Size matters among wideouts but speed still kills

	Steve Smith is just 5-foot-9, but he's among the elite fantasy receivers this season. John Biever/SI

By Bob Harris, Special to SI.com, FootballDiehards.com

Sorry fellas, size really does matter -- at least when it comes to NFL receivers.

Those looking for proof of that corollary need look no further than last Sunday's Lions-Cardinals game where Detroit's 6-foot-2, 212-pound Roy Williams and Arizona's 6-foot-3, 221-pound Larry Fitzgerald dominated each other's respective secondary thanks in large part to their size and physical style of play.

Fitzgerald pulled in nine passes for 141 yards and a touchdown against the Lions. Williams finished the day with seven catches for 117 yards and three TDs, relying on his size, strength and imposing stature to demonstrate just how effective a combination that can be.

So yes, size clearly matters. But make no mistake about it: Speed still kills.

And supporting that theory requires nothing more than a review of current NFL receiving stats where the three men at the top of the list rely more on speed than size. Here's a closer look:

1. Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers

Smith leads the NFL with 937 receiving yards and is second in the league with 58 catches. His nine touchdowns also are tops amongst the league's wideouts.

And the disparity in production between Smith and the other Carolina receivers is indicative of his dominance. Smith has 40 more catches than anyone else on the team and 44 catches more than the next best wide receiver (Keary Colbert).

According to reports out of Chicago, this week's opponent, the Bears, have been pressing former Panther Muhsin Muhammad for tips on how to stop his former teammate. The scouting report on Smith is pretty simple.

"He's pretty fast," Muhammad said. "He ran like a 4.2 in the grass last year, so he's a dude that can move and he's aggressive.

"He's got a real good stiff-arm. If he makes a catch, you've got to get him on the ground and close quick on him because he's got some good speed."

Smith's speed keeps defenses worrying about the deep ball, then he'll get underneath coverage to make catches -- and then score from anywhere on the field once he makes the catch.

And it's that speed and ability to score on any given play that makes Smith such a dangerous threat -- and such an effective fantasy prospect. It's a combination that few teams -- and certainly not Minnesota's Fred Smoot -- have been able to counter.

Only Green Bay, New England and the Jets have held Smith in check so far. He had two catches for 12 yards against the Packers, four grabs for 34 yards against the Patriots and three receptions for 34 yards against New York.

The Panthers' Oct. 30 win over the Vikings, in which Smith torched Smoot for 11 catches and 201 yards -- with a 69-yard touchdown, is the other end of that spectrum.