Fantasy Upside
Tavon Austin admitted that he didn't have a full grasp of the playbook last year, but noted that he's more comfortable now that he's in his second year. That should lead to an expanded role in Brian Schottenheimer's offense after he showed flashes of his playmaking ability in games against the Colts and Bears a year ago. The Rams didn't trade into the top 10 in last year's NFL draft not to use the dynamic Austin, who has lined up in the slot, outside the numbers and even in the backfield during camp this year.
Fantasy Downside
Austin disappointed in his rookie year, finishing as fantasy's No. 56 overall WR. He struggled with drops early in the season as the Rams tried to force the ball to him in the short-to-intermediate game. He also had trouble generating separation for himself and often danced too much when he did have the ball in his hands. While he admits to now having a full grasp of the playbook after suffering a learning curve as a rookie, he remains behind Kenny Britt and perhaps even Jared Cook and Brian Quick for targets in the Rams' run-first offense.
Bottom Line
Austin is a dynamic tool but his success is largely predicated on Schottenheimer getting him in open space. He's a matchup problem for defenses but he's not going to win many contested passes at the second or third level in coverage, which limits his overall fantasy production. While we think he has value as a WR4/WR5 in PPR leagues (his stock was unaffected by Sam Bradford's season-ending injury due to the fact that his routes are mostly short-to-intermediate), we're skeptical of his fantasy potential and believe he'll be overdrafted this fall. He's shaping up to be more of a gadget player than a consistent starter.
