Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Green Bay Packers’ tight end Jermichael Finley is quietly having himself quite the start to the 2013 NFL season. Sneaking up the tight end leader board, Finley appears to have his head in the game and giving his fantasy owners solid production at the position. While it is early in the season, Finley’s stock is on the rise and is a nice option for your tight end fantasy position.
Finley is now in his sixth year in the league, and is well on his way to the best numbers of his career. So far, the tight end has caught 11 balls for 121 yards and two touchdowns, not too bad for the 26-year-old. Those numbers are good enough to slot Finley in a tie for the seventh-best tight end in terms of fantasy production through two weeks.
Back in the 2011 season, Finley posted his career high in both total yards (767) and touchdowns (eight). At that point, many fantasy players thought this was the future star in the tight end position. His athletic ability and size were through the roof and his potential was undeniable.
Many fantasy players found out in the following season, though, that Finley would take the opposite path. The young man would get into feuds with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, making him the quarterback’s least favorite target to throw to. His drops became notorious throughout the league and he blamed it on everyone else except for himself. Finley’s YAC (Yards After Celebration) started to become larger than his actual receiving yardage and the respect for the tight end dropped off tremendously.
In a contract year, Finley may have finally seen the light and is on track to earn himself a longer contract in Green Bay which results in a solid fantasy output for your team. Last week against the Washington Redskins, Finley caught six balls for 65 yards and a touchdown. The word “caught” is the key here as he was targeted on seven passes from Rodgers. In the week prior, Finley grabbed five balls for 56 yards and a touchdown. The days of inconsistency may be over for Finley and he looks to have a solid role in the Packers’ offense which is clicking on all cylinders right now.
It may be a little too optimistic to expect a touchdown every week from Finley, but it may be possible with Rodgers now having an increased amount of faith in him and the offense having great success. In Week 3, the Packers and Finley are up against the Cincinnati Bengals who have only allowed six total tight end catches through two weeks. Expect this number to double as the wide receiving options for the Packers are a huge threat to the defense and the lanes could open up for Finley down the middle. Finley currently should be your starting tight end every week and will continue to produce in a pass-heavy offense.
Tristen Challe is a Fantasy Writer for Rantsports. Follow him on Twitter @TristenChalle or on Google.
