I like Antonio Brown. The dude catches a lot of passes, and opponents can’t seem to stop him. They’ve tried to double-team him and whatnot, but he’s still catch at least 5 passes in every game the last two years.
The Steelers have some other capable pass catchers – Martavius Bryant, Markus Wheaton, and maybe they get something out of Sammie Coates – but there’s a special rapport between Brown and Ben Roethlisberger.
In a PPR format, therefore, I think Brown belongs right up there at the top. Not only the top receiver, but arguably the top player overall.
Using PPR scoring, Brown piled up 390 points last year. That’s the 2nd-best by a wide receiver ever.
Some of this, of course, can be attributed to stat inflation. It’s easier to pass now than in the past. Of the top 70 wide receivers of the last 20 years, you would expect 3-4 of them to have come from the 2014 season, but instead it’s seven of them from that season.
BEST RECEIVERS OF LAST 20 YEARS (PPR) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | No | Rec | Run | TD | Points |
1995 | Jerry Rice, S.F. | 122 | 1848 | 36 | 17 | 418.4 |
2014 | Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 129 | 1698 | 13 | 14 | 390.1 |
2007 | Randy Moss, N.E. | 98 | 1493 | 0 | 23 | 385.3 |
2002 | Marvin Harrison, Ind. | 143 | 1722 | 10 | 11 | 384.2 |
1995 | Isaac Bruce, St.L. | 119 | 1781 | 17 | 13 | 378.8 |
2003 | Randy Moss, Minn. | 111 | 1632 | 18 | 17 | 378.0 |
1995 | Herman Moore, Det. | 123 | 1686 | 0 | 14 | 375.6 |
2011 | Calvin Johnson, Det. | 96 | 1681 | 11 | 16 | 361.2 |
1995 | Cris Carter, Minn. | 122 | 1371 | 0 | 17 | 361.1 |
2003 | Torry Holt, St.L. | 117 | 1696 | 5 | 12 | 359.1 |
1999 | Marvin Harrison, Ind. | 115 | 1663 | 4 | 12 | 355.7 |
2001 | Marvin Harrison, Ind. | 109 | 1524 | 3 | 15 | 351.7 |
2012 | Calvin Johnson, Det. | 122 | 1964 | 0 | 5 | 348.4 |
2014 | Demaryius Thomas, Den. | 111 | 1619 | 0 | 11 | 340.9 |
2005 | Steve Smith Sr., Car. | 103 | 1563 | 25 | 13 | 339.8 |
2002 | Hines Ward, Pitt. | 112 | 1329 | 142 | 12 | 337.1 |
2011 | Wes Welker, N.E. | 122 | 1569 | 30 | 9 | 335.9 |
2012 | Brandon Marshall, Chi. | 118 | 1508 | -2 | 11 | 334.6 |
2001 | Terrell Owens, S.F. | 93 | 1412 | 21 | 16 | 332.3 |
1995 | Robert Brooks, G.B. | 102 | 1497 | 21 | 13 | 331.8 |
1995 | Michael Irvin, Dall. | 111 | 1603 | 0 | 10 | 331.3 |
2004 | Muhsin Muhammad, Car. | 93 | 1405 | 15 | 16 | 331.0 |
2014 | Jordy Nelson, G.B. | 98 | 1519 | 0 | 13 | 327.9 |
2000 | Marvin Harrison, Ind. | 102 | 1413 | 0 | 14 | 327.3 |
1995 | Carl Pickens, Cin. | 99 | 1234 | 6 | 17 | 325.0 |
2000 | Rod Smith, Den. | 100 | 1602 | 99 | 9 | 324.1 |
2000 | Terrell Owens, S.F. | 97 | 1451 | 11 | 13 | 323.2 |
2002 | Terrell Owens, S.F. | 100 | 1300 | 79 | 14 | 321.9 |
2008 | Andre Johnson, Hou. | 115 | 1575 | 0 | 8 | 320.5 |
2013 | Demaryius Thomas, Den. | 92 | 1430 | 0 | 14 | 319.0 |
2010 | Roddy White, Atl. | 115 | 1389 | 3 | 10 | 318.2 |
2001 | Rod Smith, Den. | 113 | 1343 | 27 | 11 | 318.0 |
1999 | Jimmy Smith, Jac. | 116 | 1636 | 0 | 6 | 317.6 |
1995 | Brett Perriman, Det. | 108 | 1488 | 48 | 9 | 317.6 |
2014 | Dez Bryant, Dall. | 88 | 1320 | 0 | 16 | 316.0 |
2007 | Reggie Wayne, Ind. | 104 | 1510 | 4 | 10 | 315.4 |
2013 | Josh Gordon, Clev. | 87 | 1646 | 88 | 9 | 314.4 |
2013 | Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 110 | 1499 | 4 | 9 | 314.3 |
2009 | Andre Johnson, Hou. | 101 | 1569 | 0 | 9 | 313.9 |
2000 | Randy Moss, Minn. | 77 | 1437 | 5 | 15 | 313.2 |
1998 | Antonio Freeman, G.B. | 84 | 1424 | 5 | 14 | 312.9 |
2008 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 96 | 1431 | 0 | 12 | 311.1 |
2001 | David Boston, Ariz. | 98 | 1598 | 35 | 8 | 309.3 |
2005 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 103 | 1409 | 41 | 10 | 308.0 |
2007 | Terrell Owens, Dall. | 81 | 1355 | 5 | 15 | 307.0 |
2013 | A.J. Green, Cin. | 98 | 1426 | 0 | 11 | 306.6 |
1998 | Randy Moss, Minn. | 68 | 1313 | 4 | 17 | 305.7 |
2013 | Brandon Marshall, Chi. | 100 | 1295 | 0 | 12 | 305.5 |
1997 | Rob Moore, Ariz. | 97 | 1584 | 0 | 8 | 305.4 |
2013 | Calvin Johnson, Det. | 84 | 1492 | 0 | 12 | 305.2 |
2007 | Braylon Edwards, Clev. | 80 | 1289 | 0 | 16 | 304.9 |
2012 | Dez Bryant, Dall. | 92 | 1382 | -5 | 12 | 303.7 |
2006 | Marvin Harrison, Ind. | 95 | 1366 | 0 | 12 | 303.6 |
1999 | Randy Moss, Minn. | 80 | 1413 | 43 | 12 | 302.6 |
2004 | Joe Horn, N.O. | 94 | 1399 | 0 | 11 | 301.9 |
2014 | Emmanuel Sanders, Den. | 101 | 1404 | 44 | 9 | 301.8 |
2012 | A.J. Green, Cin. | 97 | 1350 | 38 | 11 | 301.8 |
2007 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 100 | 1409 | 0 | 10 | 300.9 |
2004 | Javon Walker, G.B. | 89 | 1382 | 0 | 12 | 299.2 |
2005 | Santana Moss, Wash. | 97 | 1432 | 33 | 9 | 297.5 |
2014 | Randall Cobb, G.B. | 91 | 1287 | 37 | 12 | 297.4 |
2012 | Demaryius Thomas, Den. | 94 | 1434 | 0 | 10 | 297.4 |
2014 | Odell Beckham Jr., NYG | 91 | 1305 | 35 | 12 | 297.0 |
2013 | Dez Bryant, Dall. | 93 | 1233 | 1 | 13 | 294.4 |
1999 | Cris Carter, Minn. | 90 | 1241 | 0 | 13 | 292.1 |
2011 | Victor Cruz, NYG | 82 | 1536 | 3 | 9 | 289.9 |
2009 | Randy Moss, N.E. | 83 | 1264 | 0 | 13 | 289.4 |
2000 | Isaac Bruce, St.L. | 87 | 1471 | 11 | 9 | 289.2 |
2004 | Marvin Harrison, Ind. | 86 | 1113 | 0 | 15 | 287.3 |
2005 | Anquan Boldin, Ariz. | 84 | 1483 | 3 | 9 | 286.6 |
—Ian Allan