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An abundance of wide receivers posted impressive numbers this past season. Some succeeded in their first season with a new team, others just took advantage of being the number one at their position. Some simply broke out, and have now been thrown into the conversation for the future, on the field and in fantasy. Here's a look at three wide receivers that stood out during the 2015-2016 NFL season.
Standout Wide Receivers from 2015-2016
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Marshall soared into New York and wasted no time winning over the gritty, loyal, pain-stricken Jets fans. So much hype surrounded the arrival of a receiver with the offensive abilities Marshall possesses. Paired with Eric Decker, the Jets had one of the best wide receiver duos in the league before the season even started. However, Marshall's first impactful play for his new team came, ironically, on defense.
Early in the second quarter of the Jets' season opener against the Cleveland Browns, Ryan Fitzpatrick was picked off by Tashaun Gipson. Here we go again. But the new look Jets, and their new stud receiver, had plans to erase the same old Jets mentality from prior seasons. Marshall sprinted towards Gipson and stripped the ball back from the Browns free safety, setting up the Jets inside the opposing 10 yard line. This led to an eventual score two plays later at the hands of Chris Ivory's 10 yard run. Marshall finished that game with six catches, 62 receiving yards, a touchdown, and one very big fumble recovery.
Marshall finding the end zone became a normality in New York, as he failed to score in only four games. He finished the season with 14 touchdowns, 109 receptions, and 1,502 receiving yards. He scored six touchdowns against divisional opponents, and highlighted the Jets' season with plenty of individual moments. There was his acrobatic catch against the Washington Redskins, where he readjusted and practically scooped the ball off the ground on Fitz's underthrown pass. Another was his two touchdown performance against the New England Patriots. Then there was his 12 reception game against the crosstown rival Giants.
There were definitely some blunders too. For example, his very questionable and silly attempt to lateral the ball, instead of going down, against the Philadelphia Eagles. It led to one of the many turnovers committed by the Jets in that sloppy loss. All was forgiven though as he gave Jets fans everything they had longed for. Recently on Twitter, Marshall told the world that the Jets are ready to win it all next year, and then he'll retire. If that's the case, his retirement wouldn't be a bad thing to happen to Jets Nation.
Last season, DeAndre Hopkins proved that he can be THE guy in Houston. Hopkins shone in his first season without the Texans' franchise-best wide receiver, Andre Johnson, who jumped ship to play with Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts. Hopkins, now the number one receiver, collected 1,521 receiving yards; his second straight season with over 1,200. He averaged nearly seven receptions and 95 receiving yards a game. While his 11 touchdowns were impressive on their own, there is much else to take note of.
Houston's quarterback situation was a complete nightmare. Initially, the job belonged to Brian Hoyer after he beat out Ryan Mallett during preseason. However, amidst injuries, poor play, and an eventual trade that sent Mallett to the depleted Baltimore Ravens, the two quarterbacks bounced on and off the field seemingly as often as an offense and defense do throughout a single game. Hoyer missed time in September, but finished the season the team's starter. It wasn't a strong finish though, as he'd add a four interception performance to his already tumultuous year in the Texans' sole playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Football, like every other sport, is about finding a groove. Regardless of which quarterback was on the field, Hopkins adjusted and was not affected by the sporadic changes. This simply tells everyone one thing. After performing the way he did with two subpar quarterbacks at the helm, he not only can play well with anyone, but it leads to wondering just how good he can be with someone like Drew Brees throwing him the ball.
Hopkins had no real support elsewhere as well. Arian Foster was again sidelined with injury. He played in only four games, leaving the Texans with no real threat out of the backfield. No combination of Alfred Blue, Chris Polk, or Jonathan Grimes could establish any sort of rhythm for the Texans run game. Then in the passing game, Nate Washington was second on the team with only 47 receptions.
Amidst all of that on top of Houston's early season struggles, Hopkins still made it work. He finished the 2015 season the same way he enters his next, as one of the top receivers in the game. Hopkins is already a no-brainer in fantasy, whose value can only increase pending Houston's future quarterback.
In only his second season in the NFL, Brandin Cooks emerged as a part of the New Orleans Saints' future. Cooks reached career highs in every category, reeling in 84 catches for 1,138 receiving yards, eight touchdowns, and averaging 13.5 yards a catch. This was a tremendous jump from his rookie year, and was more than enough to make him Drew Brees' number one target.
Cooks' play improved as the season progressed. His receptions, receiving yards, and average yards per reception increased month to month, which only showed the beginning of his maturation as a young receiver in the NFL. A bulk of Cooks' damage last season, six touchdowns and 620 receiving yards, came when the Saints were trailing.
Cooks' season performance was relatively lost among the aforementioned names and other receivers. This could be because of the Saints' 7-9 record, but entering 2016, Cooks' name will certainly be among the top 10-15 mentioned in conversation. His value has undoubtedly increased now that the Saints have parted ways with Marques Colston. This opens the door for another young receiver, Brandon Coleman, to step up into that third receiver slot. Even if he should fail to mature and produce, even more targets will go to Cooks and Willie Snead.
It would be no surprise if Cooks repeated his 2015 production, or even exceeded it, this upcoming season. What's most appealing about Cooks is that he's 5'10" and still a kid. He's likely done growing physically, but mentally, and skill-wise on the field, the sky is the limit for the future star.
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