Keeper Korner: Week 12

November 20, 2008 4:01pm CST

Back in Week 6, the Keeper Korner provided updated wide receiver rankings for keeper and dynasty formats. Much has changed since then, and it’s a good time to revisit that listing. Unlike re-draft leagues, fantasy football owners in keeper and dynasty leagues need to weigh long-term worth in with the current rankings. This article is still focused on winning a championship in 2008, but many owners who’ve fallen to the bottom of their standings have switched their focuses to 2009. We attempt to juggle both views at this mid-way point of the campaign.

Notes: The numbers listed in parentheses is the current age, current dollar value, and current draft round. The dollar values and rounds are based on 12-team leagues and what might happen if a draft or auction took place today.

The No. 1 Receivers 1. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (25, $21, 1)
2. Brandon Marshall, Broncos (24, $19, 1-2)
3. Reggie Wayne, Colts (30, $19, 2)
4. Calvin Johnson, Lions (23, $18, 2)
5. Andre Johnson, Texans (27, $17, 2)
6. Anquan Boldin, Cardinals (28, $17, 2)
7. Marques Colston, Saints (25, $16, 2-3)
8. Greg Jennings, Packers (25, $15, 2-3)
9. Roddy White, Falcons (27, $15, 3)
10. Braylon Edwards, Browns (25, $13, 3)
11. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs (24, $13, 3)
12. Steve Smith, Panthers (29, $12, 3)

Ted’s Take: I feel good about the names of my top-11. We could spend a lot of time arguing in circles about the exact placement of those 11 receivers, but I believe a keeper draft held today would see Fitzgerald-through-Bowe taken in the top-35 or 40 picks. I went with Smith at No. 12 despite the way that Jake Delhomme has looked over the past two weeks. I’m suddenly worried about the Panthers quarterback situation. Smith deserves to be lumped together with the top three guys of this next group, though.

The No. 2 Receivers 13. Randy Moss, Patriots (31, $11, 3-4)
14. Lee Evans, Bills (27, $10, 4)
15. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Bengals (31, $10, 4)
16. Jerricho Cotchery, Jets (26, $9, 4)
17. Eddie Royal, Broncos (22, $9, 4)
18. Plaxico Burress, Giants (31, $8, 4)
19. Santonio Holmes, Steelers (24, $8, 4-5)
20. DeSean Jackson, Eagles (21, $8, 4-5)
21. Roy Williams, Cowboys (26, $7, 5)
22. Wes Welker, Patriots (27, $7, 5)
23. Santana Moss, Redskins (29, $6, 5)
24. Terrell Owens, Cowboys (34, $6, 5)

Ted’s Take: Yes, I’m well aware of the fact that Owens would go for more than $6 or a fifth-round pick in any draft or auction held today. That doesn’t mean I endorse such a move, though. I wanted to drop Owens below this group but couldn’t get myself to do it. I believe Williams will step into the No. 1 role after this season. Randy and Welker will be reunited with Tom Brady in 2009, so they may look like bargains at these places. I’m trying to stay positive about Burress, but I wouldn’t blame anyone for dropping him lower.

The No. 3 Receivers 25. Chad Johnson, Bengals (30, $6, 6)
26. Anthony Gonzalez, Colts (24, $6, 6)
27. Bernard Berrian, Vikings (27, $5, 6)
28. Vincent Jackson, Chargers (25, $5, 6)
29. Hines Ward, Steelers (32, $5, 6-7)
30. Donnie Avery, Rams (23, $5, 6-7)
31. Laveranues Coles, Jets (30, $4, 7)
32. Ted Ginn, Jr., Dolphins (23, $4, 7)
33. Matt Jones, Jaguars (25, $4, 7)
34. Chris Chambers, Chargers (30, $4, 7)
35. Lance Moore, Saints (25, $3, 8)
36. Antonio Bryant, Buccaneers (27, $3, 8)

Ted’s Take: I’d still throw a decent chunk of change at Chad Johnson in the hopes of him finding a happier home in 2009. Otherwise, I’m not sure this group needs a long explanation. Most of these receivers are either currently playing well or have known potential (e.g. Gonzalez, Chambers). Ginn is still a tricky guy to predict, but his recent play has me feeling optimistic. I’ve been very slow to buy into Bryant, and I’m still not sure about his future.

The No. 4 Receivers 37. Kevin Curtis, Eagles (30, $3, 8)
38. Steve Breaston, Cardinals (25, $2, 8)
39. Kevin Walter, (27, $2, 8-9)
40. Derrick Mason, Ravens (34, $2, 9)
41. Torry Holt, Rams (32, $2, 9)
42. Donald Driver, Packers (33, $2, 9)
43. Steve Smith, Giants (23, $2, 9)
44. Sidney Rice, Vikings (22, $1, 10)
45. Josh Morgan, 49ers (23, $1, 10)
46. James Jones, Packers (24, $1, 11)
47. Devin Hester, Bears (26, $1, 11)
48. Marvin Harrison, Colts (36, $1, 11)

Ted’s Take: Once you get to this area of the draft or auction, each fantasy owner has to weigh whether or not they are looking for current value (Mason, Driver, etc.) or gambling on potential (Rice, Morgan, etc.). Feel free to jumble these rankings based on your preference. If you’re still in the running for 2008, Mason will give you more than Jones or Hester. So will Harrison. I didn’t have the heart to keep Marv completely off the list.

Who dropped off this list between Week 6 and this update? Robert Meachem, Reggie Brown, and James Hardy are the most notable youngsters. Isaac Bruce and Joey Galloway also fell, for obvious reasons. All five of those wideouts were previously in the top-42.

Hopefully this article helps keeper and dynasty owners assess their rosters and see where they might find value in their leagues. Of course, if the rankings shifted so much between Week 6 and Week 11, you can bet we’ll see some more notable differences by the end of December.