yo mama Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 I admit, I know little about Deion Branch. But I've never been partial to Pariots' WRs for fantasy purposes. I've read DMD's write up on Branch, who the Huddle currently ranks as the 23rd best WR. Seriously? Why does it seem that the expectations for Branch are relatively high given an unproven track record and a history of serious injury? Does his value lie in the fact that he hasn't broken out yet, clearly has the talent to do so and can therefore be had late/cheap relative to his average draft poition? Seriously, a little help here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenokee Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 Here's some of the info that led me to draft him this season: The AP reports Patriots HC Bill Belichick continues to be impressed with WR Deion Branch, saying Branch is a "very instinctive player" and "just knows how to get open." It's important to note Belichick's comments since Bill himself will be calling plays (or at least approving them) because they didn't hire a replacement for OC Charlie Weis. You probably won't find anyone outside of Draft Sharks that ranks Branch in the top-20 WRs so our feelings are pretty obvious here. Branch suffered a second-degree MCL knee sprain in week #2 vs. Arizona and missed most of the regular season. Most fantasy GMs had no choice but to drop him but Branch leaped off the week #11 injury report and started vs. the Chiefs on Monday night -- snagging 6 passes for 105 yards, including a 26-yard catch-and-run for a TD. Deion runs those little dart patterns with precision and gets separation in traffic. Then he came up huge in the Super Bowl with a record 11 receptions for 133 yards, winning the MVP award as New England locked up their 3rd title in 4 years. Two years earlier Branch blew up Carolina in the Super Bowl for 10 catches, 143 yards, and a TD. If you ignore his injury time and track Branch's last 16 full games (including playoffs) he has 73 catches for 969 yards and 6 TDs. Those numbers represent top-25 fantasy ranking in most scoring systems. When Deion was healthy in 2003, Ex-OC Charlie Weis focused on him as a red zone guy as Tom Brady targeted Branch 15 times inside the 20, tied for 16th in the league. By comparison, Marvin Harrison (14), Laveranues Coles (14), and Joe Horn (12) all had fewer red zone looks in 2003. Branch reminds us of Terance Mathis, an underrated 5'10" receiver who caught 689 passes (most of them with Atlanta) over a superb 13-year career. HC Bill Belichick hasn't hired a new offensive coordinator to replace Weis and will probably assume the role himself. The WR coach, Brian Daboll, will help out with play-calling and we expect a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach with Branch catching the most passes out of the flanker spot. WR David Patten left for Washington so Deion becomes the leader of this group. Pretty good info (IMO). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted August 12, 2005 Author Share Posted August 12, 2005 (edited) Great post, Fenokee. That's just the stuff I was looking for. I still don't know that I'd trust him over some other WRs I currently like in the 7th round (12-team). Seems that's where he's drafted lately. Edited August 12, 2005 by yo mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenokee Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 Seems like he's in the 30ish ranking in most peoples minds, so getting him late is almost a given. By that time you should be able to secure 3 WR's before even looking at drafting him. If he pans out and lives up to the DMD ranking (or better) you're sitting on depth or possible trade bait. If he doesnt cut the mustard, he's only filling your #4 slot, so not alot lost. Win/win in my eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted August 12, 2005 Author Share Posted August 12, 2005 Seems like he's in the 30ish ranking in most peoples minds, so getting him late is almost a given. By that time you should be able to secure 3 WR's before even looking at drafting him. If he pans out and lives up to the DMD ranking (or better) you're sitting on depth or possible trade bait. If he doesnt cut the mustard, he's only filling your #4 slot, so not alot lost. Win/win in my eyes. 923079[/snapback] That sounds reasonable. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaterMan Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 I started him after his injury and he was a nice fill in. I'll probably draft him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 Also, keep in mind what he did in the post-season. I normally stay away from Pats receivers, but he is clearly their most talented, and the only one that has solid potential fantasy-wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackass Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 when brady talks about branch, his eyes light up like he's in love with him. i think terrell and givens will both catch 5 or 6 td's this year but branch will be #1. there is a concern of how many td passes there are to go around but i think branch is good for 1000 yards and 7 or 8 Td's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czarina Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 IMO casual opinion... Please remember that Charlie Weis missed most if not all of a season after his stomach stapling surgery went awry, so this isn't the first time they've been without a dedicated OC. Branch is clearly Brady's favorite WR, always has been. It's entirely possible that the Pats D will be taking a step backwards this year with not only the loss of Crennel but also 2 key inside LBs in Ted Johnson and Tedy Bruschi. If this is the case, then look for the Pats to need to take their offense up a notch. If they can pull that off, then things could be looking good for the Pats WRs this year. Camp is quiet as per usual, but if anyone can make something out of David Terrell, I think it has to be this team. He bears watching too, and could be a good sleeper pick in late rounds. Looking forward to tonight's game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhoops Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 Camp is quiet as per usual, but if anyone can make something out of David Terrell, I think it has to be this team. He bears watching too, and could be a good sleeper pick in late rounds. Looking forward to tonight's game. 923304[/snapback] Bears watching... Nice one Czar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenokee Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 Bears watching... Good points on the NE defense Czar. Could very well lead the Pats down a more pass oriented offense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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