Well hello again friends and enemies.  We embark on another year of fantasy usefulness here at Razzball, and as always, I am here to shed a spotlight on something either obvious or not so obvious.  This week, the one obvious thing that I am going to point out to all of you is the match-up between the Eagles and the Falcons.  The game itself does nothing as a whole for us from a fantasy perspective, but the player I want to spotlight on is Leonard Hankerson.  Granted, Leo hasn’t ever really been in a keen quarterback situation, unless you count that half a year with RG-3.  He is not a possession receiver, nor a burner.  He’s just an ordinary guy. This week though, he has a chance to be something better.  He can be the WR3 we are all coveting for in Week 1 that a lot of people are sleeping on.  Wondering why?  Hell, I am too, but stick with me and I will steer you to Week one helpfulness as the lighthouse spotlight shines on the A-T-L…
[graphiq id=”9JthAwEivtP” title=”Leonard Hankerson Overview” width=”640″ height=”550″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/9JthAwEivtP” link=”http://football-players.pointafter.com/l/8951/Leonard-Hankerson” link_text=”Leonard Hankerson Overview | PointAfter”]
Now, I get what everyone is saying, how can a wide receiver that is being drafted or lack there of not go as the 79th receiver off the board be useful to you in the inaugural week?  The answer is bi-fold… the Eagles defense is so overrated and there is an unhealthy Roddy White.  Let’s start with the Eagles bend-but-sorta-break defense.  Last year was last year, I get it, I am a realist.  Though the Eagles have eight returning starters on defense with some mixed in sub packages, and that group ranked in the bottom five in the NFL last year in total yards given up to opposing offenses.  Let’s delve further… In the preseason, which means less than last year, they finished dead last at over 400 yards per game.  Add in the fact that the Eagles offense likes to play up-tempo, that kind of plays right into the Falcons wheelhouse, who are no slouches offensively,
So when Eagles are on defense, it is most likely going to double team Julio Jones, I mean they almost have to.  The Falcons run game is average-to-below at best, and their second best receiver in White is questionable after elbow surgery.  To me, even if he does play, there is plenty to go around.  The Falcons ran 460 plays of three wideout sets last year.  This allows me to introduce the Falcons newly appointed number two receiver: Leonard Hankerson.  He managed 50 targets in just over 390 snaps in 2013, he tore his ACL in Week 12 of that year, and was just starting to turn that third year WR mantra corner.  The Falcons couldn’t be a better landing spot for him to regain his fantasy value… they are a pass happy team and this game is going to be in the 50’s point total wise.  If Hankerson can manage to get singled up a lot by the Eagles corners, I think he can be a PPR delight this week and a viable WR3.  Listen, if you drafted right you should be all set, but with injury news on certain WR it drops everyone down the pecking order.  Smokey Predicts: 9 targets, 6 REC, 81 yards, and 1 TD.
You can follow Smokey on Twitter or play some Fantasy Soccer with him.
