With three games on Thursday this week due to Thanksgiving, fantasy owners will be forced to make lineup decisions quicker than usual. Elite offensive teams like the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys will be in action as well, meaning there should be plenty of points to be had early.
It may be difficult to take a leap of faith by starting an unproven player on Thursday and risk getting off to a bad start, but there are several value plays that should work out well, particularly at wide receiver. Here are three sleeper receivers who will be worth starting on Turkey Day.
Laurent Robinson, Dallas Cowboys
Since Miles Austin went down with an injury, wide receiver Laurent Robinson has developed into Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo's go-to guy. While his yardage numbers are a bit consistent, Robinson has at least one score in four straight games and five total touchdowns during that stretch.
Despite Robinson's excellent play of late, fantasy owners may be wary of starting him due to his spotty track record. Austin will be out again on Thursday, however, and the Cowboys certainly won't be shy about passing on the Miami Dolphins' 25th-ranked pass defense.
The Dolphins have played much better defense over the past few weeks, but I'm not sure they have anyone who can sufficiently cover the large and athletic Robinson. With most of the defensive focus going toward Dez Bryant and Jason Witten to begin with, Robinson should draw single coverage and has a great chance to reach pay dirt for the fifth consecutive game.
Torrey Smith, Baltimore Ravens
The San Francisco 49ers have a reputation for having an elite defense, and rightfully so as they rank first in the league against the run. The Niners are actually quite ordinary when it comes to defending the pass, however, as evidenced by their No. 23 ranking in that regard.
Because of that, the Baltimore Ravens should be able to pass the ball on Thursday night. Anquan Boldin is going to attract most of the attention, leaving rookie receiver Torrey Smith as the main beneficiary. Smith went off last week with 165 yards and a score against the Cincinnati Bengals and is capable of putting up monster numbers in any given week.
The return of veteran receiver Lee Evans to the lineup most definitely did not adversely affect Smith's output and it shouldn't be an issue this week either. With Ray Rice unlikely to have any running room, look for Joe Flacco to air it out and try to hook up with Smith often.
Nate Burleson, Detroit Lions
All of the hype regarding the Detroit Lions offense seems to surround freakish wide receiver Calvin Johnson. It is easy to see why, as Johnson's incredible size and athleticism make him a matchup nightmare. Opposing defenses have come to realize that, though, and have been able to make him look human over the past several games.
The Lions are still a pass-heavy team, though, especially with running back Jahvid Best on the shelf. Somebody has to be on the receiving end of Matthew Stafford passes, and over the past couple of games that has often been No. 2 receiver Nate Burleson.
Burleson is a forgotten man in fantasy circles, but he has caught at least seven passes in each of his past two contests and reeled in a score last week as well. The Lions are going to pass early and often against the Green Bay Packers' struggling secondary, and Burleson would seem to be in for a huge game, particularly if Johnson is held in check.
No comments:
Post a Comment