Is Rivers A Bad Fantasy Pick?

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Philip Rivers has consistently been among the top scoring quarterbacks in the fantasy league from 2008-2010.

Why then are some fantasy football players staying away from him this year? Some so called “sports writers seem to think Rivers is an unsafe fantasy pick and won’t bounce back this season. Some seem to think this year will be the “status quo” with the offensive line becoming decimated by injury once again. Some are also saying that Ryan Mathews and our running game won’t be a threat, giving the defense a chance to use “extra coverage” to confuse Rivers and force him to make bad decisions.

I had also read somewhere (I won’t mention where) that Antonio Gates isn’t healthy, and won’t be, going into the season. Also that he’s trying to shed some weight just to take some pressure off his feet. It’s no secret that Gates has battled foot injuries for a few years now.

We also lost one of our more prolific wide receivers in Vincent Jackson, one of Rivers’ favorite targets, having lost him to free agency and because of that, Rivers won’t be as effective.

Two more reasons why some, not very football savvy, people are saying to stay away from Rivers as a fantasy QB this year.

Well, being the responsible writer that I try to be, I would like to set the record straight.

Nowhere does Antonio Gates say that he’s trying to lose weight to take pressure off of his feet. All he says is that he wants to drop 5 lbs to get to, what he feels, is his ideal playing weight and that his foot feels better than it has in years, although it still nags him a little. It doesn’t mean that he’s not healthy.

Losing Vincent Jackson could very well be a blessing in disguise. I think our wide receiving core got immensely better after his departure, signing Robert Meachem and Eddie Royal. Two for the price of one.

Sure, V.J. was a big target for Rivers and could out bully defenders, but Robert Meachem and Eddie Royal are faster and quicker.

I’ll take faster and quicker over taller and bigger any day. Rivers won’t have to wait as long for his reciever to get open, and seconds matter in this league. The less time Rivers has to sit in the pocket, the better.

We still have tall in Malcom Floyd. So now we have tall on one side, speed on the other, and quick in the middle.

Oh and don’t forget about Vincent Brown. He showed flashes of brilliance last season. I expect the same and more from him this year.

These are so called sports writers trying to “read between the lines” and put their own spin on otherwise non-issues, just to crap out a story.

The story is this:

Fantasy football players gather ’round and hear ye’. I’m here to tell you that Philip Rivers will have one of, if not THE best season of his career. Our offensive line WILL be solid, our running game WILL be top 10 in the league because Ryan Mathews will have a breakout year, and Antonio Gates IS healthy.

Philip Rivers is gonna have a hey day this year. Why would you not pick him as a fantasy QB?!