It was a big week for special teams as five of our ranked players eclipsed 90 return yards on the day. It was also a week where our Big Board saw a lot of reshuffling with Darren Sproles slipping due to poor numbers and an injury while guys like Golden Tate, Jacoby Jones, and Jacquizz Rodgers all proved their return league worth.
We are also keeping an eye on new Jets returner Josh Cribbs, Seahawks receiver Jermaine Kearse, and new Titans returner Damian Williams, all three of whom have seen significant offensive snaps but are too risky to pick up at this point.
Let’s take a look at who’s up and who’s down on this week’s Big Board.
Rank | Wk 9 Rank | Player |
2013 |
2013 RET TD |
2013 |
2013 PPR FPS |
Notes |
1 | 3 | Golden Tate |
371 |
0 |
104.8 |
139.8 |
Tate only got three receptions for 29 yards but his 92 return yards carried him to a solid 15.1 PPR effort. He was well covered all day and only saw three targets but he’s gotten at least seven targets in six of his nine games this season. With Sidney Rice out, he should see more of the same going forward. |
2 | 1 | Darren Sproles |
336 |
0 |
92.2 |
129.2 |
After a very disappointing Week 8, Sproles was knocked out early this week against the Jets and could miss the Saints’ Week 10 game against the Cowboys. With that said, Sproles’ return yards and his utility man role on offense makes him a must-start in return leagues when he’s back on the field. |
3 | 2 | Jacoby Jones |
228 |
0 |
41.3 |
54.3 |
Jacoby has been targeted eight times in each of his last two games and has returned for 126 yards over those two contests. The yards haven’t been there but the receptions and steady flow of strong kick returns make him a must-start in PPR return leagues. |
4 | 8 | Cordarrelle Patterson |
808 |
2 |
109.2 |
125.2 |
It’s official, Patterson is a must-start in return leagues. Although the receiving yards haven’t been there, he has eclipsed 100 return yards four times this year and has returned for 333 yards and a touchdown over the last two weeks. He has been targeted 13 times over the last three games and is very startable as long as he has a role on offense. |
5 | 7 | Jacquizz Rodgers |
203 |
0 |
85.4 |
118.4 |
Rodgers only walked away with 45 offensive yards on Sunday but his six receptions and 59 return yards made him a great start in PPR return leagues. Steven Jackson is back but Rodgers remains a big part of the passing game and should continue to see a steady flow of targets (20 over his last three games) moving forward. |
6 | 9 | Dwayne Harris |
766 |
1 |
103.1 |
111.1 |
With a couple of targets every game, two touchdowns, and five weeks with 60 or more return yards, Harris looks like a very solid bye week or injury replacement. He’s not a must-start but he has decent value as long as he keeps being targeted. |
7 | 4 | Ted Ginn Jr. |
372 |
0 |
86.7 |
107.7 |
Ginn has been very frustrating to own this season, putting up just one reception and one punt return for a combined 34 yards against a fairly lax Falcons defense and special teams. Still, he has eclipsed 70 total yards in six of his eight games so he makes for a solid start in return leagues. |
8 | 5 | Julian Edelman |
299 |
0 |
90.3 |
139.3 |
With the return of Rob Gronkowski and Danny Amendola, along with the improvement of Aaron Dobson, Edelman has been caught just three passes for 18 yards over his last two games. His 43 punt return yards couldn’t have made fantasy owners feel any better. It looks like the PPR gravy train is gone until Danny Amendola’s next injury so he’s a risky start. |
9 | 6 | Dexter McCluster |
390 |
1 |
77.8 |
102.8 |
McCluster only got a chance to return one punt against the Bills and Alex Smith passed for a mere 124 yards so there wasn’t much to be had for the other DMC on Sunday. Still, McCluster has gotten at least four targets in all but one game and the Chiefs force as many punts as anyone so he remains very startable in return leagues. |
10 | 10 | Devin Hester |
848 |
1 |
90.8 |
90.8 |
Hester doesn’t play any offense these days but he has eclipsed 70 return yards in four of his last five weeks. He’s as good as any returner in the league so he’s startable in a bye week or injury pinch. |
11 | 14 | LeGarrette Blount |
349 |
0 |
76.1 |
76.1 |
The Pats offense came alive on Sunday and Blount put up a solid 47 rushing yards and a touchdown despite Stevan Ridley seeing 29 touches of his own. He also added 72 return yards for a very strong return league effort. Blount isn’t likely to match this type of game often but as long as he keeps getting the bulk of the Pats kick returns, he is startable in a pinch. |
12 | 11 | Keshawn Martin |
712 |
0 |
79.6 |
87.6 |
Martin hasn’t seen a single target since October 13 but he has eclipsed 90 total yards in six of his eight games. He gets both kick and punt returns so he’s a viable start but not a sure-thing since he doesn’t get in on offense anymore. |
13 | 12 | Trindon Holliday |
606 |
2 |
71.3 |
71.3 |
Holliday has eclipsed 90 return yards in four of his nine weeks but teams are wary about kicking to him and he doesn’t see any offensive snaps so, despite two return touchdowns, he’s just too risky to start. |
14 | 13 | Brandon Tate |
638 |
0 |
69.8 |
70.8 |
Tate doesn’t see any offense either but he has surpassed 75 return yards in five of his last six weeks and 90 yards in three straight. He gets both kick and punt returns so he could be a decent desperation play who isn’t likely to put up a goose egg. |
15 | 15 | Felix Jones |
331 |
0 |
48.2 |
56.2 |
Jones isn’t seeing many offensive snaps anymore and his 72 return yards were only the result of a huge offensive explosion by the Pats so Jones isn’t startable and is barely ownable. |
*FPS based on Yahoo standard scoring.
Off the Big Board: Damaris Johnson