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DONALD DRIVER
WR - Packers
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Comments from Burke Griffin - 7/10
In some ways, the Donald Driver era is in full swing and he will find out this year whether or not he'll be an "A" list guest to future FFL parties, or waiting for an invitation. There's no questioning the fact that Driver has become a consistent points producer over the past few years, but this is his year to solely be the #1 WR in the Packers training camp. Last year Driver was 8th overall in yards receiving, but had just 5 TD's -- ranking him at the bottom among the NFL’s 15 best receivers.
There were a couple of theories behind this enigmatic or downright confusing production.
When Javon Walker was hurt in the first week of the season, Green Bay's offense was dealt a serious blow both mentally and physically. Walker had such a breakout season in 2004, that much of the passing offense was predicated on his size and speed. Driver has always had the speed but Walker's height advantage was originally going to be used to a greater extent. This would have allowed Brett Favre to gamble more downfield and open up Driver’s elusiveness in the underneath routes. That never happened.
Throw in Ahman Green and Najeh Davenport's year-ending injuries and the Packers offense was scrambling for 3/4th of the 2005 season.
Driver attracted more attention last year than Paris Hilton at the Pro Bowl in Honolulu – when Driver was in the red zone.
Bubba Franks was also banged up for most of the year and not nearly as effective as projected inside the 20-yard line, so very few teams respected the TE near the endzone.
FANTASY UPSIDE
With Javon Walker gone and two rookie draft picks counted on for production, Driver's numbers in terms of yardage might be down a bit this year. When you add Rod Gardner and Mark Boerigter to the mix, it seems as if first-year Head Coach Mike McCarthy wants to go with big and physical players at WR. This could mean Driver's TD's could go up, especially in terms of the big-play type. Despite what the staff may say, there is no question that Driver is the #1 WR on the roster, especially with the cast surrounding him. Driver also has earned the trust of Favre when it comes to running routes and using his ability to get open in certain positions.
FANTASY DOWNSIDE
Steady hands, experience and the ability to run after the catch makes Driver an attractive target as a football player. Unfortunately that doesn't always quite translate for fantasy football managers.
MY BOTTOM LINE
I see Driver ranking somewhere between 12th and 20th in terms of total receiving yards this season, with roughly the same number ranking in terms of touchdowns. My projections for Donald Driver are similar to 4for4.com’s forecasting model. I say just over 1,000 yards and with an increase to 8 TD's in 2006.
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What Next?
Be sure to check out the following...
a)
Full Impact Draft Simulator
b)
Full Impact Customized Cheat Sheets
c)
Ultimate Cheat Sheets
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