I was a big believer in Ted Ginn Jr. in 2008. I thought he had the chance to really be a breakout wide receiver, but he fell well short with just 56 catches, 790 yards and 2 TD. As we prepare for the start of the 2009 campaign, I find myself back in the same quandary. Could this be the year that Ginn emerges as a must start fantasy option?

He did take a step forward last season, improving from 34 catches and 420 yards in his rookie season, though it wasn’t enough for him to crack our Top 25 (click here to view). Part of that can be credited to the presence of a steady quarterback in Chad Pennington, who was able to get him the ball consistently and allow him to make plays.

The touchdowns are a concern, with Anthony Fasano leading the way with seven. A lot of that likely had to do with Pennington’s adjusting to the offense. Part could be due to the offense itself.

Remember, this is the team that brought the Wildcat offense to the NFL. Ronnie Brown saw some time behind center, though he only threw three passes. Still, with him rushing for 10 TD, as well as Ricky Williams getting four, there weren’t that many opportunities to score via the air.

Ginn helped to offset that by getting two touchdowns on the ground. I know, four TDs are not going to blow your socks off. Still, with continued growth and Pennington settling in, I could easily see him adding a few more TDs this season.

The Dolphins face the Falcons, who boasted the 21st best passing defense in the league last season. While they added DT Peria Jerry through the draft, that does little to improve the passing defense. Ginn enters the season as the team’s #1 receiver and I easily could see him posting a solid game.

Last season he had a pair of seven catch games, but only once surpassing 100 yards. I wouldn’t expect him to get there, at least not in Week 1. As for what I would expect him to do:

Receiving – 5 receptions, 83 yards, 1 TD

Those are stats that I’d take on my team and are certainly usable. Maybe I’m a little too optimistic, but I’d recommend having him in my line-up for Week 1.

What do you think? Is Ginn a player that you think is worth using in Week 1? Why or why not?

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