Miles Austin

[IGotWorms 4,060]

There's a few players I am having trouble ranking, and perhaps none of them is more troublesome than Mr. Miles Austin.

 

I owned him last year and obviously he was a huge disappointment. Blew it up the first two weeks and then spent the rest of the season injured. Even when he did play his numbers were paltry (probably because he wasn't anywhere near 100%).

 

So what are your thoughts on him this year? IF he is healthy again then he could be a huge bargain, right? But on the other hand, it seems like hamstring injuries tend to be a recurring issue for WRs.

 

I've looked around the net and can't find much info on how Austin is doing in the offseason. There's not really any word on whether the hammy issue is totally cleared up or if we can expect it to rear its ugly head again this year.

[Vikings4ever 567]

If he stays healthy, I think he's the Dallas WR to own. On the field, he's the WR Romo trusts. Off the field, he's not a complete dumbass.

 

Obviously a big if, but I'd rather have him than Dez.

[sirensong 111]

 

I've looked around the net and can't find much info on how Austin is doing in the offseason. There's not really any word on whether the hammy issue is totally cleared up or if we can expect it to rear its ugly head again this year.

 

i'm not sitting on the link right now, but when asked about it, his comment on last season was that he just didn't have his body prepared enough due to the lack of structured offseason work. IIRC, he said that he has put in a ton of work with strength/conditioning coach wojicek (sp?), and that he is absolutely 100% for this season. take that for what it's worth, since players can often make these kinds of comments, but he has never been a BSer in this department.

 

i wrote a lot in the dez v. austin lookalike thread, and i won't rehash it all here. i'll just repeat that he has a very good opportunity to outproduce bryant even if they both have good seasons. before the hamstring last season, he looked absolutely dominant, and barring further injury, there is absolutely no reason why this would change. at this point, i have him rated higher than dez--i feel that his consistency is greater than dez's upside, and austin also has a ton of upside himself.

[stonewall 647]

He is definitely a target of mine. At his current ADP of 4.08, I consider him a steal....unfortunately that ADP will likely rise with Dez's issues. Aside from those points already mentioned, I feel as though the departure of Robinson is a factor that some are overlooking. Robinson stole a lot of TD's and yardage from Miles. I expect Miles and Witten to be the major recipients of those TD's this season. To me, he is a superb WR2 that will likely put up solid WR1 numbers if those hammy's will cooperate.

[giraldi02 476]

He is definitely a target of mine. At his current ADP of 4.08, I consider him a steal....unfortunately that ADP will likely rise with Dez's issues. Aside from those points already mentioned, I feel as though the departure of Robinson is a factor that some are overlooking. Robinson stole a lot of TD's and yardage from Miles. I expect Miles and Witten to be the major recipients of those TD's this season. To me, he is a superb WR2 that will likely put up solid WR1 numbers if those hammy's will cooperate.

 

THIS. I have the 3rd pick in my main league's draft and I'm more than tempted to take him in the 3rd round. Getting Rice/McCoy paired with two of Fitzgerald/White/Welker/Austin would be a GREAT start to a PPR league.

[RoadLizard 73]

Lot of mouths to feed in Dallas though. Romo likes Witten too who will frustrate WR owners more than ever with his cheesey TD grabs close to the end zone. Austin will have decent numbers but no way he can crack the top-tier of WRs with Bryant, Robinson & Witten there.

[We Tigers 71]

Lot of mouths to feed in Dallas though. Romo likes Witten too who will frustrate WR owners more than ever with his cheesey TD grabs close to the end zone. Austin will have decent numbers but no way he can crack the top-tier of WRs with Bryant, Robinson & Witten there.

Robinson is in Jacksonville now. I doubt Ogletree or whomever else wins the WR3 spot will be as effective.

 

I'm torn on Austin, too. I've got the option to keep him in one league, but would also have a shot at Dez, Maclin, and other young WRs if I kept an RB instead of him. That's about where I see him, but I really don't know if I value him more or less than those guys. He's been excellent when healthy and with Romo at QB--I think back to 2010, where he had 3 games of 9+ catches and 140+ yards in the first 5 games. In redraft I do think he's a strong pick right now simply because he's already displayed top-5 WR performance.

[jgcrawfish 232]

Reality is that Austin had one great season and has disappointed ever since. Between the injuries the emergence of Robinson he never put it together after the first part of the season last year. Could he? Sure. The Cowboys offense may likely be better this year if Dez doesn't draw a couple of games. Witten was called on to stay and block last year which is why his numbers fell over the 2nd half of the season. That was largely due to OL issues which "should" be fixed now. With Witten back in the middle and Dez likely drawing double teams, Austin may be a prime time pick this year.

[Raider 84 29]

I like Miles in TD heavy leagues. The problem is "how many games will he play?". I think he has good value where he is currently being drafted. Just my 2 cents.

[IGotWorms 4,060]

I want to talk myself into Austin because he could be a tremendous value at his current ADP (though that could come up considerably if Dez Bryant ends up in jail/suspended).

 

But I don't know...hammies can be bad news and he focked up both of them last year. I have a nagging suspicion that 2009-2010 was Austin's heyday and we won't see that from him again.

[Frozenbeernuts 2,282]

Reality is that Austin had one great season and has disappointed ever since. Between the injuries the emergence of Robinson he never put it together after the first part of the season last year. Could he? Sure. The Cowboys offense may likely be better this year if Dez doesn't draw a couple of games. Witten was called on to stay and block last year which is why his numbers fell over the 2nd half of the season. That was largely due to OL issues which "should" be fixed now. With Witten back in the middle and Dez likely drawing double teams, Austin may be a prime time pick this year.

Let's take a close look at Austin

 

2009 16 GP 81 Rec 1320 Yd 16.3 Yd/Rec 11 Td 124 Targets 65 Catch %

2010 16 GP 69 Rec 1041 Yd 15.1 Yd/Rec 7 Td 119 Targets 58 Catch %

2011 10 GP 43 Rec 579 Yd 13.5 Yd/Rec 7 Td 73 Targets 59 Catch %

 

Obviously in 2009 He had his best year and a very good year for a WR. Since then he has been less than spectacular. In 2010 he played all 16 games and did not do nearly as much with but he still accrued 119 targets. During his breakout year his catch percentage was 65%. The next 2 years he cooled off to 58 and 59%. You can view this as his return to his talent level or you can see a dip in 2010 catch percentage while remaining the same in 2011 after spending most of the year hampered by a hamstring injury.

 

WR have down years, it happens. If Austin is healthy all year I can easily see his catch percentage going back up to around 65% and if he receives the relative amount of targets from 2009 and 2010 I believe we see a return to 2009 stats. If Robinson stayed in town I think his targets and production would definitely be in jeopardy but fortunately for Austin owners he has moved on. I think if anything Robinson's ceiling was in 2012 and that is the absolute best we will see from him. Plus Dez is a mess and can't keep his stuff straight so I do not see him really affecting Austin's production.

 

Now as far as Dez goes, I believe his owners are going to be sorely disappointed this year.

[sirensong 111]

Let's take a close look at Austin

 

2009 16 GP 81 Rec 1320 Yd 16.3 Yd/Rec 11 Td 124 Targets 65 Catch %

2010 16 GP 69 Rec 1041 Yd 15.1 Yd/Rec 7 Td 119 Targets 58 Catch %

2011 10 GP 43 Rec 579 Yd 13.5 Yd/Rec 7 Td 73 Targets 59 Catch %

 

 

if you look closer, there is another way to look at those numbers. 2009 was accomplished in 9 starts, with a healthy austin and romo. 2010 was in 16 starts, half of which were with several backup QBs as romo was lost for the season. for the first 4 games, he averaged 7.75 rec and 118.5 YPG, then the entire team fell apart. 2011 was an injury year for austin--first one hamstring, then the other.

 

so there is something to be said for continuity here. healthy romo + healthy austin results in top-tier production for austin. now, with the instability on the O line for DAL this year (tackles switching sides, 2 new guards), romo's health and the downfield attack may be in question. and even though he has put a lot of offseason work in, it's reasonable to be concerned about austin's wheels. but when both players are healthy, the results are not in question.

 

i'm not arguing with you or saying that you're wrong--just giving another perspective.

[polecatt 480]

Austin is no question the #1 WR in Dallas who is one of the best passing teams in the NFL. If he's healthy he's a lock to get around 1100 yards and 8-9 TDs. In the mock drafts I have done he is usually available in the 5th. I'd say if he can stay healthy, and this is considering him missing a game or two maybe he is a steal that late. Plus he has the upside to do a good bit better than that. He has a small chance to be a top 5 WR like he was a couple of years ago if he plays 16 games.

[waxg 3]

I drafted Miles Austin in my auction dynasty league on draft day in 2009 for $4. He has gone up in price $5 ever since, meaning he would have cost me $19 to keep this year ($200 budget for 18 players). Needless to say he has under-performed for me the last 2 years after a huge 2009. He is still valuable at $19, but I got sick of counting on him as my number 1 WR only to see him be inconsistent. So I decided to make a bold move yesterday. I traded him for Wes Welker who will cost me $29. While I don't think Welker has much keeper potential beyond this year (and Miles does), I am not waiting around for Dez Bryant to become the guy late in the year just when I need Miles to perform.

 

So the bottom line is, it depends where you draft him (or for how much), I would like to have him as a #2 or #3 WR, but if I am resting my whole season on him to perform like a stud down the stretch as a #1, I think you should look elsewhere. For instance, I would jump on either Falcons WR before him and either Pittsburgh WR before him.

[Frozenbeernuts 2,282]

I drafted Miles Austin in my auction dynasty league on draft day in 2009 for $4. He has gone up in price $5 ever since, meaning he would have cost me $19 to keep this year ($200 budget for 18 players). Needless to say he has under-performed for me the last 2 years after a huge 2009. He is still valuable at $19, but I got sick of counting on him as my number 1 WR only to see him be inconsistent. So I decided to make a bold move yesterday. I traded him for Wes Welker who will cost me $29. While I don't think Welker has much keeper potential beyond this year (and Miles does), I am not waiting around for Dez Bryant to become the guy late in the year just when I need Miles to perform.

 

So the bottom line is, it depends where you draft him (or for how much), I would like to have him as a #2 or #3 WR, but if I am resting my whole season on him to perform like a stud down the stretch as a #1, I think you should look elsewhere. For instance, I would jump on either Falcons WR before him and either Pittsburgh WR before him.

I have a feeling you and Miles Austin are going to be seen on the F U thread this year.

[IGotWorms 4,060]

So the bottom line is, it depends where you draft him (or for how much), I would like to have him as a #2 or #3 WR, but if I am resting my whole season on him to perform like a stud down the stretch as a #1, I think you should look elsewhere. For instance, I would jump on either Falcons WR before him and either Pittsburgh WR before him.

 

Well I don't see how you get him as your #3 WR. But I agree that he is much more palatable as a #2 than a #1.

[72dolfan 5]

Lot of mouths to feed in Dallas though. Romo likes Witten too who will frustrate WR owners more than ever with his cheesey TD grabs close to the end zone. Austin will have decent numbers but no way he can crack the top-tier of WRs with Bryant, Robinson & Witten there.

 

If you don't even know which players are currently on the roster, how can you expect us to take you seriously?

[Kent 228]

I love Austin. I hate his hamstrings. He'll have to fall pretty far for me to take a chance on those hammies.

[Cruzer 1,995]

Austin came in really out of shape last year. Blame it on the lockout - blame it on whatever, but he wasn't ready to play football. I think he will be fine and good to go this year - I'm not worred about his hammies. What I do worry about is our offensive line. We're pretty good on the outside - but our interior sucks ass - Romo could have a hard time finding time.

[Jarvis Basnight 119]

Austin came in really out of shape last year. Blame it on the lockout - blame it on whatever, but he wasn't ready to play football. I think he will be fine and good to go this year - I'm not worred about his hammies. What I do worry about is our offensive line. We're pretty good on the outside - but our interior sucks ass - Romo could have a hard time finding time.

That's nothing new, is it? Romo runs for his life every year. How bad is it? Is there at least some continuity from last year so that the OL can gel as a unit? OL's can get good, seemingly overnight.

 

All that and why is Clowny so stupid?

 

 

 

 

 

Just wanted to inject Clowny into the post b/c I think you coined it and it still makes me giggle.

[ralphster 274]

Miles has great value going in the mid 4th. Why Dez is still being drafted ahead of him boggles the mind...

[TwentyFourSeven 23]

Miles Austin has hamstring injury, again.

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/05/miles-austin-has-hamstring-injury-again/

 

Cowboys receiver Miles Austin, who suffered a hamstring injury during the 2011 preseason that plagued him all year long, has another hamstring injury, according to DallasCowboys.com.

 

Executive V.P. Stephen Jones says he isn’t worried about the situation, even though Austin missed six games last year with hamstring issues.

[DrG 103]

He's more of a dice rollll than most at his adp.

 

The strike season was an aberration but I avoid bad Jammie's.

[Frozenbeernuts 2,282]

He's more of a dice rollll than most at his adp.

 

The strike season was an aberration but I avoid bad Jammie's.

I really hate those bad jammies.

 

Coming from a person who has had a sizable hole in his hamstring before, it never really goes away. No matter how much I stretch, take in electrolytes, or drink water, it doesn't stop that little pain in the same exact spot from reappearing. I thought Austin being a professional athlete and training his ass off on those hamstrings may be enough to overcome it but I guess not. I hope he comes through alright because when him and Romo are 100% they are a very productive combo.

[soopacee 0]

i was high on him this year

 

 

UNTIL....he injured his hammie yet again just yesterday at practice

 

 

 

i think it will linger.....stayin away, targeting Witten instead

[IGotWorms 4,060]

Man I'm all over the place on this guy. First I was convinced he was a DND guy. Then I talked myself into him being a potential top five WR at a cheap price. Now I'm back to thinking he's going to miss significant time again this year.

 

I guess we'll have to see how long he is out of practice. The article linked said he only missed the END of Saturday's practice (so far).

[Ray_T 761]

Man I'm all over the place on this guy. First I was convinced he was a DND guy. Then I talked myself into him being a potential top five WR at a cheap price. Now I'm back to thinking he's going to miss significant time again this year.

 

I guess we'll have to see how long he is out of practice. The article linked said he only missed the END of Saturday's practice (so far).

 

If you feel that way on draft day, You should draft him as a #3 or #4 WR. Then his issues wont hurt you so much.

 

If someone else drafts him as a #2 or #1 then he becomes their problem.

[IGotWorms 4,060]

If you feel that way on draft day, You should draft him as a #3 or #4 WR. Then his issues wont hurt you so much.

 

If someone else drafts him as a #2 or #1 then he becomes their problem.

 

I'm pretty sure there's no way I'm getting Miles Austin as a #3 or #4 WR.

[IGotWorms 4,060]

Miles Austin could miss a week: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000046343/article/miles-austin-could-miss-a-week-with-hamstring-issue

 

Not really a big deal missing a week of training camp, but it makes you wonder whether this is going to be a recurring problem this year as it was last year.

[Jarvis Basnight 119]

We need a nickname for Miles and his wet tissue hammies. Are there weaker hammies in the NFL?

[Cara 0]

I am looking at if from a few perspectives. In my Dynasty Leagues, I am trying to trade for him as I believe his value is way down after this past week. In redraft leagues, I will not draft him unless he falls to the 5th round. It has been my experience that players with hamstring issues can overcome them with hard work. Isaac Bruce had major hamstring issues his first two seasons in the league (or, as some suspect, had an adverse reaction to Tony Banks throwing the ball where Bruce had to go up in the air for it and got creamed play after play. Interesting how his hamstrings were NEVER an issue again once Banks was gone...) and he turned out fine. Vincent Jackson had some hamstring issues early in his career. Santonio Holmes did as well, however, he he seems to be more of a girl than most WR's.

 

So... I believe hamstring issues can be overcome, but they do come with serious risk. I would avoid Miles unless he slips to the 5th. If he doesn't, let someone else deal with the headache. Anyone taking him as their WR1 is going to be highly disappointed.