There's a major youth movement going on at the wide receiver position, as each member of the top 10 fantasy wideouts from a season ago were under 30 years old. Two of them, Odell Beckham Jr. and Mike Evans, were rookies. Looking ahead to 2015, just one of those players (Jordy Nelson) will be 30 when the season begins. That's exciting news for fantasy fans, as we're seeing a new generation of talented receivers who are thriving in the pass-laden National Football League.
On the flip side, former fantasy stars like Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson and Victor Cruz (to name a few) are dropping down the ranks and unlikely to return to their former elite status. Of the new-age wideouts, Beckham is the most talked about in fantasy circles after he made the greatest impact of any rookie wide receiver in his first 10 NFL contests during the Super Bowl era. The question now is ... can he do it again?
Here's an early look at my top 10 board at the position. Beckham isn't part of the top three. At least not now.
1. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers: Brown put up career bests across the board last season, finishing with 1,698 yards, 13 touchdowns and 251.90 fantasy points. The most reliable wide receiver in the league from a statistical perspective, Brown should continue to thrive as the top option in a Steelers pass attack that has plenty of firepower. He'll have first-round value in all PPR formats in 2015.
2. Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos: Thomas has finished no worse than fifth in fantasy points among wideouts in each of the last three seasons, averaging almost 1,500 yards with a combined 35 scores in that time. As long as Peyton Manning is under center for the Broncos, Thomas is a good bet to remain one of the elite players at his position. He'll be a second-round pick in most drafts next season.
3. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions:Megatron missed three games and saw his numbers drop across the board last season, but he's still one of the premier wide receivers in the entire league. In fact, he could be the first wideout taken in some 2015 drafts. At 29 and still in the prime of his career, Johnson is a good bet to rebound from a subpar campaign and move right back into the top five receivers.
4. Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys: Bryant is an absolute touchdown machine, finding the end zone 41 times in the last three seasons combined. That's the most in the league at the position during that stretch (Thomas has the second-most with 35). At the age of 26 and just now entering his NFL prime, Bryant is a good bet to remain among the elite receivers in fantasy football for several years to come.
5. Odell Beckham, Jr., New York Giants: Beckham went nuts as a rookie, averaging 17 fantasy points a game while scoring 19-plus points in five of his last six contests. While those video-game totals will tempt some owners to draft him in the first round, I see Beckham being picked in Round 2 in most leagues. While he's an incredible talent, repeating that high level of success again will be difficult.
6. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons: Despite the fact that he missed one game, Jones still went off for career bests in both receptions (104) and yards (1,593) last season. While his six touchdowns left much to be desired, the Alabama product still proved that he's among the upper echelon of wide receivers both on the field and in fantasy football. Jones won't last past the second round in 2015 drafts.
7. Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers: Nelson is coming off a career season in the stat sheets with 98 catches, 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns. Those totals ranked him second in fantasy points among wide receivers. Nelson, who has 43 touchdown catches in the last four years (fourth-most in the league), will continue to benefit from the presence of Aaron Rodgers in an offense that will remain productive.
8. A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals: Green ranked a mere 23rd in fantasy points among wideouts last season, but he missed three games due to injuries and was at less than 100 percent in a few other contests. I'm expecting him to bounce back in the stat sheets in 2015, so look for his numbers to get back to his 2012-2013 levels of around 90 receptions, 1,300-plus yards and double-digit touchdowns.
9. Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears: Jeffery looks to be moving past his teammate and fellow wideout Brandon Marshall, both on the field and in fantasy football. His 10 touchdown catches in 2014 were a career best, and at 25 he's not even yet in the prime of his pro football career. An athletic freak with some of the stickiest hands in the league, Jeffery has second-round talent in fantasy leagues.
10. Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers: Coming off a career season, Cobb recorded 91 catches, 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns in the high-powered Packers offense. As long as he remains in Green Bay, the Kentucky product will have second- or third-round draft value in 2015. Should Cobb leave as a free agent during the offseason, however, his stock could drop without Rodgers. It's a situation to monitor.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Have a burning question on anything fantasy related? Tweet it to _**@MichaelFabiano**_ or send a question via **Facebook**!
