Todd's Toughest to Project

Mohamed Sanu (Rutgers)
Like Kevin states below, it was not difficult to project Sanu as a top fantasy wide out this year.  But, what is tough to figure out just how many rushing opportunities he’ll get.  The number of carries he logged in those final three games of 2009 was insanely juicy (13, 18, 13).  One would expect those numbers to decrease this year. But what if this was just a sign of things to come? 

Missouri Wide Receivers
There is little question that Jerrell Jackson and Wes Kemp figure to be the main cogs in Mizzou’s receiving game.  But how will the statistics shake out?  Will one guy stand out above the other (like last year with Danario Alexander and Jared Perry) or will the two share in the limelight evenly?
 
Jonathan Baldwin (Pittsburgh)
At a school with a real passing game, the sky would be the limit for this freak of nature.  But Pitt is a run-first offense and that philosophy won’t change this fall.  So, will Baldwin see more opportunities this fall as teams crowd the box to stop Dion Lewis?  And if so, can new QB Tino Sunseri get him the ball?
 
Rodney Bradley (Hawaii)
The dude has Top 10 talent, but he’s coming off a broken leg that cut his 2009 season short.  He says he’ll be close to 100 percent this fall, but can we believe him? It took 2009's popular broken-leggers DeAndre Brown and Patrick Edwards a few games to get comfortable last season.

Oklahoma State Wide Receivers
With former Houston OC Dana Holgorsen running the offense, the Pokes should be winging the ball all over Stillwater this fall. Dez Bryant is gone and there is no clear cut replacement.  Will a true No. 1 wideout emerge from the pack of Hubert Anyiam, Tracy Moore, Justin Blackmon and Josh Cooper or will it be WRBC?


Kevin's Toughest to Project

Mohamed Sanu (Rutgers)
It was not hard to project him to be a stud; it was hard to project the splits between rushing and passing yards. I think he will have around 1,300 total yards, but how will those yards be distributed?

Hubert Anyiam (Oklahoma State)
Conventional wisdom says that he should be the No. 1 target in a pass heavy offense. 

Russell Shepard (LSU)
I’m just not sure how or how much he will be utilized. He should be used a ton with his talent, but Miles seems to forget that sometimes.

Keyshawn Martin (Michigan State)
The Spartans have so many veteran wide receivers that I just don’t know if Martin will see enough touches to prosper.

Julio Jones (Alabama)
Will he ever get enough balls thrown his way to be a fantasy force? I believe in his ability, but not his system.

Jerrell Jackson (Missouri)
Will he be the No. 1 target for Blaine Gabbert or will it be Wes Kemp?

Joe's Toughest to Project

Oklahoma State Wide Receivers
There will be plenty of balls for these guys to catch under the new offense. The problem is that no one guy has shown himself as a stud. This basically leaves us speculating as to who the top WRs will be, let alone how the production will filter out. Hubert Anyiam hasn’t shown us that he is a clear cut #1 pass target, further muddying the waters.

Texas Wide Receivers
The first thing everyone is looking for with these guys is the next “go-to” guy. When envisioning how the 2010 “go-to” guy will produce they are using Jordan Shipley numbers. This is fundamentally flawed since McCoy was allowed to carry the offense more than we could expect Gilbert to, as well as the special dynamic that McCoy had with Shipley. This smells of over-projection if not careful in how you run your numbers.

Jameel Owens (Tulsa)
Owens brings top caliber talent to an offense ready to regain its former glory. But with an established stud at receiver in Damarius Johnson, its hard to figure out just how big a role Owens will play. If you think Owens is a stud, then it means Johnson’s fantasy value takes a tumble. If you think Johnson remains the man, then Owens will only serve a complimentary role.

Phillip Livas (Louisiana Tech)
Livas was a production machine in 2008 as a run/pass catching threat. 2009 saw a major step back in Livas’ role within the offense. Now there’s a new spread offense, and someone will need to become a factor on the outside. Although its safe to assume Livas will be one of the top two receptions leaders, the key in figuring out his fantasy value for 2010 is his rushing production. You could predict anything from less than 10 carries to 50 rushes thanks to the lack of news involving Livas’ role from spring camp.
 

Check out the entire Toughest to Project series:

* Quarterbacks
* Running Backs
* Wide Receivers
* Tight Ends