Daniel Shirley-USA TODA Sports
I’m not going to beat around the bush here: I have a bit of a man crush on Seattle Seahawks’ QB Russell Wilson. I’ve tried to deny it, looking instead for a more traditional QB in this year’s Fantasy Football drafts, but I can no longer fight the feeling – this guy was made for fantasy football.
Sure, I could spend an earlier pick on New England Patriots’ Tom Brady or Denver Broncos’ Peyton Manning, the traditional level of NFL talent I’ve been looking at. But that would be a significantly higher pick for my QB, and what would I really gain? Brady was a 34 TD guy last season and Manning was a 37 TD guy, while Wilson had only 26 TDs.
Related: 2013 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Watch: J.D. Martinez
However, if you only get four points for passing touchdowns and six points for rushing touchdowns plus rushing yards, the extra Brady/Manning TDs almost come out in the wash.
Plus, don’t forget the fact that Wilson really didn’t have that true No. 1 target one season ago. In the offseason, Seattle sent a first-round pick east for Minnesota Vikings’ electric WR Percy Harvin, who suffered through injury last season and could be labeled a poster child for explosion when at the top of his game and health.
Imagine Harvin going an entire season injury free, and the proverbial ceiling of expectations from Wilson is raised exponentially.
Many believe he’s a risky pick to base your fantasy football franchise on. I disagree. I believe this guy not only deserved the Rookie of the Year Award one season ago over Washington Redskins’ QB Robert Griffin III and Indianapolis Colts’ QB Andrew Luck, he is also the better fantasy option of the three.
Hear me out on this one. RGIII gained nearly 300 more yards on the ground and four more rushing TDs than Wilson, but Wilson threw six more TDs than RGIII, threw for more yards, and Wilson doesn’t have the injury concerns of RGIII. Luck had far more passing yards than Wilson, but Wilson was superior on the ground in completion percentage, and threw far less INTs than Luck.
The argument over whether Luck or RGIII would be better was a projected one even before we knew what team these two QBs would play in the NFL. A third name forever belongs in that argument. Don’t forget, Wilson lasted longer in the playoffs a season ago. Even if he is not as safe a pick in 2013 fantasy football drafts as the traditional top-tier pocket passers. You get more flexibility and options in this scenario.
Wilson offers you near equal production with the possibility of even greater upside at a far lower pick than the traditional passers, which leads to the bottom line of this argument: draft Brady and a handful more passing TDs but far fewer rushing yards and rushing attempts plus a tier-two RB/WR, or take Wilson and a tier-one RB/WR – say team mate Marshawn Lynch?
My money in 2013 is on the latter – give me Wilson, I’m loving those odds.
Jim Heath is a Fantasy Football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @jim_heath, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
