We have a real treat for you faithful Fantasy Football readers here at Razzball. We have started a new writing battle series to challenge you, the reader, to pick which side of the fantasy football spectrum you land on. We are going to provide you with two thorough articles on two different players and you will be asked to pick which side of the argument you will land on. There is no wrong answer except for not voting at all. Keep in mind this poll was inspired by a movie with John Travolta and Nicholas Cage. That means overactingwriting is not only expected but actually encouraged. Vote accordingly. This week’s poll is between Roddy White and Julio Jones. Enjoy!
With this being the first of many Fantasy Football Faceoffs, I’ll tell you why you should pick Roddy White over Julio Jones when drafting the Falcons’ wide receivers.
White is all about consistency over time and his stats prove it. Last season he reeled in exactly 100 passes for 1296 yards and eight touchdowns. More than a quarter of those yards came after the catch so Roddy is more than a possession receiver. He was also the most targeted player in the NFL last season. Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan looked his way a mind-blowing 181 times. When a receiver is getting that many targets, that makes him a must-have. When you look deeper inside the numbers from last season, it makes Roddy that much more desirable than Julio. Roddy White recorded at least 50 yards or a touchdown in 15 of 16 games. The lone exception was the 2-catch, 21-yard dud against Carolina on October 16. Meanwhile, Julio had four games where he was bordering on invisible. He finished with two or fewer catches and less than 30 yards against Philadelphia, Green Bay and New Orleans. He even put up a zero catch game against Minnesota. That doesn’t sound like a guy to have on your team as a free agent, let alone draft him.
In each of the last five seasons, White has recorded at least 80 receptions, 1150 yards and six touchdowns. He shows the consistency from season-to-season that increases his value. In 2010, Roddy led the league in receptions with 115 and was second with 1389 yards. White also stays healthy as he has NEVER missed a game in seven seasons in the NFL. Jones missed three games last season. It’s true that Jones came alive in the final four games of the season when he caught six touchdowns in that time while White only caught three. But keep this in mind: White had more receptions (32 to 20) and yards (415 to 392) in that span.
In my mind, there’s no doubt that Roddy White is the clear-cut choice over Julio Jones in all re-draft leagues, especially for PPR players. Jones would make a nice roster addition for a keeper league but it’s hard to top the consistent production that a 5-time Pro Bowl receiver brings to your fantasy team.
