X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Spin - Sammy Watkins Moves to L.A.

By Kevin Coleman (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Former first-round pick Sammy Watkins has been traded to the Los Angeles Rams after three seasons in Buffalo. The talented wide receiver currently sits at an ADP of 33 and is the 15th receiver off the board.

Watkins was already a polarizing player on draft boards due to his inconsistency and injury history. This shocking preseason trade will only serve to further confuse fantasy owners who don't know how to rank him among his peers.

Let's examine exactly how this change of scenery will affect his fantasy value for 2017. For instant analysis on the Ezekiel Elliott suspension, check here.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

 

Watkins in L.A. - Blessing in Disguise?

Watkins now joins the Rams newly installed offensive system as the number one option. Head Coach Sean McVay orchestrated a deadly passing attack during his time as offensive coordinator in Washington. Last season, Kirk Cousins finished third in the NFL in passing yards with 4,917 and threw 25 touchdowns. Both Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson finished with over 1,000 yards and three and four touchdowns respectively, slot receiver Jamison Crowder added 847 and seven touchdowns, and both Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis finished with over 500 yards at the tight end position.

In short, McVay airs out the ball, and Watkins should receive heavy targets. In Washington, Garcon received the most targets at 114, followed by Jackson (100), Crowder (99), and Reed (87). The Rams drafted rookie Gerald Everett to take over the Jordan Reed role, but he isn't quite ready yet to handle the volume and usage that Reed received in Washington. Tavon Austin will play as kind of a hybrid of the Crowder and Jackson roles. He'll be the slot receiver, but he's also going to serve as the big play target and is the most dangerous open field weapon the Rams have. Austin was targeted 106 times last year, and I'd expect him to receive somewhere between 90-100 this season.

The rest of the major targets will be shared by Watkins and Robert Woods, his former teammate in Buffalo. When Watkins hit a career high in targets as a rookie with 128, Woods was right behind him with 106. When they appeared together for the final four games of the 2016 season, Watkins out-targeted him 29 to 16. The Rams didn't trade two valuable assets for a guy they don't plan on feeding. I'd anticipate Watkins receives around 130 targets if healthy all season, while Woods will probably drop into the 80 range.

Watkins is going to be the biggest threat in the passing game, and if he's healthy the bigger questions surround the man throwing him the ball. 2016 number one overall draft pick Jared Goff started seven games in a hopeless offensive system. Neither Goff nor the rest of the Rams offense did much of anything positive. The 2016 season is really just a wash for Goff's prospects, and 2017 is the season where he should show us what he's really capable of... which, as of now, is unknown.

The Rams traded up for him for a reason. Sean McVay chose this situation for a reason. People believe in Jared Goff. It's his time to validate their beliefs when he steps onto the field this season. Having Sammy Watkins around certainly increases Jared Goff's fantasy value, but until we see him show us that he can be a solid starter in this league, it's only a negative for Watkins value.

But despite all of these new variables, the biggest concern with drafting Sammy Watkins has nothing to do with his situation. It has to do with his health. Watkins was bothered by an ankle injury in 2015 and was really bothered by a foot injury that placed him on the IR for much of the 2016 season. When he's healthy, he's a beast, and even with the ankle injury and missing games he improved his receiving yards and touchdowns from 2014 to 2015. However, the 2016 season and the recurring foot injury he suffered throughout the season is a major red flag on Watkins' draft stock.

 

Conclusion

If you believed in Sammy Watkins enough to take him before the trade, you should still believe in him now. Yes, Watkins is joining a team who's been historically bad at the receiver position over the past 10 years and has an unproven quarterback throwing him the ball. But Sean McVay isn't Jeff Fisher. He's a young offensive genius who turned Kirk Cousins from a backup into a Pro Bowler. If anyone is going to turn this offense around it's him, and Sammy Watkins now joins Goff and Todd Gurley as the three major players who will make the turnaround possible on the field.

His ADP is likely going to drop thanks to the negative stigma surrounding the Rams offense over recent years and the unfair bust label many have already given Jared Goff. I don't believe his ADP should drop, as his situation is promising and the biggest concern with Watkins hasn't changed because of this trade. He was a high-risk, high-reward pick in the third round. If he falls to the fourth or even the fifth round of your draft, the risk won't be as high, but the reward may be even higher in his new role.

 

More 2017 Fantasy Football & ADP Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Samuel Ersson19 mins ago

Misses Monday Practice
Carolina Panthers23 mins ago

Panthers Haven't Decided Starting QB For Week 10
Connor McDavid24 mins ago

Ahead Of Schedule In Recovery
Jonathon Brooks30 mins ago

Panthers Optimistic Jonathon Brooks Will Debut In Week 10
Philip Broberg31 mins ago

Will Miss Several Weeks With Lower-Body Injury
Derek Carr36 mins ago

To Start In Week 10 For Saints
Valeri Nichushkin37 mins ago

Will Return When First Eligible
Nico Collins44 mins ago

Texans Non-Committal On Nico Collins For Week 10
Erick All Jr.49 mins ago

Officially Out For The Year With Knee Injury
DK Metcalf1 hour ago

Mike Macdonald "Optimistic" DK Metcalf Returns In Week 11
CeeDee Lamb1 hour ago

Tagged As Week-To-Week, Optimism He Can Play In Week 10
Tyler Reddick1 hour ago

Not A Factor At Martinsville And Looks Ahead To Phoenix
Kyle Larson2 hours ago

Misses Advancing Through Playoffs Despite Top-Three Finish
Brad Keselowski2 hours ago

Has A Solid Top-10 Performance At Martinsville
Chase Elliott2 hours ago

Loses Out On Winning At Martinsville
Christian McCaffrey2 hours ago

49ers Open Christian McCaffrey's Practice Window
Zack Moss2 hours ago

No Timetable On Zack Moss' Return
Dak Prescott2 hours ago

Expected To Miss Multiple Weeks, IR Trip A Possibility
Nathan Eovaldi3 hours ago

Declines His Player Option
Devin Williams3 hours ago

Brewers Decline Option On Devin Williams
Michael Wacha3 hours ago

Royals Agree To Three-Year Deal
Reynaldo López3 hours ago

Braves Sign Reynaldo Lopez To Three-Year Deal
Daniel Jones3 hours ago

Remains Giants' Starting QB
Khris Middleton3 hours ago

Remains Sidelined Against Cavaliers
Josh Giddey3 hours ago

Added To Injury Report On Monday
Kevin Huerter3 hours ago

Leaves Shootaround Early, Remains Questionable
Immanuel Quickley3 hours ago

Draws Another Doubtful Status On Monday
Lauri Markkanen3 hours ago

Questionable To Face Bulls
Jakobi Meyers3 hours ago

Has Huge Day In Week 9
D'Angelo Russell3 hours ago

Listed As Probable On Monday
Austin Reaves4 hours ago

Deemed Probable On Monday
Drake London4 hours ago

Likely Dealing With Hip Pointer, Going For More Tests
Las Vegas Raiders4 hours ago

Antonio Pierce Hasn't Decided On Starting QB
De'Anthony Melton4 hours ago

Won't Suit Up On Monday
Caris LeVert4 hours ago

Questionable Against Bucks On Monday
A.J. Brown4 hours ago

Going For MRI Exam On Monday
Kyle Kuzma4 hours ago

Ruled Out Again With Groin Strain
Bucky Irving4 hours ago

Expected To Play On Monday Night
Andrew Wiggins4 hours ago

Probable On Monday Against Wizards
San Antonio Spurs4 hours ago

Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich Out With Health Issue
Keon Coleman6 hours ago

Undergoing Tests On His Wrist Monday
New Orleans Saints6 hours ago

Saints Fire Head Coach Dennis Allen
Rose Namajunas6 hours ago

Drops Decision Matchup
Erin Blanchfield6 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Dustin Stoltzfus7 hours ago

Gets First-Round Knockout At UFC Edmonton
Dak Prescott7 hours ago

Will Undergo MRI On His Hamstring
A.J. Brown7 hours ago

Avoids Major Injury On Sunday
DeVonta Smith7 hours ago

Makes A Case For Catch Of The Year On Touchdown Grab
Zach Hyman7 hours ago

Records Two Points In Battle Of Alberta Win
Marc-Andre Barriault7 hours ago

Knocked Out At UFC Edmonton
Matt Boldy7 hours ago

Hits Overtime Winner Versus Toronto
Jared Spurgeon7 hours ago

Delivers Two Assists In Sunday's Win
Trevin Giles8 hours ago

Losses Third Fight In A Row
Alex Ovechkin8 hours ago

Extends Goal Streak To Four Games
Dmitry Orlov8 hours ago

Nets Two Goals Against Capitals
Jeremy Swayman8 hours ago

Collects First Shutout Of The Season
Connor Bedard8 hours ago

Records Three Assists In Sunday's Win
Mike Malott8 hours ago

Wins Decision At UFC Edmonton
Jamal Murray17 hours ago

Listed As Out On Monday Against Toronto
Bradley Beal17 hours ago

Questionable Going Into Monday Night's Matchup Against Philadelphia
Rudy Gobert17 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday Night
Zach LaVine17 hours ago

Listed As Questionable On Monday
NASCAR17 hours ago

Speeding Penalty Foils Martin Truex Jr.'s Last Realistic Shot At Winning
Denny Hamlin17 hours ago

Fails To Advance To Championship 4 But Runs Well
Shane Van Gisbergen17 hours ago

Shane van Gisbergen Earns Best Oval Finish at Martinsville
William Byron17 hours ago

Tentatively In Championship 4 Pending Ruling On Manufacturer Orders
Anthony Davis17 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Monday
Stephen Curry17 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday Night
Jaylen Brown18 hours ago

Listed As Out For Monday Night's Matchup In Atlanta
Joel Embiid18 hours ago

Listed As Out For Monday Night's Game
Giannis Antetokounmpo18 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday Night
MMA21 hours ago

Ariane Lipski Submitted At UFC Edmonton
Jasmine Jasudavicius21 hours ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado21 hours ago

Still Winless In The UFC
Brendson Ribeiro21 hours ago

Edges Out Split Decision At UFC Edmonton
Amir Albazi21 hours ago

Falls Short At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Moreno21 hours ago

Dominates At UFC Edmonton
Artturi Lehkonen22 hours ago

Activated From Injured Reserve
NJ23 hours ago

Nathan Bastian To Miss "Several Weeks"
Brayden Point23 hours ago

Exits With Injury Sunday
Dan Vladar23 hours ago

Set For Second Consecutive Start Sunday
Nicholas Robertson23 hours ago

Re-Enters Maple Leafs Lineup Sunday
Jakub Vrana23 hours ago

Scratched On Sunday
Austin Barnes1 day ago

Returning To Los Angeles
1 day ago

David Robertson To Test Free Agency
Wilmer Flores1 day ago

Giants Exercise Club Option On Wilmer Flores
Owen Miller1 day ago

Shipped To Colorado
Merrill Kelly1 day ago

Staying In Arizona
1 day ago

Eloy Jimenez Headed To Free Agency
Daniel Suarez1 day ago

Will Start 20th At Martinsville
Zane Smith1 day ago

Might Be An Underrated Value Play For Martinsville
Tyler Reddick1 day ago

Is A Top DFS Recommendation For Martinsville Lineups
Joey Logano1 day ago

Will Be One To Watch At Martinsville
Brad Keselowski1 day ago

Should DFS Players Rely On Brad Keselowski For Martinsville Lineups?
Carson Hocevar1 day ago

Is A Great DFS Option For All Martinsville DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs1 day ago

Is Ty Gibbs Worth Rostering At Martinsville This Week For DFS?
Austin Cindric1 day ago

Could Have A Top-20 Performance At Martinsville
William Byron1 day ago

Might Be Usable Only In DFS Tournaments At Martinsville
Chris Buescher1 day ago

Should DFS Players Roster Chris Buescher At Martinsville?
Alex Bowman1 day ago

Expect A Solid Top-10 Performance From Alex Bowman At Martinsville
Josh Berry1 day ago

May Be Set For Long-Run Struggles At Martinsville
Dylan Larkin1 day ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
Cam Talbot1 day ago

Stops 31 Shots In Saturday's Victory
Cale Makar1 day ago

Tallies Goal, Assist On Saturday
Anton Forsberg1 day ago

Records Shutout Victory On Saturday
Chase Elliott1 day ago

Will Be Tough To Beat At Martinsville
2 days ago

Joc Pederson To Test Free Agency
2 days ago

Anthony Rizzo Headed To Free Agency
Freddy Peralta2 days ago

Milwaukee Picking Up Option On Freddy Peralta
2 days ago

Ha-Seong Kim Headed To Free Agency
Robbie Ray2 days ago

Doesn't Opt Out Of Contract, Stays With Giants
2 days ago

Yankees Could Make Play For Pete Alonso This Offseason
2 days ago

Sean Manaea Opts Out Of Contract, Becomes Free Agent
Cody Bellinger2 days ago

Picks Up $27.5 Million Player Option With Cubs
Gerrit Cole2 days ago

Opts Out Of Contract With Yankees
Rhys Hoskins2 days ago

Staying In Milwaukee
2 days ago

Seattle Declines Club Option On Jorge Polanco
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
Erin Blanchfield3 days ago

Returns At UFC Edmonton
Marc-Andre Barriault3 days ago

Dustin Stoltzfus Set To Face Marc-Andre Barriault At UFC Edmonton
Marc-Andre Barriault3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Edmonton
Trevin Giles3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mike Malott3 days ago

Opens Up UFC Edmonton Main Card
Brendson Ribeiro4 days ago

Searching For 1st UFC Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado4 days ago

Drops Down To Light Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Jhonata Diniz4 days ago

Gets Big Step-Up At UFC Edmonton

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP