June, 29, 2012
By Dan Graziano
This one came up on Twitter on Thursday night when @iamChuckSteen asked me who would have the bigger year: Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin or Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant? I liked this question for a number of reasons. First, we're always looking for a good Friday debate post in the offseason. Second, it's the final day of fantasy week, and I'm all out of NFC East-related roundtable videos. And third, the specificity of the comparison shows a decent amount of thought on the part of @iamChuckSteen.
Our fantasy experts rank both of the New York Giants' starting wide receivers -- Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz -- ahead of all other receivers in the NFC East, and I agree. They both rate as top-10 guys, and should be off the board before any other wide receivers in the division. But the rest is a bit of a jumble, albeit a high-quality one.
Bryant and Maclin are the nominal No. 2 wide receivers on their respective teams, behind Miles Austin and DeSean Jackson. But I think most of us would agree that each has the potential to be the actual No. 1 wide receiver on his team this season. Maclin fits the mold of the traditional No. 1 wideout better than the smallish, speedy deep threat Jackson. And Bryant, while not as accomplished as Austin, has the physical tools to be one of the very best wideouts in the game. Bryant's 2011 season showed more promise than did Maclin's injury-plagued campaign, but before last summer's health scare Maclin was putting up big-time fantasy numbers in the Eagles' offense in 2010.
In those wide receiver rankings, you'll see our experts have Bryant 15th and Maclin 22nd. I'm not sure whether Bryant should be lower or Maclin should be higher or both, but it seems to me as though the gap between the two is too wide. I see both guys as No. 2 fantasy wide receivers who could perform like No. 1s, and I think that's pretty valuable. Maclin's relatively low ranking is likely because of health concerns after last year, as he was a top-15 fantasy wide receiver in 2010 and, I believe, can be expected to get back to that level.
KC Joyner's TFS Draft Guide, from which he was kind enough to share some NFC East-related tidbits yesterday, offers this on Bryant:
When Bryant was faced with a red- or yellow-rated cornerback [meaning a CB who is average or better], he posted a meager 5.8 YPA. That ranked 25th out of 33 wide receivers that saw at least 35 targets against that caliber of competition
KC's point raises a red flag about Bryant, but when evaluating Bryant for some reason it seems easy to forget he's only played two NFL seasons. So, in answer to the question that spawned this post, I believe I would take Bryant in a close call. I think he comes with more risk, but I think his upside is higher and, if both play at their absolute best, he's the slightly better player.
Now, you might argue that Bryant's a head case and Maclin is more likely to play at his absolute best, and you might be right. But I think the concerns about Bryant have been overblown and overstated, and I think he's ready for a breakout year. Make no mistake, I like Maclin as a strong fantasy option in 2012, and I think he'll perform at a higher level than the No. 22 wide receiver. But I see Bryant as a guy who can go from good to great to spectacular, and I have this feeling that his third season in the league could be the year in which he does that.
By Dan Graziano
This one came up on Twitter on Thursday night when @iamChuckSteen asked me who would have the bigger year: Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin or Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant? I liked this question for a number of reasons. First, we're always looking for a good Friday debate post in the offseason. Second, it's the final day of fantasy week, and I'm all out of NFC East-related roundtable videos. And third, the specificity of the comparison shows a decent amount of thought on the part of @iamChuckSteen.
Our fantasy experts rank both of the New York Giants' starting wide receivers -- Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz -- ahead of all other receivers in the NFC East, and I agree. They both rate as top-10 guys, and should be off the board before any other wide receivers in the division. But the rest is a bit of a jumble, albeit a high-quality one.
Bryant and Maclin are the nominal No. 2 wide receivers on their respective teams, behind Miles Austin and DeSean Jackson. But I think most of us would agree that each has the potential to be the actual No. 1 wide receiver on his team this season. Maclin fits the mold of the traditional No. 1 wideout better than the smallish, speedy deep threat Jackson. And Bryant, while not as accomplished as Austin, has the physical tools to be one of the very best wideouts in the game. Bryant's 2011 season showed more promise than did Maclin's injury-plagued campaign, but before last summer's health scare Maclin was putting up big-time fantasy numbers in the Eagles' offense in 2010.
In those wide receiver rankings, you'll see our experts have Bryant 15th and Maclin 22nd. I'm not sure whether Bryant should be lower or Maclin should be higher or both, but it seems to me as though the gap between the two is too wide. I see both guys as No. 2 fantasy wide receivers who could perform like No. 1s, and I think that's pretty valuable. Maclin's relatively low ranking is likely because of health concerns after last year, as he was a top-15 fantasy wide receiver in 2010 and, I believe, can be expected to get back to that level.
KC Joyner's TFS Draft Guide, from which he was kind enough to share some NFC East-related tidbits yesterday, offers this on Bryant:
When Bryant was faced with a red- or yellow-rated cornerback [meaning a CB who is average or better], he posted a meager 5.8 YPA. That ranked 25th out of 33 wide receivers that saw at least 35 targets against that caliber of competition
KC's point raises a red flag about Bryant, but when evaluating Bryant for some reason it seems easy to forget he's only played two NFL seasons. So, in answer to the question that spawned this post, I believe I would take Bryant in a close call. I think he comes with more risk, but I think his upside is higher and, if both play at their absolute best, he's the slightly better player.
Now, you might argue that Bryant's a head case and Maclin is more likely to play at his absolute best, and you might be right. But I think the concerns about Bryant have been overblown and overstated, and I think he's ready for a breakout year. Make no mistake, I like Maclin as a strong fantasy option in 2012, and I think he'll perform at a higher level than the No. 22 wide receiver. But I see Bryant as a guy who can go from good to great to spectacular, and I have this feeling that his third season in the league could be the year in which he does that.