Dynasty Fantasy Football: 8 Players to Buy Before Week 1
Paul Richardson, WR, Washington
ADP: 200th overall (WR69)
Paul Richardson is incredibly cheap -- barely a top-200 asset -- and he's well worth a dart throw as a member of a less-than-stellar Washington receiver depth chart.
With top wideout Jamison Crowder spending a lot of time in the slot, Washington has a need for playmakers on the outside. Richardson will likely walk into a starting role, and the money Washington gave him -- a five-year deal worth $40 million, with $16.5 million guaranteed -- should make us feel good about him seeing solid volume.
In the immediate future, Richardson's main competition for targets is going to be Josh Doctson. Washington has a first-round pick invested in Doctson, but through two seasons, he's struggled, catching just 37 of 84 targets. Going off career production, P-Rich has a healthy edge.
| Career Stats | Targets | Catch Rate | Yards Per Target | Yards Per Catch | PPR Points Per Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Richardson | 161 | 59% | 8.1 | 13.7 | 1.70 |
| Josh Doctson | 84 | 44% | 6.8 | 15.4 | 1.53 |
Doctson basically redshirted as a rookie, so we certainly shouldn't write him off just yet, but we also shouldn't assume he'll be ahead of Richardson on the target totem pole.
We project Washington to have the league's 14th-best passing offense, so if Richardson does seize the number-two wideout role, he'll be a screaming value at this price. And even if he doesn't, he's not a bad cheap dart throw with Crowder set to hit the open market after this season.
