For whatever reason, let's talk about WRs today. What's the deal with Jordan Matthews? Why has this preseason top 20 fantasy receiver accumulated only 4-5-4-3 points since Week 3? Well, dropped balls have been a problem. So have Sam Bradford's errant passes. But let's face it: While Matthews has been unstartable for most of the season, he's the 13th most targeted flex player in the league. If he and Bradford figure things out--if they develop the chemistry that he and Mark Sanchez had last year (remember, Matthews did very little until Nick Foles got hurt)--then Matthews can return to WR2+ status. If you can afford to stash him and want to take the risk, trade for him for 50 cents on the dollar.
Same goes for Mike Evans, though I was skeptical of him entering the season. Here's what I wrote about him on this blog in June:
"I wouldn’t reach for him. 43% of his 2014 production came in weeks 9-11. His 12 TDs were a fluke when you consider that the Bucs were 29th in rushing yards and 27th in rushing TDs. There was no balance to the offense. Evans accounted for 43% of the team’s offensive TDs. Vincent Jackson? 7%. None of this is sustainable"
So we're witnessing "Regressed Evans." My suggestion: Wait it out. While Jameis Winston isn't lighting the NFL on fire, he's still only a rookie, and he has premier (Evans) and recently premier (VJax) receivers at his disposal. The connections will happen. Give it time. And trade for Evans on the cheap if you want a 50-50 shot at WR1 production during the fantasy playoffs.
On the flip side, here are two WRs who are poised to bust out. Stefon Diggs is unowned in 76% of ESPN leagues. He has 13 receptions and over 200 yards in his past two games. 30 minutes before kickoff Sunday, I pleaded with the Twitterverse to take Diggs more seriously (https://twitter.com/bjrudell/status/655783053772636160). At a time when many people are trying to fill their lineups due to byes and injuries, he's not only a short-term fix, but Minnesota's potential #1 WR going forward.
Dorial Green-Beckham has been eased into Tennessee's offense, topping out at six targets this past weekend. While Marcus Mariota's injury might mean a short-term hit to his value, DGB has a very good shot of becoming the Titans' #1 or #2 fantasy WR starting Week 10 or 11. If you have capacity, this is a great time to add someone unowned in nearly 90% of ESPN leagues.
Same goes for Mike Evans, though I was skeptical of him entering the season. Here's what I wrote about him on this blog in June:
"I wouldn’t reach for him. 43% of his 2014 production came in weeks 9-11. His 12 TDs were a fluke when you consider that the Bucs were 29th in rushing yards and 27th in rushing TDs. There was no balance to the offense. Evans accounted for 43% of the team’s offensive TDs. Vincent Jackson? 7%. None of this is sustainable"
So we're witnessing "Regressed Evans." My suggestion: Wait it out. While Jameis Winston isn't lighting the NFL on fire, he's still only a rookie, and he has premier (Evans) and recently premier (VJax) receivers at his disposal. The connections will happen. Give it time. And trade for Evans on the cheap if you want a 50-50 shot at WR1 production during the fantasy playoffs.
On the flip side, here are two WRs who are poised to bust out. Stefon Diggs is unowned in 76% of ESPN leagues. He has 13 receptions and over 200 yards in his past two games. 30 minutes before kickoff Sunday, I pleaded with the Twitterverse to take Diggs more seriously (https://twitter.com/bjrudell/status/655783053772636160). At a time when many people are trying to fill their lineups due to byes and injuries, he's not only a short-term fix, but Minnesota's potential #1 WR going forward.
Dorial Green-Beckham has been eased into Tennessee's offense, topping out at six targets this past weekend. While Marcus Mariota's injury might mean a short-term hit to his value, DGB has a very good shot of becoming the Titans' #1 or #2 fantasy WR starting Week 10 or 11. If you have capacity, this is a great time to add someone unowned in nearly 90% of ESPN leagues.