By Stan Simmons for Betonline.com

NFL Fantasy Betting – Ranking the top 20 wide receivers

In NFL fantasy betting, art often imitates life, as wide receivers are among the most enigmatic, frustrating and inconsistent of all positions. One week they’ll carry you with 150 yards and two scores, the next week they won’t catch a pass. The best way to forecast wideouts in NFL betting is to look at their quarterback situation and track record. Let’s explore.

NFL fantasy betting: Wide receiver primer

• Fitzgerald, Johnson are 1 and 1A
• Reggie Wayne ready for a bounce-back season
• Boldin a No. 2 who produces like a fantasy No. 1

1. Larry Fitzgerald – Arizona Cardinals

He’s the new measuring stick for receiver excellence in NFL fantasy betting. He’s big, athletic and consistent. He finds the end zone plenty, has a great quarterback throwing to him in Kurt Warner, and no No. 1 wideout has a better No. 2 taking attention away from him in Anquan Boldin. What more could you want?

2. Andre Johnson – Houston Texans

If he – and his quarterback Matt Schaub – can stay healthy, Johnson has the ability and situation to lead the league in catches and yards every year. He’s a legit offshore sportsbook pick to be the top scorer at his position this season.

3. Randy Moss – New England Patriots

Don’t forget about him! Tom Brady is back healthy and Moss only, you know, set the single-season receiving touchdown record the last time they played a full year together. So forgive me for inflating Moss’ rank.

4. Greg Jennings – Green Bay Packers

He’s not as much of a household name as the other guys on this list, but the numbers are there. Aaron Rodgers is a legit stud fantasy quarterback and knows how to hit Jennings, a run-after-the-catch machine, on those deadly slants. Pencil him in for 1,200 yards and 10 scores.

5. Steve Smith – Carolina Panthers

Strangely, Smith is a mouthy, brash receiver yet underrated in betting circles. He led the NFL with 101.5 receiving yards per game a season ago and has quietly rattled off four straight 1,000-yard seasons.

6. Reggie Wayne – Indianapolis Colts

Could the three-time Pro Bowler be a “sleeper” this season? Without a legit No. 2 across from him, he had a subpar 2008, but Anthony Gonzalez should develop in ’09 and Wayne’s numbers could spike back up as a result. He’s our No. 6 wideout but could easily crack the top three this season.

7. Calvin Johnson – Detroit Lions

We’ve learned a couple of things in Detroit over the last few seasons – (a) that Lions quarterbacks are cursed and may never be worth fantasy consideration again and (b) that Calvin Johnson is so good that he can post huge numbers no matter who throws to him. If Matthew Stafford is anywhere near serviceable, the sky’s the limit for Megatron, who should find the end zone more and more each year.

8. Roddy White – Atlanta Falcons

Few players in NFL fantasy betting can match White’s big-play ability. He immediately clicked with Matt Ryan last season and that partnership should continue to grow. However, since Tony Gonzalez will compete for passes now and since Ryan may regress slightly as a sophomore, White’s numbers may dip slightly.

9. Anquan Boldin – Arizona Cardinals

If your fellow GMs pass on the rough-and-tumble Boldin because “he’s not even the top receiver on his own team,” you can reap the rewards. In the pass-happy Cardinals offense, there are plenty of balls for him and Fitzgerald, and Boldin has shaken his “no touchdown” label in recent years. He’s a very reliable pick, though his physicality makes him injury-prone.

10. Terrell Owens – Buffalo Bills

T.O. is a true wild card this season. What else is new? On one hand, Lee Evans may be the best complementary receiver Owens has had since Jerry Rice. On the other hand, Trent Edwards is probably the worst quarterback T.O. has ever had. Temper your expectations but don’t expect less than 1,000 yards and eight TDs.

11. Wes Welker – New England Patriots

12. Lee Evans – Buffalo Bills

13. T.J. Houshmandzadeh – Seattle Seahawks

14. Vincent Jackson – San Diego Chargers

15. Marques Colston – New Orleans Saints

16. Brandon Marshall – Denver Broncos

17. Dwayne Bowe – Kansas City Chiefs

18. Chad Ochocinco – Cincinnati Bengals

19. Santana Moss – Washington Redskins

20. Santonio Holmes – Pittsburgh Steelers

For more NFL fantasy betting tips and NFL lines, bookmark the Betting Edge at BetOnline.com.

Stan Simmons first tasted football through the college game, but his football handicapping has strictly focused on the professional sport. Not many people devote as much time to the NFL as Simmons. For six days a week he works, labors and handicaps the sport, and on the seventh he rests as the games play out. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.

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