By Dan O’Shea
One of the biggest stories of the young season has been the return of Philip Rivers to fantasy football relevancy.
In first two weeks, Rivers has delivered 614 passing yards and seven TDs against one INT.
He’s among the stat leaders at QB, which ain’t bad for a guy I didn’t even rank in my top 20 at the position (essentially tagging him as a third-string fantasy QB barely fit for bye-week duty).
Rivers will no doubt be getting the starting nod in Week 3 by fantasy owners, many of whom probably didn’t draft him.
I don’t doubt that something has changed for Rivers this year, and new San Diego coach Mike McCoy has something to do with it.
However, I still fear Rivers has one of the least-reliable and most injury-prone receiving corps around: Danario Alexander is out for the year; TE Antonio Gates was hurt in Week 2, which means he’s already in mid-season form; Malcolm Floyd was carted off on a stretcher in Week 2; and Eddie Royal, who has been the star almost by default, has been streaky for years.
If over the next few weeks, Rivers can avoid the INTs and fumbles that marked his last few seasons, he could be one of this year’s fantasy stars. For now, though, I’d be careful about starting him over a more consistent performer at QB, or paying too much for him in a trade.
Expert Wire
* Sports Illustrated says to add Eddie Royal – while he’s still hot.
* Bleacher Report has must-adds after Week 2 injuries to big-name RBs.
* Fansided has the latest from the Fantasy Football Tattoo League.
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Dan O’Shea is our man in fantasyland. He welcomes your comments.
Posted on September 18, 2013