Dez Bryant should be drafted as a top 3 WR in all fantasy draft formats coming off a 92 catch, 1,382 yards and 12 TD season. You'll rarely get such verifiable truth out of an NFL player. After Week 10 last season, Tony Romo told reporters that Dez Bryant had "come 180 degrees, almost full circle." In other words: Dez's long-dormant light-switch had gone on. And in the seven games that followed, Bryant caught 47 passes for 792 yards and nine TDs. He ran exactly where he was supposed to run. He caught the ball. He streaked past defenders. In short, he was unstoppable. We understand if you have anxiety about making Bryant a top-five wideout, because he spent his first 2.5 NFL seasons teasing fantasy owners. But the tape doesn't lie. Bryant was so good in the second half last year, we believe he's here to stay.
Honorable Mention: Jason Witten had a career-high 110 catches in 2012, and he also added 1,039 yards. Those are stud TE numbers. The 2012 season marked the fourth time since 2007 he's had at least 94 catches and 1,000 receiving yards. The main knock on Witten is that he isn't often found hittin' the end zone. His 3 TDs in 2012 and only 5 TDs in 2011 leave something to be desired. Now, we don't expect Witten to turn in so many catches this year, but 80 catches for 940 yards and 5 TDs are realistic numbers. Those are essentially the numbers he corraled in the 2012 season. Witten also has Tony Romo's eye since he led the team and all tight ends with 147 targets, and we expect Romo to continue looking in Witten's direction a lot. He's worth drafting as early as Round 4 in leagues with his value slightly higher in PPR formats.