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So unless you were one the 25 managers in the fantasy football world to draft or pick up Kevin Ogletree before Wednesday, (like the man-genius Big-D in one of my leagues,) kudos.  If you were one of the 0.1% of all managers to START Ogletree, well, you must have been in a league where names pertaining to plant matter were required on every team.  I can imagine a league where the first round included the selections of A.J. Green, Reggie Bush, Michael Crabtree, Carson Palmer, and your man Kevin Ogletree.  After Wednesday's breakout performance that produced a line of 8-114-2, owners rushed to the waiver wire to put in a claim on him.  Here are some facts to consider about Ogletree that should help in your decision to add him or just ogle:

 - He is an undrafted, fourth year receiver who has played in 32 total career NFL games (including Weds.)

- Wednesday was Ogletree's first two touchdown catches of his NFL career.

- He is the third receiver on the depth chart of a team that features two running backs that can catch the ball and Jason Witten as the TE.

- The Cowboys play some very, very stingy pass D's this year.

- Ogletree steps into the role that Laurent Robinson played in a year ago.  Robinson put up a 54-858-11 line last year.  Robinson is owned in just 50% of leagues and is now a #1 WR in Jax..

- Ogletree had just a total of 117 catches, 1332 yds., and 9 total TD's in three years at Virginia.  That's an average of 39 catches, 444 yds., and 3 TD a season.

- Kevin's Wednesday night NFL break-out was almost a third of those numbers.

With that being said, Ogletree certainly looks to have the ability to thrive in a system that heavily favors slot receivers.  Remember this is a system that allowed the likes of Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin, and Laurent Robinson to have career years, all of whom were more than rosterable during the years they played the Dallas slot position.  In my opinion, there are other guys I'd rather have on the wire (maybe even Robinson in Jax.), but Ogletree has definitely made himself a case to be owned in at least two-thirds of all leagues out there.  I think that guys like Robinson and Austin had a better pedigree, so they set loftier expectations for Ogletree at the position.  But remember that Robinson was a game-breaker at times, and put up some serious points in Dallas last year as the #3.  Temper your expectations on Ogletree and his breakout performance - it may well have been a career night - but go ahead and add him if guys like Santana Moss, Lance Moore, Greg Little, and Titus Young are gone already.  And don't forget that Sunday will bring plenty more surprises, so watch your waiver priority.  Expect a line that goes something like 48-725-9 for a season total (closest to that of Patrick Crayton's Dallas slot days with 50-697-7).  Just keep in mind that defenses will no longer let Ogletree roam free across the middle.  It'll be fun to see if he can adjust.


Bob A.
9/7/2012 08:55:20 pm

Great reasons why NOT to rush to the WW!

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Adam
9/8/2012 01:35:16 am

I think that the position he plays warrants a pickup in itself. I think Ogletree will outproduce lots of WR's out there, but I wouldn't necessarily use my top waiver priority on him!

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Big D
9/11/2012 11:49:52 pm

Nice write up. Thanks for the love up there. I think he mostly thrived mostly due to Wittens injury. I think he took a lot of Wittens looks. We'll see, I wouldn't be surprised if he had Robinson type numbers, especially if there's an injury. I don't think i'd start him this week... I'm more tempted to start my boy Randal Cobb!

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adam
9/12/2012 01:05:40 am

You are right. Witten is getting older, too. I think it is more of a system thing, if you could imagine Ogletree on some other teams, I just don't see the same numbers. Not saying he is a bad receiver as he certainly looks like he can handle the load, but I think its more the system that will produce the points in fantasy leagues.

Thanks for reading, fellas!

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