Hey, Oakland: Streater's Your Guy
Training camp news is celebrity gossip for football fans.
I’m serious. It’s not to say there’s false reporting, it’s just conflicting due to subjectivity. “Lamar Miller is looking great at Dolphins practice,†tweets a respectable journalist. “Miller’s struggling with pass protection,†mentions another.
Like celebrity gossip (according to my significant other, at least), when consistent reporting coincides, you may have some truth. We’ve seen it in Giants camp with Rueben Randle, and we’re starting to see it with another receiver. This one, however, isn’t part of a potential top-notch offense.
Rod Streater, the Wide Receiver
Reports from Raiders camp are saying that Rod Streater has been the most consistent receiver, and according to Rotoworld.com, the Oakland Tribune has suggested he could “emerge as the go-to guy for quarterback Matt Flynn due to this reliability. This isn’t just one place reporting it either. Everyone affiliated with the Raiders seems to believe Rod Streater could end up being Flynn’s top target in 2013. What happened to Denarius Moore?
Well, perhaps this is a way to spark a fire under the talented Moore, who many believe is the superior talent of the two. But if you compare their advanced numbers from last season, Streater may actually be, flat out, the better player.
| Player | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns | Rec NEP / Target | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rod Streater | 39 | 584 | 3 | .68 | 45th of 105 |
| Denarius Moore | 51 | 741 | 7 | .59 | 70th of 105 |
Keep in mind that our sample is small, but that's what you get with receivers who have three combined years of pro experience. On a per target basis, Streater was more efficient than Denarius Moore was in 2012. And actually, he was the most effective Oakland Raiders receiver. The receiving net expected points per target metric shows us that. With each target, Streater was adding .68 points to the Raiders output, while Moore was adding .59. It appears minimal, but Streater ranked 45th among 20-plus reception receivers last season, while Moore was listed at 70th.
Moreover, Streater, a rookie a year ago, ranked second among first-year wideouts under this efficiency metric. He tied the Browns Josh Gordon, and was only worse than Andrew Luck’s second-favorite target, T.Y. Hilton. Not bad for a receiver on Oakland who's getting little love.
The reliability piece, too, is important with the Moore versus Streater debate. Last season, Denarius Moore had zero games with more than five receptions, including three single-reception games. Carson Palmer was the passer then, but it was clear that Moore didn’t play any sort of security blanket role that we all enjoying seeing from a top receiver.
It could easily be that Streater’s “reliability†factor is more a result of comparison. But that’s fine; if he’s the best receiver and top target on his team, there’s a good chance he’ll be some sort of factor in fantasy football.
Rod Streater, the Fantasy Football Sleeper
Due to pre-camp potential usage, numberFire has Denarius Moore catching 58 passes for 847 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2013. That, in the end, is good for a WR34 ranking.
Moore’s average draft position, according to FantasyFootballCalculator.com, is at the beginning of the 11th round in 12-team leagues. That puts him at WR48 status. Looking at our rankings, the value in drafting Moore is there.
If, however, Streater is able to take on that top role, he’s got the potential to put up similar numbers at an even better price. Fantasy owners will be hesitant to draft him – an unknown – believing in Moore’s talent. If Streater is named top wideout in Oakland, I wouldn't automatically expect a Round 11 ADP.
Moore just might not be the answer for Oakland. Streater, on the other hand, has the upside. Second-year receivers are often prime for breakouts, and although there are a plethora of them in 2013, Streater could be the one that's flying under the radar the most.
