No.1 Target: Terrelle Pryor has successfully
made the transition from quarterback to wide receiver.
Grab a Helmet
Terrelle
Pryor @ BAL (Thu): Way back in August of 2013, I tabbed
Pryor as an ultra-athletic super-sleeper who, if given an opportunity
to play quarterback in Oakland, might surprise some folks. He did
and he sorta did, but before we had a chance to get really excited,
the Raiders moved on from him, convinced he couldn’t succeed longer-term
at QB. It took the former Buckeye longer than that, but after several
more teams (and pink slips), he came to the same realization and
officially made the position switch. Good thing for Cleveland he
did. The Browns were supposed to be in the capable hands of Josh
Gordon and first-round pick Corey Coleman by now, but the former
is out of football and the latter has struggled to stay healthy.
That’s left Pryor as the unquestioned WR1 and he has not disappointed
(10.0 FPts/G). He’s a must-start.
Ty
Montgomery @ TEN: Montgomery’s another of those rare
NFL shapeshifters who started life as a WR but has found a home
as a RB. If that seems like an even odder transformation than Pryor’s,
consider what Mike McCarthy had to say this week: ““I think you
have to get past his [jersey] number. He’s a 222-pound man. He’s
physical, he’s strong.” Raise your hand if you knew Montgomery was
that heavy. By way of comparison, the current overall No.1 at the
RB position, Melvin Gordon, weighs 215 pounds. David Johnson, who
sits right behind him, weighs 224. Montgomery has the bulk to handle
the rigors of the position, doesn’t need to come off the field on
passing downs, and (most importantly) is gaining almost nine yards
per carry. In other words, positions smositions. Get him in your
lineups posthaste and enjoy watching No.88 take handoffs from Aaron
Rodgers.
Michael
Thomas v. DEN: We’ve got quarterbacks playing wide receiver
and wide receivers playing running back. Doesn’t anyone just play
the position they were drafted to play anymore? Thomas certainly
does and he’s playing it better than any other rookie so far and,
frankly, most veterans. Through eight career games, he’s tallied
87.3 points, good for 13th overall and just a shade fewer than the
aforementioned Pryor. He’s also commanding almost eight targets
per contest, easily the highest rate amongst rookie receivers. The
Saints were hoping for Marques Colston 2.0 when they drafted this
other Buckeye great and he’s absolutely delivered on that promise.
I probably still want Brandin Cooks on a game-in, game-out basis,
but Thomas’ ideal size (6’3”, 212 lbs.) makes him a red-zone threat
pretty much every time out. Don’t be scared away by Denver’s elite
stop unit. Brees and his Saints can score on anyone.
Grab Some Wood
DeVante
Parker @ SD: I’ve already told you why steering clear
of Ryan Tannehill is advisable (no volume, no production), but
even the least aerially-inclined teams have to throw the football
at some point and that means there could still be value at wide
receiver on a run-heavy team. It just so happens there is for
the Dolphins, but that valued wide receiver isn’t named DeVante
Parker. Try Jarvis Landry or, failing that, Kenny Stills. In the
six games since he commanded 13 targets in his 2016 debut, the
former Louisville standout has only been thrown to 27 times. That’s
not even five per game and fewer than half the number of times
Landry has been targeted. Simply put, it’s rare for Ryan Tannehill
to put the ball in the air. It’s rarer still for him to float
it DeVante Parker’s way. Find someone else as the playoffs draw
nigh.
DeSean
Jackson v. MIN: It’s starting to look increasingly
likely that Jackson will be wearing a(nother) different uniform
next season. There were high hopes in this, a contract year, that
he and Kirk Cousins could hook up for some of those patented explosion
plays they seemed to perfect when the former Eagle first joined
the squad. It simply hasn’t happened. Jay Gruden has moved decidedly
toward a more dink-and-dunk, TE-centric attack that has put the
‘Skins in good shape for the homestretch, but left Jackson, presumably,
feeling marginalized. He’s averaging a career-worst 13.9 yards/catch
and now faces off against a Minnesota secondary that's yielded
an NFL-low 17.2 passer rating on throws 20 yards downfield or
farther. Unless Washington falls desperately behind – and I’m
not sure the Vikes can score enough to run away and hide from
anyone – the dynamic Jackson isn’t likely to be a vital part of
the gameplan.
Brandon
LaFell @ NYG (Mon): LaFell is having one of his better
seasons as a pro, actually, and looked as recently as Week 7 like
a guy you could sneak into your lineup for some better-than-average
bye week coverage. What happened between then and now to turn
me bearish? Tyler Eifert happened. After getting his sea legs
against the Browns, Eifert exploded back into fantasy relevance
with a 12-target, nine-reception, 102-yard, one-TD performance
in the London OT thriller against Washington. That’s great
news for the Bengals but bad news for LaFell, who managed just
two targets and a single grab for six measly yards in that same
game. Maybe there’s no correlation, but I’ve watched
enough Cincy action to know the pecking order goes A.J. Green,
then Eifert, then everyone else. Be thankful for the gifts LaFell
delivered early this year, but then be willing to move on from
him.
