Do Not Hesitate to Target DK Metcalf in Dynasty Leagues
The Seattle Seahawks had one of the league’s most enticing and exciting rookies in 2019 with second-round pick DK Metcalf. The Ole Miss alumni had fallen out of the first round of that draft thanks to concerns about his body fat, lateral movement, and infamous three-cone drill.
As his rookie season proved, however, none of these concerns mattered, as Metcalf gave Russell Wilson a big boost to the receiving corps with the sudden release and retirement of fan-favorite Doug Baldwin. Seattle’s newest wideout was a success in his first year in the NFL, with 58 receptions for 900 yards, seven touchdowns, and 15.5 yards per reception.
With Tyler Lockett locked in for the next two seasons and the emergence of Metcalf, the Seahawks have two dangerous vertical threats who complement one of the league’s most outstanding deep passers in Wilson.
Metcalf made history in the Wild Card Round against the Eagles, with the most receiving yards from a rookie in a single postseason game (160 yards, on seven catches, plus a touchdown). In total, he had 129.1 fantasy points via FantasyData, fourth among all rookie wide receivers in 2019 behind AJ Brown, Terry McLaurin, and Deebo Samuel.
Metcalf’s ability and incredible physique for a wide receiver tempts me to toss the sacred two-word phrase around: ‘Special Talent’. Is this a rare talent in the making, or is this an overreaction?
For now, I shift towards the former. Metcalf is built like Calvin Johnson if he played tight end (so essentially a Rob Gronkowski version), and while I doubt he can reach the receiving heights Megatron did in his prime, I do believe that with a little refinement we could see him become an elite wideout.
That’s music to the ears of dynasty owners who are intrigued about Grunge Megatron’s potential, so to show why he was so successful in his rookie season, let’s take a look at the tape.
Based on my enthusiasm for Metcalf thus far in this article, you probably guessed that he was quite good at separating against man and press coverage in his rookie season. At 6’4 and 229 lbs, his size is only half of the equation. As shown here, his quick footwork and expert head fake help him create separation right off the snap of the ball, and he’s able to break through a tackle and keep the play going for a bonus haul of yards after the catch.
Receivers with Metcalf’s build are supposed to be excluded to 50/50 receivers who can handle jump balls but struggle to give their quarterback an open target. He had little problem doing that with the Seahawks, and I often forgot about his size when watching him separate.
This might be the best route of Metcalf’s young career in the pros. He’s going up against more off-ball coverage, and uses another excellent head fake to trick the corner Anthony Averett for a fraction of a second into anticipating a slant route. With the quick fake and go route, the corner stumbles, allowing Metcalf to scoot by and haul in the bucket toss from Wilson (the penalty was on Averett for illegal contact).
Not even Jalen Ramsey is safe from getting burnt to a golden crisp by Metcalf (though Ramsey had some noted struggles during his time with the Rams last year). The receiver fakes a curl route, spins and finds the corner sleeping. That gives Metcalf just enough room to haul this pass in down the sideline for one of his best routes of the season.
Even when Metcalf doesn’t pull off a fancy move, he can still separate by outrunning your defensive back. This play is also where his size comes in, as his 6’4 stature gives him the advantage over Panthers corner Donte Jackson. With tight hand-to-hand pushing, Metcalf is able to get the edge and use his physique to haul this throw in the wide left of the end zone for the touchdown.
One criticism people might have for Metcalf is that his route tree is limited, and he’s essentially a go-route heavy receiver. That’s a fair argument to make, but it’s also a moot point if teams continuously fail to stop him there in 2020.
Here, Metcalf runs another go route in a trips formation, but this time he uses a little more patience and baits his foe into thinking he’s blocking on a wide receiver screen. It’s a great play call and it’s brilliantly executed by the offense. Metcalf is able to snag the third-down pass to give the Seahawks a playoff win on the road.
DK Metcalf is a unique receiver thanks to his incredible speed and quickness for someone of his physique. While his route tree isn’t as expansive as some of the other receivers of the 2019 draft class, he offers more explosiveness than most of them as well. He could potentially be the Gronkowski to Russell Wilson, an explosive target in all areas of the field while also becoming the team’s safety net (competing with Tyler Lockett in that regard).
Metcalf’s record-setting postseason is bound to make him a favorite in dynasty drafts, and I’m not convinced you can get him for a bargain there. It’s worth it, however, because of his upside, chemistry with Wilson, and ability to separate instantaneously off the line of scrimmage. He has a chance to become the best receiver of the 2019 class, and one could even suggest he’s the best right now.
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