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It’s a material world and I’m a material girl…wait, strike that.  What I meant to say was it’s a passing league and I’m a fantasy…hrm, pig?  Say it like you’re Ren, you eeedeeot!  Yeah, all I’m trying to say here is it’s no surprise with how dramatically the passing side of the league has changed that the wide receivers have become an easier commodity to bank on from week to week and may create a different way to look at things moving forward in terms of how we draft.  But of course, that’s not what this post is about.  It’s more about finding out what rhymes with league.  Seriously, google dat chit.  WTF is a ‘Schmeig’?  It’s not even on urban dictionary and if anything belongs on the UD, it’s Schmeig…wait, that’s not really what this post is about either.  We’re here to look back at this year’s crop of wide receivers and see how the dust settled on their season.  So without more ado, let’s review.  Here are the Top 20 Wide Receivers from the 2013 Fantasy Football Season…

Stats based on receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.  Rankings based on a PPR setting.

1. Josh GordonI’m not gonna toot my own horn here and say that I called this possibility because I’m not the only one.  Everyone knew Gordon was talented and that the 2 game suspension would create a discount.  What we didn’t know is what he’d do the rest of the season.  And in only 14 games?  Welp, here’s your top wide out from 2013.  Preseason Rank #40, 2013 Projections: 47/743/5/0/0.  Final Numbers: 87/1646/9/88/0

2. Demaryius ThomasOk, I wasn’t tooting my own horn on Gordon but I will pat my own butt a little bit here.  To quote myself when originally putting him in the Top 20 For 2013 Fantasy Football, I said ‘…I guess but more to the point, if Welker is going to take away from the players around him it’ll more likely be Decker’.  I also talk about Kate Upton, cucumbers and meds in there…and that’s all just the DT blurb!  Seriously, it might just be worth another read for the content alone…yeah, I’m clamoring for off-season site hits.  Sue me.  Preseason Rank #3, 2013 Projections: 101/1636/12/0/0. Final Numbers: 92/1430/14/0/0

3. Calvin Johnson – So everyone started wondering what was going on with Calvin down the stretch as his numbers slipped and the truth finally came out that he had a partial tear of his PCL.  For him to still finish as a top 3 wideout is just a firm reminder: even a bunch of crap-ass Michael Bay films can’t keep Megatron down.  Preseason Rank #1, Projections: 110/1760/10/20/0.  Final Numbers: 84/1492/12/0/0

4. A.J. GreenAnother spot, another ‘we knew he’d be up here’ name to deliver.  There isn’t much to be said about AJ at this point.  He basically matched his 2012 breakout season and for it, he basically ended up where he did then.  Ho-hum, just another top 5 finish for AJ.  Eventually, guys who do this season in and season out actually get underrated on draft day.  To quote Bart Scott, ‘Can’t Wait’.  Preseason Rank #5, 2013 Projections: 94/1344/9/50/0.  Final Numbers: 98/1426/11/0/0

5. Brandon MarshallIn Cutler we trust.  B-Marsh with smokin Jay under center is about as good as it gets when it comes to drafting a consistent wideout.  If there were such a thing as a football couple, these two would be it.  Unfortunately, a rising star will probably create a love triangle and make it hard to see Brandon this high in 2014.  Preseason Rank #2, 2013 Projections: 108/1371/8/0/0.  Final Numbers: 100/1295/12/0/0

6. Antonio BrownA.B. was everything Mike Wallace wasn’t as a Steelers top wide out.  He was consistent and him scoring you points wasn’t entirely based on having monster TD or yard games.  Though I had him circled in most drafts as he ended up in my ‘More Than Words’ tier, the only way I got this golden line on my team was a mid-season trade.  All this to say that I liked him heading into 2013 and really wished I had liked him just a bit more.  Preseason Rank #27, 2013 Projections: 83/1004/6/0/0.  Final Numbers: 110/1499/8/4/0 (and one return TD).

7. Dez BryantWhen I covered him in my Dez Bryant Breakout season end review way back in early 2013, I said ‘Moving forward, I don’t have any problem taking Bryant as a top 10 wide receiver.  He seemed to assert himself as the primary wide receiver in Dallas about midway through the season over Miles Austin and never let go.  However, to draft the pace we got from his last 8 weeks over 16 – 134 receptions, 2196 yards and 18 touchdowns – would be a tad absurd to expect in 2013’.  If you are disappointed with how his season line ended this year, I think you only have one person to blame: Romo.  What, it’s always his fault, right?  Preseason Rank #4, 2013 Projections: 100/1400/10/5/0.  Final Numbers: 93/1233/13/1/0

8. Alshon JefferyWell, that escalated quickly.  Yeah, Alshon killed a guy!  Not really, lets not get overly dramatic here.  Well, maybe it did kill the guy who dropped him early on in the season.  I put him in the ‘We Just Went Upside Ya Head’ for a reason.  Alshon came down on everyone’s like Thor’s hammer this year and is definitely a top 5 candidate in 2014.  Preseason Rank, #57, 2013 Projections: 52/775/6/0/0.  Final Numbers: 89/1421/7/105/0

9. Eric DeckerWhen he wasn’t busy complaining about being held by the opposing defender or dropping the ball, I guess you can say he had a good season.  At first I thought Welker’s absence was why Decker went off down the stretch but nope, the revolution was televised – heck what Bronco game wasn’t televised this year? – against the Chiefs week 13 and then it was on as Decker scored 8 of his 11 touchdowns from then on.  Basically what I’m trying to say is if it feels weird your Decker finished the year as a WR1, you’re not the only one.  Preseason Rank #17, 2013 Projections: 80/1080/11/0/0.  Final Numbers: 87/1288/11/0/0

10. DeSean JacksonIt was a bit of a roller coaster year with DeSean and for good reason: it was a roller coaster at QB in Philly.  What I find weird is he finished 10th considering his stats with Foles under center were rarely as big as they were when Vick was.  What I’m trying to say is 2014 is gonna be a hard year to rank DJax.  Preseason Rank #26, 2013 Projections: 65/1085/6/90/0 (and 1 miscellaneous touchdown).  Final Numbers: 82/1332/9/2/0

11. Jordy NelsonAs many Nelson owners would bemoan, when A-Rod went down, so did Jordy’s value.  For him to finish 11th with basically only a half a season with A-Rod under center is quite a feat.  But the flip side is same said Jordy owners got to enjoy the targets of Cobb’s absence.  So let’s just say your consolation prize twernt that bad when it was all said and done.  Preseason Rank #16, 2013 Projections: 66/1102/11/0/0.  Final Numbers: 85/1314/8/0/0

12. Andre JohnsonIf I could describe AJ’s season it would be as such: Kid’s toy.  With Schaub under center, he was a whoopee cushion.  With Keenum, he was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figure.  And in the end, it ended as a yo-yo.  Andre’s 2014 is gonna be based a lot on where he ends up.  If he’s in Texas, he’ll have to contend with ‘Nuk’s progression and who’s under center but I can’t see another WR1 year in his future at this time.  Preseason Rank #6, 2013 Projections: 103/1452/6/0/0.  Final Numbers: 109/1407/5/0/0

13. Pierre GarçonHe was a nice, consistent PPR player who rarely had great blowup games because of all the issues that was being a Redskin this year.  Seriously, if Washington doesn’t want to change their team name, just change the team symbol to someone scratching their forearm.  This team played like a skin disease this year…but I digress, Garcon might still be underrated heading into 2014 depending on how pessimistic people are on RGIII now.  Take advantage if there’s an advantage to take is all I can say.  Congrats Pierre.  You deserved that weird curly thingie on your c this year.  Preseason Rank #21, 2013 Projections: 78/1147/10/10/0.  Final Numbers: 113/1346/5/0/0

14. Vincent JacksonWhen you consider how much VJax had to play through – QB change, MRSA breakout and a terrible case of the Schianos – it’s kinda cool he ended up where he did on this list.  Then again, I ranked him much lower than others did heading to the season so maybe my ‘kinda cool’ is your ‘not cool, Dude’ moment.  Preseason Rank #14, 2013 Projections: 70/1246/7/0/0.  Final Numbers: 78/1224/7/0/0

15. Anquan BoldinWell, this is what happens when a QB doesn’t progress from his first year as a starter to his second.  I’m not trying to take anything away from Anquan – Sky fact: I love this guy as a football player – but at this stage in his career, Boldin is a tight end masquerading as a wideout.  If Crabs is healthy or if Kaep had more of a downfield throwing game, we wouldn’t be seeing Boldin’s first 1,000 receiving years since 2009.  That all said and done, love ya Boldin and good on ya.  Preseason Rank #50, 2013 Projections: 51/673/4/0/0.  Final Numbers: 85/1179/7/0/0

16. Larry FitzgeraldThere was a lot of ‘what-if’ to Fitz’ season.  What if Palmer didn’t start the year as horribly as he did?  What if Fitz didn’t have a nagging injury for what seemed like half the year?  What if Bruce Arians was played in a movie?  Phillip Seymour-Hoffman would have to be the go there, right?  But I digress, ‘ole Fitzy had a nice bounceback campaign without the Franken-QB he dealt with in 2012.  Preseason Rank #15, 2013 Projections: 83/1054/7/0/0.  Final Numbers: 82/954/10/8/0

17. Keenan AllenI’m a little worried about Allen’s value moving into the 2014 season.  Though he did basically only play 3/4ths of the season and yet still ended with WR2 numbers, there is some concern of consistency here and game plan development.  He kinda Cris Carter’ed his owners down the stretch as it was TD or bust for plenty of games.  Considering there was no real competition for WR targets without Floyd and Alexander, I’d really like to see a bit more targets from a team’s WR1 when your QB is Rivers.  If he goes at a reasonable price, I’ll be keen on Allen again.  Preseason Rank #84, 2013 Projections: 47/710/5/0/0.  Final Numbers: 71/1046/8/0/0

18. Julian EdelmanI told you!  See, when I ranked Danny Amendola that high in my Top 20 Wide Receivers, I knew it would just pan out…*looks at top 20 rankings*.  Dammit, I get these little white guys confused all the time.  At least I didn’t call him Woodhead!  Julian took over the Welker role that I thought Amendola would and still may.  Julian turned in plenty of great PPR lines over the course of the season…if he were your starting TE.  Yeah, not gonna go nuts over here on a guy who averaged 6.5 catches and 66 yards a game.  At the very least, he was a great value on draft day.  Preseason Rank #51, 2013 Projections: 53/594/4/120/1.  Final Numbers: 105/1056/6/11/0

19. T.Y. HiltonTY was disappointing this year…no wait, let me rephrase: Pep and company were disappointing.  It took them forever to move on from Drops His Balls DHB and even then, it was rare they got him involved like they should even when Reggie Wayne went down via injury.  I seriously hated the Colts so much this year, it’s not even funny…oh and of course I’m gonna go gaga over TY again in 2014.  Because I’m stupid like that.  Preseason Rank #24, 2013 Projections: 72/1138/7/32/0 (and one miscellaneous touchdown).  Final Numbers: 82/1083/5/6/0

20. Torrey SmithOne of the few sell calls that made me feel all warm and gooey about by the end of the year…then I told you to buy him because his schedule got crazy good and turned that gooeyness into an icky mess.  Torrey really could’ve used some viagra this year: he just couldn’t score.  That said, everything else about his line was pretty nice but when it’s all said and done, until there’s an offensive game plan change for the Ravens, Torrey will forever nevermore be on my teams.  Preseason Rank #28, 2013 Projections: 55/935/8/20/0.  Final Numbers: 65/1128/4/0/0