Athletic David Ausberry has been touted at times as a potential diamond in the rough, both in reality and fantasy. There has been one major recent complication with Ausberry – he has not been able to stay healthy. He missed the entire 2013 season with a shoulder injury and early in August had a procedure done on his knee. While the procedure was not serious in nature, it represents another reason to raise a red flag for David. Can he shake off his injury-plagued past and become an asset for the Raiders?
Fantasy Upside
Oakland has depth among their core pass catching group, with players such as James Jones, Rod Streater, and Andre Holmes, but there is not a number one receiver on the squad. If Ausberry can stay healthy, maybe he could be their big-time target. On paper, the Raiders look like a bad team yet again, meaning they will often be playing from behind. New quarterback Matt Schaub frequently utilized tight ends in Houston.
Fantasy Downside
Schaub was terrible last year and could easily lose his starting job to rookie Derek Carr. Neither player helps Ausberry’s situation. Oakland has another tight end, Mychal Rivera, who had some nice moments as a rookie in 2013 and has also been more durable. Both tight ends may be called upon to block frequently since the Raiders did not retain solid left tackle Jared Veldheer, who signed with the Arizona Cardinals.
Bottom Line
Fantasy owners have legitimate reasons to gamble on potential injury risks at tight end such as Jordan Reed and Rob Gronkowski. Those guys have track records and major upside. There is no reason to waste a pick on Ausberry, who is pretty much completely unproven with just nine catches in his career. Should he surprise, he will appear pretty early if you search the waiver wire in alphabetical order.
