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Wide receiver busts and avoids for 2017 fantasy football. Justin Carter looks at some second-year WR who are set to disappoint yet again.
There were four wide receivers chosen in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Those receivers were: Corey Coleman, Will Fuller, Josh Doctson, and Laquon Treadwell. The next two receivers picked were Sterling Shepard and Michael Thomas. You might notice that one of those lists contains four names that are not very high on your draft board, whereas the other has Thomas, who is going near the end of the first round in many leagues, and Shepard, who has looked like a decent counterpart to Odell Beckham Jr.
Y'all, let's focus on that first list. There's going to be a point where you'll say look, those guys were first round picks. THE FIRST ROUND. If I just take a chance on them, maybe...
No. Stop right there. Don't get fooled. Read on and find out why you should avoid them.
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Second-Year WR to Avoid
Corey Coleman - Cleveland Browns
I'll admit this--if you are going to take a chance on one of last year's first round receivers, it needs to be Coleman. Coleman played ten games last year and had three touchdowns. That seems promising! He also averaged 41.3 yards-per-game on a team that was very, very bad.
Yes, these things are true. And the team's number one receiver last season, Terrelle Pryor, is now in Washington. But Cleveland brought in Kenny Britt and Sammie Coates. There's still uncertainty at quarterback--DeShone Kizer is getting thrown into the fire a little earlier than anyone really wants him to be. Expect the team's offense to struggle and the veteran Britt to be Kizer's main threat. Coleman has good upside--especially later in the season--but he also has the potential for producing a year that's only marginally better than last season on a per-game basis.
Will Fuller - Houston Texans
Let's get the big news out of the way first: Will Fuller is hurt. A broken collarbone will keep him out for a couple more months.
Fuller looked great last year for two games and then promptly stopped catching the ball, showing a dangerous propensity for drops. He has speed and he'll be dangerous as a returner when he returns (if the team is willing to risk his health on special teams), but this is a player who struggles with his hands and will be behind in developing chemistry with starting quarterback Tom Savage. Expect Houston to rely on the run and only throw when they have to, and expect those passes to find their way to DeAndre Hopkins and Houston's (what seems like) millions of tight ends. Fuller will have a big game at some point after he returns, but you shouldn't stake your season on guessing when that game will happen.
Josh Doctson - Washington Redskins
Doctson barely saw the field in 2016, so we don't have too much to go off of here. But right now he's third receiver behind Terrelle Pryor and Jamison Crowder. Tight end Jordan Reed will also see his share of targets. Washington should have a strong offense this year behind quarterback Kirk Cousins, but it's tough to rely too much on someone who is likely going to finish fourth on the team in receptions.
Doctson has upside, especially in dynasty leagues. It's highly possible he shows up this season and starts 2018 as a major part of Washington's offense. But I'm looking at my calendar right now and it doesn't say 2018--Doctson is a big risk this year. He'll flash a lot of potential as long as he's fully recovered from his Achilles's injury, but it seems like a year too early to expect him to be a major piece for Washington.
Laquon Treadwell - Minnesota Vikings
And now we come to Laquon Treadwell, who ended his rookie season with one catch. It went for 15 yards. He was targeted two other times. We got whispers about maturity and focus, because we always get those whispers when first round picks struggle.
Treadwell should see the field more this year. Like Doctson, he'll be the fourth option in the team's passing game, behind receivers Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen and tight end Kyle Rudolph, but unlike Doctson he isn't playing on a prolific passing team. Minnesota won't light the world on fire offensively this season and that means Treadwell won't either. It's almost a guarantee he ends up with more than one catch this season, but I wouldn't bet on Treadwell having a stellar fantasy season. He has to show that his athleticism translates to the pro level before he's worth a look.
