Fantasy Look: AFL Receivers
Patrick Daly
Sunday January 30, 2005
With that in mind, of the three positions, the offensive specialist position deserves the first look since they’re not normally subject to substitution, which means they’ll be on the field more often and have a greater chance to rack up points. But that doesn’t mean you should discount the other positions since you’ll find a number of players there that have the chance to make a difference for your fantasy team, particularly wide receiver/linebackers like Cory Fleming and Thabiti Davis.
Given the number of options, the receivers are the toughest group to rank, but I’ve listed my top eighteen picks at the receiver position as well as four others who you should take a chance on after you get one or two starters at this position. Additionally, there are a number of solid players that I don’t even have time to name, so make sure you’re paying attention during week one since that should affect how you tweak your draft list.
Quick Picks
1. Marcus Nash, Las Vegas – In 2004, Nash essentially doubled his output of 2003, which wasn’t a bad season in itself. Nash led all receivers with 154 receptions and 46 touchdowns, and finished second only to Chris Jackson with 1771 receiving yards. He’ll still have Clint Dolezel throwing to him and Nash should be the primary target for the Gladiators.
2. Damian Harrell, Colorado – Harrell has thrived in the Mile High city, totaling 81 touchdowns and over 3100 over the past two seasons with the Crush. With John Dutton still pulling the trigger, Harrell should have another good season.
3. Chris Jackson, Grand Rapids – With Jackson’s move to Grand Rapids, he may be set up for an off year, depending on how well the quarterback situation shakes out in Grand Rapids. Jackson has been virtually unstoppable over the past two seasons, amassing 242 catches, 3540 yards and 90 touchdowns, but he’ll no longer be paired up with Tony Graziani.
4. James Hundon, San Jose -- Compared to 2002 and 2003, the 2004 season was a down year for Hundon in terms of scoring, but he still posted 21 touchdowns and 1253 yards. Hundon figures to continue to be a big part of the San Jose offense and his numbers will reflect that.
5. Freddie Solomon, Tampa Bay -- Soloman followed up a great rookie season with another excellent season that included 32 touchdowns and just under 1200 yards. There’s no reason to expect any less this year.
6. Cory Fleming, Orlando -- As one of the best players at his position, Fleming is a big part of the Orlando offense, as evidenced by last season’s 34 touchdowns and 1620 receiving yards. He’s scored over 30 touchdowns in three different seasons, and hit 29 in two others.
7. Aaron Bailey, New Orleans -- Bailey was a major reason for New Orleans’ success in their inaugural season. He scored 32 touchdowns and posted over 1300 yards receiving, which should be a good target for Bailey to hit in 2005 with quarterback Andy Kelly now at the helm.
8. James Roe, San Jose -- With 28 touchdowns last season and 31 scores two seasons ago, Roe has established himself as a critical part of the San Jose offense. Although he caught 40 fewer balls last year, Roe showed he can produce, which makes him a worthwhile pick.
9. Fred Coleman, Nashville -- In what amounted to part-time duty in San Jose, Coleman still registered 17 touchdowns and 719 yards receiving. As one of Leon Murray’s primary targets in Nashville Coleman should prosper.
10. Kevin Swayne, New York – After spending time in the NFL, Swayne returned to the Dragons late last season, although he played in only two games, partly due to injury. In the two games he did play, he showed some of the form that enabled him to grab 43 touchdowns in 2001 before he left to join the New York Jets.
11. Bobby Sippio, Dallas -- Sippio averaged nearly one touchdown for every two catches last season, which added up to 32 scores and 1218 yards receiving, which means he won’t fly under the radar in this season’s fantasy draft.
12. Steve Smith, Philadelphia -- Smith goes from a team trying to find a quarterback of the future (Grand Rapids) to a team that has no doubt about its quarterback (Philadelphia). That change alone, along with being reunited with head coach Michael Trigg, makes Smith a dangerous player. Additionally, Smith should add at least three or four scores on kick returns.
13. Tacoma Fontaine, Austin -- With 21 touchdowns and 1076 yards, Fontaine was a major part of the Wranglers’ early success. There’s talk that he may spend some time on defense, which could impact his offensive production, but he may just get a little better in his sophomore season.
14. Greg Hopkins, Los Angeles -- To call last season an off year when Hopkins scored 16 touchdowns may sound odd, but he scored 29 touchdowns in 2002 and added 26 visits to the end zone in 2003. With Hopkins and Kevin Ingram expected to pick up more of the slack after Chris Jackson’s departure, Hopkins will likely break the 20-touchdown mark.
15. Etu Molden, Chicago -- Molden had a breakout rookie season in 2004 with 1280 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also added six rushing touchdowns and two more touchdowns on kick returns, and figures to again be a major part of the Rush offense.
16. Thabiti Davis, New Orleans -- Davis was an amazing pickup for Detroit last season, contributing 26 touchdowns and over 1500 yards in receiving for the now defunct Fury. With the VooDoo, Davis remains teamed up with Andy Kelly and could get more looks with defenses eyeing Aaron Bailey.
17. Will Pettis, Dallas -- Along with Bobby Sippio, Pettis helps create a dangerous receiving duo for the Desperados, which keeps opposing defenses from being able to focus on one receiver. Pettis improved on a strong 2003 season with 21 touchdowns and over 1000 yards receiving.
18. Kevin Ingram, Los Angeles -- Like Greg Hopkins, Ingram will have the opportunity to pick up the offensive production slack left by Chris Jackson’s departure. Ingram has already established himself as a solid two-way player and he should improve on last season’s 23 touchdowns and 848 receiving yards.
Worth a pick…
1. Travis McGriff, Orlando -- Injuries plagued McGriff’s second season in Orlando, but if he can stay healthy, he’s an impact player as he showed in 2003 and when he was on the field in 2004.
2. Andy McCullough, Colorado -- After two very strong seasons in Dallas, McCullough, along with Dialleo Burks, headed to Georgia. However, unlike Burks, McCullough seemed to fall out of favor before being released. He caught on in Indiana for the remainder of the season and showed he can make plays, which should make him a valuable commodity in Colorado, particularly if defenses focus in on offensive specialist Damian Harrell.
3. Markeith Cooper, New York -- With Kevin Swayne and Mike Horacek in the Big Apple, the receiver spot seems a little crowded, although quarterback Aaron Garcia throws enough touchdowns that there may be enough room to share. He may not grab the 24 scores he tallied last season, but Cooper is worth watching.
4. Tom Pace, Arizona -- Although AFL legend Hunkie Cooper hasn’t called it quits, he’ll start the season on IR, which means Pace will play an even bigger role in the offense. The converted running back has shown the ability to make nearly impossible catches and more opportunities means more scoring.
Patrick Daly has been an Arena Football League enthusiast since he first stumbled across the late-night ESPN broadcasts and has followed the Arizona Rattlers since their inaugural season in 1992. He graduated from Arizona State University with an engineering degree and is currently a member of a web development team for Direct Alliance in Tempe. Patrick currently resides in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, Arizona with his beautiful wife, son and a very large football helmet collection.
