Fantasy Football: 6 Takeaways From Preseason Week 1
Devin Funchess Is Far Too Cheap
If we're just looking at the boxscore, nothing is going to draw you toward Devin Funchess. He finished the Carolina Panthers' opener with one target, turning it into a four-yard reception. Big whoop. The first-team snaps, though, tell a radically different story.
Devin Funchess was in on all 9 of CAR's first-string snaps. Big change from last year, when he was behind Ginn in almost all 2-WR sets.
— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) August 10, 2017
Last year, Funchess' snap rate peaked at 65.1% in Week 2, and it got above 60% just once the rest of the year. But with a full offseason to make strides and the offense's loss of Ted Ginn Jr., it seems like things could be looking a lot spicier.
Even though Funchess wasn't necessarily a fixture on the field in his second season, it didn't stop him from being a focus in the red zone. Funchess' 13 red-zone targets accounted for 19.70% of the team's total targets, second behind Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen. If Funchess were to run with the first team, you could assume that number would go up, making Funchess a guy with a fun blend of floor and upside.
Right now, Funchess is the 69th wide receiver off the board in 12-team, point-per-reception (PPR) leagues, according to Fantasy Football Calculator. A 14th-round pick is a mighty nice cost for a guy with the potential to be as involved as Funchess could be. Plus, he can do this.
So good.
SOOOOOO GOOD!
One-handed catch by @D_FUNCH 👋 pic.twitter.com/kMunirD9y9
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 12, 2017
The devil will tell you that this doesn't matter. And they're 100% right. But, hey, it's some eye candy, and we can't complain too much about that. Funchess' value goes way beyond the flashy plays, and it's about time for his draft stock to shoot up.
