What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

Jason Witten - still a weekly start? (1 Viewer)

J

jbz

Footballguy
Witten has been old reliable for a long time. I've never targeted him, but this year decided to because I wanted a safe and steady TE but didn't want to pay the price of getting Jimmy Graham or an injured Gronk. It started well with the big game in week 1, but since then it's been all pretty average to poor outside of the big game vs Denver. He's never been the athletic freak type like Graham and Gronk so I can't really look at a decline in physical ability. I don't watch a lot of Dallas games, so I can't tell what's the issue. He started slow last year, but that was expected with his injury. He's not injured this year, his targets seem decent, except for this week. Is he being asked to stay home and block more? Does Williams development factor into him not being used more?

I picked up Jordan Reed just to have for backup insurance, but I'm thinking the roles are going to be flipped for my team starting next week. I'm sure most Witten owners invested a semi-early pick for him. Is everyone still starting with confidence or looking at other options?

 
I'm pretty much committed to staring him in the FPC with it being a 1.5pt for TE PPR (and him being my 3rd rd pick), but if otherwise I would consider different options. Heck Beasley gets more looks than Witten does on the Cowboys anymore these days.

 
I have Julius and I have played Witten I think twice since Game 1. I did luck into that Broncos game but Julius still outscored him. Been trying to move him and his value keeps sliding.

 
Widbil83 said:
I'm pretty much committed to staring him in the FPC with it being a 1.5pt for TE PPR (and him being my 3rd rd pick), but if otherwise I would consider different options. Heck Beasley gets more looks than Witten does on the Cowboys anymore these days.
Click to expand...
I forgot to factor him in. I didn't think much of him initially, but yeah, that little dude cuts into Witten's looks as well. Here I thought Romo had a buddy system with Witten and would feed him the receptions all year. Ugh. He's hard to bench.

 
In the WAS game it became clear Beasley was a second, Witten-ish checkdown for Romo. Witten used to collect all the garbage.

 
I'm definitely starting Clay over him this week but I might actually drop Witten for another TE with some upside.

 
What kills me is in every Dallas game I've watched this year, when Witten either gets his first catch or the camera has him in frame the first time, whoever's in the booth will invariably say "There's Jason Witten, Romo's trusted go-to guy. Nine out of ten times when Romo's in trouble, he'll get it to Witten."

Really?! Because Romo's been in trouble a lot this season and Witten's numbers have been pretty poor.

I picked up Reed two weeks ago, and I'm playing solely by matchup in that position now, with Reed getting the nod in coin flip situations.

 
Rotoworld today:

Five of Jason Witten's six touchdowns this season have come in the red zone.

Witten had a total of eight touchdowns across 2011 and 2012. He's going to shatter that mark in this year alone because of all the attention Dez Bryant is drawing and because the Cowboys are using their tight end around the goal-line more. Witten will be a strong TE1 against the Raiders on Thanksgiving.


Source: ESPN Dallas
Click to expand...
 
Boy you would think there was a better Witten thread, but this might be it...

Witten is not a Top-5 FF TE anymore, we know that, but he is still 100% owned, 82% started in CBS, so I know I am not the only one facing a dilemma with him this week. I thought he was a pretty good trade target, went out and got him, and he had filled in very nicely weeks 8-12, in fact factoring in average points he was probably right around a top-5 TE for that period.

And then last week happened, the Philly game should have been a very good matchup, but Linehan/Garrett seemed to go into some kind of Les Miles mode, purposefully and repeatedly running the ball without much urgency against a team that has been previously whipped through the air. When Romo did pass he was looking for Beasely or Murray typically for the underneath stuff. Witten it seemed to me was nonetheless often out and open and was visibly upset on the sidelines and between plays more than once. Final result 1/8/0. Just 2 targets.

The next opponent, Chicago, comes in as statistically the best FF points allowed matchup for TEs facing them. 65/743/10. This is partly weighted by one huge game against them by Gronk, who went 9/9/143/3, Olsen had a big game as well, but still several lower tier TEs (Quarless, Bostick, Ellison, Clay, Wright) have scored against them.

TNF but Dallas and Chicago have both had a week off.

How are owners handling this one?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have been killing myself over Witten vs Reed this week. I think I’m going Witten because he’s “safer” and has the better matchup (plays the Bears instead of the surging Rams). Won’t be surprised at all if Reed does better though. If Reed wasn’t such a huge injury risk I’d play Reed. I don’t have the target count but I couldn’t believe how many targets that kid Beasley had on Thanksgiving against the Eagles. Romo threw to him a ton. I always thought Witten’s floor was at least a 5 or 6 in PPR but the 1.8 last week is a huge concern. I have to chalk it up to an anomaly and look at his 13/14/12/18 he got the 4 previous weeks. Fingers crossed but not super confident.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I think Witten bounces back tonight. The Bears have struggled to cover the tight end, and I think Romo looks to Witten in checkdown as Dez is sure to draw roll over coverage.

 
I blame Witten's poor week for costing me a legit shot at the playoffs, despite getting the 2nd highest point total for the week. His 1.8 point week was total hubris. I lost by a lousy 0.06 pts. Now that it doesn't matter anymore, I'm sure Witten will blow up tonight. :rant: I'm thinking of cutting him right before the game out of spite.

:ptts:

 
So glad I benched him before kickoff last night....he probably remains on my bench barring injury for the rest of the playoffs.

 
Unfortunately a lot of great old threads on Witten are no longer available.... well at any rate IMO it looks like with Prescott's tunnel vision Witten might just be a nice weekly start again for some time... 14 targets, 9/66/0.

 
SaintsInDome2006 said:
Unfortunately a lot of great old threads on Witten are no longer available.... well at any rate IMO it looks like with Prescott's tunnel vision Witten might just be a nice weekly start again for some time... 14 targets, 9/66/0.
Click to expand...


I'm hoping so. Trying to use him as a fill in while Ertz is out. Seems logical given that they have a rookie QB at the helm.

 
I don't see a reason it changes in week 2 with Norman lingering on the outside.  Witten ceiling is what it is but that floor is rock solid.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Some guys just don't know when they are finished.  He needs a new hobby.

Cowboys restructured Jason Witten's contract.

The move creates roughly $3.5 million in extra cap space for Dallas. It's the second contract the Cowboys have restructured in the last week, creating a total of $10 million in additional cap space for the team. This transaction leads us to assume Witten, who turns 36 in May, will obviously continue his career in 2018.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
JohnnyU said:
Some guys just don't know when they are finished.  He needs a new hobby.

Cowboys restructured Jason Witten's contract.

The move creates roughly $3.5 million in extra cap space for Dallas. It's the second contract the Cowboys have restructured in the last week, creating a total of $10 million in additional cap space for the team. This transaction leads us to assume Witten, who turns 36 in May, will obviously continue his career in 2018.
Click to expand...
Put the brakes on the Rico Gathers hype train for another year.

 
Cowboys TE Jason Witten is retiring from the NFL after 15 seasons.

Just 10 days ago, Witten confirmed he was going to play this season and planned to bypass a TV job until next year at the earliest. ESPN must have sweetened their offer, as the network is desperate to fill out its new Monday Night Football team. Per ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Witten will be a lead analyst on the crew. Witten, 36 next week, will meet with Jerry Jones on Friday to finalize his decision. A 2003 third-rounder, Witten caught 68 career touchdowns and amassed 1,152 catches for 12,448 yards. He was a two-time first-team All-Pro and made 11 Pro Bowls. Witten is likely eventually headed for the Hall of Fame.
Click to expand...

 
Cowboysfan8 said:
Done, headed to MNF

One of my favorite players of all time. 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2015/05/06/jason-witten-loses-helmet-runs-53-yard-gain-vs-eagles

One of my favorite highlights of all time.

Thanks for the memories Jason!
Click to expand...
There are some players that must be acknowledged regardless of their team affiliation, transcendent players.  Whitten was one.  He was not spectacular.  He simply showed up every week and made the most of what he had and turned that into record breaking production.  Me, I am of the belief that every one of his catches was either for a first down or a touchdown.  Now I know intellectually that's very unlikely, but that seemed to be the case with him.  He was always making the big grab to keep the chains moving. I'll always take a guy who plays for a dozen years and shows up big in every game.  If reliability and availability are the best abilities this cat had both, in spades.  The King of the lunch pail guys.

 
gianmarco said:
Hall of Fame?
Click to expand...
First ballot.  That in spite of playing for a team with no post season success to speak of during his career.  (And Cowboy fans, beating Detroit is not post season success.  Post Season success is at least making it to the Super Bowl.  At least be a conference champ.)

 
I'm still drafting him this year -- such a lock for that solid 65 catch / 650+ yard/ 4 TD production floor, even from the MNF bench. 

Not a fan of the Cowboys, but you can't watch football without being a fan of a player like Witten.

 
I'll miss him for sure. I was hoping he'd come back and get to 13,000 yards.

Where do you rank Witten All-Time against the likes of these other players?
Tony Gonzalez
Shannon Sharpe
Rob Gronkowski
Mike Ditka
Ozzie Newsome
John Mackey
Kellen Winslow
Antonio Gates
Dave Casper

 
I love Jason Witten but I’m not sure he’s the best talker in the world. Of course the same thing could have been said for Troy Aikman who was pretty stoic as a player. I don’t think I heard Aikman say more than 10 words his entire football career but he’s excellent in the booth.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
Drop A. Richardson or G. Smith?
Replies
3
Views
258
Redsox fan
R
BobbyLayne
**MNF Lions at 49ers** (+3.5, 50.5) 8:15
10 11 12
Replies
550
Views
6K
Neil Beaufort Zod
Neil Beaufort Zod
Judge Smails
Your biggest bust of 2024
2
Replies
79
Views
2K
ChicoCat
C

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Top