Anthony Gonzalez may have lost more stock this season than any fantasy player in recent memory. And it obviously was not because he missed most of the season due to injury.

The Colts’ passing game barely missed a beat after Gonzo went down early in the year, thanks in whole to the play of both Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon. Neither was a popular name heading into 2009, but both exit as household fantasy names heading into the offseason.

Collie was ranked here as a middle-of-the-pack rookie receiver last summer. I thought he had a lot of upside and landed in the right place for a receiver of his skill set. It took the injury to Gonzalez to guarantee his success this year, otherwise he might still be buried at No. 4 on the depth chart.

Garcon, meanwhile, really has become a star this postseason. When he makes a catch, it looks like Reggie Wayne making a catch. I suppose it is not a stretch to think that Garcon has imitated Wayne, a proven NFL veteran.

So what becomes of the Colts’ passing game in 2010? Peyton Manning will enter the season as a top-3 fantasy quarterback along with Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. Wayne should return as a top-10 receiver on most boards. Garcon and Collie will be popular WR2/3 draft picks.

And Gonzalez? Touted as a huge mid-round sleeper heading into 2009, he will be nothing more than a late-round flier next season granted all of these players return and stay healthy throughout the offseason.

Previous “Thoughts on …” posts:

• Julian Edelman
• Shonn Greene

Here are today’s great reads:

• Listen up kids: Playing football video games — Madden, NCAA — can make you a better real-life football player one day. Make sure your parents know this! [Deadspin]
• Tim Tebow’s venture into the National Football League got off to a very, very rocky start at Senior Bowl practice this week. And now it is being reported that he has strep throat. Awful start. [Shutdown Corner]
• Sure, Adrian Peterson put the ball on the turf a lot on Sunday night. But his fumble numbers are not quite as bad as people think, although they really are not encouraging either. [The Big Lead]
• If you really, really, really need to do a fantasy football mock draft for 2010 … [Fantasy Football Calculator]
• Several NFL players are candidates for fantasy bounce-back player of the year next season, including — and especially — Detroit wide receiver Calvin Johnson. [CBSSports.com]

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