Saturday
Edition
October
12th, 2013
David’s
Daily Digest
Week 6: Diamonds in the Rough
After
five weeks of NFL action if some fantasy owners are anything like me, injuries
and poor play are now playing havoc with my weekly line-ups; what's an owner to
do. Fortunately for the waiver wire, but when the well starts to run dry and it
is amazing how fast that can happen after just five weeks, where do we look for
help.
In
general I have managed to find early success in most of my fantasy league, but
entering week 6 I am seeing some holes here and there that I now need to
address. Where do I find my help?
The
waiver wire has been a friend this season as it usually has in most, but with
the talent well drying up, it's time to start really looking deep for that
hidden talent or talent that has yet to shine; or what I like to call
"Diamonds in the Rough." There's been some evidence of a few, and
with the season moving along and no time to spare I believe now is the time to
start making some moves and taking some chances that could pay big dividends.
Last
week the Houston Texans lost tight end Owen
Daniels for an extended period of time (min 8 weeks) and suddenly Garrett Graham looks like a polished
gem. Graham will move into the starting role and likely assume the number tight
end position in the passing game. It's not like Graham has been a stranger to
the Texans passing game, through five games he has 15 receptions, including 3
touchdowns, and 141 yards receiving on 21 targets. The Texans like to use the
tight end a lot and run a lot of sets with multiple tight ends. With Daniels
out, Graham should see a significant rise in his targets and greater
production. He definitely needs to be owned and could be a diamond that's ready
to shine as a low-end TE1 or high TE2 (up to fantasy playoffs).
The
season is long, so fortunately if you keep turning stones, you can uncover
plenty of hidden talent. Injuries will always play a big part in fantasy and
one's misfortune is often another's big break which could be the case for
Falcons wide receiver Harry Douglas.
With a foot injury cutting the season of Julio
Jones short, Douglas is suddenly elevated to a fantasy starting role.
Through five games Douglas has been relatively quiet, more of a complimentary
piece to Jones and (Roddy) White, but could now see his 5.2
targets per game greatly increased. While Douglas may be limited as a scoring
threat for standard leagues, he's a diamond that will offer great appeal in PPR
leagues and leagues with yardage bonuses.
One
more jewel from my notebook is another wide receiver that's there's not a lot
of talk about at the moment; the Chargers Vincent
Brown. In 2011 Brown came on to the scene and looked like a young up-and-coming
talent for the Chargers; that was before injury would end his 2012 campaign
after two weeks. Brown is healthy and with the whole complexion of the Chargers
receiving core much different now, he has a chance to emerge as one of
quarterback Philip Rivers’ go-to
receivers. Over the past two weeks Brown has not been lighting it up, but there
are signs this kids is warming up; 15 reception and 158 yards receiving on 18
targets. I don't believe these numbers are misleading, Brown has talent and
with the lack of a reliable ground game Rivers is going to continue to put the
ball in the air. Grab this diamond before his shine is too great to hide.
That's
my take.
~David
Ortega
