Team: Chicago Bears
Position: Wide Receiver
Percent Owned On Fantasy Teams (Yahoo Fantasy): 50%
If there is one thing fantasy owners utterly dread taking a chance on it’s the injury prone player. Even if said player has tremendous upside, it’s hard to acquiesce to the notion that a great player could become a liability with one brutal hit.
However, injuries are practically unavoidable in a physically grueling sport like football. Like it or not, all of our favorite players are physically fallible and fantasy owners always need to have a solid contingency plan in place in case the unfathomable occurs.
While his value has depreciated noticeably since he was drafted 7th overall in 2015, Kevin White could see a serious resurgence as a viable fantasy asset this year. Although his crippling injury history cannot be ignored, his path on the inside track to becoming the Chicago Bears’ number one receiver is worth acknowledgement.
With Cameron Meredith out for the season, White will be given a tremendous opportunity to flash his speedy skill set in the hopes of rising from the ashes. From his immense size (6’3″, 216 lbs) to his impressive speed and catching abilities (13.3 yards per reception in 2014 at West Virginia), White is an ideal deep threat that can make contested catches. Physically, it’s clear that White can compete and overcome most defensive backs in the league, an attribute that made him such a coveted prospect coming out of college.
Unfortunately, the potential of White has yet to be fully realized as he has only played in four NFL games in two years. The numbers he has managed to post in those four appearances (187 yards, 9.8 yards per receptions) pale in comparison to what he can actually do on the field when fully healthy. A classic boom or bust prospect, White could be pay dividends right away or succumb to another season-ending ailment, which would likely reduce his chances staying in the NFL to next to nothing.
With that caveat out of the way, White is most definitely worth taking a flier on, especially if he his sitting on the waiver wire. At 50% ownership, some owners are seeing the appeal of keeping White on the bench in case he blossoms into the star wideout everyone believed he would be two years ago. Still, I believe White’s value is better than a 50-50 coin flip. If he’s a bust, not much will be lost for current owners. However, if he pans out as a consistent starter, expect his boom to be deafening as the season progresses.
