Rico Gathers Fan Club

[StableOfRBs]

Just wondering, how sure are people that Witten is retiring soon? Gates is 2 years older than Witten and still playing and Witten just signed a 4-year extension earlier this offseason meaning he'll be in Dallas until 2021. Even if Witten loses a step this year, next year, the year after, he'd still be siphoning targets off of Gathers or whoever else they might have in there.

[_yeti]

Just wondering, how sure are people that Witten is retiring soon? Gates is 2 years older than Witten and still playing and Witten just signed a 4-year extension earlier this offseason meaning he'll be in Dallas until 2021. Even if Witten loses a step this year, next year, the year after, he'd still be siphoning targets off of Gathers or whoever else they might have in there.

Witten has always been slow. I just think the end HAS to be near. But also, it's dynasty. Are people avoiding Henry because of Gates at this point? Not in my observation. You should be wanting to acquire him or not based on his ability, a player like Gates or Witten shouldn't be an obstacle.

We've had debates about projecting "target share" before, I don't believe in it as a main reason in determining player dynasty value for the long-term. Target share will always fluctuate year to year, based on a ton of factors. The best players find a way to produce and it is more determinant on their ability than on competition within their own team.

[ninotoreS]

I like Rico, but Witten is like the energizer bunny, folks. He keeps going, and going, and going... y'all know he hasn't missed a game since 2003? Also, he's signed through 2021. None of the money is guaranteed, but can anyone really imagine the Cowboys releasing Witten if he doesn't want to be released? I think Witten wants to win a Super Bowl, and may try to stick around until that happens, if it can happen.

Anyway. Gathers' ball-skills and body-control are exceptional (as you'd expect, given his background). Not much route-craft, though... right now he mostly only seems to run simple vertical seam routes or just sits down in zone. Presently, in Gathers I only see a guy capable of 40, maybe 50 receptions a year as his ceiling... but with legit double-digit TD potential.

[BuckeyeNation]

I like Gathers a lot, have him stashed in the majority of my leagues. I also purposely didn't want to draw attention to him earlier in the off-season while he was still available on the WW in several of my leagues, but that was more from a selfish aspect obviously. LOL

As for Rico's situation, I've mentioned this before but it feels a lot like Ladarius Green circa '14-'15. Tons of athletic ability and upside, but currently blocked by a HOF TE in front of him. That doesn't mean that he won't be an ascending dynasty asset even this season. I don't think he returns much usable fantasy production this year and probably next year too, but Ladarius proved for a few years that the allure of the upside alone is enough to make people pay a pretty hefty price for him. If you want to dig back into posts on this site from a few years ago, people were paying a future 1st (or equivalent value) for Green and nobody really batted an eye at it. I just think for now the realistic view with Rico is that his value will lie more as a dynasty roster asset than an actual fantasy asset, which there's nothing wrong with that. As for what type of producer he projects as if he does end up hitting, IMO he'll probably be a lower volume, high TD player that would fair better in standard scoring. Julius Thomas in DEN comes to mind, but I think anyone should be thrilled if that's what he turns into. I'm intrigued, but I'm also trying to be realistic with him.

[ninotoreS]

I couldn't get anyone in my league to pay a 1st for Ladarius at any point. And half of the rosters had terrible need at TE.

Turned out they were super right to balk, ofc.

[_yeti]

I couldn't get anyone in my league to pay a 1st for Ladarius at any point. And half of the rosters had terrible need at TE.

Turned out they were super right to balk, ofc.

It took me two months of working on a Pittsburgh homer right when he was signed to get a first for Green. And the guy who ended up taking over that team never lets me forget it

[_yeti]

I'm genuinely curious to hear what people think of Clay and Maxx for Rico? I look at it as an established but flawed producer in Clay, a high pedigree but flawed prospect in Maxx (so definitely not a peak value moment for either, I understand) for a high upside, high risk prospect in Rico. Anyone have any thoughts on this offer?

What would you pay for Rico?

[SteveMaddensShoes]

I actually think he's worth about whatever people are paying for guys like Butt/Jonnu Smith/Shaheen. He has the upside that's as high as anyone and though he's still behind on knowing the ins and outs of the position, we all know it takes TE's a year or two to be startable in fantasy. So in 2 years Butt/Smith/Shaheen will be ready(hopefully) and we expect the same out of Rico.

I also think that the Rico hype is worth some amount that is hard to quantify. He is worth more than those guys just due to hype that has no intrinsic value but market value.

[ninotoreS]

I'm genuinely curious to hear what people think of Clay and Maxx for Rico?

Clay is a TE2 and Maxx is waiver-wire material, even with the injuries to Baltimore's depth-chart. I think Clay's ceiling is probably only low-end TE1, so this is a trade I wouldn't bother with. It's not that I think Gathers will be more useful than Clay in fantasy any time soon, it's just that Gathers simply has a lot more value-growth potential in dynasty, so unless I'm just so weak at TE that I'm desperate for any kind of low-end TE1 / high-end TE2, I'd rather stash Gathers and hope to get lucky. As for Williams, he came in overrated as a rookie and proceeded to get leapfrogged and passed-over on his chart ever since. The Ravens' lack of faith in him is evident, so even if it seems like he has daylight on his depth-chart at the moment, history suggests it'll be short-lived.

[Plank]

Keep an eye on Connor Hamlett also, heard some great things during camp...

[jcc6fd]

Amazingly he's still on waivers in my league. I can drop Ladarius for him, though we haven't had our rookie draft so I'll end up needing to make a trade to keep him. Is he worth an add in this scenario?

[jcc6fd]

I'm genuinely curious to hear what people think of Clay and Maxx for Rico?

Clay is a TE2 and Maxx is waiver-wire material, even with the injuries to Baltimore's depth-chart. I think Clay's ceiling is probably only low-end TE1, so this is a trade I wouldn't bother with. It's not that I think Gathers will be more useful than Clay in fantasy any time soon, it's just that Gathers simply has a lot more value-growth potential in dynasty, so unless I'm just so weak at TE that I'm desperate for any kind of low-end TE1 / high-end TE2, I'd rather stash Gathers and hope to get lucky. As for Williams, he came in overrated as a rookie and proceeded to get leapfrogged and passed-over on his chart ever since. The Ravens' lack of faith in him is evident, so even if it seems like he has daylight on his depth-chart at the moment, history suggests it'll be short-lived.

I agree with your assessment of all of these players just maybe disagree a little on the conclusion. I'd rather have Clay than Rico straight up for the proven production and scoring potential of a healthy Clay. It's not an exhilarating prospect, but that's got to be worth more than a guy fighting for a roster spot.

[_yeti]

I'm genuinely curious to hear what people think of Clay and Maxx for Rico?

Clay is a TE2 and Maxx is waiver-wire material, even with the injuries to Baltimore's depth-chart. I think Clay's ceiling is probably only low-end TE1, so this is a trade I wouldn't bother with. It's not that I think Gathers will be more useful than Clay in fantasy any time soon, it's just that Gathers simply has a lot more value-growth potential in dynasty, so unless I'm just so weak at TE that I'm desperate for any kind of low-end TE1 / high-end TE2, I'd rather stash Gathers and hope to get lucky. As for Williams, he came in overrated as a rookie and proceeded to get leapfrogged and passed-over on his chart ever since. The Ravens' lack of faith in him is evident, so even if it seems like he has daylight on his depth-chart at the moment, history suggests it'll be short-lived.

I agree with your assessment of all of these players just maybe disagree a little on the conclusion. I'd rather have Clay than Rico straight up for the proven production and scoring potential of a healthy Clay. It's not an exhilarating prospect, but that's got to be worth more than a guy fighting for a roster spot.

This is what I was thinking. My opponent has Everett, Brate, Barnidge, Gathers, Walford, Jesse James. I would characterize that as TE needy. I have Gronk, Njoku, ASJ, Swoope, Clay, Maxx. I thought it was kind of a win-win where he gets a producer and a guy with potential upside and I go for the cool athlete, who really hasn't done anything yet and is a couple years from being complete (or busting).

I know Maxx is labeled a bust now, but I recently took him one round before Gathers, and while Gathers is the shiny new dynasty darling, I think Maxx and he have equal chance of panning out or busting. My trade target (who may be lurking on this post ), he likes to see if his prospects fully pan out or bust before making any trades so it limits the ability to do a deal like this. But I get that it's hard to trade players whose hype is at a low, especially for one who seems so exciting at the moment.

But I am not going to jump out the window for him in that league. Took a shot that I thought was fair, we'll see how Gathers develops or not. Also, for the Witten/Gates talk, this owner also traded Gates for a 6th Rounder, so youth is being valued highly in this case!

[_yeti]

Amazingly he's still on waivers in my league. I can drop Ladarius for him, though we haven't had our rookie draft so I'll end up needing to make a trade to keep him. Is he worth an add in this scenario?

I think so. I cut Ladarius for nothing, just for a roster spot, so I am all aboard for grabbing Rico. Would probably drop your last two WRs for him if you need to make more room.

[ninotoreS]

I agree with your assessment of all of these players just maybe disagree a little on the conclusion. I'd rather have Clay than Rico straight up for the proven production and scoring potential of a healthy Clay. It's not an exhilarating prospect, but that's got to be worth more than a guy fighting for a roster spot.

Eh, I don't think Gathers is fighting for a spot anymore. I'm having difficulty theorizing a plausible scenario in which the Cowboys decide they'd rather keep Swaim and/or Jarwin over Gathers on the 53-man roster. Those two will probably be easy to get onto the practice-squad. 'Boys release Gathers, and I think they have to assume they'd lose him to another team.

Gathers is competing for a spot on the game-day roster now, I think. I'm guessing that will come down to Hanna's run-blocking vs Gathers' red-zone potential.