yards per catch and then 102 receptions and 5 TD’s) and Santonio Holmes (16.8 yard per catch and then 52 catches and 8 scores) from the 2006 to 2007 season. From 2007 to 2008 were Calvin Johnson (15.8 yards per catch and then 78 catches and 12 TD’s) and Antonio Bryant (18.3 yards per catch and then 83 catches and 7 scores).
There are six WR’s from the 2008 season which fit the mold and could be break out candidates in the 2009 season.
Nate Washington (Pittsburgh Steelers) – caught 40 passes with a 15.8 yard average and 3 scores from Ben Roethlisberger.
Devery Henderson (New Orleans Saints) – caught 32 passes for a very gaudy 24.8 yard average and 3 TD’s from NFL MVP Drew Brees.
Malcolm Floyd (San Diego Chargers) – caught 27 passes with a 17.2 yard average and 4 scores from Phillip Rivers.
Johnnie Lee Higgins (Oakland Raiders) – caught 22 passes with a 16.1 yard average and 4 TD’s as the Raiders moved him late in the season from special teams to catching passes from JaMarcus Russell.
Chaz Schilens (Oakland Raiders) – caught 15 passes for a 15.1 yard average and 2 scores also from Jamarcus Russell as he got a little playing time too at the end of the year.
Robert Meacham (New Orleans Saints) – caught 12 passes for 24.1 yards per catch and 3 TD’s from Brees.
None of these players are guaranteed to have break out seasons in 2009 but each one of them is worth at least a late round flier in your fantasy football drafts in 2009. If you are lucky you might just find some fantasy football gold like I have in the past and did last year with Vincent Jackson and one of these WR’s could help you to win a fantasy football championship.
