Will Fuller Breaks His Collarbone
Another year in the offseason program, a rededication towards improving his drop issues, and an exciting rookie QB to generate renewed hype in the speedster, Will Fuller was beginning to look like a sneaky post-hype buy. Then, news broke last Wednesday that he suffered a broken collarbone. Early reports out of Houston set a timetable for Fuller’s return at 5-8 weeks, meaning he will be out of commission for the rest of camp, and potentially, the first quarter of the season.
Advice: In the short term, it’s concerning that he’s missing valuable time to develop chemistry with Deshaun Watson and Tom Savage early. Additionally, collarbone injuries, to include reacquiring a complete and natural range of motion, can be difficult to recover from. Still, this is merely a drop in the bucket for Fuller’s career and the fact that he didn’t injure anything that would impact his trademark speed in the long-term is noteworthy. Fuller’s current ADP sits somewhere around 120th overall, a price that could be acquired with a mid-to-late 2nd round rookie pick. At an already decent value, acquiring him for anything less than that could be a steal. Lastly, a possible beneficiary from Fuller’s injury and a sneaky player to target in leagues could be CJ Fiedorowicz. Albeit, in a limited sample last year, his reception and yardage numbers increased when Fuller was not in the lineup last year and an inexperienced QB might enjoy checking down to his tight end often.
Dalvin Cook Impresses Early in Camp
Once nearing consensus 1.01 rookie draft pick status, Dalvin Cook’s poor performance at the Combine and off-field concerns likely resulted in him falling into the second round of the NFL draft, raining on his fantasy parade. Since then, the reviews of Cook have been nothing short of spectacular. Throughout the offseason, beat writers, coaches, and most recently teammates, have been heaping praise on the way the rookie has handled himself and how he has looked in padless practices.
Advice: Cook’s fall from the top always seemed a bit “overreaction-y,” but if we were to believe all the pre-Draft reports, it may have been just plain dumb. What should be exciting for owners is the 100% consistency of positive reviews since May, with words like “special” and “workhorse,” being tossed around by a group accustomed to watching Adrian Peterson go through the same drills. Cook seems to be a lock for #1 RB duties in Minnesota with Latavius Murray still on the mend, so the early projections for 200-300 carries shouldn’t be out of the question. If you don’t already have Cook rostered, it’s worth checking if his owner still values him as a mid-1st round rookie pick and if so, pouncing on the opportunity.
Kevin White Struggling with Confidence
After only two uninspiring seasons in the league, the one-time humble phenom Kevin White has generated the label of bust within the fantasy community. White needed a strong camp to build trust with his new QB, and re-establish himself as the Bears future WR1. Instead, he is reportedly letting his past failures get to his head. Though disputed by White himself, he apparently resorted to watching old college highlights with teammates and coaches to try and regain his mojo.
Advice: Sell. Sell for anything close to what he was obtained for and you’ll be getting a good return on investment. Realistically, acquiring a future 2nd round rookie pick, or a player like Quincy Enunwa, Kenny Britt, and the aforementioned Will Fuller, could be considered a favorable return. Even though he saw significant targets in limited action last year, his catch rate numbers paint the picture of an inefficient WR who will likely struggle to produce now that Cameron Meredith has taken over alpha status among Chicago’s receivers. Speaking of Meredith, the 24-year-old second-year undrafted free agent from Illinois State who is already said to be developing chemistry with new QB Mike Glennon, appears to be a great buy now in anticipation of his value climbing. His recent ADP is pushing up into a more realistic range considering he was on a 200+ PPR point pace last year, but if the owner in your league will accept a future 2nd round pick or a player like Jordan Matthews or CJ Anderson, it’s a worthwhile investment.
Carlos Hyde is No Longer Going to be Cut
Always a somewhat laughable notion, the reports of Carlos Hyde’s loosening grip on his roster spot and the starting gig in San Francisco’s backfield started to die down once the “meaningful” practices started. Joe Williams has struggled to pick up the offense, Tim Hightower received some first team reps due to his familiarity with the offense but has since taken a backseat, and fliers such as Matt Breida and Kyle Juszczyk have been quiet thus far. Meanwhile, Hyde has garnered great reviews and has been looking explosive and versatile in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
Advice: Fear is a great motivator. Any owner who is still wary of the hand-picked rookie overcoming Hyde’s status in the pecking order may still be looking to unload at a discount. At just 25-years-old, Hyde was on a 1200-yard pace last year, averaging a career-best 4.55 yards per carry. Now, he gets to be the lead dog in the same offense that brought us Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. Injuries have always been Hyde’s undoing, but after losing weight this offseason, perhaps he will be better equipped to survive a 16-game slate. At a position where injuries are almost expected, acquiring Hyde for an unproven player like Ameer Abdullah should be a no-brainer. Even swapping an aging veteran like DeMarco Murray is a gamble worth considering that could pay off over the next 4 years.
Jordan Reed Held Out of Practice Due to Toe Injury
The hits just keep on coming. A toe injury that bothered Jordan Reed for much of last season is flaring up again. Though it’s not thought to be serious at this point, any injury news for Reed is troublesome. A veteran with his injury report track record missing practice is typically not concerning for production purposes, but the fact that this issue is seemingly lingering into this season casts further doubt on the notion that he will be operating at 100% in 2017.
Advice: This is tough because while this isn’t a major injury issue by any means, it’s news that isn’t encouraging to hear for a Reed owner, who likely wishes for just one season without an issue. Reed is a difference maker at the TE position, being one of only three or four capable of putting up a 220+ PPR point season. That type of advantage is hard to cast aside. However, with the influx of young talent coming into the tight end position, this year might be a good time to sell relatively high on the oft-injured stud and gain some peace of mind. Recent ADP has young up-and-comers such as Hunter Henry, and the three rookie wunderkinds, OJ Howard, Evan Engram, and David Njoku, 30-40 spots below Reed. That’s enough to warrant asking for a contender’s 1st round rookie pick and an additional player like Eric Decker or Adam Thielen. Not only will a trade like this keep your team competitive, but it is also retooling it for the future.
