Late Round Gems: Kenny Stills

Ken Kelly

kenny_stillsQuarterbacks flourish in the NFL when they have chemistry with their wide receivers. The chemistry between one particular quarterback and wide receiver duo began when the quarterback was throwing the pigskin for the San Diego Chargers and the wide receiver was an eighth grader in Carlsbad, California. That’s right – Drew Brees was in his last season with the Chargers when Kenny Stills caught a pass thrown from Brees. Now these two football players reunite after the New Orleans Saints selected Stills in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

So, what does this mean for Kenny Stills and his fantasy value?

The transition from a run heavy league to a pass heavy league has made many wide receivers fantasy relevant. The fourth or fifth options in pass heavy offenses are putting up respectable fantasy stats. The NFL has changed and has caused a shift in the way we think about players who may not get many touches. Stills may be that type of player in fantasy football.

Stills is in the mold of Lance Moore. He is a shorter wide receiver who runs crisp routes and can find the soft spot in a zone while carving up defenses. With a player like Drew Brees under center, any player on the field is a potential target after the ball is snapped. When watching Stills on film, it is easy to see why he may flourish in the New Orleans Saints offense.

Let’s take a closer look at the former Oklahoma Sooner wide receiver:

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Combine Stats

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 194 lbs.

40 Yard Dash – 4.38 (4th among WR)

Bench Press – 16 Reps

Vertical Jump – 33.5 inches

Broad Jump – 124 inches

20 yard shuttle – 4.35 seconds

As you can see, Stills did not have eye popping numbers from the combine. His 40-yard dash time was highest among all wide receivers, while the rest of his numbers were average among the group. His combine as well as his pro day were average at best. He has solid top end speed, but uses it more to transition into the middle of the field rather than beat a defender on a deep route. His range and catching radius make him a great target for quarterbacks to move the chains.

College Stats

Year

Class

REC

REC YDS

TDs

2010

Freshman

61

786

5

2011

Sophomore

61

849

8

2012

Junior

82

959

11

Stills had a fantastic college career where he broke Oklahoma freshman records for receptions and receiving yardage. He also finished as second team All-Big 12 his sophomore and junior seasons. In ten of the 13 games Stills played in as a junior he had more than six receptions. In two of those games he had ten or more receptions. However, Stills only eclipsed the 100 yard receiving mark six times in his three year career at Oklahoma.

A Football Pedigree

Stills is also part of a pedigree that has included a father and uncle who played in the NFL. His father Ken Stills was drafted in the eighth round by the Green Bay Packers and played five seasons as a safety. Ken Stills Sr. played his sixth and final season in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings.

Gary Stills (the uncle of Kenny Stills), was drafted in 1999 by the Kansas City Chiefs. He played seven seasons as a linebacker for the Chiefs, two seasons with the Ravens, followed by a year with the Rams to finish his career. The bloodlines in the Stills family show a successful pedigree of men that work hard and have shown solid longevity in the NFL.

Depth Chart

Currently, the Saints are carrying some solid wide receivers.

The Saints depth chart looks like this (courtesy of Ourlads.com):

saints_depth

According to Rotoworld, Stills looks to be competing with Nick Toon and Joe Morgan as the third wide receiver. Stills is also in prime position to earn extra snaps if Moore or Marques Colston miss time due to injury. In the last seven seasons, Colston has missed ten games due to injury while Moore has missed ten games in the last six seasons. If Stills can manage to become the third wide receiver on the depth chart look for him to put up solid stats in his rookie season. Drew Brees knows how to get the ball to the open target no matter who it is – that player could become Kenny Stills.

These quotes indicate Stills has all the raw talent and natural ability needed to excel in the NFL. His college coach, his NFL coach, and his father all weigh in with their take on this rookie wide receiver.

Jay Norvell, Oklahoma Sooners co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach had many positive things to say about Kenny Stills.

 “Kenny has great vertical speed, body control, he is very smart, and he can get in and out of breaks. Those are the things that make him a great wide receiver.”

His Dad had several positive things to say about his son in the wide receiver position as well.

“Kenny knows how to high point the ball, he knows how to find the end zone and works well in the red zone. He knows where the chains are, and he knows how to get guys to turn their hips so he can sit down in the zone and catch the ball.”

Finally, Coach Sean Payton had this to say about his new rookie wide receiver.

“Kenny is fluid, fast, has been productive, has played at a high level of competition, and can run. He has good transition with his speed.”

A Potential Fantasy Stud?

A wide receiver with a third round grade drafted to a prolific passing attack in the fifth round – that defines great value for a player who has all the makings of a potential stud in PPR formats. Stills could be a solid grab in rookie drafts and a late round gem in start-up dynasty drafts. His skill set is a great fit in New Orleans and Brees is always willing to throw to whoever is open. Stills has learned the game from former NFL products that are part of his own bloodlines, making his Dad’s comments hold some water. He is also on a depth chart that has him competing for the third wide receiver spot heading into his rookie season. Simply put, the door is open for this young wide receiver to make a solid impact in his first season.

Overall, Stills is a raw, talented wide receiver who could make a mark early in his career. With his current rookie consensus ranking of #28 overall on DLF, he can be drafted in the early to mid-third round in rookie drafts. In start-up dynasty drafts he can be drafted in the round #20 based on current DLF ADP’s. Even if Stills fails to break into the starting lineup this season, the value on a strong wide receiver option in the Saints offense is hard to pass up.

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