Where are we supposed to slot Odell Beckham Jr. on draft boards this summer? The dude was pretty remarkable in the second half of last season.
Beckham missed all of training camp and the first four games with a hamstring injury. In his first game, he came off the bench as a supporting third receiver behind Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle. That was the game, recall, where Cruz suffered a season-ending knee injury in Washington.
The Cruz injury elevated Beckham into the starting lineup, and the rest (as they say) is history. In the 11 games he started, Beckham averaged 7.9 catches for 118 yards, with 11 touchdowns.
Using traditional fantasy scoring (6 points for touchdowns, 1 for every 10 yards) those were the 2nd-best per game numbers by a wide receiver in this century, trailing only 2007 Randy Moss. That was the year Moss caught 23 touchdowns for the Patriots.
It’s early, and I’m still mulling, but I’m guessing Beckham will be a late first-round pick or second-round pick on my board. There is some depth at this position. Of the top 50 fantasy receivers (per game) in this century, six came from the 2014 season.
| TOP 50 RECEIVERS OF THIS CENTURY | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | St | No | Yards | TD | Points |
| 2007 | Randy Moss | 16 | 6.1 | 93.3 | 1.44 | 18.0 |
| 2014 | Odell Beckham Jr. | 11 | 7.9 | 117.8 | 1.00 | 17.8 |
| 2000 | Terrell Owens | 13 | 7.4 | 111.2 | 1.03 | 17.3 |
| 2003 | Randy Moss | 16 | 6.9 | 102.0 | 1.06 | 16.6 |
| 2011 | Calvin Johnson | 16 | 6.0 | 105.1 | 1.00 | 16.5 |
| 2014 | Antonio Brown | 16 | 8.1 | 106.9 | .94 | 16.3 |
| 2013 | Calvin Johnson | 14 | 6.0 | 106.6 | .86 | 15.8 |
| 2013 | Josh Gordon | 14 | 6.2 | 117.6 | .64 | 15.6 |
| 2009 | Miles Austin | 12 | 6.3 | 103.3 | .83 | 15.3 |
| 2002 | Terrell Owens | 14 | 7.1 | 92.9 | 1.00 | 15.3 |
| 2001 | Marvin Harrison | 16 | 6.8 | 95.3 | .94 | 15.2 |
| 2003 | Torry Holt | 16 | 7.3 | 106.0 | .75 | 15.1 |
| 2007 | Terrell Owens | 15 | 5.4 | 90.3 | 1.00 | 15.0 |
| 2002 | Marvin Harrison | 16 | 8.9 | 107.6 | .71 | 15.0 |
| 2001 | Terrell Owens | 16 | 5.8 | 88.3 | 1.00 | 14.8 |
| 2007 | Andre Johnson | 9 | 6.7 | 94.6 | .89 | 14.8 |
| 2004 | Muhsin Muhammad | 16 | 5.8 | 87.8 | 1.00 | 14.8 |
| 2000 | Randy Moss | 16 | 4.8 | 89.8 | .96 | 14.7 |
| 2011 | Victor Cruz | 14 | 5.7 | 108.5 | .64 | 14.7 |
| 2005 | Steve Smith | 16 | 6.4 | 97.7 | .81 | 14.6 |
| 2004 | Terrell Owens | 14 | 5.5 | 85.7 | 1.00 | 14.6 |
| 2014 | Jordy Nelson | 16 | 6.1 | 94.9 | .81 | 14.4 |
| 2014 | Demaryius Thomas | 16 | 6.9 | 101.2 | .71 | 14.4 |
| 2014 | Dez Bryant | 16 | 5.5 | 82.5 | 1.00 | 14.3 |
| 2013 | Demaryius Thomas | 16 | 5.8 | 89.4 | .88 | 14.2 |
| 2012 | Calvin Johnson | 16 | 7.6 | 122.8 | .31 | 14.2 |
| 2008 | Anquan Boldin | 12 | 7.4 | 86.5 | .92 | 14.2 |
| 2000 | Marvin Harrison | 16 | 6.4 | 88.3 | .88 | 14.1 |
| 2007 | Braylon Edwards | 16 | 5.0 | 80.6 | 1.00 | 14.1 |
| 2012 | Brandon Marshall | 16 | 7.4 | 94.3 | .69 | 13.6 |
| 2011 | Jordy Nelson | 16 | 4.3 | 78.9 | .94 | 13.5 |
| 2001 | Rod Smith | 15 | 7.5 | 89.5 | .76 | 13.5 |
| 2008 | Larry Fitzgerald | 16 | 6.0 | 89.4 | .75 | 13.4 |
| 2007 | Larry Fitzgerald | 15 | 6.7 | 93.9 | .67 | 13.4 |
| 2000 | Rod Smith | 16 | 6.3 | 100.1 | .56 | 13.4 |
| 2005 | Torry Holt | 14 | 7.3 | 95.1 | .64 | 13.4 |
| 2009 | Andre Johnson | 16 | 6.3 | 98.1 | .58 | 13.3 |
| 2012 | Dez Bryant | 16 | 5.8 | 86.4 | .77 | 13.3 |
| 2007 | Reggie Wayne | 16 | 6.5 | 94.4 | .63 | 13.2 |
| 2011 | Wes Welker | 16 | 7.6 | 98.1 | .56 | 13.2 |
| 2002 | Hines Ward | 16 | 7.0 | 83.1 | .81 | 13.2 |
| 2010 | Brandon Lloyd | 16 | 4.8 | 90.5 | .69 | 13.2 |
| 2010 | Hakeem Nicks | 13 | 6.1 | 80.9 | .85 | 13.2 |
| 2005 | Anquan Boldin | 14 | 7.3 | 100.1 | .52 | 13.2 |
| 2004 | Javon Walker | 16 | 5.6 | 86.4 | .75 | 13.1 |
| 2010 | Andre Johnson | 13 | 6.6 | 93.5 | .62 | 13.0 |
| 2013 | A.J. Green | 16 | 6.1 | 89.1 | .69 | 13.0 |
| 2006 | Marvin Harrison | 16 | 5.9 | 85.4 | .75 | 13.0 |
| 2014 | Julio Jones | 15 | 6.9 | 106.3 | .40 | 13.0 |
| 2004 | Joe Horn | 16 | 5.9 | 87.4 | .71 | 13.0 |
—Ian Allan