1.)    Randy Moss (WR) – New England Patriots
All I can say about Moss is that he’s the best wide receiver that I’ve ever seen in my entire life. During his record-setting 23-touchdown 2007 campaign, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound slinky more than doubled his touchdown total (11) from his two seasons with the lowly Oakland Raiders. He also registered two or more touchdown catches in eight games and notched seven or more receptions in six contests. Moss is an anomaly, a king amongst peasants, his game is superior and his skill set is supernatural. Although, I expect some serious adjustments on the part of opposing defenses, don’t be surprised if you see 90 catches for 1,300-plus yards and 20 touchdowns from the 31-year-old future Hall of Famer.
 
2.)    Terrell Owens (WR) – Dallas Cowboys
We saw a brighter side of the enigma that is Owens when he lent a helping hand to ESPN’s Page 2 scribe Sam Alipour who was hit by a car after ESPN’s ESPY Awards Show. Is Owens a different man? We shall see, at least we know he’ll shed a tear for quarterback Tony Romo when needed. At 34, it seems that Owens gets better with age. In 15 games last season, he caught 81 passes for 1,355 yards (a career-high 16.7 yards per catch) and 15 touchdowns. He recorded 125 or more receiving yards in five contests and caught seven or more passes on five occasions as well. Owens’ connection with Romo is what people base novels on, well maybe not, but you get my drift. Expect Owens to put up another big season in Dallas with at least 12-15 touchdown grabs for his gleefully grinning fantasy owners to chew on.

3.)    Reggie Wayne (WR) – Indianapolis Colts
There’s not much you can say about a guy that has played in 96 consecutive football games, has recorded four straight seasons with 1,000-plus yards and has continually progressed on a team that also has wide receiver Marvin Harrison filling a roster spot. In three of his last four seasons, Wayne has caught nine or more touchdowns and has grabbed 80-plus passes. His glaring development at 29 years of age is a testament to the dedication and talent that Wayne is bestowed with. In 2008, expect Wayne to build on the career highs in catches (104) and yards (1,510) that he notched in 2007 while he builds on the 10 touchdowns he amassed last season as well, especially when you consider that Harrison could be slowed by the lingering impact of offseason knee surgery and legal issues.
 
4.)    Larry Fitzgerald (WR) – Arizona Cardinals
If Fitzgerald maintains his nastiness in the red zone, his already astronomical value could rise like a rocket to the moon. In the four years that Fitzgerald has been in the league, he has recorded 100 or more receptions twice with exactly 1,409 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of those two campaigns. His 6-foot-3, 226-pound stature is imposing to say the least, and the gracefulness that emits from his routes is pristine. With wide receiver Anquan Boldin on the roster, and a new contract in Fitzgerald’s backpocket, you can expect the University of Pittsburgh alum to once again prove to be one of the top pass catchers in the National Football League.

5.)    Andre Johnson (WR) – Houston Texans
Although his injury last season may deter some owners, all you have to do to cultivate his glaring value is look at what he did when he came back in Week 11 against the New Orleans Saints. Yeah, he caught six balls for 120 yards and a touchdown. As a matter of fact, over his last seven games of the year, he recorded a total of 46 catches for 589 yards (12.8 yards per catch) and five touchdowns. At 6-foot-3, 219-pounds, Johnson is a physical mixture of power and speed that can take over a game by himself. When healthy, he is one of the purest playmakers in the league, and in the world of fantasy he’s a god.

6.)    Braylon Edwards (WR) – Cleveland Browns
Last season, Edwards notched 80 receptions for 1,289 yards (16.1 yards per catch) and 16 touchdowns. He recorded 100-plus yards and two or more scores on four different occasions and exhibited his developing reliability by catching seven or more passes five times. The development of quarterback Derek Anderson and the addition of wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth will only boost his bubbling value. The 6-foot-3, 212-pound Edwards is an easy target and his stealth mixture of poise and agility make him as dangerous as any pass-catcher in the NFL. Although I’m placing the University of Michigan alum at No. 6 on this list, there is no doubt in my mind that he holds the key to unlock the door that guards the top three, just wait and see.

7.)    Steve Smith (WR) – Carolina Panthers
Despite catching 87 balls last season for only 1,002 yards (11.5 yards per catch) and seven touchdowns, there is no denying Smith a top-10 spot when quarterback Jake Delhomme is running the show. I’m sorry, but visions of 2005 when Delhomme and Smith connected for 1,563 yards and 12 touchdowns on 103 receptions are still dancing in my head. Let’s face it though, even when Delhomme isn’t slinging to the 5-foot-9, 185-pound jetpack, he’s still nasty. Not to mention, the signing of former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.J. Hackett should only open up more holes for Smith to slither through in opposing secondaries.

8.)    T.J. Houshmandzadeh (WR) – Cincinnati Bengals
My only concern here is the unsettled feeling that I have in my stomach about a possible bevy of drama on the horizon in Cincinnati. Wide receiver Chad Johnson’s exploits are ridiculous and could severely harness the Bengals in a holding pattern all year. If Johnson doesn’t play due to injuries or his oversized ego grabbing hold of his slender frame, Houshmandzadeh will be stuck in double coverage while less skilled younger receivers roam the pastures. However, if all things are peachy in Cincinnati, Houshmandzadeh should be one of the safer grabs in fantasy. Over his last two campaigns, he has recorded 1,055-plus yards with nine or more touchdowns in each season. Last season, he was tied with New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker for the league lead in receptions (112) and recorded a touchdown in eight straight games to open the year. Keep an eye on Johnson’s situation, hopefully your draft doesn’t commence before the end of August.

9.)    Wes Welker (WR) – New England Patriots
Welker was tied with Houshmandzadeh for the league lead in receptions with a career-high 112 grabs last season. He also added career highs in receiving yards (1,175) and touchdowns (eight). Call it a hunch, but I think that the slow progressing development of under the radar pass-catcher Jabar Gaffney, the obvious Moss factor and a healthy Chad Jackson are going to vastly open up the field for the gritty Welker to do his thing. Not to mention, the addition of pass-catching guru LaMont Jordan should only widen his routes in the secondary due to coverage being drawn to the flats, especially if he garners significant playing time. Look for Welker to build on his totals from last year, albeit subtle, his fantasy value should see a slight spike in 2008.

10.)  Marques Colston (WR) – New Orleans Saints
Colston was always on my radar as one of the top pass catchers in the NFL. However, the addition of former New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey boosts his value through the Superdome’s roof. Last season, Colston registered 98 receptions for 1,202 yards (12.3 yards per catch) and 11 touchdowns. He notched seven or more receptions in nine different contests and caught two or more touchdowns on three different occasions. His 6-foot-4, 231-pound frame is intimidating, and the fact that he has gun-slinging quarterback Drew Brees chucking his way, the presence of a healthy Robert Meachem, pass-catching running back Reggie Bush spreading the field and the tenacity of Shockey all on his side, make Colston one of the premiere fantasy grabs in the game. I truly feel that Colston has the ability and skill set to launch himself into top five status by the end of the year, make sure he’s on your roster.

Rob McCarthy has played fantasy sports since the days of tediously transferring his daily points from the Boston Herald to a tattered notepad every morning.  He has been featured on Yahoo! Sports, FOX Sports and currently scribes for KFFL.com.  In addition, Rob is an avid fan of all Boston sports.