Fantasy Football: 5 Bounce-Back Candidates for 2018

Michael Crabtree, WR, Baltimore Ravens

Over the years, there have been more than a few cases of a wide receiver signing for a new team in free agency not quite living up to expectation. To his credit, Michael Crabtree somewhat managed to buck this trend as a member of the Oakland Raiders. But it must be said that 2017 was not his best season.

Crabtree averaged 9.0 targets, 5.0 receptions and 60.1 yards per game over the 2015 and 2016 seasons, as well as the not inconsequential matter of 14.6 PPR points per outing. In 2017, these numbers fell to 7.8, 4.0 and 47.5, respectively. Meanwhile, his PPR output dropped to 12.9, and he was among the least efficient wide receivers in the NFL on a per-target basis. Incidentally, those targets were his fewest in a season when he's managed to play more than five games (since his rookie year).

In Target NEP per target, Crabtree was 22nd of the 27 wide receivers with 100 targets and 24th in Reception NEP per target. Crabtree suffered from the inefficiency of his quarterback Derek Carr though. In 2016, Carr had the 6th-highest Passing NEP per drop back of the 22 quarterbacks with at least 500 drop backs. Last season, he had fallen to 12th out of 20.

Crabtree now finds himself a member of the Baltimore Ravens. While the change from Carr to Joe Flacco isn't an exciting prospect, the veteran wideout should at least benefit from an increase in volume. The Ravens lost 336 targets from last year's roster, and Crabtree's nose for the end zone should make him of interest to fantasy owners at his current ADP (WR30). He is one of only two wide receivers with at least eight receiving scores in the last three seasons, which creates some nice upside at that draft cost.