Note: Special FanDuel offer -- Deposit today and you'll get five free entries to NFL beginner contests (up to $50 in value). Finish anywhere in the top-half of those contests to win cash! Claim your entries now.
2016 Fantasy Football Rankings: Standard | PPR
If you watched the Texans preseason game against the Cardinals, you now know why Will Fuller was a first-round pick. You just can't teach speed.
Fuller was targeted four times by Brock Osweiler, catching three of them for 67 yards and a touchdown. The first was a deep lob perfectly placed for Fuller to haul it in after getting a step on cornerback Justin Bethel. His next pass, also a deep bomb, bounced off of Fuller's hands. Later they connected on a short curl route for 6 yards before Osweiler dialed Fuller up three plays later on a 26-yard bomb for a score.
Not to anyone's surprise, Fuller ran mostly deep routes. It's not always easy to tell off of the television broadcast, but it looked like only three of Fuller's 14 routes run were inside of 10 yards. He played 20 of 21 snaps with Osweiler.
Sure looks like the prototypical boom-or-bust speed receiver we've come to know in Fantasy. One week he'll post insane numbers, the next he won't be as lucky. Think Ted Ginn, Jr. from last year.
Fuller is a fun Fantasy receiver to draft but not count on week in and week out. If you like playing the matchups, Fuller could be a neat option to put into lineups, potentially as soon as Week 1 against a poor Bears pass defense. But against tougher defenses, you'd be better off going with someone else. Besides, his targets should pale in comparison to those of DeAndre Hopkins. Round 10 is the safest spot to draft Fuller.
What does Trevor Siemian do for Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders as the Broncos starting quarterback? He shouldn't hurt them -- he's got good short- and mid-range accuracy, can move in the pocket, is smart and knows how to throw them open. The downside is Siemian shouldn't be asked to carry the whole offense on his shoulders like Peyton Manning once did. That means fewer pass attempts and fewer targets for the receivers. Where they're both ranked now -- Thomas as a No. 2 receiver and Sanders as a borderline No. 3 option -- is fair.
Watching Jameis Winston throw all over the place against the Browns last week reminded me of the tendencies of Dirk Koetter. It's not that the Bucs coach is pass-happy, it's that he has consistently ridden the coattails of best playmakers on his roster. Is that Doug Martin or is that Jameis Winston and by extension the receivers? Moreover, Koetter might not have a choice given how the defense has played. Jackson is back in the conversation as a late-round receiver to pad depth for your team while Evans solidifies his status as a Top 10 Fantasy receiver. A tougher schedule awaits both of them after Week 1 at Atlanta.
Aside from Josh Gordon and Will Fuller, Diggs was the receiver who improved his Fantasy stock the most. He had been improving all summer, but watching him carve up the Chargers on a number of different routes with his speed, quickness and crisp cuts should get you excited. It's the lack of touchdowns that might slow your roll -- Vikings receivers in the Adrian Peterson era tend to score just a handful of times. Diggs is a great bench Fantasy receiver with a chance to be a starter in PPR formats. He should get off to a hot start this season.
We wouldn't know Brown if it wasn't for football, and some of you might not know of him if it wasn't for Fantasy Football. He's a terrific player with great speed who plays in a fun, pass-friendly offense. Hopefully he finds a way to resolve the issue surrounding his headaches following a concussion and gets back on the field soon. The reward for Fantasy owners who draft him at his depressed value is obvious.
