Markus Wheaton - Most Undervalued WR this season

[Upper Class Trash 67]

This is just my opinion, but hear me out;

 

He was drafted last season to fill the opening left by Wallace leaving in free agency. Due to his graduation date, he missed the offseason workouts and most of training camp. When he was able to finally work out with the team, he tore up his fingers and was far behind in a complex offensive system.

 

Mike Wallace came to camp healthy his first season and caught 39 balls. His SECOND season, he blew up for 60 receptions, 1,257 yards and 10 TD's. Wheaton has better hands than Wallace and has more to offer than just speed. He's a great route runner and can do more than just line up outside and streak down the sideline. Hines Ward caught only 15 balls his first season in Pittsburgh, but caught 61 for 7 TD's in his SECOND season, and he had zero speed, totally a possession receiver.

 

In college, he ran a lot of sweeps out of the backfield. He's a solid run blocker for being a "smaller" guy. He's also going to play in an offense this year that is very similar to his college days, a lot of no-huddle. Over the 2nd half of last season, Big Ben was a fantasy stud. He has a great rapport with Wheaton already. Not only will he be their deep guy, he will be the guy on the receiving end of the outs to the sideline and the deep slants. Wallace was used primarily in a vertical fashion, although he's known for his one great endzone catch 5 years ago.....

 

So - An up-tempo offense, a serious lack of WR depth, a need for a deep threat and someone the QB already loves.... Antonio Brown will draw all the double teams and the only decent corners in their division are the ones who will be lining up vs. Brown...

 

This is my "stick your nuts on the chopping block" pick for the year:

 

Provided Ben stays healthy, Wheaton will be a 68-72 reception guy with 1,100+ yards receiving and 6-7 TD's. That is what I'll put here. My personal belief is he has a chance to be a low end WR2 this season. The Steelers will take several deep shots per game to open room for Bell & Blount. This is completely off from what the fantasy sites are predicting. Most have him in the 60's for receptions, but with 500-650 yards receiving and an average of 3 to 4 TD's. I think there is an outside shot he finishes in the top 20 fantasy WR's. His points may be more like Wallace/Smith, where he has a great game followed by a couple very pedestrian games, but in no way should he be drafted where he is currently. I've been getting him in the 12th round of most of my drafts, but taken him in the late 11th a time or two just so I knew I had him. You can get him as your WR5 and he performs as a WR2/WR3, you have trade ammo and one hell of a WR Corps.

 

I wasn't going to post this, but my biggest draft is finished, so I'm ok with doing it now.

 

[tanatastic 2,061]

I have been wondering if he can be that Wallace type of guy. We know now that Wallace is nothing special and Big Ben made him what he is so another guy can just slide right in there if he has the similar toolset. Maybe I should bump this guy up a few spots.

[Frozenbeernuts 1,652]

The second receiver in pitt just usually isnt very consistent. Worth a gamble in one of the last rounds.

[Upper Class Trash 67]

People are seriously overlooking him. I Googled the Pittsburgh newspapers a few weeks ago to see what the writers there were saying. According to them, he's been the star of the offseason on offense. I think if Pitt had a true deep threat last year, they would have been a playoff team. They were 6-2 after going to the no huddle / up tempo offense.

 

For where you can draft him, he absolutely doesn't hurt your squad if he blows a knee out in Week One, so there really isn't a downside to drafting him. He doesn't have an injury history though outside of his fingers last season. I think he's going to make for one hell of a Flex play this year with an outside shot of starting some weeks as a legit WR.

[Upper Class Trash 67]

The second receiver in pitt just usually isnt very consistent. Worth a gamble in one of the last rounds.

How do you figure? My guess is you haven't reviewed the numbers.....

 

Last season the 2nd WR position was split between two guys and they did very well considering. Sanders had 67 receptions for 6 TD's and he missed time in four games. Three of which he played only the first quarter. Cotchery had 10 TD's playing mosty in the games/series that Sanders was out..... That's pretty damn good 2nd WR production.

 

Let's look at them historically. I'll put Wallace's numbers below as their Second WR behind Hines Ward who averaged 90 receptions per season:

 

2013 73 930 5 141 3 33 2012 64 838 8 119 5 7 1 2011 72 1193 8 114 5 57 1 2010 60 1257 10 99 5 39 2009 39 756 6 72 5 48

 

Tell me again how Pittsburgh doesn't have good 2nd WR production? This is why he's being overlooked and such a value where you can land him. The 2nd WR in Pitt. over the last 6 seasons has been one of the top 2nd WR's in football. You have to delve into the numbers to see it, but it's there. : )

[Frozenbeernuts 1,652]

How do you figure? My guess is you haven't reviewed the numbers.....

 

Last season the 2nd WR position was split between two guys and they did very well considering. Sanders had 67 receptions for 6 TD's and he missed time in four games. Three of which he played only the first quarter. Cotchery had 10 TD's playing mosty in the games/series that Sanders was out..... That's pretty damn good 2nd WR production.

 

Let's look at them historically. I'll put Wallace's numbers below as their Second WR behind Hines Ward who averaged 90 receptions per season:

 

2013 73 930 5 141 3 33 2012 64 838 8 119 5 7 1 2011 72 1193 8 114 5 57 1 2010 60 1257 10 99 5 39 2009 39 756 6 72 5 48

 

Tell me again how Pittsburgh doesn't have good 2nd WR production? This is why he's being overlooked and such a value where you can land him. The 2nd WR in Pitt. over the last 6 seasons has been one of the top 2nd WR's in football. You have to delve into the numbers to see it, but it's there. : )

 

Worth a late round flyer is what I said. I stand by them not being consistent.

[Maroon Bells 18]

Markus Wheaton was my favorite receiver in the 2013 NFL draft. There were better receivers (Patterson), but for where he was projected to go, I felt he had the best value. He just looked so good in the Senior Bowl practices: speedy, great hands, tough as nails, good kid. Shocked he fell to the 3rd round.

 

I haven't drafted yet, but I'm definitely targeting Wheaton as my WR5. I'm convinced he'll put up WR3 numbers, but he has WR2 upside. As I've said before, his floor is 2013 Kenny Stills. His ceiling is more like TY Hilton or even DeSean Jackson.

[weepaws 2,512]

Amen very good post .

[DrG 94]

Sold

[AintNoStoppinMeNow 68]

The 3rd preseason game Ben was force feeding Wheaton the ball a lot. Now they didn't connect on many of those passes but it was still encouraging to see. You can tell Haley and Ben want him to be a big part of the offense this year. I was a big fan of Wheaton at Oregon State. He and Keenan Allen were my favorite value picks of the 2013 draft. Drafted both in fantasy and obviously only one worked out. As Upper Class Trash mentioned, the Steelers have a good history of making the #2 guy fantasy relevant. Mike Wallace to Antonio Brown to even the Emmanuel Sanders/Jerricho Cotchery combo last year. I'm buying.

[Saints1 4]

Really only have one roster spot for either Wheaton or Amendola. Think Wheaton the better stash then?

[SaintsInDome2006 128]

The second receiver in pitt just usually isnt very consistent. Worth a gamble in one of the last rounds.

 

You can only go after so many of these - Hunter, Jennings/Patterson, Wheaton, Wallace in MIA... I went with Hunter.

 

Here's something to remember though, Roethlisberger does better with the straight line guys. Sanders was a pattern, route runner, timing was essential. Roethlisberger's big advantage is extending plays and waiting for WRs to get open, I think that might favor a Wheaton.

 

I think Wheaton is very good, he definitely has opportunity wide open for him this year.

[SaintsInDome2006 128]

How do you figure? My guess is you haven't reviewed the numbers.....

 

Last season the 2nd WR position was split between two guys and they did very well considering. Sanders had 67 receptions for 6 TD's and he missed time in four games. Three of which he played only the first quarter. Cotchery had 10 TD's playing mosty in the games/series that Sanders was out..... That's pretty damn good 2nd WR production.

 

Let's look at them historically. I'll put Wallace's numbers below as their Second WR behind Hines Ward who averaged 90 receptions per season:

 

2013 73 930 5 141 3 33 2012 64 838 8 119 5 7 1 2011 72 1193 8 114 5 57 1 2010 60 1257 10 99 5 39 2009 39 756 6 72 5 48

 

Tell me again how Pittsburgh doesn't have good 2nd WR production? This is why he's being overlooked and such a value where you can land him. The 2nd WR in Pitt. over the last 6 seasons has been one of the top 2nd WR's in football. You have to delve into the numbers to see it, but it's there. : )

 

Just a note here - at some point, 2010-11, Wallace became the No. 1, and Ward the No. 2, solid possession guy but that was his role.

 

I think you also have to look at Haley's record in KC & AZ, No. 2's were often not that great.

 

And Sanders had two really good games squeezed into the middle of the season vs Oak & NE but that was largely it. I always thought he was the best WR in PIT but he could never really break out, have to beware of Haley. But I am totally a fan of Wheaton, he could be great. I think when picking late round bloomers it's him and Hunter.

[dreen626 17]

I like Wheat

[TennisMenace 156]

I may try to pick him in round 15 or so.

[Breesman32 11]

The second receiver in pitt just usually isnt very consistent. Worth a gamble in one of the last rounds.

Tell that to Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace(09)

[Filthy Fernadez 2,696]

Really only have one roster spot for either Wheaton or Amendola. Think Wheaton the better stash then?

 

Wheaton.

 

A lot of guys going to be fed prior to Amendola a.k.a. Mr Glass.

[Candygram4Mongo 8]

Wheaton over Boykin?

They're both in that last couple round group of Wrs.

Number 2wr in an average offense in Pitt, or number 3wr in the pinball machine in GB?

[joeH 6]

Picked him up off of the WW a few days ago when I needed to drop Gordon. Here's to another lottery ticket!

[Breesman32 11]

Unless a packer top two gets hurt, I have to say Wheaton. I can see Wheaton getting on a run starting against TB when Brown will be dealing with Verner. Wheaton has a nice stretch against them, Jacksonville, Cleveland, Houston, Indy, Baltimore, NYJ where except for two of the games the top CBs are on Brown and one could be a game where steelers could get Wheaton more involved(jags) and he will be in a rhythym with Big Ben going into Indy. He also has the saints week 13 where the no.2 CB spot has issues and Lewis is a good CB and playing his former team. However, the saints are Moore's old team. But still Alshon put up 200 yards against them last year as the no.2 guy. Boykin you don't know really. Before Cobb got hurt last, Jones was beneficial in the two games where Cobb or Nelson had tougher challenges. Three of the first four weeks Boykin has some games he could be targeted as the alternate deep threat to Nelson. But then week 5-8 things may slow down for him before a possible late surge from Chicago through Atlanta where he will be a target option with eagles good run defense, pats having two CBs in this span and it would be a rhythym thing against Minnesota. So I could see Boykin making a early and late statement. But he's also proven to be untrustworthy and may lose the job to Harris at some point. I have to go with Wheaton.

[dpbuddha 9]

I've just drafted and got Wheaton as my last WR, but Mike Evans is available. I'm torn. Opinions? Coin Toss?

[Breesman32 11]

Yeah idk there, that depends on McCown.

 

I'm wondering if Jennings is droppable for Wheaton on my team.