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Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson have been two of the best wide receivers in the NFL for as long as a lot of fantasy football owners can remember. Both guys had good seasons in 2013, as Johnson topped 100 receptions for the second straight year while Fitzgerald rebounded after the worst season of his career in 2012.
With Johnson and Fitzgerald nearing the end of what will surely be Hall of Fame careers, which guy is the better fantasy option for this year?
The Case For Andre Johnson
Johnson had the second-most targets in the league last year (181), and now that he looks likely to report to training camp he will remain Houston’s No. 1 wide receiver. He has the most receptions (221) and second-most receiving yards (3,005) in the league over the last two seasons, and as long as he can stay healthy at age 33 Johnson should stay in the good graces of fantasy owners this year.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is obviously not a star quarterback, but he should bring some stability under center for Houston after three quarterbacks saw action last year.
Johnson has over 100 receptions in four of the last six seasons, with at least 1,200 yards in five of those campaigns. He played just seven games in 2011, the one season over that span that fits neither of those criteria.
The Case For Larry Fitzgerald
The arrival of Carson Palmer helped Fitzgerald in 2013, and he reached double-digit touchdowns (10) for the first time since 2009. His 22 red zone targets last year (fourth-most among wide receivers) were only two more than he had in 2012, but better efficiency (six red zone touchdowns; two in 2012) with Palmer under center drove an increase in touchdowns after Fitzgerald scored a career-low four times in 2012.
Fitzgerald has at least 80 catches and 950 yards in six of the last seven seasons, with at least 1,000 yards in five of those campaigns (2007-2011).
Final Analysis
Per Fantasy Football Calculator.com, Fitzgerald and Johnson’s average draft positions are each in the fourth-round range right now. Johnson has great appeal in PPR formats with 90-100 catches a virtual certainty, and with that may come a tendency to consider him a low-end WR1 across the board. Fitzgerald is clearly not the player he was, with a steep decline in yards per-catch average over the last two seasons reflecting that, but with a better quarterback and far less downside he is my choice here.
Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter or connect on Google +.
