Tag: Jordan Akins

Tunnel Vision of Week 1

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
Josh Allen 312-57 3
Russell Wilson 322-29 4
 Aaron Rodgers 364-2 4
 Matt Ryan 450 2
 Kyler Murray 230-91 2
Running Backs Yards TD
Josh Jacobs 139 3
Christian McCaffrey 134 2
Nyheim Hines 73 2
Raheem Mostert 151 1
Chris Carson 66 2
Wide Receivers Yards TD
Davante Adams 156 2
Calvin Ridley 130 2
DeAndre Hopkins 151 0
Adam Thielen 110 2
Julio Jones 157 0
Tight Ends Yards TD
Mark Andrews 58 2
Dallas Goedert 101 1
T.J. Hockenson 56 1
Travis Kelce 50 1
David Njoku 50 1
Placekickers XP FG
Daniel Carlson 3 3
Mason Crosby 5 2
Josh Lambo 3 2
Matt Prater 2 3
Joey Slye 1 3
Defense Sack-TO TD
Saints 3-3 1
Football Team 8-3 0
Ravens 3-2 0
Bills 3-2 0
Chargers 3-2 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

RB Le’Veon Bell – Hamstring
RB Marlon Mack – Achilles
WR  Devante Parker – Hamstring
RB Jordan Howard – Hamstring
RB Justin Jackson – Quad
TE David Njoku – Knee
TE Blake Jarwin – Knee (ACL?)

Chasing Ambulances

A light week is always great to see. But it also

RB Marlon Mack – Reported to have torn his Achilles and that clears up the Colts’ backfield. Jonathan Taylor becomes the primary rusher but he was snapped up in all fantasy leagues. Nyheim Hines is the free agent to note with seven carries for 28 yards and one touchdown as a rusher, and then eight receptions for 45 yards and a second touchdown. The next three opponents – Vikings, Jets, and Bears – all sport above-average defenses but that likely prompts more passes to Hines and Taylor.

RB Le’Veon Bell – While Bell left the Bills game after only six carries, the woeful Jets only totaled 14 runs in the game anyway. Frank Gore would start if Bell misses time but Josh Adams ran in the score against in Buffalo. The Jets face the 49ers next and that won’t be much better than what happened against the Bills. Gore and Adams come into play only in the biggest of leagues and even then, only for the Bell owners.

RB Jordan Howard – Left with a hamstring strain but like Bell, or even worse than Bell, the Dolphins offense is just not something to waste a free agent move on. Matt Breida wasn’t a factor and Myles Gaskin was the best back with just nine runs for 40 yards. He added four catches for 26 yards but Patrick Laird also had a couple of catches. They face the Bills next as well. Gaskin is worth a stash only in the deepest of leagues but keep all expectations from this backfield low.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

TE Jordan Akins – The Texans are searching for new receivers since DeAndre Hopkins left and while Will Fuller had another Week 1 explosion, that’s not going to happen often (or ever if last year serves). The third-year tight end Akins was a star in training camp and caught two passes for 39 yards that included a 19-yard touchdown. Not reliable yet, but at least Akins deserves to land as fantasy depth. The Texans have a bad stretch up next – Ravens, Steelers and Vikings – so Akins won’t be a starting option this month.

TE Greg Olsen – Like Akins, he surprised with four catches for 24 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons. There’s not enough left after D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett take their share, but Olsen is worth at least watching.

WR Russell Gage – The Falcons produced three wideouts with nine catches for over 100 yards in one game thanks to the 450 passing yards by Matt Ryan. It was a great game by Gage to be sure, but he’ll never be as reliable as either Julio Jones or Calvin Ridley. He’s worth rostering only if you own Ridley or Jones as insurance.

Browns running backs – Nick Chubb’s value took a hit with the Browns falling behind so badly since Kareem Hunt plays in more passing situations. Chubb ended with only ten carries for 60 yards and Hunt finished with 13 runs for 72 yards and four catches for nine yards. The good news is that the next two games are at home against the Bengals and Redskins so Chubb should improve.

RB Mark Ingram – The Ravens decimated the Browns and yet Ingram only ran ten times for 29 yards while the rookie J.K. Dobbins gained 22 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries. Gus Edwards had four carries as well so Ingram’s role appears to be shrinking.

RB Devin Singletary – Like Ingram, Singletary’s team had their way with the Jets but he only ran nine times for 30 yards while the rookie Zack Moss took nine carries for 11 yards.  Worse yet, Moss scored a touchdown on his three catches for 16 yards while Singletary went scoreless despite five receptions for 23 yards.  At least he did not fumble, but the expectations that Singletary’s role would get dialed back was correct.

WR Nelson Agholor – He only caught one pass for the Raiders but it was a 23-yard touchdown and the rookie starter Bryan Edwards settled for just one catch for nine yards. The Raiders are still throwing mostly to Josh Jacobs and Darren Waller, but Agholor is worth noting.

WR Robby Anderson – While No. 1 wideout DJ Moore was held to only four catches for 54 yards in the Panthers new offense, Anderson turned in 115 yards and one score on six catches thanks to a 75-yard touchdown. The scheme intends to be pass-heavy and Anderson has already made a splash as the No. 2 receiver.

RB Adrian Peterson – Kerryon Johnson only ran seven times for 14 yards against the Bears while Peterson accounted for 93 yards on 14 runs and even caught three passes for 21 yards. D’Andre Swift ran in a score but was only used on three rushes for eight yards. Peterson’s value is higher than expected but this will remain a committee.

TE T.J. Hockenson – He caught all five passes and gained 56 yards with the lone receiving touchdown. That’s a positive sign for the tight end that was drafted specifically to be a cog in the passing game.

RB James Robinson – The Jaguars game of musical chairs for their backfield ended with the undrafted Robinson getting the starting nod. He handled all the backfield carries with 16 for 62 yards and even caught a 28-yard pass. He’s worth owning if only for Week 3 when the Dolphins visit.

WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling – Davante Adams is simply a pass-sponge but MVS turned four catches into 96 yards and a score on the Vikings on Sunday. He’s had good showings in the past and then disappeared for almost all of 2019. But notable that he generated some buzz this summer and then delivered.

QB Cam Newton – What says Tom Brady is gone more than having the Patriot’s quarterback run 15 times for 75 yards and two scores?  Newton threw for 155 yards and even completed 15 of 19 passes. But a muddle committee backfield just got a lot worse with less scoring and runs to go around.

TE Dallas Goedert –  Carson Wentz was surprisingly less effective passing with only 24 of 42 passes completed and Goedert was the only one with notable production when he turned a team-high nine targets into eight catches for 101 yards and a score. That was the same number of catches by all wide receivers combined. The Eagles disappeared after leading 17-0 so hard to rely on any of the outcomes, but Wentz is still having trouble connecting with his wideouts even though they are all healthy now.

RB Peyton Barber – While Antonio Gibson (9-36) got all the hype this summer, Washington turned to Barber (17-29, 2 TD) to lead the backfield in carries. Touchdowns aside, the running backs only combined for 65 yards on 26 carries in a home game they controlled for the second half. Playing in Arizona next week doesn’t look like as much fun as it used to be so Barber is still no safe fantasy start.

RB Joshua Kelley – The Chargers lost Justin Jackson to a quad injury so Kelley hasn’t formally become the No. 2 running back. But the rookie gained 60 yards and a score on 12 carries. Austin Ekeler (19-84) also ran effectively though never more than 13 yards on any carry. But the offense only threw one pass to a running back all game. That’s a major shift from life with Philip Rivers under center.

RB Ronald Jones – The jury was still out on Jones and then once Leonard Fournette was acquired, the fantasy world figured that the third-year back wasn’t going to be a factor. Not so fast. Fournette ran five times to gain five yards while Jones handled 17 rushes for 66 yards and caught two passes for 16 yards. We should know a lot more after the Bucs host the Panthers this week, but Jones ran strong and Fournette isn’t effective, at least not yet.

TE George Kittle – Caught four passes for 44 yards in the first half but then had a shot to his left knee that looked bad and sent him to the sideline. He played in the second half but never caught a pass so fantasy owners need to pay attention to practices to see if Kittle will be healthy to play at the Jets this week. The 49ers ran out of starting wideouts already and finally started throwing to Raheem Mostert (4-95, TD).

RB Malcolm Brown – Cam Akers ran for 39 yards on 14 carries but Brown took the lead against the Cowboys with 18 runs for 79 yards and both rushing touchdowns, along with three receptions for 31 yards. Akers may eventually become the new Gurley, but so far Brown owns that role.

The Week 1 Chill Pill

Before you freak out that your players all suck or that we all whiffed on drafting the stars of 2020, the annual reality check is in order.

The top 3 wideouts from Week 1, 2019 were Sammy Watkins (9-198, 3 TD), DeSean Jackson (8-154, 2 TD), and John Ross (7-158, 2 TD). All three got you nowhere last year after Week 1.

T.J. Hockenson turned in six catches for 131 yards and one score. David Johnson totaled 137 yards, five receptions and one touchdown. Case Keenum ended with 380 passing yards and three touchdowns. It happens.

Joe Mixon opened 2019 with just 17 yards. Tyreek Hill had 21 yards. Mike Evans only managed 28 yards in a season where his team passed for over 5,000 yards.

It’s just one week. And usually very different than the rest of the season.

Huddle player of the week

Davante Adams  –  While Michael Thomas was turning in a head-scratching Week 1, Davante Adams richly rewarded the fantasy drafters that probably spent a first-round pick on him. Adams roasted the Vikings with 14 receptions for 156 yards and two scores as the best fantasy play on opening weekend. That tied the all-time Packer record for single-game receptions.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Cam Newton 230 2 QB Drew Brees 160 2
RB Peyton Barber 29 2 RB Devin Singletary 53 0
RB Nyheim Hines 73 2 RB Le’Veon Bell 46 0
WR Jamison Crowder 115 1 WR Michael Thomas 17 0
WR Robby Anderson 115 1 WR Odell Beckham 22 0
WR Russell Gage 114 0 WR Keenan Allen 37 0
TE Dallas Goedert 101 1 TE George Kittle 44 0
PK Matt Prater   2 XP   3 FG PK Ka’imi Fairbairn  2 XP
Huddle Fantasy Points = 134 Huddle Fantasy Points = 39

Now get back to work…

Texans TE Jordan Akins relying on his brains, not just athleticism

Houston Texans tight end Jordan Akins has used his athleticism to get by, but now uses his intelligence to thrive in his third season.

Houston Texans tight end Jordan Akins is having a consistent training camp replete with big plays. The former baseball player has showed up each day and not had any slumps throughout camp.

For the former 2018 third-round pick, the challenge has been to rely more on his own understanding of the game and not simply his athleticism.

“Instead of just using my athleticism, I really just set aside and picked the brains of vets,” Akins said. “I wanted to see how they think. Really, Darren Fells has been outstanding for me.”

Technically, Fells would be the only “vet” on the Texans’ roster as Kahale Warring missed his entire rookie year and Jordan Thomas is also entering his third year. But it isn’t just veterans on the roster that Akins seeks out for advice. Even former Texans tight end Jerell Adams is a source Akins consults with on how to play the game more intelligently.

“I still talk to Jerell Adams, and I watched a lot of film,” said Akins. “I kind of just found myself mentally, if that makes sense, for the game. I know my athleticism will speak for itself but that was my focus this offseason.”

Akins caught 36 passes for 418 yards and two touchdowns in his 16 games for Houston last year, nine of which he started. The 6-4, 243-pound tight end provides a reliable threat down the seam and should be another one of quarterback Deshaun Watson’s diverse weapons in the post-DeAndre Hopkins offense.

“I really was trying to see how the vets think and just put the athleticism and the mental together,” said Akins. “It seems to be working out fine for me this year.”

The Texans kickoff the regular season Sept. 10 versus the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. It could be Akins’ first chance to truly demonstrate he is melding the physical and mental aspects of the game.

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Sleepers and Value Plays: Tight Ends Update

2020 Sleeper and Value Plays at Tight End

A sleeper tight end is a player taken as a backup who ends up worthy of being a starter or at least far outplays the draft slot where you selected him. Average Draft Positions (ADP) are taken from MyFantasyLeague.com  using only recent drafts.

See also:
Sleepers and Value Plays: Quarterbacks Update
Sleepers and Value Plays: Wide Receivers Update
Sleepers and Value Plays: Running Backs Update

The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will unfold and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. Any green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies an overvalued player that is a bad value or just too high of a risk for that spot.

Average Draft order – Value plays

Sleepers and over-valued players

Best of the Rest

Jordan Akins (HOU) – Third-year player with the Texans has drawn rave reviews for looking ready to step up this season. Texans will have to figure out exactly how to fill the hole left by DeAndre Hopkins and Akins could find a larger role.

2019 Texans position review: Tight ends

The Houston Texans got nice production out of their tight end group in 2019 with Darren Fells and Jordan Akins leading the way.

The Houston Texans’ season is over. After finishing 10-6, they found themselves in the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs, only to lose a 24-0 lead to the Kansas City Chiefs, who moved on by winning in 51-31 fashion.

In recent years, the Texans have changed their tight end group mightily. In 2018, they took Jordan Akins and Jordan Thomas in the draft. They doubled-down on young tight ends in 2019, by selecting Kahale Warring in the third-round. Before then, Houston signed veteran Darren Fells in a presumed blocking/backup role.

Fells, 33, came aboard as a backup then enjoyed the best season of his career. The 6-7, 270-pound former basketball player became a favorite red-zone target for Deshaun Watson, catching a franchise-record (for tight ends) seven touchdowns. He recorded career highs in receptions (34) and receiving yards (341).

While Fells was a pleasant surprise in 2019, Akins developed into more of a complete tight end in year two. He blocked better, proved to be a dynamic threat after the catch and found himself as the No. 2 tight end in the offense.

Akins recorded 36 receptions for 418 yards and two touchdowns in 16 regular-season games.

As for the rest of the tight end group, Houston did not see much production from their young guns in Thomas and Warring. Both were placed on the injured reserve before the season; Thomas with broken ribs and Warring with concussion/hamstring injuries.

Thomas played five games and was largely a non-factor, hauling in one reception for eight yards. Warring did not play a snap and missed most of training camp.

Heading into 2020, the Texans have Akins, Thomas and Warring under contract. Fells will be a free agent after a career year in Houston. If he falls within the Texans’ price range, expect him back.

Texans downgrade TE Jordan Akins, S Jahleel Addae to out versus the Chiefs

The Houston Texans have downgraded TE Jordan Akins and S Jahleel Addae to out versus the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional on Sunday.

The Houston Texans have announced that safety Jahleel Addae and tight end Jordan Akins have been downgraded to out versus the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional at Arrowhead Stadium.

Addae was originally questionable with a knee while Akins was questionable with a hamstring.

The Texans will have to rely on safeties A.J. Moore and Mike Adams to fill the void. They are already down a starting safety with Tashaun Gipson on injured reserve with a transverse process fracture in his back.

Second-year tight end Jordan Thomas has an opportunity to step up with Akins out. Darren Fells, the other tight end, is also questionable.

Texans TE Jordan Akins is a game-time decision against Chiefs

Houston Texans tight end Jordan Akins is questionable but a game-time decision to face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

The Houston Texans offense was able to get by with playing one tight end, Darren Fells, for most of their wild card win over the Buffalo Bills. However, one would be hard-pressed to assume they would want to enter the divisional round bout with the Kansas City Chiefs with limited tight end depth.

Unfortunately, that could be the case. Tight end Jordan Akins is questionable for the matchup with the Chiefs with a hamstring injury. He did not play against the Bills and was a limited participant in practice.

However, Akins could play. Texans coach Bill O’Brien tabbed the tight end as similar to wide receiver Will Fuller, in that he’s a game-time decision who is “trending” upwards.

“Jordan Akins, I would put in the same category as Will (Fuller V),” O’Brien said on Friday. “I think that’s a daily process, especially at this time of the year where we’ve played a lot of games. I think that would be something that would be really around game time where we would make that make that decision.”

In addition to Akins being questionable, Fells is also questionable for the tilt in Kansas City with a hip injury. Fells was a limited participant in Friday’s practice.

If Akins is available to play on Sunday, the Texans offense will benefit greatly. The second-year tight end hailing from Central Florida acts as modern “move” tight end, in that he can play anywhere on the field. It helps that he has a history of playing wide receiver and is a much-improved blocker.

In 2019, Akins reeled-in 36 receptions for 418 yards and two touchdowns. As a rookie in 2018, he tallied 17 receptions for 225 yards and no scores.

If Akins is truly a game-time decision, word on if he plays or not will be known 90 minutes before kickoff on Sunday.

Texans-Broncos Thursday injury report: Jordan Akins limited with a knee injury

The Houston Texans released their Thursday injury report ahead of their Week 14 matchup with the Denver Broncos, and TE Jordan Akins was limited.

The Houston Texans announced their Thursday injury report ahead of their Week 14 matchup with the Denver Broncos Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium.

There was one change from the injury report from Wednesday, and that was second-year tight end Jordan Akins ending up in the limited participation portion of the report. Apparently, the third-round pick from Central Florida is dealing with a knee injury.

Did not participate

RB Taiwan Jones (hamstring)

Limited participation
TE Jordan Akins Knee
CB Gareon Conley Hip
WR Will Fuller Hamstring
CB Bradley Roby Hamstring/Toe
OLB Brennan Scarlett Shoulder
DE Carlos Watkins Hamstring
Full participation

DE Angelo Blackson (shoulder)

For more information the Broncos’ injury report, check out the Broncos Wire.