Sleeper Watch

In his first season in the nation’s capital, David Patten was a fantasy bust. A year after catching passes for 800 yards and scoring seven touchdowns in New England, the 31-year-old wide receiver gained just 217 yards on 22 receptions without ever hitting pay dirt in the end zone. Now, Patten’s season has come to an end following knee surgery, and third-year pro Taylor Jacobs has stepped in to fill Patten’s spot in the offense. Yet Jacobs’ first game as a starter wasn’t anything to write home about, either.

In last Sunday’s loss to the Raiders, Jacobs finished with just 17 yards on three receptions. He was also penalized twice, once for holding, once for illegal motion. That’s not an auspicious debut as a starter, and certainly not a game that’ll have fantasy owners lining up to grab him off the wire.

There’s one statistic from that game, however, that might make Jacobs worth a second look: the former Florida Gator was the intended target of 11 Mark Brunell passes, more than any other Redskin. Chris Cooley had nine balls thron his way, Santana Moss, who always draws tight coverage, just six.

Jacobs should continue to play a considerable role in the Redskins’ game plan. The only question is whether he can make the most of the opportunity, and the answer to that one is still up in the air. He does have a nice schedule over the next couple of weeks, however, with San Diego (27th in the league against the pass) coming to town this Sunday followed by a trip to St. Louis (30th) the following week. If you’re desperate for WR help, picking up Taylor Jacobs might be worth a shot, particularly since he also has a nice matchup (at home against the Giants, ranked 26th against the pass) in week 16, when most leagues hold their championship games.

Then again, if you’re truly that desperate for a WR upgrade, you probably have more immediate concerns than week 16…

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