Donald Driver has been a receiver that has brought consistency, and quality production to the fantasy table for over half a decade now, but that might not be the case in 2010.
Driver has been dealing with the recovery process of his surgically repaired knees; a process—among other issues— that may wind up hindering his overall production as a receiver and reduce his overall fantasy value.
Earlier this year, I took a look at the Green Bay Packers Fantasy Projections, and believed that Driver was ready for another quality season once the knees healed.
Now I am not so sure.
Here's the latest Driver update...(ok, it's a horrible joke for those who get it, but in my defense it was totally unintentional).
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is reporting that Packers’ Offensive Coordinator Joe Philbin now admits Driver’s knees are a concern.
"Obviously, we have to see what happens with Driver's knee when he comes back," says Philbin. "...I haven't seen him do anything since January 10."
Driver is currently being drafted 31st off the WR board, and 100th overall, but it appears that may even be too high of a draft slot.
Driver averaged around 60 snaps per game last year (equating to 70 receptions, 1,061 yards and 6 TDs), but it appears the chances of that happening again are getting slimmer by the month, thanks to ongoing concerns about those surgically repaired knees.
Not to mention, at 35 -years-old, Driver's wheels have logged a lot of mileage heading into his 12th season.
For those of you who were high on Driver—like myself initially—now would be the time to replace him in your rankings, and don't be surprised if you see Driver’s stock plummet over the next couple of months.
Reduced receptions equal reduced yards and scoring chances, which equates to nothing but headaches for all managers across the board. Another 1000 yard receiving season is just not likely. And there are plenty of high upside bargains out there who can offer you better value for the price tag they'll be carrying.
In Green Bay, James Jones’ sleeper value could be on the rise, as well as that of Jordy Nelson, but you don’t have to be focused only the Packers WRs.
Here are five other options worthy of being raised in your WR rankings.
| Player | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns | ADP | Overall | Comment |
| Derrick Mason BAL |
73 | 1,028 | 7 | 49th | 145 | May be old, but has bigger potential with Boldin in town. |
| Austin Collie IND |
60 | 676 | 7 | 44th | 137 | Collie won’t be unseated as the starting slot WR making his value hard to ignore. |
| Devin Aromashodu CHI | 24 | 278 | 4 | 35th | 106 | Huge sleeper potential, and in fact we already rank him ahead of Driver. |
| Kenny Britt Ten |
42 | 701 | 3 | 32nd | 102 | He has some work to do in camp, but has huge potential to lead the team. I like his chances to surprise the cookie cutter skeptics. |
| Malcolm Floyd SD |
45 | 776 | 1 | 43rd | 135 | Who do YOU think Rivers will throw to other than Gates, huh? |
ADP courtesy MyFantasyLeague.com
