If you read my article on Dustin Keller's twitter post then you know he has high expectations for his fantasy statistics in 2010, but why should we? Heck anything would be better than Keller's 09 stats where he only yielded fantasy owners 45 receptions for 522 yards and 2 touchdowns. But after his performance in the postseason, 12 receptions for 181 yards and 3 touchdowns (one TD per game), Keller's upside is obvious to those paying attention.
But why is everyone sleeping on Dustin Keller? No doubt he has some reason for concern:
- QB Mark Sanchez is only in his second year and last year he had a woeful QB rating of only 63.0.
- This is a run first offense.
- The addition of Holmes has some concerned about Keller's targets.
And none of this worries me one bit. If you're on the bad end of a TE run fear not when you select Keller over Heath Miller, Kevin Boss and even the overvalued Greg Olsen! Miller might seem like a more stable option but Big Ben's suspension hurts his value and hey, we're looking for a sleeper after the TOP 10 TE's are gone, right?!
Dustin Keller, TE – New York Jets
By the numbers:
- Keller will square off against teams like the Dolphins (2), Vikings, Texans, Bears and Lions. All of these teams yield high fantasy points in the air.
- Keller also faces the Bills (2), Ravens, and Broncos which on the surface this sounds bad but, these secondaries really are better at shutting down the WR not the TE.
- Last year Keller was the second most targeted receiver with the Jets. The addition of Santonio Holmes will not only spread the field vertically but help keep Keller out of double coverage.
- As our Team Analysis points out, the JETS are much improved on both sides of the ball, especially defense, which was already a very formidable force. This means better ball position and opportunities for scoring.
- The nydailynews.com reports that Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has added plays specifically designed for Keller
Summary: Dustin Keller said it best "I’ll make your pick more than worth it" and I'm on board! As the 16th TE off the board in current fantasy football drafts he is a steal. We have Keller currently ranked 15th but that is due to the fact he is indeed a sleeper. I can see Keller finishing in the bottom 10 of a very deep TE draft class.
