Stefon Diggs is gunning for his third-straight
100-yd receiving game. Up next, the Bears secondary.
Grab a Helmet
Golden
Tate v. KC (in London): It seems potentially curse-inducing
to fire Vince Lombardi’s grandson and promote a guy named Jim Bob
Cooter (seriously?) to the offensive coordinator spot. Then again,
we ARE talking about the Lions. Maybe it’s a double-reverse-the-curse
maneuver that pays immediate dividends? The timing of the change
couldn’t be better if Detroit’s shot callers are trying to set Cooter
up for instant success. Kansas City has been really bad against
the pass this year and especially so against wide receivers (dead
last). Tate’s at least the rough equivalent of Nate Washington,
James Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Marquess Wilson, and Jarius Wright, isn’t
he? Those five have combined to average 96.4 yards per against the
Chiefs. Don’t even bother asking how Andy Reid’s boys have fared
against WR1s (hint: it’s ugly). Cooter inherits the perfect weapons
to set the KC secondary ablaze so get in on the action.
Stefon
Diggs @ CHI: Player comparisons based on small sample
sizes aren’t necessarily statistically significant, but they sure
are fun. For instance, remember that sensational class of rookie
wide receivers we were buzzing about last year? Here’s what headliner
Odell Beckham, Jr.’s first three games looked like: 106 receiving
yards, three TDs, and 29.9 points. Good stuff, but the 2015 draft
class was taking notes. Here’s what Amari Cooper contributed his
first three games as a Raider: 290 yards, one score, and 35 points.
Really impressive work, but it’s still not the best three-game split
by a rookie receiver the past two years. Here’s what Diggs accomplished
his first three games in Minneapolis: 324 yards, one score, and
39.3 points. For some historical perspective, Randy Moss tallied
121 yards, three scores, and 30.1 points as a new Viking way back
in 1998. Safe to say Diggs is in good company?
James
Jones @ DEN: Jones practically invented the small sample
size back in 2012, during his first tour of duty with the Pack.
Despite commanding just 98 targets that season (40th overall), he
finished up 16th overall at the position in terms of fantasy production
thanks to 14 touchdown receptions, more than any other wideout.
It seemed like a statistical anomaly when he regressed in 2013 and
then wandered off to Oakland in 2014, but most forget the Pack was
without Aaron Rodgers the last half of that 2013 season. Jones is
now back in Wisconsin, Rodgers never left, and they’ve clearly rekindled
that once beautiful relationship. Through seven weeks, Jones has
been targeted only 29 times, but is ranked 11th overall at WR and
is tied for 1st in TD grabs. You simply can’t get more bang for
your target buck in the NFL. Start Jones regardless of matchup.
Grab Some Wood
Terrance
Williams v. SEA: He’s no Dez Bryant but he’s been pretty
good (8.8 pts/game) as the de facto No.1 for Dallas in Dez’s absence.
That’s more of a compliment than it sounds like when you consider
the Cowboys have also lost their franchise triggerman, their ostensible
No.1 RB (Joseph Randle), and also their third-down specialist
(Lance Dunbar). Simply put, Williams and Darren McFadden are the
only explosive Dallas athletes opponents even need to concern
themselves with. If you think that makes them marked men against
Pete Carroll’s Seahawks, you’re obviously paying attention. The
Hawks have yielded just a single 100-yard receiving day this season
and Randall Cobb did it to them. The next best effort was a 78-yard
effort by A.J. Green in Week 5. No offense to Williams, but he
isn’t on par with those Pro Bowl-caliber players. Matt Cassel
plus the Richard Sherman treatment = no dice. Jimmy
Graham @ DAL: The most ballyhooed acquisition of the
2015 season has been really hit and miss through the first seven
weeks, something we probably should have seen coming. In his three
best outings so far, the former Saints star has averaged a very
Graham-like 13 points per game and change. In his other four outings,
though, he’s averaged a very Fiedorowicz-like 2.5 points per.
Wait, Fiedorowicz? Yeah, I’d never heard of him either. Obviously,
you can look forward to more stellar outings in the coming weeks,
but if you’re worried about the inconsistency and always consider
matchups, you might further consider sitting Graham down in Week
8. Dallas is third overall against the position, has only surrendered
one TD pass to tight ends, and held Gronk to his worst 2015 performance
in Week 5. Play it safe if you can afford to and sit Jimmy Graham.
Torrey
Smith @ STL: If you’re looking for the prototypical
touchdown-dependent wide receiver, the true feast-or-famine option,
Smith is definitely your guy. When he scores, as he did in Weeks
2 and 6, he is absolutely a relevant option. When he doesn’t…well,
hope you like those low single-digit tallies he’s throwing
up there. There’s no denying Smith has a different gear
than most wideouts. There’s also no denying that, on paper,
pairing him with a strong-armed QB like Colin Kaepernick sounds
like sweet fantasy synergy. The problem, of course, is that Kap
often can’t hit the broad side of a barn and that makes
Smith essentially worthless. He has 14 receptions in 2015. Here’s
a short list of receivers who have more: Chris Hogan, Taylor Gabriel,
Lance Moore, Bryan Walters, and Ryan Grant. FYI: I had to Google
two of those guys. Only if you’re playing with house money,
folks.
