Second round receiver review
After ripping on Limas Sweed last night, I thought it would be a good time to quickly check on the other nine receivers taken in the second round to see how they are doing and where I see them going in keeper/dynasty leagues. They are listed in order of where they were drafted overall. I'll look at five in this post, five in the next post, then rank them.
33. Donnie Avery: A huge pleasant surprise, with WR3 stats (543 total yards, 3 TDs). A great deep threat with game-breaking speed.
Outlook: Still somewhat raw, so the ceiling is high. Should be a fantasy contributor for a long time and a potential annual WR2.
34. Devin Thomas: Landed in a great situation, but hasn't done much with it. 11 catches for 77 yards.
Outlook: Was the first drafted rookie wideout in most keeper leagues, but certainly wouldn't be now. He seemed immature in training camp and was behind fellow rook Malcolm Kelly before Kelly got hurt. Maturation will help Thomas, but the jury is out about how much he'll contribute. Don't give up hope yet.
36. Jordy Nelson: Heady, physical threat has done well when given playing time as Green Bay's third receiver. 21 catches, 247 yards, and a lot of impressive blocks.
Outlook: With James Jones always hurt Nelson now looks like the better long term bet to replace Donald Driver. A nice keeper in a pass-first offense.
41. James Hardy: Red zone threat (two touchdowns) has struggled to gain separation anywhere else on the field. 9 catches for 87 yards. Hasn't taken advantage of injuries around him.
Outlook: Now behind seventh-round rookie Steve Johnson, there are serious doubts about Hardy's development. I wasn't optimistic about Hardy before the draft, so perhaps I'm biased, but nothing has changed my mind.
42. Eddie Royal: At the time, people thought this pick was a stretch and that Royal would only be a return specialist. Extremely polished for a rookie, Royal is the perfect fit opposite Brandon Marshall as a possession receiver with ability to produce at any pass level. 659 yards and four TDs. Top-15 fantasy wideout.
Outlook: Playing with Marshall and Cutler should keep Royal a top-20 fantasy wideout for a long time, especially in PPR leagues. A massive steal in dynasty leagues.
Comments
Please comment on the Bears third round pick Earl Bennett. What a joke.
Posted by: billbixby219 | November 21, 2008 11:06 AM
Please comment on the Bears third round pick Earl Bennett. What a joke.
Posted by: billbixby219 | November 21, 2008 11:06 AM
I'm going to use my first round pick to grab a WR this year in my PPR dynasty league. I hope you have some commentary following the draft about the rookies and their dynasty prospects.
Posted by: Jesse | November 21, 2008 12:57 PM