Fantasy Football: 5 Wide Receivers Who Could Outscore Their Higher-Drafted Teammates
Jamison Crowder, Washington Redskins (ADP: 5.12)
Teammate: Terrelle Pryor (ADP: 3.04)
The Terrelle Pryor hype train has steadily gained steam over the course of the summer. With reports of him working out with Randy Moss and Antonio Brown, and video evidence of him making ridiculous one-handed catches in training camp, the expectations for him to dominate in a pass-heavy offense with Kirk Cousins chucking him the rock are higher than ever.
Jamison Crowder, however, might have something to say about that.
One primary assumption for Pryor truthers is that he should improve on his 54.61% catch rate from last season with a better quarterback. But how much so depends on how he'll be utilized. If he's employed similarly to how DeSean Jackson was in Washington's offense (Jackson had a 56.00% catch rate in 2016), then deeper targets will probably equal more missed targets.
Looking at how Washington utilized their four primary receivers in 2016 also leaves room to question whether Pryor will be the top dog. With four players each within 25 targets of one another, Cousins' tendency to distribute targets equally to his receivers is worth noting.
| Player | Targets | Receptions | Red Zone Targets | Touchdowns | PPR Points Per Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierre Garcon | 114 | 79 | 14 | 3 | 12.57 |
| Jamison Crowder | 99 | 67 | 17 | 7 | 12.34 |
| DeSean Jackson | 100 | 56 | 11 | 4 | 12.03 |
| Jordan Reed | 89 | 66 | 11 | 6 | 14.08 |
Obviously, with Pierre Garcon and Jackson gone, the target availability in the nation's capital has increased. But don't forget about the post-hype, former first-round draft pick in Josh Doctson, who's been turning heads in training camp as well. Doctson is expected to fill the role of Z-Receiver, Garcon's former role, when he's on the field in three-wide sets. But he could also easily steal some of the deep targets that would've gone to Pryor given his impressive athletic profile.
With Crowder set to play in two-wide sets this season, his expanded role combined with his reliable catch rate could propel him into a coveted role as the most targeted receiver on the team. And with a red zone market share higher than any wide receiver on the team last season -- Crowder saw 17 targets to Garcon's 14 and Jackson's 11 -- expect Crowder's rapport with Cousins to remain strong inside the 20.
If the target parity among Washington receivers continues being the norm for this offense, Cousins' red zone affinity for Crowder could be the difference in him scoring more fantasy points than Pryor in 2017.
