Top 10 Fantasy Football Wide Receivers for 2010

The talent pool at wide receiver is rich heading into the 2010 fantasy football season.

Below is a look at my draft board for the top 10 fantasy football wide receivers for 2010, including a few guys who just missed the cut. For more draft boards, click the following links:

• Click here for: Top 25 Fantasy Football Picks for 2010
• Click here for: Top 10 Fantasy Football Quarterbacks for 2010
• Click here for: Top 10 Fantasy Football Running Backs for 2010

Top 10 Fantasy Football Wide Receivers for 2010

1. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
Since missing the first seven games of the 2007 season, Johnson has 276 receptions for 3,995 yards and 25 touchdowns. He's coming off a 101-catch, 1,569-yard, nine-touchdown season in 2009, making the 29-year-old an obvious No. 1 amongst fantasy wide receivers.

2. Randy Moss, New England Patriots
I've been waiting for this guy to fade, but the 33-year-old Moss keeps putting up the stats. He's only dipped under 1,000 receiving yards twice in his 12 seasons, in 2004 with Minnesota and in 2006 with Oakland, both times playing just 13 games. With a healthy Tom Brady throwing to him again in 2010, Moss figures to put up more numbers like his 2009 totals: 1,264 yards and 13 TDs.

3. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts
There's a lot to like about Batman, including the fact he hasn't missed a regular-season game since his rookie year of 2001. Wayne is the top pass-catcher in a Peyton Manning-led offense, and he's surpassed the 1,000-yard mark each of the past six seasons. He caught 100 passes for 1,264 yards and 10 TDs in 2009.

4. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
Johnson put up 984 yards and five touchdowns on 67 receptions in 2009 despite quarterback Matthew Stafford missing six games with knee and shoulder ailments. A healthy Stafford bodes well for Johnson in 2010. I'm hopeful for a return to his 2008 numbers: 78 catches, 1,331 yards, 12 TDs.

5. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons
White broke through in 2007, his third season in the NFL, and hasn't looked back since. He's accumulated 256 receptions, 3,737 yards and 24 TDs over the past three seasons, with no sign of letting up. Count on 80-plus catches, 1,000-plus yards and at least six touchdowns from White in 2010.

6. Brandon Marshall, Miami Dolphins
Marshall played the role of prima donna before the 2009 season, threatening to hold out if the Denver Broncos didn't trade him. Eventually he relented, then did what he'd done the previous two seasons - caught at least 100 passes and topped 1,100 receiving yards with a career-best 10 touchdowns. He had what the Dolphins are calling "minor" hip surgery in the offseason, and appears to be pleased with his new surroundings. So, healthy, happy and having caught 307 passes over the past three seasons? Sounds good to me.

7. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
Under normal circumstances, Fitz would be in my top three, but the retirement of Kurt Warner leaves too many question marks with Arizona's passing game, the biggest of which is Matt Leinart. Leinart has been erratic and inconsistent in spot duty, but if he can put together even a decent season, Fitzgerald will put up better-than-decent fantasy numbers. Another hit against Fitzgerald, though, is the loss of Anquan Boldin, which will make it easier for defenses to double-team Fitz. Still, he's topped 1,400 yards three of the past five seasons, and hit double-digits in touchdowns four of the past five.

8. Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys
Does one breakout season make for a top 10 fantasy wide receiver? In the case of Miles Austin, yes. In his third season in the league, Austin jumped from 13 receptions in 2008 to 81 in 2009; from 278 yards to 1,320; from three TDs to 11. He and Tony Romo have good chemistry, and the Cowboys are loaded with talent, meaning it'll be tough for defenses to key solely on Austin. He's a big-time deep threat whose best game in 2009 came at Kansas City on Oct. 11 - 10 catches, 250 yards, two TDs.

9. DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles
No Donovan McNabb? No problem for DeSean Jackson owners. Kevin Kolb showed in two starts in 2009 that he's more than capable of putting up statistics, and the Kolb-to-Jackson connection was working in both of those games, as DeSean caught four passes for 101 yards and a TD in Week 2 and six passes for 149 yards and a TD in Week 3. He's reeled in 62 and 63 passes during his first two seasons in the NFL, with totals of 2,079 yards and 11 TDs.

10. Sidney Rice, Minnesota Vikings
The annual "will he or won't he" Brett Favre watch has continued into early August, and I'm sure among the most eager to learn whether Favre will return is Rice, whose breakout 2009 season came with Favre at the helm. Rice caught 83 passes for 1,312 yards and eight TDs. But Favre or no Favre, such a season does wonders for a young receiver's confidence, so I look for Rice to put up more solid fantasy numbers in 2010.

Near-Misses
These guys just barely missed the top 10 cut:

Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints: I love this guy's game, and if Favre opts against returning, Colston slips into the top 10 without question. If there's a downside here, it's that Drew Brees spreads the ball around so well, but even with his QB utilizing many offensive options, Colston caught 70 passes for 1,074 yards and nine TDs in 2009 and has 4,074 yards and 33 TDs in four NFL seasons.

Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers: Jennings has a good connection with Aaron Rodgers, having caught 148 passes for 2,405 yards during the quarterback's two seasons as starter. I'd like to see a few more than the four TDs he scored in 2009, though.

Anquan Boldin, Baltimore Ravens: After back-to-back seasons with more than 80 catches and more than 1,000 yards with Arizona, Boldin's in a new town with a new team. He has Joe Flacco throwing to him now, but there's no Larry Fitzgerald on the other side of the field to help take off the defensive pressure. I'm optimistic Boldin will produce, but I want to see it before I pick him higher than this.

Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers: The quarterback situation keeps Smith out of my top 10. Jake Delhomme was cut in the offseason, and Matt Moore takes over as the starter, at least for now. Still, I have to consider Smith just outside the top 10; he's topped 1,000 receiving yards four of the past five seasons. The one year he missed 1,000 - in 2009 - he was darn close at 982.

What do I know?
I've been playing fantasy football since 1998, and have participated in a keeper "dynasty" league since 2003. I also play in two or three single-season leagues each year, because as much as I love the keeper format, it's just fun to draft each season. I'm putting together these lists not because I think I'm a fantasy football expert (although I DID finally win my keeper league, plus another single-season league, in 2009) but because I'm researching these players and stats and figured maybe I could help out other fantasy managers along the way. I'd love to hear your thoughts on these lists, and I'll continue rolling out positional and overall lists throughought the month of August, while fantasy football drafts are ongoing and while new information becomes available on players as they prepare for the 2010 season.