Ben Rupert analyzes the fantasy prospects of one of his favorite sleepers of the offseason in Washington Redskins Wide Receiver Pierre Garcon. Ben talks about why some fantasy players are bailing on this veteran too quickly

Last season the Washington Redskins were able to break through and win the NFC East with a record of 9-7. While they disappointed in the wild card round loss to the Green Bay Packers, this was a huge improvement compared to their 4-12 record in 2014. One big reason for this was the arm of quarterback Kirk Cousins and the Redskins passing attack. Their receiving corps of Desean Jackson, Pierre Garçon, Jamison Crowder, and tight end Jordan Reed helped Washington greatly improve.

In the first round of the 2016 NFL draft at pick #22, the Redskins selected Josh Doctson, a receiver from TCU. This development means that one receiver will likely be pushed from action, and many fans want this to be Garçon over the other receivers. While he seems to be the forgotten man in this system, this is why Garçon won’t be pushed out so easily and he can be an effective fantasy wide receiver this season.

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2016 Fantasy Football Draft Targets

Desean Jackson will be the receiver who stretches out the defense. His speed is unmatched by nearly everyone in the NFL. When you are looking for a reliable number two receiver to complement his speed and run precise routes, look no further than Pierre Garçon. Last season running mostly short-to-intermediate routes, Garçon recorded 72 catches on 110 targets, his 65% catch rate was second on the team behind Reed, and more impressively only dropped one pass. His one drop on 110 targets put him on a level with Rob Gronkowski (one drop, 120 targets), Willie Snead (one drop, 101 targets), and T.Y. Hilton (one drop, 134 targets). He averaged a first down every catch at 10.79 yards per reception, which was also second behind 2015 stand-out Jordan Reed (10.94). Garçon has proven in his time with the Colts and Redskins that he has the ability to make catches and make impressive plays when given opportunities. During Desean Jackson’s eight-year career, he has only played 16 games twice. Having Garçon, Crowder, and Doctson would benefit the Redskins because then they would have less of a drop off if anything does happen to Jackson. However, while Josh Doctson was highly touted coming out of college, he has proven nothing at football’s highest level.

Speaking of Doctson not proving anything yet, rookie wide receivers tend to have a tough time adjusting to the NFL, unless they are in the upper echelon of wide receiver prospects like Julio Jones, A.J. Green and Calvin Johnson. While Doctson was a first round pick, he doesn’t carry the same upside as the players listed. You may think that the easiest position to adjust to from college to the NFL is wide receiver, but you would be wrong. There are plenty of wide receivers drafted that either bust completely (Darius Heyward-Bey: 6^th overall, Mike Williams: 10^th overall, and Cordarrelle Patterson: 29^th overall), or take a couple years before they really develop. A prime example of this is Deandre Hopkins, who was taken 27^th overall in 2013 by the Texans. His first year he caught 72 balls for 802 yards and two scores, playing as the number two receiver behind future Hall of Famer Andre Johnson. Last season he broke out, catching 111 passes for 1,521 yards and 11 scores. Drafting wide receivers early can be a tricky game; many take a couple years to develop, while others never turn the corner. Doctson may have a good future ahead of him, but he’s not pushing Garçon out this season, in my opinion.

Jackson and Garcon are both entering this season on the last years of their deals with high cap numbers, so the drafting of Doctson was done knowing he will be ingrained in the offense for the future more so than in 2016. For now, the Redskins should lean on their veterans for solid and consistent production. When both of them veterans are playing and healthy, it is probable the Redskins utilize three-receiver sets, including either Doctson or Crowder, with Reed as the tight end. Crowder is the smaller, shiftier receiver, while Doctson is a good jump ball receiver. He was one of the best 50-50 jump ball receiver in the NFL draft this year. Using Jackson and Garçon, while complementing them with the young duo of Crowder and Doctson, would make for the best allocation of receivers for the Redskins.

Pierre Garçon is rated as the 71^st receiver off the board in drafts according to fantasypros. I believe he will outproduce WR71 by a fair margin, and has a chance to be a top 30 receiver this season.  Draft him late and reap the benefits of fantasy players bailing on a dependable veteran too quickly.