Is punt return yardage included?Dez is the guy to have on your roster.. Im a dynasty guy.. so in a redraft. the point totals at the end of the year could be close as Mild Autism is no slouch.. Dez will start to draw double coverage and will have to learn to beat that.. and prove that he can stay healthy..Who will score more fantasy points this year, Dez Bryant or Miles Austin?And most importantly, why do you think that?
Bryant's TD catch was over Cromartie.I agree that Austin is the more experienced and refined WR but not that their skill sets are completely different. In fact I think they are more similar than not. They are both big, physical WRs who play faster than they time and have great rac ability.I'm squarely on the fence, and here's why:
Dez is one of the most talented receivers in the league. With the raw skill and athleticism he possesses, he has all the makings of a "freak" receiver like Megatron or Andre. That first TD catch last Sunday over Revis was a thing of pure beauty, and as all of us know, that's not the first time he's made a grab like that.
But his health is becoming more and more of an issue. Last year it was his ankle, and here we are only one week into the season and already his quad is bruised. You can say all you want about taking him off of punt returns, but it just doesn't seem like other key receivers in the league who also return punts deal with these types of injuries.
Austin is the more experienced and therefore more refined receiver. He's the absolute safest bet for 1,000 yards of any receiver in my book, as long as Romo is under center. But his skillset is completely different from that of Dez. Give him serious props for winning the ball battle over Cromartie the other night- that was fun to watch.
Lets see how the targets play out. I don't agree with this at all. I think Dez was the "go-to guy" early on because Revis started the game covering Austin. Once Dez started making an impact, Revis switched...and then Austin saw his targets. That's not a coincidence. I think Romo can support them both as fantasy studs. Especially with a defense that needs lots of work.I'd love someone to explain why he's a "freak of nature" at WR though. He's not AJ/CJ/Fitz sized, doesn't have AJ/CJ speed (Although he does play faster than his 40), isn't an acclaimed route-runner (though that will improve over time anyways), etc.I agree that he looks great out there, when he's healthy. Which is big. But I don't get the "freak of nature" comments. He has a Fitz-like ability to go up and get the ball, seems to have great concentration when the ball is in the air and a large catch radius. He plucks it as well as anyone, I think you can argue. But what makes him a better receiver, physically, than Austin? Austin has great hands too. So I just don't see it. He's younger and because of that he's a novelty. He could put up MONSTER numbers in that offense, yes. But Austin already has, and without the pedigree or hype. Romo already has a connection with Austin.I just don't see a logical reason to favor Dez over Austin, even in dynasty. I can be persuaded, though.Dez was pretty clearly the go to guy in game 1. Health is the main question.
Dynasty wise, I think you take Dez because he is 5 years younger but at 27 Austin should still have many years left in his prime.And size wise both Dez and Austin are relatively big WRs and in the AJ/Fitz size range both being just 1 inch shorter and close enough in weight. Megatron is in a league of his own in terms of size. Vincent Jackson is the only other top WR I can think of that is a legit 6-5. Other than that though I tend to agree with you. Bryant was amazingly productive in his short college career while Austin played 1-AA. So I think that's where the perception that Bryant has a much higher ceiling comes from. But what Austin did in 9 starts in 09' was just as impressive. He displayed some of the same game breaking ability that Bryant did in college only Austin did it in the NFL.I think Dez is slighty more athletic even though I agree he's not necessarily a "freak of nature" like AJ/ Megatron. But even if Austin's ceiling isnt as high (which is debatable), I think he is more consistent and has the higher floor.Lets see how the targets play out. I don't agree with this at all. I think Dez was the "go-to guy" early on because Revis started the game covering Austin. Once Dez started making an impact, Revis switched...and then Austin saw his targets. That's not a coincidence. I think Romo can support them both as fantasy studs. Especially with a defense that needs lots of work.I'd love someone to explain why he's a "freak of nature" at WR though. He's not AJ/CJ/Fitz sized, doesn't have AJ/CJ speed (Although he does play faster than his 40), isn't an acclaimed route-runner (though that will improve over time anyways), etc.I agree that he looks great out there, when he's healthy. Which is big. But I don't get the "freak of nature" comments. He has a Fitz-like ability to go up and get the ball, seems to have great concentration when the ball is in the air and a large catch radius. He plucks it as well as anyone, I think you can argue. But what makes him a better receiver, physically, than Austin? Austin has great hands too. So I just don't see it. He's younger and because of that he's a novelty. He could put up MONSTER numbers in that offense, yes. But Austin already has, and without the pedigree or hype. Romo already has a connection with Austin.I just don't see a logical reason to favor Dez over Austin, even in dynasty. I can be persuaded, though.Dez was pretty clearly the go to guy in game 1. Health is the main question.
hyperbole is the norm on message boards - Bryant is a very good - even possibly great - but he is not as explosive as a Calvin Johnson or an Andre Johnson . . .he is definitely not as explosive as Steve Smith . . .Dez will be the best WR in the game. His hands, timing, and body control are Fitzgerald-like. On top of that he is extremely explosive, and plays with a mean streak, similar to Steve Smith - except he is 6 inches taller and 30 lbs heavier. The concern with Dez is health, because his tenacity and desire to fight for every yard, no matter how many defenders are trying to bring him down, increase his chance of injury.Austin is no slouch - in my opinion the best #2 WR in the game, and they form the best 1-2 punch in the league.
Opinions like this are much more helpful when they contain reasons. I like Dez plenty...I just like Miles more at this point. So when I see something like this, the first thing I think is "damn, I wish I knew WHY, I wish that people could put what they see into words". And some have. But it leads to a much better discussion if everybody does. Just my opinion. Side note: Can we embed youtube videos here?I would take Dez if healthy