| Kevan Lee. 7th September, 2006 - 11:25 pm
 Boxers or briefs?
Ginger or Mary Anne?
Boldin or Fitzgerald?
For fantasy football fans, decisions do not get much harder than this one. Which Pro Bowl Arizona Cardinals receiver should be taken first, Anquan Boldin or Larry Fitzgerald?
The obvious answer is that any owner could not go wrong drafting either. However, the comfort of indifference is no comfort at all when both are sitting on the draft board and the clock is ticking. Is one a safer bet than the other? Which one will have a better year? Who will score more points? Knowing which one to choose, may make the difference between a championship season and a disappointing finish. Here’s some advice on the Arizona wide receiver dilemma.
Fitzgerald, in his third year out of Pittsburgh, really hit his stride last year. He pulled down 103 catches and racked up more than 1,400 yards. He excelled in using his size to pull down balls that were up for grabs, and his knowledge of the position helped him beat seasoned corners. Viewed as the number two receiver for the first part of the season, he may have caught some teams by surprise with how much he improved from his rookie year.
Boldin is big, strong and athletic. While not a burner, he too grabbed over 100 balls and recorded more than 1,400 yards. He takes advantage of great route-running to get open, and he uses deceptive speed to get his yards after the catch. Boldin is a team leader and a hard, dedicated worker.
Both are exceptional wide receivers, but a closer look at a couple aspects of their games reveals that one may be a better fantasy investment than the other.
The most glaring difference between the two came in the end zone. Fitzgerald seemed to be more of a target in the red zone, thanks to his 6’3” size and leaping ability. The younger Fitzgerald had 10 touchdowns to Boldin’s seven. Look for that trend to continue this year. While teams may be focusing more attention to his side in the red zone, Fitzgerald will still be able to go up and come down with his fair share of balls. Plus, he has quarterback Kurt Warner’s confidence to throw his direction, even in tight coverage.
Differences continue when the topic turns to health. Boldin missed two games last year and six games in 2004, and already this preseason, he has had to deal with a sore hamstring. Fitzgerald has not missed a game in his young career (32 for 32). He is a more dependable option.
Finally, the Cardinals’ new quarterback situation may play into which star wide receiver is more valuable. Should rookie quarterback Matt Leinart see playing time, expect him to look Fitzgerald’s way more often than Boldin. Leinart will take comfort in the fact that Fitzgerald will be able to get to more balls that may not be thrown accurately. Boldin will still get his touches, but unless Leinart has a good grasp on the offense, he may not be able to find Boldin where he can be most effective.
The Cardinals are blessed with two outstanding wide receivers; fantasy owners are cursed with choosing between the two. There is much to like about each one’s game, and any owner would be lucky to have either one on their team. However, Boldin owners may be kicking themselves when TDs end up in Fitzgerald’s arms and Boldin misses time with that pesky hamstring. Faced with the choice of drafting either, an owner could save a lot of heartbreak down the line by taking a closer look at the situation.
Questions are made to be answered, and this one is no different. Take Fitzgerald.
And while we’re at it…
Mary Anne over Ginger.
Briefs over boxers. |
