Fantasy Football Insider: Who could be the Top Fantasy Wide Receivers in 2011?

The NFL is starting to become much more of a passing league which means that both quarterbacks and wide receivers are starting to become somewhat of a commodity. You were sure to have had good success in your league last year if you had guys like Brandon Lloyd and Dwayne Bowe on your team. You might have also benefited from the productive seasons that Roddy White and Greg Jennings had.

You can expect those four receivers, along with a host of others, to have good seasons in the NFL this year. Sprinkle in some of the rookie wide receiver talent coming into the league this year and it could be a great year for wide receivers.

Of course there are some things to take into consideration when you are drafting a wide receiver. First, you have to know how the quarterback situation is with the team. You can bet that fantasy football owners will take receivers from the Indianapolis Colts first before they look at grabbing receivers from the Minnesota Vikings.

Another thing you have to look at is how much the team passes the ball. It’s true, the NFL is becoming much more of a passing league but there are some teams that struggle when it comes to passing the ball. The Bears are a good example of that. They have great talent at the quarterback position but they have problems going down the field and connecting with receivers thus considerable reducing their numbers.

Finally, you have to look at the injury history of the player. There are some receivers that are very tempting to take but eventually miss time at some point in the season because of an injury. Some receivers are pretty “consistent” when it comes to injuries suffered and those are guys that you will want to stay away from.

So, in eager anticipation of the 2011 season the following is a look at five wide receiver prospects that can be considered some of the top guys heading into the 2011 season. There are also three rookie profiled here and these guys might be able to make an impact on their teams next season and might draw some interest in fantasy drafts.

1. Reggie Wayne-Indianapolis Colts-Wayne has been quarterback Peyton Manning’s favorite target and despite the fact he’s getting older he’s been very effective for the Colts. Fantasy football owners will be looking for Wayne early in the draft and he should be productive next season.

2. Calvin Johnson-Detroit Lions-As long as quarterback Matthew Stafford can stay healthy long enough to help Johnson succeed he could be one of the premier recivers in the NFL. This guy is hard to cover, able to get up and catch high passes and has the potential to be very productive.

3. DeSean Jackson-Philadelphia Eagles-If this guy can stay healthy all season then he could have his best year yet and with Michael Vick now a full time starter (with the possibility of no worries about Kevin Kolb breathing down his neck) he could end up relying on Jackson’s big play ability. This could make Jackson one of the most productive wide receivers next season.

4. Andre Johnson-Houston Texans-There are some people out there that feel that Johnson could be the best player in the NFL and he has meant a lot to the Texans since he arrived in Houston a few seasons ago. If he can throw together a consistent season (and his quarterback can stay healthy and consistent) he could be a top fantasy producer in 2011.

5. Greg Jennings-Green Bay Packers-The Packers have one of the best passing offenses in the NFL and it’s likely that he will have another great fantasy football season. His quarterback, Aaron Rodger, is one of the best in the NFL and Jennings has become one of his favorite targets. He will be one of top targets in fantasy drafts this season.

Here are three rookies that might get some looks in the 2011 fantasy drafts:

1. Julio Jones-Atlanta Falcons-The Falcons gave away the house in order to get Jones, a player that they feel is the final piece in the puzzle to get them to the Super Bowl. Jones will start right away in Atlanta and should have a great season in his first year with the team.

2. Jonathan Baldwin-Kansas City Chiefs-There were few people that thought that taking Baldwin in the first round was a huge mistake but the Chiefs needed someone else to catch the ball aside from Dwayne Bowe so they did what they had to do. It’s possible that Baldwin could come into NFL with a chip on his shoulder and prove his doubters wrong in a big way. Fantasy owners will certainly hope so.

3. Titus Young-Detroit Lions-Yes, he’s on the same team as Calvin Johnson is but Young could be the beneficiary of double coverage on Johnson so therefore he might see a lot of passes thrown his way. As long as Stafford stays healthy then Titus (and Johnson) should have success in the 2011 season.