The NFL season is nearly here and its time to preview the season. Today I look at wide receivers who are in line for a big increase in production.
Five receivers in line for a Big Year
Andre Johnson – Indianapolis Colts
With T.Y. Hilton on the other side of the ball, expect Andre Johnson to thrive in the Colts passing system. Last time Andrew Luck had a veteran to throw to, it was Reggie Wayne and he finished with over 1,000 yards receiving and five touchdowns. I expect Johnson to get looked at more than Hilton in the offense and I expect him to be a crucial player down the stretch for the Colts come playoff time.
Eric Decker – New York Jets
Even though the Jets will start with Ryan Fitzpatrick through the first few games of the season, I expect Decker to be a main target on offense. With a lot of attention being paid to Brandon Marshall, Decker will get a lot of looks in the offense and could really be a weapon for the Jets. Decker now just has to take advantage of those opportunities and he will be as much of a threat as he was in Denver.
De’Andre Hopkins – Houston Texans
Since the Texans lost Andre Johnson, it looks like De’Andre Hopkins will take the reigns as the new number one receiver in Houston. He showed last year that he can make spectacular plays and I expect him to make plenty more of those this season. With his size, speed, and the fact that he is still very young, Hopkins will be a great look in fantasy football for plenty of years to come and could be a top receiver.
Stevie Johnson – San Diego Chargers
With the Chargers getting weapons in Jacoby Jones and Stevie Johnson during the offseason and Antonio Gates being suspended for the first four games of the season, Stevie Johnson will have to step up during that time as well as during the season. With teams focusing on Keenan Allen and Antonio Gates when he comes back, it gives Johnson a chance to go back to his old ways like in Buffalo.
Kenny Britt – St. Louis Rams
Nick Foles is now the quarterback in St. Louis and the first thing a new guy taking the throne of a team looks for is a veteran wide receiver. The veteran the Rams have in their receiving core is Kenny Britt and he could be Foles’ go to guy in the red zone and on critical plays down the stretch of games. Now, even though Britt has had health problems the past few years, I expect him to come back healthy and to really mesh with Nick Foles. Even though I think the Rams defense will be the reason they win most of their games, Foles and Britt will still be a connection to pay attention to during the season.
HOUSTON, TX- OCTOBER 09: Vontae Davis #21 of the Indianapolis Colts knocks the ball out of the hands of Andre Johnson #80 of the Houston Texans in the fourth quarter in a NFL game on October 9, 2014 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
