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Heading into the 2009
National Football League regular season,
Jermichael Finley had some upside-scavenger fantasy owners salivating.
After watching Finley shine during the preseason, some drafted the former
To the surprise of just
about everyone, Finley caught fire in Week 11, closing out the season with some
rock-solid numbers - 55 catches for 676 yards and five touchdowns. From Week 11
through Week 17, Finley was more productive - 38 receptions for 416 yards and
four touchdowns - than several household names at the position, including
Tony Gonzalez (Falcons),
Visanthe Shiancoe (Vikings),
Kellen Winslow (Buccaneers) and
Heath Miller (Steelers). Would you believe the best is yet to come from
Finley?
THE FINLEY FILE
Jermichael Decorean
Finley was born March 26, 1987, in
As a full-time starter
during his sophomore season (2007), Finley hauled in 45 passes for 575 yards
and two touchdowns. The reception total ranks No. 2 on
Saying that it was his
desire to take on "bigger challenges" in his life and pursue a "lifelong dream
of playing in the NFL," Finley renounced his two remaining years of eligibility
to enter the 2008 NFL Draft. It was also common knowledge that Finley needed to
support his young daughter, and he had another child on the way at the time.
Finley was the first player in Longhorn school history to enter the NFL Draft
following his sophomore season.
The FINLEY Pre-Draft
Profile
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 240
pounds
40-Yard Dash -
Combine: 4.82
40-Yard Dash - Pro
Day: 4.65
Positives:
Extremely athletic, has big-play ability, can kick into high gear and run away
from linebackers and safeties, great hands; can adjust to low thrown and poorly
thrown balls, can make the acrobatic catch, good body control, a willing
blocker; shows great awareness of the blitz, has the appropriate size and speed
to block defensive ends, has a lot of overall upside.
Negatives: Could
have used another season at Texas to mature physically, he is young (turned 21
just before the draft), plays with too much finesse, not a great route runner,
does not run through tackles regularly, lacks toughness, does not always play
at his timed speed.
FINLEY'S PRO CAREER
Finley's first NFL season
(2008) was rocky to say the least. Clearly naive to the demands of the pro
game, Finley’s conditioning left a lot to be desired, and so did his knowledge
of
As the saying goes, "the
light went on" for Finley at some point early in his second season (2009).
Determined to put his poor pro debut behind him, Finley was a regular during
the Packers’ offseason training program, making huge gains in his strength and
conditioning. Finley also buried himself in the playbook, changed his attitude
and smoothed things over with his teammates. Thanks to his improved approach to
the game, Finley challenged Lee for the starting gig during a fierce training
camp battle and eventually took the job later in the regular season.
TAR
= Targets
FP1
= Fantasy Points - Standard
scoring (no PPR)
FP2
= Fantasy Points - PPR scoring (1
point/reception)
THE FINLEY 2010
FANTASY FORECAST
Is Finley a future
fantasy stud? Yes - I have no doubt in my mind. Finley has the necessary size,
quickness and skills to dominate at the position. He creates major matchup
problems for opposing linebackers and safeties, and the former
The
soon-to-be-23-year-old Finley’s outstanding fantasy production during the final
two months of 2009 - Weeks 11-17 - is proof of his huge 2010 potential. As
If you divide each
statistic - 50 targets, 38 catches, 416 receiving yards and four touchdowns -
by seven to get per-game averages, you end up with 7.1 targets, 5.4 catches,
59.4 receiving yards and 0.57 touchdowns compiled per contest. If you project
those averages over nine extra games (hint: Finley amassed the 38-416-4 over
seven games; let’s pretend that he could have continued that level of
production over a full 16-game regular-season schedule), he hypothetically
could have compiled a mind-blowing 135 targets, 104 catches, 1,211 receiving
yards and 10 touchdowns. By the way, I rounded up all the numbers used in the
computations.
No, I am not going to
promise you that Finley will catch 100+ passes in 2010, but I think he has a
great chance to post Top 5 fantasy tight end numbers in Green Bay’s prolific
pass-first offense. Is Finley a true sleeper heading into 2010? Without knowing
his average draft position, I will say yes. Right now, I am guessing that he
will be the eighth or ninth tight end off the board. Smart FantasySharks fantasy
owners like you will remember Finley during your August 2010 drafts, so you
have a chance to acquire a stud tight end for what is hopefully a bargain price.
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