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Fantasy Reaction: Percy Harvin Traded to Seattle

Percy Harvin has been an enigmatic football player since being drafted by Minnesota with the 22nd-overall pick in the 2009 draft. He was listed as “having character concerns” before he was selected by the Vikings. Fighting with a college coach and two NFL head coaches is no way to make your mark in the NFL.  Since the end of the 2012 season, Harvin has wanted to be traded (depending on the day) and finally the Seahawks made them an offer they couldn't refuse.

In a surprise move, the Seattle Seahawks traded their 2013 first-round pick (25th overall), a 2013 seventh-round pick, and a mid-round 2014 pick for Harvin. This reunites Harvin with his former offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. Bevell was the offensive coordinator with Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin in 2009 and 2010. Bringing the old band back together may prove a positive in team chemistry, but what does it mean in fantasy football?

Percy Harvin Career Stats

Year

Games

Rush

Att

RUSH   Yds

TD

Targets

REC

TD

Fantasy

Pts

Rank   (nonPPR)

2009

15

15

135

0

91

60

6

129

25

2010

14

18

107

1

108

71

5

134

20

2011

16

51

342

2

120

87

6

179

7

2012

9

22

96

1

85

62

3

101

43

 

Fantasy Impact

In 2010 with Bevell, 18 percent of Harvin’s targets came behind the line of scrimmage. That increased to 40 percent in 2012. In 2010, Harvin saw 14 percent of his targets 20+ yards down the field and that mark dropped to 6 percent in 2012. This is a direct reflection of the quarterback’s ability to get the ball down the field. In 2010, Brett Favre was able to complete 15-of-46 passes from 20+ (36.2 percent). In that same year with Favre, Harvin did most of his damage over the middle of the field with 38 receptions (53.5 percent of total receptions) for 556 yards (64 percent of yards) and a large amount behind the line of scrimmage with 17 catches for 120 yards. In 2012, Harvin had 47 percent of his catches and 41 percent of his total yards come from behind the line of scrimmage. This may be a direct reflection of his quarterback’s arm strength and ability to get the ball down the field. The Vikings ability to utilize Harvin in the backfield while Adrian Peterson worked himself back into the mix may have also played a role.

Harvin will be utilized in a variety of ways in the Seattle offense. He has the ability to line up all over the field. Harvin is a playmaker and has huge upside with Russell Wilson at quarterback rather than Christian Ponder. It is still a run-first offense in Seattle just as it was in Minnesota. This takes some of the pressure off of Harvin to be the primary playmaker but may result in numbers similar to the ones he put up in Minnesota. Prior to his injury this season, Harvin was fourth (PPR) and sixth (Standard) in fantasy scoring among receivers. Harvin also accounted for 51 percent of total targets to any WR on the roster through the first nine weeks of the season. Don’t forget that Minnesota finished as the 31st-ranked passing offense (Who needs to pass with Peterson?) and Harvin was finishing in the top-10 wide receivers. In a more potent offense, the opportunities to score and make big plays in a more balanced offense are highly likely. Russell Wilson will have a year under his belt and an opportunity to work with Harvin and develop chemistry. With the lack of a true tight end, it opens the middle of the field for Harvin to make plays.

All numbers aside, Harvin is a huge upgrade at wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks. The big-play ability of Harvin and his history with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell make this situation a mega match for fantasy owners. Harvin has the upside to be a top-5 wide receiver in fantasy football. I wouldn’t be quick to put him in front of Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green, or Brandon Marshall, but he should be considered a solid pick late in Round 2 or early in Round 3 in your drafts.

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