Introducing Nate Burleson... (1 Viewer)

[Resident A]

There can no longer be any doubt that Nate Burleson has surpassed Housh on the Seahawks and is the Seattle WR to own in Fantasy Football. He is 2nd in the NFL in targets, behind only Randy Moss. He's also on pace for 100+ catches & 1200+ yards.

Barring injury, I'd say he is a solid WR3 with definite WR2 upside. Not bad for a guy either drafted after round 10 or plucked from the WW. And once Hass returns, so will the TDs for Nate.

 

[MG345]

There can no longer be any doubt that Nate Burleson has surpassed Housh on the Seahawks and is the Seattle WR to own in Fantasy Football. He is 2nd in the NFL in targets, behind only Randy Moss. He's also on pace for 100+ catches & 1200+ yards. Barring injury, I'd say he is a solid WR3 with definite WR2 upside. Not bad for a guy either drafted after round 10 or plucked from the WW. And once Hass returns, so will the TDs for Nate.

Housh was never considered the #1 WR in Seattle. Burleson was always going to be the #1 WR by the simple fact of where he lines up on the field.

 

[Sweet Love]

Nate has looked pretty good thus far. I have been plugging him in as my WR3 and have not been disappointed. Guy is really showing the promise he flashed when acquired him. Is this his walk year? I remember when the was signed, Seattle put a "poison pill" in the contract so Minny could not counter. But he has been so disappointing since, it would not surprise me if his contract was already reworked.

 

[CentralPA]

He was in the running to surplant Santana Moss as my No.3 but after what he did yesterday Moss may have bought himself an extra week but depending on matchups we shall see.

 

[kevjones22]

I was high on him coming in to the season, he looked good yesterday at the game which I was at. He was also 2 tables down from my group at dinner last night after the game which was pretty cool. I think he will be getting the most targets on average going forward, he also has the big play threat. He sometimes will be used to return kickoffs also.

 

[SigEp316]

Nate is lookin' studly...I still haven't gotten him in my line-up but I'm looking forward to trying to move some other "bigger named", under performing talent (read Roy Williams)while I can and try to get Burleson in.

 

[MAC_32]

Picked him up off the scrap heap in my vet draft, started him this week for the first time after trading Pierre Thomas (flex), finally. I still have memories of that awful tenure as a #1 in Minnesota in the back of my head though, I want to see a Seattle game before making a decision but as of right now if I were offered enough for him I would probably pull the trigger.

 

[drew726]

I picked him week prior to Hasselback getting hurt. Didn't expect Seneca Wallace to keep giving him so much touches but Seneca is an above average backup.

 

[MG345]

Hopefully he has more games like week 1 & 3, and not like week 2.

 

[MCguidance]

I wondered why the owner of Big Ben (he has Manning and needed a WR) offered him up for my Burleson. I thought I was getting the better end of the deal, but probably pretty even (I had Hass and Trent Edwards).

I think Burleson is a lock for 75 receptions, 1100 yards, and 6+ TDs. The only question associated with him is health. If he can remain healthy he should produce nicely.

 

[rubrink]

I'm officially putting Burleson in as my starting WR3 over Marshall and Braylon. Looks like one of the steals of the draft

 

[Resident A]

Some other interesting tidbits:

Burleson has scored 13 TDs in his last 21 games played. (though 2 are Kickoff returns).

Burleson has two 9 TD season under his belt.

 

[towney]

Sat him for Royal (WR2). Not anymore... Nate>Royal, heck even Knox>Royal...

He also gets return yards for kicks.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Hopefully he has more games like week 1 & 3, and not like week 2.

But even in that game Burleson was targeted 10 times. Hard to argue with that production. At this rate, he'll easily put up top 10 numbers if he stays healthy.

 

[Buffaloes]

Hopefully he has more games like week 1 & 3, and not like week 2.

But even in that game Burleson was targeted 10 times. Hard to argue with that production. At this rate, he'll easily put up top 10 numbers if he stays healthy.

I sat him assuming he would struggle with Wallace at the helm. Obviously, that's not the case and Burleson has become a focal point of that offense. If the opportunities/targets remain, I can definitely see him as a fringe top-10 guy at WR.

 

[Ted Lange as your Bartender]

I tried to use Burleson this past week to buy low on Eddie Royal. Very relieved that the other owner rejected the offer.

 

[Resident A]

Ok, I started this thread, so I obviously like Burleson a lot this year. But Top-10 is crazy talk.

I'm excited about having a solid WR3 & a guy I can use for my stud WR bye weeks without losing much. But I just can't see top-10. I'll be ecstatic with top-20.

 

[drew726]

I think he's top 15 in PPR.

 

[Hooper31]

I wonder sometimes how easy it is for people to blur the line that separates real football from fantasy football.

#1 in what? Real football or fantasy football? Is there a difference?

Burleson has issues as a receiver. He has some bad habits. In real football, Burleson is pretty far from being a stud. Perhaps in fantasy football where all you care about are the statistics he may have some "studly" weeks, but in terms of really playing the game the term "stud" shouldn't be applied to a player like Burleson.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Burleson has issues as a receiver. He has some bad habits. In real football, Burleson is pretty far from being a stud. Perhaps in fantasy football where all you care about are the statistics he may have some "studly" weeks, but in terms of really playing the game the term "stud" shouldn't be applied to a player like Burleson.

Yes. That's all we care about.

 

[Ben Stiller]

Burleson has issues as a receiver. He has some bad habits. In real football, Burleson is pretty far from being a stud. Perhaps in fantasy football where all you care about are the statistics he may have some "studly" weeks, but in terms of really playing the game the term "stud" shouldn't be applied to a player like Burleson.

Yes. That's all we care about.

He plays for the Seahawks we know he's not really a good player.

 

[Hooper31]

Burleson has issues as a receiver. He has some bad habits. In real football, Burleson is pretty far from being a stud. Perhaps in fantasy football where all you care about are the statistics he may have some "studly" weeks, but in terms of really playing the game the term "stud" shouldn't be applied to a player like Burleson.

Yes. That's all we care about.

He plays for the Seahawks we know he's not really a good player.

Great. This is the response I was hoping to see. It gets frustrating seeing people throw out platitudes and hyperbole with regard to a specific player that posts good stats. Too often people start believing that the player = the stats, when in reality it just isn't true. A player like Housh gets paid more for good reason. I can't imagine there is a general manager in the NFL that would take Burleson ahead of Housh if given the opportunity to add either player to his roster.While we're on the subject I ought to point out Burleson's short comings.

1. He rarely catches the ball with his hands. Almost everything is against his torso/body which leads to a higher percentage of drops.

2. He frequently doesn't finish his routes which leads to interceptions and/or hanging his quarterback out to dry instead of working to get open. This was more prevelent in the WCO under Holmgren where Burleson sometimes wasn't in the correct place at the correct time as a quarterback went through his progression.

Its been really frustrating watching his career in Seattle because I've been hopeful he would develop his talent and be a "professional" receiver. However, he's continuing to just be an athlete at the WR position. The guy has crazy athleticism. He's great at making people miss (see punt return skills). He makes defenders miss in the open field. I think Knapp knows this and will run more WR screens for him.

I can't predict the future, but three games isn't really enough of a sample size to evaluate a team's priorities. My guess is that Housh will see more targets as the season wears on. In fact, I think Carlson will see more targets as well. So far, it appears Knapp is very flexible in game planning depending on what he expects an opposing team to do on defense. It seems to me that different players will be featured different weeks and its still too early to determine who the #1 WR is, or who it will be from week to week.

 

[davearm]

Curious what folks think about Houshmandzadeh: is this is a great buy-low moment or will his underwhelming production continue?

Gotta imagine the folks that drafted him in the 4th round are getting pretty fed up.

 

[Maven]

Drafted him in two leagues before the season... i expected this.

 

[Resident A]

While we're on the subject I ought to point out Burleson's short comings.1. He rarely catches the ball with his hands. Almost everything is against his torso/body which leads to a higher percentage of drops.2. He frequently doesn't finish his routes which leads to interceptions and/or hanging his quarterback out to dry instead of working to get open. This was more prevelent in the WCO under Holmgren where Burleson sometimes wasn't in the correct place at the correct time as a quarterback went through his progression.Its been really frustrating watching his career in Seattle because I've been hopeful he would develop his talent and be a "professional" receiver. However, he's continuing to just be an athlete at the WR position. The guy has crazy athleticism. He's great at making people miss (see punt return skills). He makes defenders miss in the open field. I think Knapp knows this and will run more WR screens for him.I can't predict the future, but three games isn't really enough of a sample size to evaluate a team's priorities. My guess is that Housh will see more targets as the season wears on. In fact, I think Carlson will see more targets as well. So far, it appears Knapp is very flexible in game planning depending on what he expects an opposing team to do on defense. It seems to me that different players will be featured different weeks and its still too early to determine who the #1 WR is, or who it will be from week to week.

Damn... You'd think you were describing Roscoe Parrish or some other scrub converted Returner. Burleson must be running his routes pretty well to get 11 passes thrown his way each game. He also seems to be catching a pretty good amount of them for somebody who can't catch with his hands. Nobody's saying he's as talented as Fitz or AJ, but he is MUCH better than your description. The reality is that he's had moderate success in a few past seasons and is now really thriving this season.

 

[Howie]

I'm giving serious consideration to dropping Bowe and claiming Burleson from our league's waiver wire...

 

[Hooper31]

While we're on the subject I ought to point out Burleson's short comings.

1. He rarely catches the ball with his hands. Almost everything is against his torso/body which leads to a higher percentage of drops.

2. He frequently doesn't finish his routes which leads to interceptions and/or hanging his quarterback out to dry instead of working to get open. This was more prevelent in the WCO under Holmgren where Burleson sometimes wasn't in the correct place at the correct time as a quarterback went through his progression.

Its been really frustrating watching his career in Seattle because I've been hopeful he would develop his talent and be a "professional" receiver. However, he's continuing to just be an athlete at the WR position. The guy has crazy athleticism. He's great at making people miss (see punt return skills). He makes defenders miss in the open field. I think Knapp knows this and will run more WR screens for him.

I can't predict the future, but three games isn't really enough of a sample size to evaluate a team's priorities. My guess is that Housh will see more targets as the season wears on. In fact, I think Carlson will see more targets as well. So far, it appears Knapp is very flexible in game planning depending on what he expects an opposing team to do on defense. It seems to me that different players will be featured different weeks and its still too early to determine who the #1 WR is, or who it will be from week to week.

Damn... You'd think you were describing Roscoe Parrish or some other scrub converted Returner. Burleson must be running his routes pretty well to get 11 passes thrown his way each game. He also seems to be catching a pretty good amount of them for somebody who can't catch with his hands. Nobody's saying he's as talented as Fitz or AJ, but he is MUCH better than your description.

The reality is that he's had moderate success in a few past seasons and is now really thriving this season.

I can only relay what I've seen on the field. Please, don't just take my word for it, read up on Burleson from some quality sources. I believe the most detailed and in depth Seahawks coverage is found at www.fieldgulls.com. John Morgan does a wonderful job analyzing everything about the team, and he knows football much better than most beat writers. He has a deep understanding of what's going on all over the field.He often breaks down each series of an entire game. Here's an example from the Seattle / SF game.

http://www.fieldgulls.com/2009/9/22/105077...sonal-three-and

Nate Burleson's Personal Three and Out

by John Morgan on Sep 22, 2009 5:24 PM PDT

Nate Burleson is the talent skills forgot.

In between shots of Frank Gore toweling himself off, Seattle ran a drive.

* Steve Vallos and Rob Sims powered through Aubrayo Franklin and Edgerrin James had the space between the defensive ends for a hole. He took the ball and ran forward into the pile. It's limited snaps yet, but James has been a disappointment. He hits the hole if he can reach, but a rusher needs some kind of moves or at least cutting ability.

* John Owens motioned left to right, and the action worked, drawing Takeo Spikes out wide. John Carlson ran a obtuse angle-route that ended looking like a post. He got past Patrick Willis and that keyed Matt Hasselbeck to pass. Willis wasn't far though, and Michael Lewis was directly over top. The ball arrived to double coverage.

* Nate Burleson must have been the last option on this play. Free safety Dashon Goldson was matched against him in single cover, and Goldson all but ignored him. Burleson didn't quite jog his route, but he was looking back and slowing before Hasselbeck threw. If he hit the burners off the snap, he could have had single cover deep on the left. Hasselbeck may have never seen him. Hasselbeck maybe couldn't convert a pass deep left. The play might have been designed to target Carlson from the first, but Burleson must complete his route. If nothing else, a streaking Burleson draws the attention of the deep safety. If Burleson sold his route, maybe Lewis wouldn't have sold out on Carlson's route.

* Burleson began running before the catch and dropped the pass on a wide receiver screen to end the drive. After flashing prime ability in Seattle's opener, Burleson again looks like a great talent no closer to being a competent receiver.

This is only one example, but its been fairly typical since Burleson arrived in Seattle. Is it possible to look past the statistics from three games and really analyze where the numbers are coming from? If you choose to ignore watching the actual games and just feel good about what you see in the boxscore, well, okay.

I want the Seahawks to do well. I know Burleson can do better and help this team. If this thread was meant only for warm fuzzy aren't-we-so-wicked-smart for drafting Burleson comments I'm in the wrong place. Currently I'm managing two fantasy rosters and I have Burleson on both. Yeah, I'm pleased with the statistics I'm getting from him, but I'm not delusional and convinced that "There can no longer be any doubt that Nate Burleson has surpassed Housh on the Seahawks and is the Seattle WR to own in Fantasy Football" as the OP stated in his opening line. That's just wishful thinking. No longer any doubt? I disagree. I think doubt should certainly be a part of your thinking when it comes to Burleson.

 

[burgundy and gold]

I'm pretty psyched because I went heavy RB in the draft and happened to pick the guy up and now he's really helping out. But I must tell you guys that you seem to be at odds with the Mike Sims-Walker thread. They claim that he's the bigger sleeper made good. I grabbed them both and now I'm set at receiver (I think).

 

[Hooper31]

From game today against IND.

Houshmandzadeh 8-104 (11 targets)

Burleson 4-31 (9 targets)

Branch 6-49 (6 targets)

Carlson 5-39 (7 targets)

Butler 0-0 (1 target) - deep ball

 

[bushdocda]

This guy will never have a good week when i start him. Sorry to all.