4 Players to Stash in Fantasy Football From the NFC West
Marquez North, WR, Los Angeles Rams
The Player
I'm getting sick of constantly allowing Brian Quick to let me down, although if 2016 is his break out year, I reserve the right to say "I told you so!"
But this year, I'm digging deeper for one of the most physically gifted yet enigmatic players on the Rams roster.
At 6'2, 223 pounds, Marquez North has the size you are looking for in a top wide receiver. His 4.46-second 40-yard-dash and 35-inch vertical are also impressive numbers that cause him to resemble some of the best wide receivers in the league:
| Name | Hght | Wght | Arms | Hands | 40 yd | Vert | Broad | 3Cone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Floyd | 6' 3" | 220 | 32⅞" | 9⅜" | 4.47 | 36" | 122" | 7.11 |
| Marquez North | 6' 2" | 223 | 33⅝" | 10¼" | 4.48 | 35" | 123" | 6.90 |
| Larry Fitzgerald | 6' 2⅞" | 225 | 10½" | 4.48 | 38" | 6.94 | ||
| Kenny Britt | 6' 3" | 218 | 34" | 9" | 4.49 | 37" | 124" | |
| Josh Gordon | 6' 3" | 224 | 33¼" | 10" | 4.52 | 36" | 121" | |
| Dwayne Bowe | 6' 2" | 221 | 33⅝" | 9⅞" | 4.51 | 33" | 125" | 6.81 |
| Dez Bryant | 6' 2" | 225 | 34" | 9¾" | 4.52 | 38" | 133" | 7.21 |
| Allen Robinson | 6' 2⅝" | 220 | 32" | 9½" | 4.6 | 39" | 127" | 7 |
Yet injuries and inconsistencies prevented him from building on his eye-opening freshman season at Tennessee, and he caught just 74 passes for 874 yards in his three seasons in Knoxville. He surprised most when he declared for the NFL draft as a junior, going undrafted before being signed by the Rams.
While his college career certainly didn't go as expected, he showed flashes of greatness when he actually got on the field, and the Rams will hope he can build on that during his NFL career.
The Opportunity
While it is doubtful that North will make a contribution as a rookie, he is a player to monitor on a team breaking in a franchise quarterback in Jared Goff and in need of a top receiver to take pressure off slot receiver Tavon Austin.
The incumbents are Titans flameout Kenny Britt, who is still miraculously only 27 years old despite being in the league for 20 years, and the aforementioned Brian Quick. Despite a subpar 50% catch rate, Britt was effective on a per-target basis, scoring a 0.77 Reception NEP per target that outpaced the league average of 0.67 despite an inefficient offense. Still, he paced the team with just 681 receiving yards, so an upgrade sure would be appreciated.
Still, the Rams are likely looking to the future, and North (as well as sixth-round sleeper Mike Thomas) has the potential to fit that bill. Both North and Thomas are players to monitor this preseason
