Weekly Fantasy Freakout: Kellen Winslow

Things started off well for Kellen Winslow. He posted 12 catches, 120 yards and two TDs in his first two games with his new team. All those owners banking on a bounce-back season were being rewarded.

Then Week 3 came along and Winslow was held to 14 yards on three catches. The Buccaneers made a QB change during that game, going from veteran Byron Leftwich to second-year man Josh Johnson. That didn't help Winslow in Week 4, as he caught just two passes for 21 yards.

And, naturally, owners started freaking out.

Winslow was dropped in one of my leagues, and I quickly snatched him up. I don't plan on using him, as I have Chris Cooley, but TE isn't exactly a position overflowing with talent. A player as good as Winslow is always a threat, especially in an offense that lacks playmakers and reliable receivers.

So, it's an easy decision to hoard Winslow if you don't need his services any time soon, but what if you're counting on Winslow to supply quality, starting-caliber production right now? Should you be freaked out then?

Short answer is no, you shouldn't. Winslow is still the top receiving option on the Bucs, and it's only a matter of time before Johnson gets him the ball more. The next week or two might be rough, but as long as Tampa sticks with Johnson, he'll learn to trust Winslow. He has to.

Of course, there are some worries with Winslow, aside from the Bucs' anemic offense. He's routinely shown a bad attitude wherever he's been, and he still has to be considered injury-prone. Plus, the Bucs don't exactly have a favorable schedule. Only two teams remaining on the schedule (Miami and Carolina) rank in the top 10 in fantasy points allowed per game to tight ends. The Jets, Seahawks and Saints -- the three teams Tampa faces in the fantasy playoffs (Weeks 14-16) -- are all ranked 19th or lower in FPPG to TEs.

Ultimately, it doesn't look like Winslow will be as good as he looked in Weeks 1 and 2, but he likely won't be as bad as he was in Weeks 3 and 4. He's still a borderline TE1, and he should still be owned in most formats -- especially during the bye weeks.



(sportingnews.com)