Fantasy Football Freaks
RSS Facebook Twitter
Subscribe to our newsletter
Ask the Experts
 


Assessing Larry Fitzgerald in 2011
Larry FitzgeraldIcon SMI

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Larry Fitzgerald has been a fantasy football staple for years now, and 2011 will be a pivotal year when it comes to determining how much longer he can hang in the Top 5 discussion. Fitz is still young, but he's lost ground to some younger stars like Calvin Johnson and Hakeem Nicks.

Add a sub-par 2010 performance (he finished T-16 amongst WR) and a lot of people are wondering if he can rebound or if last year's 1137 yard, 6 TD performance is the new expectation.

Let's go ahead and dispel some of those concerns.

First off, he gives off an older vibe and it feels like he's been in the league forever, but he's only 27. Heck, Derrick Mason put up 800+ yards and 7 TDs last season, and he's a full decade older.

Next, not many receivers can claim 1137 yards and 6 TDs as an off year. Just one year prior he notched 1092 yards and 13 TD, much better touchdown numbers and much closer to what you expect from him. So what was the difference?

It was the elephant in the room, of course. Arizona's QB contingency was atrocious. The combination of Derek Anderson, Max Hall, and John Skelton are what really doomed him.

Fitzgerald is one of the elite receivers. He just needs a quality passer. All a QB has to do is put the ball in his vicinity and more times than not he's going to come down with it. Single coverage, double coverage - it doesn't matter.

Knowing that Fitzgerald is a key player and that he needs a new contract, the Cardinals went out this offseason and acquired Kevin Kolb, the top QB free agent on the market, hoping to provide that quality passer.

So will Kolb be enough to restore Fitzgerald to the Top 10 on the WR Leaderboard? I say Yes!

I'll give you that he hasn't built enough of a resume to tell us what we can expect to get from him every week. With a small sample size of 7 full contests he has (3) 300 yard, 2+ TD performances, and (2) less than 250 yard, 2+ interception games.

Say what you want about Kolb, he's shown serious upside despite never really having the benefit of consistent, dedicated starting time. Lock in his spot on the roster and let him get comfortable and I think we'll see him grow even more. No matter what, at the end of the day, he's a superior option to anyone else Arizona has to offer, and that plays right into Larry Fitzgerald's hands - literally.

Freak Up

Sign In or Create a Free Account
Post a Comment:




asalladayAugust 24, 2011
It'll be interesting to see how he does with Kolb there this year. I am guessing his numbers will increase from last that's for sure.





Advertise | About Us | Fantasy Football Links | Site Map | Contact Us | Privacy Policy
© 2012 Life Smart Sites, LLC | All Rights Reserved

Part of the USA Today Sports Media Group.