Wes Welker, Torry Holt, Brandon Tate & Julian Edelman, WRs, NE (1 Viewer)

[Jason Wood]

2010 Player Spotlight Series

One of Footballguys best assets is our message board community. The Shark Pool is, in our view, the best place on the internet to discuss, debate and analyze all things fantasy football. In what's become an annual tradition, the Player Spotlight series is a key part of the preseason efforts. As many of you know, we consider the Player Spotlight threads the permanent record for analyzing the fantasy prospects of the player in question. This year, we plan to publish more than 140 offensive spotlights covering the vast majority of expected skill position starters.

Each week we will post a list of players to be discussed. Those threads will remain open for the entire preseason, and should be a central point to discussion expectations for the player in question. Importantly, analysis done in the first week of posting will be part of the permanent record in two ways. 1) At the end of the week, we will tally the projections into a consensus. 2) We will select a number of pull quotes from forum contributors who make a compelling statement or observation. Both the projections and pull quotes will be part of a published article on the main website.

Thread Topic: Wes Welker, Torry Holt, Brandon Tate & Julian Edelman, WRs, New England Patriots

Player Page Link: Wes Welker Player Page

Player Page Link: Torry Holt Player Page

Player Page Link: Brandon Tate Player Page

Player Page Link: Julian Edelman Player Page

Each article will include:

[*]Detailed viewpoint from a Footballguys staff member

[*]Highlighted member commentary from the message board threads

[*]FBG Projections

[*]Consensus Member Projections

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In order for this thread to provide maximum value, we ask that you follow a few simple guidelines:

[*]Focus commentary on the player (or players) in question, and your expectations for said player (or players)

[*]Back up your expectations in whatever manner you deem appropriate; avoid posts that simply say "I hate him" or "He's the best"

[*]Avoid redundancies or ... this should be about incremental analysis or debate

While not a requirement, we strongly encourage you to provide your own projections for the player (players):

Projections should include:

[*]For QBs: Attempts, Completions, Passing Yards, Passing TDs, Ints, Rush Attempts, Rush Yards, Rush TDs

[*]For RBs: Rushes, Rushing Yards, Rush TDs, Receptions, Receiving Yards, Receiving TDs

[*]For WRs & TEs: Receptions, Receiving Yards, Receiving TDs

Now let's get on with the conversation! We look forward to your contributions and let me offer a personal thanks in anticipation of the great debate and analysis.

 

[AngryPatriot]

Edelman looked very good, esp after the catch although wether he can take a pounding game after game could be a concern. I think Welker will miss a few games to be safe. Tate is the big question mark and could be a big factor if he works out. Moss would definitely benefit having him on the other side to stretch things out. I don't know if Holt will add a thing if he's not cut. Word is he stunk on JAX last year and may just have too many miles. On the other hand, there's hardly a better situation for a good route runner with good hands. In fantasy terms I like Edelman in PPR but wouldn't rely on any of the others at this point (except Moss). Tate is worth a flyer in deep leagues.

 

[munchkin]

At this point Mike Reiss is still projecting Welker to be on the PUP list to start the season. If he loses a minimum of six weeks Holt is a safe bet to start the season in the mix on the outside. Holt had a respectable 103 targets and 51 receptions for 722 yards and zero touchdowns. Both he and Sims-Walker missed a game and MSW had only 8 more targets than Holt. With this in mind Holt could prove to be a viable receiver in the mold of Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell. Edelman should have improved awareness in his second season and his chemistry with Brady should make him that reliable replacement for Welker. Whether he can take the punishment Welker did on a weekly basis remains to be seen. Some of the pressure should be off all the receivers if the TE's prove to be more reliable.

Tate is a work in progress and I personally hope the team doesn't regret bringing him back too early last season which resulted in a second knee injury. Right now Tate appears to be a favorite for the KO return duties and will figure in to the mix with Holt opposite Moss. Tate has not been showing the solid route running and good hands the young TE's Hernandez and Gronkowski have according to the writers over at PFW but it is early yet. Obviously the Patriots want Tate to show enough to make Holt an afterthought as the season progresses but that remains to be seen.

Edelman (with Welker out early) 50/630/3

Welker 65/720/2

Holt 35/450/0

Tate 25/375/3

If Tate looks solid as the season progresses and Welker comes back strong in week six then Holt could have an "injury" soon after Welker's arrival and Tate's numbers could go up slightly.

 

[The Man With No Name]

Too early for me with so many unknowns- Tate's progression, Holt's regression, Welker's health. Projections are a guess anyhow but these guys this early is really out there. Welker could be anywhere from 0 to 130 receptions in my mind right now.

:white corner:

interested in what others have to say.

 

[captain_amazing]

Here is what I'm projecting:

Welker: (on PUP) 60/618/2 (off PUP) 105/1081/4

Edelman: (WW on PUP) 60/512/2 (WW off PUP) 50/445/1

Holt: (WW on PUP) 45/639/4 (WW off PUP) 41/591/4

Tate: (WW on PUP) 35/510/3 (WW off PUP) 43/543/5

Everything really centers around when Welker will come back. He allows Moss and other deep receivers to get open, and helps get 1st downs. He creates opportunities, not only for himself, but for other deep receivers (Tate, Moss, Holt-depending on how much of a "step" he has really lost. So I presented my projections with West Welker (WW) on and off the PUP list starting the beginning of the season.

I think Welker will have one of his lighter reception and YAC seasons as a Pat, because I think the Pats might be extra cautious with him. Edelman had a great end of the season in 2009, and I think with another year of learning the position (transitioning as a QB) in their system he will have an even better season. Depending on how well Welker is and how well Edleman transitions as a slot WR, these projections might be low.

Holt will probably play WR3 opposite of Moss, and sub as a Slot in TE packages with his experience. If he is smarter than Galloway was (which I believe he is), he will make the cut and have a decent season for his age.

Tate is really the unknown prospect. Much hasn't been said in minicamp. He has been primarily mentioned as a KR and PR, and not for his WR skills, so time will tell. However, if he can stay healthy, I think he subs as WR3 and plays on more 3+WR sets for deeper routes because of his great speed.

Overall, I think this WR group has the talent and athleticism, but its a mixed bag with mostly unproven talent (Tate and Edelman (minus last year)) and older talent (Holt and Moss) and injured talent (Welker). So, it will certainly be interesting, if nothing more!

 

[Ian F]

Here is what I'm projecting:

Welker: (on PUP) 60/618/2 (off PUP) 105/1081/4

Edelman: (WW on PUP) 60/512/2 (WW off PUP) 50/445/1

Holt: (WW on PUP) 45/639/4 (WW off PUP) 41/591/4

Tate: (WW on PUP) 35/510/3 (WW off PUP) 43/543/5

Where do all the receptions for Welker come from if he is not on the PUP. Surely if his catches go up the others must go down. Are are the Pats completing ~40 more passes if he's around?I agree its way too early to predict these guys and we all know how easy injury info is to get from New England

 

[Jason Wood]

I toyed with not doing a spotlight for any NE receiver outside of Moss. Yet, because of Welker's uncertain situation the Pats WR corps is very much in play even in traditional 10- and 12-team redrafts. We're seeing Welker go WR32 on average: http://subscribers.footballguys.com/apps/a...ortby=consensus while Edelman is going significantly higher than either Brandon Tate or Torry Holt. I think we need to see if there's a baseline expectation for this group because SOMEONE is going to represent value. I think Tate has the best chance of this group to be a long-term starter (alongside Welker in place of Moss, to be clear), but I also don't know that I see Belichick rushing him into service, either. Edelman acquitted himself well at times last year and thus I could see him being the PUP starter until Welker comes back. But what about Holt? ADP suggests people think he's completely DONE, and yet I'm not ready to buy into that yet. The Pats are more than willing to give aging veterans big roles, but he'll admittedly have to come out and earn the job.

Some of this will clear itself up (I hope!) as we get a better sense of Welker's timetable. Based on what we know currently there's no way I draft Welker at WR32 (or earlier as I've seen him go recently), and would instead probably add one of the other guys late in my draft just as a flier. Those late round picks are generally turned over quickly for waiver pickups anyway, so I probably would swing at one of the young, upside guys over Holt until Holt was sitting there at the very end of the draft and I had a WR spot still open.

 

[captain_amazing]

Surely if his catches go up the others must go down.

I do think others will go down, but i think the production will be lost from the TE's. I think if Welker is on the PUP, they will try and involve the rookie TE's more, especially Hernandez in the slot. If Welker is not on the PUP, I think he TE's will suffer the most, until the learn the system better. But now that I look at my projections, I might take more completions off of Edelman and Holt with Welker of the PUP.

Are are the Pats completing ~40 more passes if he's around?

I do think the pats complete more passes if he is around, but probably in the ball park of 10-20 more, with the TE's making up for the rest of the ~20 catches gap. Thanks for catching me on those, I should have clarified why there was such a discrepancy. I'd be interested to hear what other think. I know it is WAY to early at this point, but I'd like to see what others are projecting.

 

[David Yudkin]

I would post comments if I am not writing this particular spotlight . . .

 

[Holy Schneikes]

I think it's a little odd that all of these guys are mentioned yet no mention of Taylor Price. Not that I expect a ton from him this year, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him outperform a couple/three of these guys by the end of the season.

To be clear, I'm not saying Price is head and shoulders ABOVE any of these guys, just that if you are going to list four of them, you may as well list the 5th who is in the same general boat. He's got speed, size, hands, and a great positive attitude (1st 3rd rounder signed is a good indication of where his head is).

In general, I think the numbers outside of Moss will be pretty well distributed this year, making none of them a great re-draft option.

 

[Jason Wood]

I think it's a little odd that all of these guys are mentioned yet no mention of Taylor Price. Not that I expect a ton from him this year, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him outperform a couple/three of these guys by the end of the season.To be clear, I'm not saying Price is head and shoulders ABOVE any of these guys, just that if you are going to list four of them, you may as well list the 5th who is in the same general boat. He's got speed, size, hands, and a great positive attitude (1st 3rd rounder signed is a good indication of where his head is).In general, I think the numbers outside of Moss will be pretty well distributed this year, making none of them a great re-draft option.

Well, certainly Price COULD be involved. But at the end of the day that seems unlikely given Belichick's patience with young players and the fact there are four if not five guys who either have done, or project, with larger roles. Just going by ADP, Price is going undrafted in the majority of 12-team leagues. Certainly if anyone feels THAT strongly about Price and wants to include him, it wouldn't be that difficult to connect the final Spotlight writeup to his player ID, as well.

 

[Holy Schneikes]

I think it's a little odd that all of these guys are mentioned yet no mention of Taylor Price. Not that I expect a ton from him this year, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him outperform a couple/three of these guys by the end of the season.To be clear, I'm not saying Price is head and shoulders ABOVE any of these guys, just that if you are going to list four of them, you may as well list the 5th who is in the same general boat. He's got speed, size, hands, and a great positive attitude (1st 3rd rounder signed is a good indication of where his head is).In general, I think the numbers outside of Moss will be pretty well distributed this year, making none of them a great re-draft option.

Well, certainly Price COULD be involved. But at the end of the day that seems unlikely given Belichick's patience with young players and the fact there are four if not five guys who either have done, or project, with larger roles. Just going by ADP, Price is going undrafted in the majority of 12-team leagues. Certainly if anyone feels THAT strongly about Price and wants to include him, it wouldn't be that difficult to connect the final Spotlight writeup to his player ID, as well.

Fair enough. But I wouldn't worry too much about Belichick's patience in general. He either likes a guy, or he doesn't. He didn't have any problem dialing up plays for Edelman who was a 7th round rookie playing a brand new position last year.As for larger roles, I guess that may be the current general perception, and I get that you have to cut it off somewhere. But I'm not sure how Tate would be solidly projected for a considerably larger role than Price. I know there is a feeling that he is somehow uber-talented, but the facts are he was drafted in the same round Price was, and immediately had a significant knee injury after finally getting some playing time. It's very possible Tate will primarily be a return guy with occasional WR appearances going forward. Why draft Price if you are counting heavily on Tate in a very similar role?You could make similar arguments for the other guys. 35 year old Torry Holt was released by a team very much in need of solid receivers a couple of months ago. Edelman is probably exclusively a slot guy who almost certainly won't be on the field in place of Welker when and if he returns.I do hear what you are saying, but I guess my thinking is closer to what your original plan was. The "#2" spot for the Patriots is such a mess it may be very difficult to project. I'm just saying that if you do dive in that deep, Price is probably just as likely to be a fantasy factor this season as several of the other guys (but I think the probability for any one of them not named Welker is pretty small). JMO of course.

 

[Sabertooth]

Any chance the Pats, with all this uncertainty simply fall right on their faces and have nobody outside of Moss that is fantasy relevant? I mean when you have 4 guys, don't you really have none? I'm not so sure Welker is going to fully recover so quickly and if he doesn't and this team struggles rushing the ball, this could be the year the Pats dip below .500. Way too much uncertainty here and I think we might be missing the forest for the trees a little bit.

 

[Chase Stuart]

I think Holt is absolutely cooked. I don't see a single thing to be excited about with him, and if he is the WR2, the Patriots are in trouble.

I have no clue about what's up with Welker. If he's out, I think the guy to watch for is Hernandez. That's what I wrote about here: http://footballguys.com/10stuart_players_weswelker.php

 

[David Yudkin]

I think Holt is absolutely cooked. I don't see a single thing to be excited about with him, and if he is the WR2, the Patriots are in trouble.

I have no clue about what's up with Welker. If he's out, I think the guy to watch for is Hernandez. That's what I wrote about here: http://footballguys.com/10stuart_players_weswelker.php

FWIW, Holt has been running with the first team offense, so the Pats must see at least something in his skills or performance level.

 

[munchkin]

Any chance the Pats, with all this uncertainty simply fall right on their faces and have nobody outside of Moss that is fantasy relevant? I mean when you have 4 guys, don't you really have none? I'm not so sure Welker is going to fully recover so quickly and if he doesn't and this team struggles rushing the ball, this could be the year the Pats dip below .500. Way too much uncertainty here and I think we might be missing the forest for the trees a little bit.

Of course Brady will be fantasy relevant but I am assuming you meant from a WR perspective. The Patriots have rushed for over or very nearly 2,000 yards the last two seasons so it's reasonable to assume that they will have similar luck this year. There may not be a truly fantasy relevant player here unless Maroney shakes his ghosts from the past but they have been productive as a committee. The Patriots are certainly relying on young players stepping into larger roles this year. With age at TE and WR they need for the rookies to be relevant.In shorts and T-Shirts there have been elements of Price's on field presence that have looked more impressive than Tate's according to the PFW writers. But his presence has been very limited and it's hard to judge when you don't know what the responsibilities and assignments are and what kind of a "mental" load a particular player is under.Sabertooth is right in that Brady will out the ball in the best place to catch it but the receivers will need to be in the right spots for him to get them the ball. Moss will have to step it up and Edelman and Holt will need to hold the fort down while providing the Offense with an opportunity to establish a rhythm. The WR corp is a work in progress.

 

[Sabertooth]

Any news on Brandon Tate so far. I read earlier that the Pats wanted him to win that 3 spot. Has that been happening.

 

[jacobo_moses]

I think HOlt is there for veteran experience. Tate and Edelman will split time at the no 3 with Moss and Welker as the 1 and 2. I guess in just recent training camps they were lining up tate Opposite Moss at times. So they must really like this kid.

 

[NE_REVIVAL]

Any chance the Pats, with all this uncertainty simply fall right on their faces and have nobody outside of Moss that is fantasy relevant? I mean when you have 4 guys, don't you really have none? I'm not so sure Welker is going to fully recover so quickly and if he doesn't and this team struggles rushing the ball, this could be the year the Pats dip below .500. Way too much uncertainty here and I think we might be missing the forest for the trees a little bit.

Couldn't dissagree more, the people unable to see the forest for the trees are the ones failing to notice 3 high draft picks being used on receivers and another high draft pick from last year who looks like he might be ready to play. Funny as it may sound, receiver looks like it may be a strength for NE this year (olb is another story!); not Fantasy wise mind you, but NFL wise.As Chase alluded to earlier, if Holt ends up starting over Tate and Price it does not bode all that well for their wr core. I hope Holt does make it for depth, but imo, there is a chance he might not even make the team.Tate should beat out Holt for the spot opposite Moss, Edelman has already shown what he can do (great backup for Welker and maybe even a little wildcat?). That leaves Price and Holt and there is no way Price doesn't make this team (3rd rd, 2nd fatest rec in the draft), early reports seem to indicate that Price has looked very good. If there are no injuries and NE doesn't keep 6 wr's I think Holt could well be the odd man out.Fantasy wise, NE's receivers after Moss and Welker are a huge crapshoot. IMO, Tate has the best shot at wr, but if they re-introduce the TE to their offense this year (as it appears they will) and spread it around, how much will be left after Moss & Welker.

 

[Sabertooth]

Any chance the Pats, with all this uncertainty simply fall right on their faces and have nobody outside of Moss that is fantasy relevant? I mean when you have 4 guys, don't you really have none? I'm not so sure Welker is going to fully recover so quickly and if he doesn't and this team struggles rushing the ball, this could be the year the Pats dip below .500. Way too much uncertainty here and I think we might be missing the forest for the trees a little bit.

Couldn't dissagree more, the people unable to see the forest for the trees are the ones failing to notice 3 high draft picks being used on receivers and another high draft pick from last year who looks like he might be ready to play. Funny as it may sound, receiver looks like it may be a strength for NE this year (olb is another story!); not Fantasy wise mind you, but NFL wise.As Chase alluded to earlier, if Holt ends up starting over Tate and Price it does not bode all that well for their wr core. I hope Holt does make it for depth, but imo, there is a chance he might not even make the team.Tate should beat out Holt for the spot opposite Moss, Edelman has already shown what he can do (great backup for Welker and maybe even a little wildcat?). That leaves Price and Holt and there is no way Price doesn't make this team (3rd rd, 2nd fatest rec in the draft), early reports seem to indicate that Price has looked very good. If there are no injuries and NE doesn't keep 6 wr's I think Holt could well be the odd man out.Fantasy wise, NE's receivers after Moss and Welker are a huge crapshoot. IMO, Tate has the best shot at wr, but if they re-introduce the TE to their offense this year (as it appears they will) and spread it around, how much will be left after Moss & Welker.

WHen you talk about the TE position, who looks to be the guy there? One of the rooks?

 

[NE_REVIVAL]

Any chance the Pats, with all this uncertainty simply fall right on their faces and have nobody outside of Moss that is fantasy relevant? I mean when you have 4 guys, don't you really have none? I'm not so sure Welker is going to fully recover so quickly and if he doesn't and this team struggles rushing the ball, this could be the year the Pats dip below .500. Way too much uncertainty here and I think we might be missing the forest for the trees a little bit.

Couldn't dissagree more, the people unable to see the forest for the trees are the ones failing to notice 3 high draft picks being used on receivers and another high draft pick from last year who looks like he might be ready to play. Funny as it may sound, receiver looks like it may be a strength for NE this year (olb is another story!); not Fantasy wise mind you, but NFL wise.

As Chase alluded to earlier, if Holt ends up starting over Tate and Price it does not bode all that well for their wr core. I hope Holt does make it for depth, but imo, there is a chance he might not even make the team.

Tate should beat out Holt for the spot opposite Moss, Edelman has already shown what he can do (great backup for Welker and maybe even a little wildcat?). That leaves Price and Holt and there is no way Price doesn't make this team (3rd rd, 2nd fatest rec in the draft), early reports seem to indicate that Price has looked very good. If there are no injuries and NE doesn't keep 6 wr's I think Holt could well be the odd man out.

Fantasy wise, NE's receivers after Moss and Welker are a huge crapshoot. IMO, Tate has the best shot at wr, but if they re-introduce the TE to their offense this year (as it appears they will) and spread it around, how much will be left after Moss & Welker.

WHen you talk about the TE position, who looks to be the guy there? One of the rooks?

Yes, they have both reportedly looked terrific, Hernandez in particular. I think they will both see a lot of playing time and it's a toss up on which, or if one might be the guy. I am not saying the 2 rooks will set the world on fire, but I do think they will be significantly involved in the offense and for example you might see Hernandez lining up all over the place.

 

[Sabertooth]

Yes, they have both reportedly looked terrific, Hernandez in particular. I think they will both see a lot of playing time and it's a toss up on which, or if one might be the guy. I am not saying the 2 rooks will set the world on fire, but I do think they will be significantly involved in the offense and for example you might see Hernandez lining up all over the place.

Hernandez sounds like he might have a little Dallas Clark in him.

 

[AtomicDogg97]

Where is Welker going in recent drafts?

 

[Routilla]

Based on Edelman's production with Brady, why wouldn't he be lined up with Welker and Moss as a 3rd WR? Holt is toast and Tate is unproven. Edelman seems to already have Brady's trust and he is a YAC machine like Welker. Thoughts?

 

[LawFitz]

Based on Edelman's production with Brady, why wouldn't he be lined up with Welker and Moss as a 3rd WR? Holt is toast and Tate is unproven. Edelman seems to already have Brady's trust and he is a YAC machine like Welker. Thoughts?

My thought would be that both Welker and Edelman play the same role (i.e. slot guy). Moss will clearly man one outside spot and I have a feeling either Holt or Price will man the other outside spot, leaving Welker in the slot if he can stay healthy and Edelman relegated mostly to backup and return man duty.Edelman's value will heavily be determined by Welker's health IMO. Clearly he can step right in if needed. The question is will he be?

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

How much does the change of having an official just behind the MLB to now behind the OL affect Wes Welker? I've seen that official set a lot of "pick" plays for crossing routes.

 

[gbill2004]

Is Welker playing tonight? Anyone know?

 

[TheBradyBunch]

Is Welker playing tonight? Anyone know?

[Comment From FreddieFreddie: ] So what's the latest on Welker?Thursday August 19, 2010 4:45 Freddie4:46 Albert Breer: I know there's a plan for him, I'm just not totally positive what it is. I'm pretty sure that he'll play next week against St. Louis. Not sure about tonight, although for now, I'd lean toward "no".

Recent chat comments on Boston.com regarding Wes, fwiw.

 

[gbill2004]

According to multiple sources, Patriots WR Wes Welker (knee) is warming up on the practice field for Thrusday's game against the FalconsThough this doesn't mean he'll play, the fact that he's wearing football pants means there's a strong possibility he sees some action.

 

[werdnoynek]

According to multiple sources, Patriots WR Wes Welker (knee) is warming up on the practice field for Thrusday's game against the FalconsThough this doesn't mean he'll play, the fact that he's wearing football pants means there's a strong possibility he sees some action.

rotoworld is saying according to multiple sources, all indications are that he will play... first time since Jan. 3 - i'm excited to see him in action! (hopefully)

 

[nlgb1]

didnt play many snaps, but man am i optimistic

 

[bostonfred]

Welker playing in game 2 of the preseason and getting two catches is unbelievable. Curious where people put him now.

 

[LOCO]

Welker playing in game 2 of the preseason and getting two catches is unbelievable. Curious where people put him now.

He just moved up in front of nicks, crabtree, and bowe.

 

[[icon]]

IMO factoring in Welker at 90% and knocking him down a TOUCH for NE's seeming increased focus on the running game.... I can still see him pulling down 100 balls this year. In PPR he's very possibly top 10.

His targets have been increasing every year. Last year he had 162 for 123 receptions in 14 games. That's just amazing. Sure, it will be dialed back a bit due to injury and the run game... but Welker is Brady's guy. 10 targets a game (down 20% or so) for 7-8 catches per game seems fair. He's been very consistent at 10.5 to 11 ypc with new england so IMO we're looking at a very nice 100/1100 year for welker.

 

[TenTimes]

Is Edleman more or less a Welker handcuff if we assume WW is healthy for week 1, or does anyone see WR3/flex potential playing alongside a healthy WW?

 

[Adebisi]

Welker doesn't deserve his own spotlight at this point? Seriously?

 

[ufshowboat]

Why isn't Welker getting more attention?

He played in Week 2 of the preseason and looks like a go for week 1. If healthy he could possibly the best receiver in PPR. Obviously that's a big IF, so I get that. But this guy was catching 9-10 ball a game and was carrying teams in PPR last season. He was the one receiver I remember HATING to have to face. He is averaging almost 8 catches per game for the past THREE seasons. My point is simply that this guy is WR1, but he is being drafted as a WR2 at best (FBG has his ADP @WR17). How many other WRs can you draft as your #2, who easily has potential to be a top 3 overall WR?

I get the injury risk. But it almost seems a little harsh. I'm assuming he will probably continue to fly up the ADP as he continue to prove his health in preseason. But are you guys avoiding Welker? Does his knee bother you that much?

 

[AngryPatriot]

Welker is great but one main difference is the Pats surely have more good options this year. Edelman, Tate, Hernandez, healthy rb corp...Add that to the possibility that they conserve him a bit for the latter parts of the year. That being said I STILL wish I had him on all my ppr teams, no doubt. Brady loves to play with the guy. It may look more like 80-90 receptions and Welker doesn't score a lot of TD,s.

 

[theToes]

I guess we'll see how much he gets used tonight, but where doe you see him coming off the board in a 12 team ppr redraft. Late 3rd early 4th is where vbd has him but is he too big of a risk there?

 

[[icon]]

Welker is great but one main difference is the Pats surely have more good options this year. Edelman, Tate, Hernandez, healthy rb corp...Add that to the possibility that they conserve him a bit for the latter parts of the year. That being said I STILL wish I had him on all my ppr teams, no doubt. Brady loves to play with the guy. It may look more like 80-90 receptions and Welker doesn't score a lot of TD,s.

Welker will have 80 receptions by the time fantasy playoffs start (W15)

 

[NHLumpa2]

How much does the change of having an official just behind the MLB to now behind the OL affect Wes Welker? I've seen that official set a lot of "pick" plays for crossing routes.

Interesting question.I think there's still enough going on around where the official was that "sluffing" can still happen if planned.The other part to this quesiton is will this official now be able to actually see what the players are doing, rather than more just watch out for bodies.And will this help or hurt slot recievers or the coverage?I think it's all a wash - the official got in the way as often as he helped.Any increase in the official's ability to focus will be nullified by distance and vision block by players.Although now that I think of it, were I an OC I'd get together with my line coach and design some plays that load up that side of the field so the receiver in the middle can get away with pushing off.Is there an "Impact of Rule Changes" thread?