Bruce Kluckhohn-US Presswire
Minnesota Vikings receiver Greg Jennings was an offseason roster addition in hopes of boosting the Vikings receiving corps after the departure of Percy Harvin. Jennings will once again be a sought after receiver in the 2013 fantasy football draft.
Without big-time receivers like Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and James Jones taking away from Jennings reception total, many fantasy players are looking for Jennings to post big numbers in the upcoming season. Even though he will be the Vikings No. 1 receiver coming into week one, don’t expect Jennings to produce high numbers for you team.
The addition of Jennings to the receiver corps of the Vikings gives quarterback Christian Ponder a dependable receiving option. The problem for Jennings is that he no longer has a Super Bowl champion quarterback in Aaron Rodgers throwing to him.
Jennings’ new quarterback, Ponder, has looked quite shaky in his two seasons as the starter for the Vikings. Ponder has been very inconsistent, missing throws to receivers that one would expect a starting NFL quarterback to make. The coaching staff for the Vikings seemed to have more faith in Adrian Peterson making plays rather than Ponder.
So far in practice, Ponder has looked “spotty” and has not displayed the sharpness the Vikings would like to see from their quarterback. Since adding Matt Cassel to the roster, many view him as having a good chance at taking the starting role from Ponder.
Does any fantasy owner want to draft a receiver with the shaky Ponder as his quarterback? Would Cassel taking over the starting position help out Jennings? Both questions can be answered by a simple, no.
While Jennings does possess the talent to post big numbers in the fantasy world, he needs to get the ball into his hands for that to happen. It won’t matter which quarterback is behind center for the Vikings, Jennings won’t have the chance to produce the numbers a fantasy player wants to see.
Setting the quarterback situation aside, Peterson diminishes the value of Jennings by quite a large factor. The Vikings will not take the ball out of Peterson’s hands no matter what. They will again try to ride Peterson to another playoff appearance. More carries for the hottest running back in the NFL means less opportunities for Jennings to score.
Jennings has been prone to injuries in his playing time in the NFL. During the 2012 season Jennings managed to be healthy enough to take the field for only eight games. He hasn’t played all 16 games in an NFL season since 2010. Drafting an injury prone player like Jennings simply isn’t worth it for any fantasy owner.
There’s too much downside for Jennings to be drafted on your fantasy team this season. Be glad you didn’t take the risk on drafting Jennings and say, “I told you so,” to the one who does.
Tristen Challe is a Fantasy Writer for Rantsports. Follow him on Twitter @TristenChalle
