Fantasy Fallout: Percy Harvin is back - but will he be fantasy relevant?
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Here are the fantasy ramifications of WR Percy Harvin coming out of retirement and signing with the Buffalo Bills:
Harvin-ger of fantasy doom
Harvin is back in the NFL after abruptly retiring last season, finishing with just 19 catches on 30 targets for 218 yards and a touchdown in five games with Buffalo. He'll likely need to work his way back into game shape, and it's unclear whether he will be ready to go in time for this week's Monday Night football showdown against one of his former teams, the Seattle Seahawks.
Harvin's a nice story - a talented player resuming his career after calling it quits at age 27 - but there probably won't be much fantasy value here. Harvin hasn't been a consistent fantasy contributor since the 2011 season, when he put up more than 1,300 total yards and eight touchdowns as both a receiving threat and a rushing option with the Minnesota Vikings.
He might be worth a flyer in 14- or 16-team leagues, but only if you have been hit hard by injury. Harvin wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire with the Bills last season, and he'll be coming into one of the least inspiring pass offenses in the league. Ignore him altogether in shallow redraft or dynasty leagues, and avoid him in daily fantasy until you see that he can still contribute.
Help for Tyrod Taylor
At the very least, Harvin's return will provide a little more help for Bills QB Tyrod Taylor, who has had to rely a little too heavily on secondary receiving options like Robert Woods, Marquise Goodwin and Justin Hunter since losing No. 1 receiver Sammy Watkins earlier in the season. This won't move the needle all that much, but it's better than lining Reggie Bush out wide.
You shouldn't lean on Taylor over the next three weeks with daunting matchups in Seattle and Cincinnati on the horizon, but things loosen up considerably after that. Buffalo hosts Jacksonville, visits Oakland, then hosts Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Miami in consecutive weeks. Taylor is an excellent buy-low candidate, particularly after the Bills' Week 10 bye.
Minimal impact on other pass-catchers
Harvin's arrival shouldn't have much of an impact on the rest of Buffalo's battered receiving corps, particularly this week. Moving forward, it's possible that Woods and Goodwin returning to full health will relegate Harvin to special teams duties or a severely diminished role in the offense - and then there's the matter of Watkins, who is eligible to return in Week 12.
Look for Harvin's presence to reduce the number of snaps Hunter plays, which isn't necessarily a bad thing for either the Bills or for Taylor's fantasy owners. Woods and Goodwin remain boom-or-bust WR4 options, when healthy, through the next few weeks before getting an upgrade to WR3 status for Buffalo's stretch of four home games in a five-week span.