It's been about 10 days since Vernon Davis was traded from the San Francisco 49ers to the Denver Broncos, and many predict that new arrangement to work out quite well in the final weeks of the season and playoffs. But what's important to fantasy football owners heading into Week 10 action is whether Davis is a solid start yet, or if he should sit on the bench for a bit longer. Here's some free fantasy advice for all of you who swooped in on Davis only to see him play a measly nine snaps Sunday afternoon.
The only reason Davis didn't play more than Owen Daniels or Virgil Green against the Indianapolis Colts is because he hasn't been worked into the offense yet. He had only been learning the playbook for six days, and only practiced with the team for half of that time.
After a second full week of practice and being able to study the playbook and gameplan, expect him to play much more in his second game. I'd anticipate he'll see at least half of the snaps on offense in Week 10, but Daniels and Green will still play some of the time, especially if the Broncos have a lead during the second half.
We must also consider who the Broncos are playing this upcoming week, though. While the Kansas City Chiefs have struggled to stop the pass in 2015, most of the damage through the air has been done by wide receivers. The reason for that was mostly due to teams not being able to run on the Chiefs' defense very much, as well as inconsistent corner play early in the year. While many may question that second thought because of the presence of rookie sensation Marcus Peters, you still need to factor in that he is a rookie. He has been beat several times this year, despite showing off his playmaking ability numerous times.
The Chiefs also boast a top-notch cover safety in Eric Berry, who is able to keep up with any tight end in the league. Derrick Johnson is also still one of their inside linebackers, and while he's getting up there in age, Johnson is an effective cover man as well in the middle of the field. All of that leads to the Chiefs giving up less than 30 yards per game on average to opposing tight ends.
When factoring all of this in, I would be hesitant to start Davis. If you're regular starter is hurt or on a bye (such as guys like Coby Fleener or the combination of Lardarius Green and Antonio Gates), you may need to play him out of necessity. But if you have a better option, I'd wait one more week at least to play him.
Davis' only real saving grace is as a red-zone threat this week. Even if he doesn't have many receptions, he could still be productive grabbing a touchdown. That's still taking a pretty big risk, though, and I would sit him if possible.
Week 10 projection: two catches for 24 yards.
© 2024 Classicalite All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
