Darrelle Revis: 2013 Fantasy Football IDP Profile

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Darrelle Revis has established himself in the upper echelon of defensive backs. 2011 saw the star cornerback grab four interceptions, and return them for an impressive 184 yards and a touchdown. He ended the season with his third consecutive First-Team All Pro selection, and fourth consecutive Pro Bowl appearance. He was about as close as you could get during that span as a fantasy lock.

He was on track to continue that trend in 2012, picking up an interception in the season opener. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. Revis missed Week 2 due to a concussion. When he returned for game three, he tore a knee ligament that would cause him to miss the rest of the season.

After spending about the last year rehabbing the knee, Revis appears on track to be back in time for the season opener, possibly the preseason. At only 28-years old, Revis still could have plenty of productive years ahead of him. I am concerned with the injury’s effects on Revis. Cornerbacks traditionally haven’t fared well when coming off an ACL injury, both struggling to regain their pre injury form and often getting injured after they return.

Everyone’s different, and Revis is a world class athlete, but it is something to be aware of.

The schedule will undoubtedly have Revis squaring off against some top-tier receivers this season. You could view this one of two ways. On the positive side, Revis will always draw the assignment of covering the opposition’s top receiver. He should see action this year against Danny Amendola, Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, DeSean Jackson and/or Jeremy Maclin and Julio Jones and/or Roddy White, among others.

The other side is the problem that most of those teams realize that they have other offensive weapons. Teams are smart enough to understand that Revis has the potential to negate who he’s covering, and typically combat that by simply throwing away from hi,.

Still some teams will not shy away from the challenge and put their wide receiver against Revis and let them go at it. Some opponents don’t have the myriad of offensive options like the New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcon and Detroit Lions do. Those are the games where Revis will earn his fantasy paycheck. Five interceptions seem to be possible. Revis should be able to defend somewhere in the range of 15-25 passes and grab about 45-60 tackles.

I don’t have Revis in my top-25 for defensive backs. I think you are much better off avoiding the hype and name-brand recognition associated with Revis for defensive backs such as Charles Tillman, Eric Berry, Morgan Burnett or Eric Weddle. There is less “fear” associated with those players, so there is a possibility for those guys getting more targets.

Overall, like Ndamukong Suh, this is one of those players whose on-field success does not translate well to fantasy production. As you navigate the waters of your fantasy draft, I think it is best to avoid Revis Island.

As always, I welcome your comments. If you think I’m wrong, I’m willing to listen. Just back it up with some facts and solid evidence. Thanks for reading and good luck this season.

Dustin Manko is a contributing writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustinManko,”Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google