Percy Harvin says he's going to be more than "just a gadget guy" this season with the Bills. Are you buying it and will it impact where you consider him in fantasy drafts?
- !
- Michael Fabiano NFL Media Senior Fantasy Analyst
No mercy for Percy
I used to be a believer in Harvin, but that was back during his time with the Minnesota Vikings. I didn't like him in Seattle or New York, and I can't see him having a fantasy rebirth in Buffalo. The Bills have major question marks at the quarterback position and a lot of offensive mouths to feed after adding LeSean McCoy and Charles Clay. At this point, Harvin has more name value than actual value ... and even that is waning. That's not to suggest I wouldn't take him late as a No. 5 fantasy wideout, but I don't see a return to his salad days.
I'm not buying any of the Bills wide receivers this year -- especially Percy Harvin saying he'll be more than a gadget player (i.e., WR4/5) -- and here's why:
Q: How many times has Harvin had more than 1,000 receiving yards in a single season?
A: 0
Q: How many times has Harvin had more than six receiving touchdowns in a single season?
A: 0
Yes, there was Harvin's magical 2011 season, where he posted 1,312 total yards and eight total touchdowns, but that was in the lockout season where everyone posted insane numbers (three QBs threw for 5,000-plus yards in '11, and only three have done it since). In the three years since that anomaly, Harvin has posted a combined 1,475 total yards and six total touchdowns. And that was while playing with better quarterbacks than he'll have in Buffalo (yes, I'm including Geno Smith). I could go on and on, but in the immortal words of T.L.C., don't go chasing waterfalls. Please stick to the mediocre wideouts you're used to. In this case, the waterfall is the notion that Harvin can be anything more than a WR4/5 in fantasy this fall. There are plenty of better options to target than Harvin at his current ADP.
- !
- Marcas Grant NFL Media Fantasy Editor
Not buying it at all
I feel like we've heard this story more than once in the past few seasons. So until I see some tangible proof that Harvin is something other than a talented, but underperforming slot receiver, I'm not buying it. What's more is that Harvin is now playing in an offense that features one of the NFL's best rushers in LeSean McCoy as well as a pair of talented young pass-catchers with Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods. Even if Harvin does find some sort of role as an outside wide receiver, there's the not-so-small matter of the Bills still looking for a consistent option at quarterback. Look, we're talking about Tyrod Taylor possibly winning the starting job for Rex Ryan's team. Are you going to put your fantasy fortunes in the hands of Tyrod Taylor? Are you? If so, woe be unto you.
- !
- Matt Franciscovich NFL Media Associate Fantasy Editor
Leave it alone
The summer months are all about hyperbole, so at this point in the offseason I'm not buying much of anything that players are saying about how amazing they think they'll perform come September. From a fantasy perspective, Harvin hasn't produced anything that would warrant a roster spot since 2011. And while Harvin's athleticism is undeniable, he remains one of the more injury-prone wideouts in the league. Don't forget about the quarterback woes in Buffalo either. The team is still trying to work things out between a bleak band of signal-callers that includes EJ Manuel (yes, still), Matt Cassel and Tyrod Taylor. So even if Harvin does emerge with a significant role, I don't expect that he will be anything more than a lottery ticket from week-to-week. I'm going to take the Broken Bells approach with Harvin and "Leave It Alone" on draft day.
