NFL Training Camps are now underway, and many fantasy owners are continuing their own preparations for upcoming fantasy football drafts. This provides an excellent opportunity to scrutinize where players are being selected during the voluminous amount of drafts that have already taken place, in the form of their Average Draft Positions (ADPs). This knowledge supplies critical insight into how your next drafts could easily unfold. Including the WR position, which delivers a unique level of intrigue this season. It definitely contains more depth than you will find at RB, yet will not allow you the luxury of remaining patient when choosing the elite receivers, as opposed to what you will encounter when selecting your QBs. Various approaches are being employed by owners as they consider which wideouts to target. And this breakdown of Hakeem Nicks is just one element within a series of articles that will construct a roadmap to help you determine where to slot WRs during the fantasy football draft process.
After the Giants utilized their first-round pick on Nicks in 2009, he played in 14 contests as a rookie. While he managed just 47 receptions, his yardage total was more respectable (790), and he scored six times. In 2010, Nicks began a prolific two-year stretch in which he accumulated 2,244 yards and amassed 18 TDs. But in May 2012, Nicks fractured his right foot during OTAs. And even though unsettling reports circulated throughout the summer regarding his recovery from subsequent surgery, owners overlooked their concerns, and selected him 12th among all WRs in their drafts. His ADP of 36 placed him at the close of Round 3, as many of those who chose him, believed that they had secured a viable WR1. Unfortunately, these same owners were subjected to four months of extreme frustration. Which included a swollen left knee in Week 3, a collection of dreaded game time decisions, and massive ineffectiveness when he did enter the lineup. Even though he was targeted 100 times, he lacked his customary explosiveness, and was seldom able to gain separation.
As a result, his production declined sizably. After those two impressive seasons with 1050+ yards, Nicks only manufactured 692, which was the lowest total of his career. 199 of those occurred in Week 2, which was the only game in which he surpassed 77 yards all year. In fact, he only exceeded 46 yards in five contests last season. Plus, he only scored three times after averaging nine in his previous two seasons. Now, the same pattern is occurring. As many owners appear to be chasing those illusive 2010-2011 numbers. Only 13 WRs are being chosen before Nicks, whose current ADP of 44 entrenches him firmly in Round 4. Jordy Nelson, Dwayne Bowe, Marques Colston, Danny Amendola, Eric Decker, Wes Welker, Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Mike Wallace, DeSean Jackson, Antonio Brown and Stevie Johnson are all departing draft boards after Nicks. This despite the fact that he skipped OTAs earlier this summer, and we have yet to see evidence that has recovered his previous level of explosiveness. Blend in the fact that he has never managed to perform in 16 regular season contests during his career, and there is substantial reason for you to avoid pursuit of Nicks. Particularly if you are envisioning a return to his 2010-2011 numbers, which he is unlikely to deliver. With so many viable options available at WR, you should completely avoid Nicks, unless he is available late in Round 7. Because last year’s torturous experience for owners could easily be repeated.
