Buy Low - Antwaan Randle El (1 Viewer)

[Maroney=Sped]

Lost amid the tepid showing by the Redskins in the Meadowlands was the fact that Antwaan Randle El excelled in his new role as a slot WR, playing inside of Moss and Kelly/Thomas. Even in a game where those other WR's combined for 3 catches for 14 yards IIRC, ARE put up some very nice numbers: 7/98. He was open a lot and at least 40% of that yardage was YAC. He was a headache for the Giants all game long. Here's one write-up on his performance:

After all the preseason talk about the young receivers and the important spark they might add to the offense, it was 30-year-old receiver Antwaan Randle El who had the biggest impact in Sunday's season-opening loss.

Supplanted by Malcolm Kelly as the team's starting flanker, Sunday marked the first game Randle El didn't start since November 2007. The end result? The most yards he'd posted since October 2007.

Lined up in the slot, Randle El said the team took advantage of mismatches that pitted him against slower linebacker. He finished with 98 yards on seven receptions. Quarterback Jason Campbell targeted Randle El nine times. No other receiver was targeted more than five. On blitz packages especially, New York linebackers were taken out of coverage and Randle El found himself with room to roam.

"They were doing some weird - well, not weird - but the blitzes we'd seen, we needed to capitalize," Randle El said this morning.

He especially thrived in man-coverage; rarely did the Giants bother bracketing the inside receiving options. Randle El made sure that Campbell knew that the speedy receiver had a lot of space around him for much of the game. "I caught the ball on the line of scrimmage one time and got like 10 yards. We kind of made eye contact and he dumped it off. That's something we talk about," Randle El said.

And those young receivers? Kelly had one catch for six yards. Devin Thomas didn't show up on the stat sheet and Marko Mitchell saw only a few seconds of action.

The team's No. 1 receiver, Santana Moss was targeted five times, had two receptions and only six yards. But speaking to reporters on Monday, Moss wasn't complaining about the few looks he received. Instead, he thinks that Randle El's contributions from the slot will only open things up for the outside receivers.

"If you're clamping down on the outside and you're running the guys over the top or you're playing a 2-man, then we're going to eat you up inside. Randle El, that's what he does," Moss said. "He's in the middle. Him and Cooley, to me, ate those guys apart."

It's easy for people to ignore ARE. He was misplaced as a WR2 in the Redskins offense on the outside, which is exactly why they drafted Thomas and Kelly last year. His small size and non-elite speed just didn't cut it there, particularly when there was another, faster WR in the same mold in Moss on the other side. In the slot, however, ARE uses his quickness to create mismatches, and his speed is more than enough to create problems for the LB's and safeties and nickel CB's who he's matched up with. This is his ideal role. Moreover, Campbell has always passed more successfully to the middle of the field, which is exactly where the slot WR is positioned.

Yesterday's numbers are not an illusion. I think that they'll use him in this role, and I believe that this offense figures to if anything open up more.

Randle El is definitely a golden buy-low opportunity if you need a WR3, and in PPR leagues he may even rate as a WR2 when it's all said and done. He's probably still available on most waiver wires in all but the deepest leagues.

 

[senyera]

Grabbed him off the wire in my 10 team league. With upcoming games against STL and DET he should be a nice sell high candidate.

 

[Todem]

He started fast last year....and flamed out. I don't ecpect anything to be different this time around as well.

 

[saintfool]

He started fast last year....and flamed out. I don't ecpect anything to be different this time around as well.

he's in the slot this year and that makes a difference.

 

[Fat Nick]

Redskins homer here...I've never gotten excited about our WR's. With Zorn's ultra um....conservative (?) playcalling, I don't see anyone putting up consistent numbers worthy of starting. If someone does have a big game, it will be completely random.

Randle El, to me, has been a role player at best. They use him for some gimmick plays, and some punt returns, but beyond that, he's average at best. He can't make people miss anymore, and when he's in the open field, where they used to claim he was dangerous, he usually gives a few jukes and falls down or is tackled. He just does not impress me, regardless of where he lines up.

 

[Fat Nick]

He started fast last year....and flamed out. I don't ecpect anything to be different this time around as well.

he's in the slot this year and that makes a difference.

I don't think it will statistically. The slot position, for some QB's on pass heavy teams (see T. Brady to W. Welker), is a dump-off route runner. They get a lot of looks against blitzes, etc. In Randle El's case, I think Campbell already has that covered in Chris Cooley.

 

[saintfool]

He started fast last year....and flamed out. I don't ecpect anything to be different this time around as well.

he's in the slot this year and that makes a difference.

I don't think it will statistically. The slot position, for some QB's on pass heavy teams (see T. Brady to W. Welker), is a dump-off route runner. They get a lot of looks against blitzes, etc. In Randle El's case, I think Campbell already has that covered in Chris Cooley.

i think for ARE it might make a difference. i thought he wore down as the season progressed in the WR2 role.

 

[Maroney=Sped]

He started fast last year....and flamed out. I don't ecpect anything to be different this time around as well.

he's in the slot this year and that makes a difference.

I don't think it will statistically. The slot position, for some QB's on pass heavy teams (see T. Brady to W. Welker), is a dump-off route runner. They get a lot of looks against blitzes, etc. In Randle El's case, I think Campbell already has that covered in Chris Cooley.

Cooley had a good day yesterday too and ARE still put up numbers. As I said in the OP, Campbell throws best to the middle of the field which is where ARE will now be for the most part. Campbell's best passes are also in the intermediate range, again where the slot WR tends to operate. I see this team as likely facing a lot of third-and-mediums this season, which is tailor-made for a slot guy like ARE. My projections for ARE are 75/930/5. I'm not talking about earth-shattering numbers, but they're certainly significant for fantasy purposes. Finally, keep in mind that this Holmgren school version of the WCO that Zorn runs has traditionally favored slot WR's. In 2007 Engram put up very solid numbers in the slot despite having poor receiving talent around him.

 

[Fat Nick]

He started fast last year....and flamed out. I don't ecpect anything to be different this time around as well.

he's in the slot this year and that makes a difference.

I don't think it will statistically. The slot position, for some QB's on pass heavy teams (see T. Brady to W. Welker), is a dump-off route runner. They get a lot of looks against blitzes, etc. In Randle El's case, I think Campbell already has that covered in Chris Cooley.

Cooley had a good day yesterday too and ARE still put up numbers. As I said in the OP, Campbell throws best to the middle of the field which is where ARE will now be for the most part. Campbell's best passes are also in the intermediate range, again where the slot WR tends to operate. I see this team as likely facing a lot of third-and-mediums this season, which is tailor-made for a slot guy like ARE. My projections for ARE are 75/930/5. I'm not talking about earth-shattering numbers, but they're certainly significant for fantasy purposes. Finally, keep in mind that this Holmgren school version of the WCO that Zorn runs has traditionally favored slot WR's. In 2007 Engram put up very solid numbers in the slot despite having poor receiving talent around him.

Valid points. I agree re. Campbell's best passes. I suppose my concern is that Randle El will be thrown to when everyone else is covered, and not by design, and I just don't like that being the reason a WR gets passes. Moss was shut down yesterday, and I think Campbell just stopped looking to him after a while. (On a different note, I think Moss will quickly become a bit disgruntled this year) As a Skins fan, I would love to see 75/930/5 out of El, and I may be a bit pessimistic, because I think the Giants have had our number for the last few years, but I see Randle El having something more like 59/575/3. I guess we'll wait and see. I hope you're right...but I don't have the warm fuzzies re. the Skins this year, or El.

 

[swirvenirvin]

Nope this guy is a one week wonder if you can even categorize him as that. This isnt a high powered offense we are talking about jason Campbell. They are a run first team and low scoring very little upside unless you are in a 14+ team league

 

[Maroney=Sped]

From today's WaPo Redskins Insider with Jason Reid:

Randle El Remains a Force

Before the opener against the New York Giants, coaches and players told me they believed that Antwaan Randle El could lead the team in receptions in his new role as a slot receiver. They figured Randle El would win many battles while often matched up against linebackers and, well, Randle El definitely is off to a good start.

In the 23-17 loss to the Giants, Randle El tied Chris Cooley for the team lead with seven receptions and led the Redskins with 98 yards.

"With his quickness going against guys in the slot, he could definitely catch more balls than anybody this year," quarterback Jason Campbell said. "The thing about Randle El is, he's a veteran. He's always working hard in the offseason and this is when it pays off for you."

Officially, Randle El was in the competition for the starting flanker he held the previous three seasons. The reality was, however, the coaching staff wanted either Malcolm Kelly or Devin Thomas to win the job.

Both are taller than Randle El (he is listed at 5-feet-10), and the staff was eager to expand the team's options in the passing game. Kelly emerged as the starter opposite split end Santana Moss, but Randle El still is in the mix.

"That's why you get prepared because you don't know what's coming," Randle El said. "I told them wherever they put me, I'm going to give 'em all I got."

 

[Maven]

Another Wes Welker? Child please

 

[Adebisi]

My projections for ARE are 75/930/5.

With all due respect, that's maybe 75% of what most people are expecting out of Welker this season.

 

[Maroney=Sped]

My projections for ARE are 75/930/5.

With all due respect, that's maybe 75% of what most people are expecting out of Welker this season.

Perhaps you should take what I said even more literally, including that ARE will actually be a white guy this season too.

 

[dgreen]

Another Wes Welker? Child please

Saying ARE = Welker is different than saying ARE+Campbell = Welker+Brady.I think ARE would put up some Welker-like numbers if he was NE's slot WR.

 

[Chicago Hooligan]

Picked him up, starting him this week. Kind of a "why not" play. If he can get 4 catches he's better than guys like Bryant.

 

[Bad Mojo]

Great thread, I agree...

Cut Crabtree for him

 

[menobrown]

It's been a few years and it's a different offense but he played the slot for the Steelers as well and was barely worth a roster spot in most leagues. He's still the third option in the passing game on a team that won't put up huge passing numbers. At best he'll be a WR3/4 in a PPR league.

 

[Adebisi]

My projections for ARE are 75/930/5.

With all due respect, that's maybe 75% of what most people are expecting out of Welker this season.

Perhaps you should take what I said even more literally, including that ARE will actually be a white guy this season too.

Now that would be impressive.

 

[FUBAR]

He's been one of my favorite players since Indiana, but I've never counted on him in FF and won't start now.

 

[Stompin' Tom Connors]

I'm hoping he becomes more effective, if only to help free up Moss a little more.