Ted Ginn

Week 12 vs. Oakland

Ted Ginn Jr. caught a 40-yard touchdown pass last week against the Saints. Good thing too, because he only ended up with 46 yards on three receptions for the entire game. Ginn is always hit or miss and a lot of his production is reliant upon the occasional big play. Desperate owners got lucky with him last week. Against a Raiders team that has given up 18 touchdown passes and the fifth worst passing yards per attempt to opposing passers this year, can Ginn repeat his performance? If you’re desperate, you could do worse than gamble on another big play from Ginn in a nice matchup.

Fantasy Upside

Ted Ginn Jr. is coming off a career year. Stepping in for the injured Kelvin Benjamin, Ginn led all Carolina wide receivers with 44 catches, 739 yards, and a team-high 10 touchdowns. He also retained his role as the primary punt returner, averaging 10.3 yards per punt return on the year. Ginn remains a lightning fast deep receiving option for strong-armed quarterback Cam Newton, and should continue to be an important part of Carolina’s quick-strike attack. Two of Ginn’s three best seasons have come as a Panther, making it more likely he’ll continue to thrive in Carolina.

Fantasy Downside

At 31, Ginn should be starting the downside of his career. For a speedster, that downside usually comes with a sharp edge once that extra gear is gone. The return of Benjamin to the starting lineup will affect the number of targets Ginn receives, as could any progression from last year’s second-round pick Devin Funchess. Ginn’s 10 receiving touchdowns last year were a big reason for his fantasy success, and because that’s double his previous career high, it seems unlikely he’ll continue to score at such a pace.

2016 Bottom Line

Ginn is going toward the end of drafts and he’s not a bad boom-or-bust option off the bench in most fantasy leagues. While he’s unlikely to reproduce his 10 touchdowns from last year, he will benefit from playing in a potent offense that led the league last season by averaging 31.3 points per game. He has additional value in best ball leagues, where owners don’t have to guess which weeks he’ll catch a long touchdown pass.

NFC Championship vs. Arizona

Ted Ginn was a little banged up going into the game against Seattle last week, and he ended up ineffective, missing the only ball that was thrown his way. His only fantasy points came from an 11 yard run, as the Panther offense was clicking early in the victory.

This week, Ginn will face the league’s eighth best pass defense and may be lined up against cornerback Patrick Peterson, one of the best in football. Ginn has speed and big play ability and has been productive with Cam Newton throwing the ball, but he’s a risky, boom or bust type of player and we have him as one of the least valuable starting WR’s this week. Use him at your own risk.