Five Contract-Year WR’s (#FantasyFootball)

As a dynasty owner, one must think beyond the upcoming season and more into the future of their franchise.

One important area of focus for every dynasty owner should be which players are entering a “contract year”. The possibility of free agency not only impacts the player themselves but their former and future team’s depth chart and the
players that currently make that up.

NFL Players who are entering a contract year have that extra incentive to showcase their ability to play in the NFL in hopes of earning that blockbuster contract and therefore should be strongly considered by dynasty owners when
making final roster decisions during the offseason.

Antonio Brown and Odell Beckham Jr. just found out that they are expendable in two different fashions. Antonio requested his way out through the media and the Giants apparently came to the conclusion that Odell was a cancer in the locker room and sideline. Either way, both appear to be relieved that they are on a new team and looking forward to a new beginning.

With two of the top wide receivers departing their teams, one would think it would open up some opportunities in the future for other top wide receivers entering a contract year so let’s take a look and see which ones can take advantage of that opportunity as they enter their contract year and get a new beginning of their own whether it be on their current team or a new team.

 

Michael Thomas (New Orleans Saints):

Michael Thomas has had an incredible start to his career after averaging 107 catches, 1,262 yards and eight touchdowns per season in his first 3 years. He has more catches (321) in his first three years than any other receiver and is looking to land a record contract with the New Orleans Saints.

Outlook for 2019:

The Saints are not going to let this guy test the market and therefore will need to agree to a record-breaking contract for a wide receiver in the NFL. He will not be going anywhere.

 

Amari Cooper (Dallas Cowboy):

Amari gained instant fantasy value after being acquired by the Cowboys as he led the team with 5 catches for 58 yards and a TD on his first game with the team on a Nationally televised game on Thanksgiving day which was followed by a couple of huge games in weeks 12 and 14 when he accumulated 397 yards and 5 TD’s but produced very average numbers in between.

Cooper is entering the final year of his current contract after receiving a fifth-year option and is looking to cash in this year as he just turns 25 next week.

Outlook for 2019:

Although the Cowboys have two high-profile players to take care of in Cooper and QB Dak Prescott, I am confident they will find a way to keep them both on the roster for the 2019 season and beyond.

It all depends if the players want to compare themselves to the Carson Wentz’s and Odell Beckham’s of the NFL when considering what they believe is fair compensation which I am guessing they will so it could get interesting sooner than later.  If the Cowboys fail to agree on a contract with Cooper, they could very easily lose him to one of any three of their Division rivals.

 

A.J. Green (Cincinnati Bengals):

Another Bengal in addition to Giovanni Bernard (who was discussed in the RB edition of this series) that is looking for a new contract within the next year. Injuries have been Green’s biggest opponent as a lingering toe injury set him back last year after suffering from hamstring injuries in the past.

Outlook for 2019:

Green has displayed the ability to still be a top ten receiver in the NFL but his ability to stay on the field is what he must prove if he wants that next big contract. My guess is that the Bengals will absolutely give him that contract if he not only is able to stay on the field but produce at a high level.

 

Tyreek Hill (Kansas City Chiefs):

With Hill no longer being investigated for child abuse after his fiancée recorded him in a disturbing conversation with her about his abuse of their 3-year-old child who ended up with a broken arm. I’m not going into details here as most all of you I’m sure have followed this closely.

Tyreek had a breakout season in 2017 after catching 75 balls for 1183 yards and 7 TD’s after a productive rookie season in 2016 where is contributed almost as much rushing the ball as he did as a receiver. But it was his 2018 season when he took his game to the next level in Andy Reid’s offense with the Kansas City Chiefs. Last year he caught 87 of his 137 targets for 1479 yards and 12 TDs.

Outlook for 2019:

Just as former Chief Kareem Hunt was looking for a new job due to his actions off the field, Tyreek Hill was in jeopardy of and still may be doing the same as he still is not out of the woods with both his team and the NFL.

Although the investigation into Hill’s child abuse claims has been closed by the Kansas City Police Department and prosecutors, the State of Kansas has a five-year statute of limitations when it comes to child abuse meaning the case could be re-opened if new evidence is presented that is meaningful.

Tyreek is just too good to overlook but one must take into consideration the risk that comes with him which must be considered when it comes draft projections especially in dynasty leagues.

I am avoiding him for the most part but certainly cannot blame someone for taking a gamble on him if they are able to acquire him for the right price. It is up to you to determine what that price is whether you are considering him in a trade or in a draft.

 

Robby Anderson (New York Jets):

Anderson has had his share of legal problems after being involved in an incident with security at a music festival in Miami two years ago leading to his arrest on an assault charge and being arrested again in January of 2018 resulting in 9 charges, two of which were felonies. Somehow he was able to get out of all that with just 6-month probation.

Robby has not shown enough on or off the field to justify him earning a big contract so this is an extremely important year for him as he has yet to eclipse a thousand yards receiving and has caught no more than 7 TD’s in a season.

Outlook for 2019:

Robby has the ability to be a very good fantasy asset but only if he finds a way to stay out of trouble and take his game to the next level. The Jets will take this into consideration and monitor his conduct and production throughout this next year to determine what type of contract he has earned if he has earned one at all.

Many don’t realize that Robby ran a 4.36 at his pro day at Temple so he does have the speed and seems to have earned some trust from rookie QB Sam Darnold towards the end of last year as he received 46 targets over the last five games while catching 27 of them with 3 of them going for touchdowns.

I would definitely take a chance on Robby Anderson but will need to see more consistency from him if I am going to depend on him for more than a bye week starter/roster depth.

 

In Summary:

While there are always a fair amount of wide receivers playing in a contract year, there is still plenty of research that we need to do in order to define one who fits our roster. This year is no different. Some, but definitely not all, of the receivers mentioned in this article are going to be hard to pry from dynasty owners so don’t hesitate to try.

Other key wide receivers who are entering a contract year are Nelson Agholor (a former first-round pick of the Eagles who was rumored to have been involved in trade talks earlier this year), Devin Funchess (signed a one year deal with Colts) and another former first-round pick (Ravens 2015) who was signed to a one year contract (Buccaneers).

I can’t conclude this edition without mentioning Josh Gordon whom the New England Patriots placed a 2nd round tender on hoping there is a chance he could return in 2019. Gordon has stated publicly that he will be back but we shall see.

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