PAST PRODUCTION
Kenny Golladay is coming off of two straight 1,000 yard seasons and finished as a top 10 fantasy receiver in 2019 at just 26 years old. Golladay overcame playing half of the season with a backup quarterback to lead the league in receiving touchdowns last year with 11 total scores and was one of three with double-digit touchdowns, but the only to score 11. He was also second in the league in average depth of target (15.7) and yards per target (10.3) among players with at least 100 targets. The only two receivers ahead of him were Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. We know when the ball finds Golladay it’s going to be deep downfield.
Golladay’s only weakness is inconsistency in securing his targets. He owns the 7th highest combined drop rate over the last two years and a 57.6% career catch rate. While this doesn’t have a major fantasy impact, it’s a factor to consider when making tough decisions between same-tiered players.
2020 OUTLOOK
Every Golladay owner should be excited for 2020. He’s an explosive, downfield threat who was electrifying last season. He was seventh in contested catch rate (54.2%) and simply absorbed team targets like a sponge. He finished 2019 with a 33.9% dominator rating (receivers percentage of total team targets and touchdowns) and was 11th in fantasy points per target (2.14). The bottom line is the targets he receives are extremely valuable and he gets a ton of them.
Kenny Golladay didn’t post huge metrics at the NFL combine, however, his size (6’4”, 218 pounds) and speed stand out. He posted a 110.7-speed score, good for 92nd percentile, and has used his massive frame to overwhelm his opponents. Golladay finished as the WR9 in 2019, imagine what he could do with a full season of a healthy Matthew Stafford in 2020.
DYNASTY ANALYSIS
There’s a world where Kenny Golladay finishes as a top-five fantasy receiver, but he certainly has a high floor regardless. He dominates targets coming from a quarterback who likes to push the ball downfield and has displayed the ability to win those battles. He’s improved each year in the league and established himself as one of the premier NFL receivers of the future. Fantasy Football Calculator’s ADP has Golladay as the 10th receiver off the board, which seems to be the right value. He’s even more valuable in half or Non-PPR leagues considering his low catch rate and deep target success rate. I prefer him ahead of D.J. Moore but an argument can be made either way. Don’t think too hard about this one, you’re getting what is likely a consistent top 10-12 fantasy receiver when selecting Golladay.
Thank you for reading. If you have any thoughts or would like to discuss, you can find me on Twitter @WillieBeamanDFF.
