Injuries and suspensions happen. Every player in fantasy football is susceptible. And yet, we only talk about handcuffing running backs. Surely, there has to be another insurance policy that the most astute fantasy player can buy, especially in those deep leagues, right?
Enter the sort-of wide-receiver handcuff.
Everyone gets to that point in the draft where it’s ugly. I call this the “Rod Streater Tier.” No offense to Rod Streater, the athlete, but there's no way I'm ever going to start Rod Streater and yet, I’d get to those deeper rounds and I’d grab him anyway because I didn’t love anyone else. He was a familiar name. A regular role, even one that doesn't necessarily offer extreme upside, is eye-catching. But you know that if you have a Streater on your roster and end up having to use him, you're in real trouble. Instead, dig a little deeper for guys who have a zero-point fantasy floor, but if things break right (or wrong, depending on your perspective), they could become a real option. Just like we did at running back, today, let's talk about the handcuffs — the wide receiver handcuffs. These guys are deeper dives, because wide receivers who might step up if the No. 1 goes down are generally already the No. 2 receiver. These guys are deeper, the ones who could slide in on a flimsy depth chart or who have a skill set similar to the No. 1 option.
Dezmin Lewis, Buffalo Bills
This sophomore out of Central Arkansas has been called the minicamp MVP by his coaching staff. Normally, I hate that. Few news items are more misleading than calling a guy in a t-shirt and shorts running light routes an all-star. Fantasy players jump on every shred of news they get because so little is happening. The news is rare, but don’t get swept up in platitudes.
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