Who are the big-play, breakout WRs for 2010? 

December, 28, 2009
12/28/09
3:06
PM ET
Each week, I tend to play it safe with my wide receiver rankings, trusting the options that get the most targets, receptions, yards and touchdowns. This should be no surprise. But when it comes to projecting the long-term future, looking for the next DeSean Jackson, for example, there are a number of rookies you should be watching now, as they audition for bigger roles in 2010.

The Eagles' Jackson isn't the perfect comparison for this exercise, since he did catch 62 passes as a rookie, but his jump in value from even his rookie year to this year is just what fantasy owners hope for. The Eagles realized quickly the gamebreaker they had; Jackson doesn't catch a ton of passes, but he is put into situations to make big plays. Jackson's 14.7 yards-per-catch average last season, the highest among all rookies, indicated his big-play capabilities.

This season, we have quite a few players accomplishing this, and in each case I think it's a clear harbinger of better things to come, maybe even at the Pro Bowl level we see Jackson performing at. Jackson was "only" 21st in the league in average yards per reception a season ago, but he was much closer to the top when it came to plays of 20-plus yards. That's what I'm looking at today, rookie wide receivers you might seldom think about using who have the potential to be Jackson types, home run hitters, based on an impressive yards-per-catch average. Here are three I've been tracking the past month, and will surely look at next season.


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Eric Karabell | email

ESPN.com Senior Writer

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