The Case for Devin Funchess in Redraft (#FantasyFootball)
When Devin Funchess signed a prove-it deal with one of the most powerful passing attacks in the NFL it was a boon for his fantasy football prospects. But gamers are glazing over Funchess’ potential in Indianapolis and instead focusing on highly touted rookie Parris Campbell, who the Colts drafted at No. 59 overall. That’s a mistake in redraft leagues.
Campbell’s presence drives down Funchess’ stock as his own average draft position rises. He’s currently being drafted ahead of Funchess in PPR redraft mocks despite not having played a down in the NFL. According to Fantasy Football Calculator, Campbell’s current ADP of 11.03 ranks ahead of Funchess’ 11.11 ADP. FantasyPros consensus ADP ranks Funchess as WR55 and Campbell WR47 in PPR formats.
It’s a classic example of how the fantasy football community overvalues rookie wide receivers during the offseason. The infatuation with rookies like Campbell, however, shouldn’t carry over into redraft leagues. Taking a shot on Campbell instead of Funchess is a dice roll best avoided. In the past three seasons only five rookie receivers have finished inside the top 30 in PPR scoring:
- Michael Thomas, Saints (2016)
- Tyreek Hill, Chiefs (2016)
- JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers (2017)
- Cooper Cupp, Rams (2017)
- Calvin Ridley, Falcons (2018)
Ohio State product Campbell faces an uphill battle to establish himself in the pecking order and make enough of an impact to be fantasy relevant. He’ll compete for targets with T.Y. Hilton, Funchess, Chester Rogers and tight ends Jack Doyle and Eric Ebron, all while acclimating to the NFL. For what it’s worth, Campbell has been working behind Rogers so far this offseason. Save the rookie love for dynasty leagues and focus instead on veteran Funchess. He doesn’t come without risk, but offers league-winning upside in redraft formats.
Funchess underwhelmed during his four seasons with the Panthers. He sports an inefficient career mark of 13.9 yards per reception and a 51.8-percent catch rate, and has struggled with dropped passes. He’s also transitioning to a new team and learning a new offense. But Funchess proved he could produce when given sufficient opportunity. In his only season seeing 100-plus targets, Funchess caught 63-of-111 passes for 840 yards and eight TDs to finish as WR21 in PPR formats.
Following his most productive season, Funchess looked primed to break out in 2018. After a hot start to the season, including three top-25 finishes at the position, he dropped five passes in a Week 11 loss to the Lions. He missed the next week due to injury and fizzled down the stretch, posting two fantasy bagels as the Panthers chose to feature their receivers of the future, D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel.
Funchess gets a fresh start on a one-year deal with the Colts. Indianapolis ranked No. 6 in net passing yards, No. 2 in pass attempts and No. 2 in passing TDs in 2018 behind Andrew Luck’s powerful arm. At 6-4, 232-pounds Funchess possesses speed not often seen at his size. His speed score (107.9) ranks in the 87th-percentile per PlayerProfiler. Funchess’ speed compliments Hilton on the outside and his size and wide catch radius offer Luck a big red zone target. If he can work his way into an every-down role, he could challenge the aging Hilton (entering his age 30 season) for the team’s overall target share.
While both Funchess and Campbell come with value price tags, give me Funchess all day in redraft formats. ESPN’s Mike Clay projects Funchess for 83 targets, 48 receptions, 653 yards and six TDs. That would add up to 149 PPR points and yield a finish in the WR3-4 range, a solid return on investment. But I’m more bullish on Funchess’ outlook than Clay and expect him to finish with more receptions and yards. He has the potential to finish as a WR2 and give gamers a massive ROI.
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