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.