Just because the regular season is over doesn't mean our Adam Rank isn't hard at work to assemble Rank's 11. He will profile one player each week to keep an eye on for 2015. In addition, you might get some fantasy baseball, fantasy golf and other assorted sports tips. Maybe even a review of the "Ant-Man" movie.
These playoffs are killing me, man. Last week it was Donte Moncrief. Now Davante Adams. He's on the radar after that nice game against the Cowboys in the Divisional Round. Not that a peripheral receiver for the Packers can be much of a sleeper. Jarrett Boykin was a household name by the time fantasy drafts rolled around last year.
Although, that might not be the best example. Boykin did next to nothing this year. Literally. Not figuratively. But literally. He had three receptions. For the whole year. That's three more than you and me. Well, unless you're an NFL player who had more than three receptions. I'm going to assume you're not. But let's just say it was not a productive season for Boykin.
So you might ask yourself, "What will keep Davante from being the next Boykin?" And that's a good question. Damn good, if you ask me. Which you just did. The biggest difference here is that Adams was a second-round pick out of Fresno State. (I'm telling you folks, you need to stay up late to watch Mountain West games on Saturday.) Boykin was a rookie free agent. That's the biggest difference. And I'll probably stop at that one. Because you should need no more convincing.
The biggest similarity between the two is that Aaron Rodgers had no problem targeting either one. I remember Boykin's first extensive action. It was against the Browns. Rodgers targeted him almost exclusively right when he got into the game. Adams got the same treatment from Rodgers against the Cowboys.
And it's one thing to target a young receiver against the Browns. I mean, Rodgers just wanted to keep himself entertained. Like if you're playing a child in "Madden" or something. You don't want to just smoke the kid. That's not sporting. But Rodgers went to Adams in the biggest game of the season. That's some serious trust.
The next move to watch is how much trust the Packers have in Adams. Randall Cobb could be a free agent this offseason. Adams would be the obvious choice to replace him. We can only imagine the hype train speeding off the rails for Adams if that happens. He would be the talk of the soda fountain at Wahoo's Fish Tacos if that was to happen. He still might. There is a lot to like from the Packers' offense.
Daily Fantasy Advice
Tom Brady has posted close to 30 points in back-to-back weeks. I have a feeling the NFC affair is going to be low-scoring.
Anybody want to take a stroll down memory lane and go with Jonas Gray? Yeah, me neither. That would make LeGarrette Blount the obvious pick. Which is just what Bill Belichick wants you to think. So I would go with Shane Vereen.
Don't go with Adams. He's going to hang with Richard Sherman. Don't even bother with your gloves, Davante. You won't need them. Doug Baldwin could be a fun play. He's played well since Week 14 against the Eagles.
Rob Gronkowski is going to be everybody's tight end. Luke Willson would be your affordable option. Willson and Baldwin were the top targets last week.
Baseball Sleeper of the Week
George Springer, OF, Houston Astros. Alright, let's put this on Front Street. Adam Dunn thinks this dude strikes out too much. But that's cool. He's young. He's got power. He's got speed. The Astros are on the verge. I've seen this club develop and they are close. Springer will be key. I could see 30 HRs and 20 SBs. His steal totals were down last year. But that was because of a lingering leg injury. The only downside is his batting average. He needs to improve there.
Fantasy Golf Sleeper of the Week
Russell Henley finished third last week and was on fire at the end of the day, Sunday. He carries the momentum over this week.
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