Focus: Brandon Lloyd
A weekly expository look at players who have momentum.

Each week, Daniel Gilford reviews a player who has performed well recently. Daniel analyzes the player’s past performances, evaluates his present value, and projects his future significance as a fantasy football player. This week, Daniel investigates Brandon Lloyd, the third-year receiver out of the University of Illinois who has recently been making an impact on the field with the San Francisco 49ers.

Past

Since high school, football has been an intricate part of Brandon Lloyd’s life. He grew up in Blue Springs, MO and played high school football at Blue Springs High. He originally played wide receiver, cornerback, punter, and kicker in high school.

After graduating, Lloyd attended the University of Illinois and played college football. He was named the “Newcomer of the Year” in his first year at the University because of his tremendous football and track abilities. He didn’t miss a single football game in his freshman year of college, but as a sophomore he was forced to the sidelines due to an injury. In his junior year he again played every single game, and as a senior he broke most of the school receiving records.

He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers, but he saw limited playing time in his first year as a pro. With the departure of Terrell Owens, Brandon was forced into a starting job. In his second year (2004) he played 13 games and caught 43 passes for 565 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Performance

When quarterback Jeff Garcia left San Francisco, it left the 49ers with a difficult decision to make. In 2004 the 49ers struggled with whether to start quarterback Tim Rattay or the recently drafted Ken Dorsey. Neither player seemed to do a consistent job of playing well, but the starting nod was eventually awarded to Rattay. But a struggling offense left the 49ers with a terrible record of 2-14 in 2004.

Desperate for a boost in offense, the 49ers chose quarterback Alex Smith first overall in the 2005 NFL draft, hoping this would provide that boost. But instead, drafting Smith made their dilemma worse. Smith struggled in the preseason, and Tim Rattay has once again been given the starting quarterback position for the 2005 season.

In 2005 Lloyd has emerged as a deep pass threat to opposing defenses. His speed accompanied by his incredible acrobatic catching ability has allowed Rattay to throw the ball deep a few times and see Lloyd catch it for a score.

Lloyd has become a consistent and explosive wide receiver. In the opening game of the season, Lloyd caught three balls for 65 yards and also managed to score a touchdown. His longest catch was for 35 yards.

Unfortunately, in the second game of the season, Lloyd failed to make an impact. He caught only three passes for a mere 17 yards, averaging only 5.7 yards a catch. But he was playing against one of the premier passing defenses in the league. The Philadelphia Eagles secondary contributed to what turned out to be a miserable game on both sides of the ball for San Francisco.

Last week Lloyd did fantasy football owners the favor of breaking out. He hauled in four passes for 142 yards and scored twice, and his longest catch was 89 yards. This recent emergence shows that Lloyd is a player who cannot remain a third-rate receiver for long.

Potential

In a young and sparsely talented offense, Lloyd has surfaced as the leader of the San Francisco receiving corps. Although only in his second year as a starter, Lloyd has been forced to elevate his play and become a top player on his team.

With three touchdowns in the last three games, Lloyd has become a down-field threat when his match-up is favorable. Even with a struggling offense on his hands, Lloyd has been able to produce good numbers and score points for his team.

In an interview on his personal website (www.blloyd.com), Lloyd stated: “My main goal is to stay consistent, since that’s all that’s expected of me. Everybody’s going to be playing on a very consistent level – a lot better than an up-and-down season. That’s what I want to do since that’s what will make this team successful.”

I fully expect Lloyd to carry out his goal. This is a player who is motivated, talented, consistent, and potentially exceptional. He has averaged three catches and 0.75 touchdowns in the last eight games.

Scoring three touchdowns every four games is no mean feat, and I see Lloyd as an incredible addition to a fantasy football team in need of a third or fourth wide receiver. When his match-up is favorable, Lloyd should be able to consistently get into the end zone.

Right now Lloyd is available in most fantasy football leagues as a free agent. If you are in need of a wide receiver, go and get him. If you need a player to fill a position vacated by a wide receiver’s bye week, go with Brandon Lloyd.

Prediction: Lloyd will finish the year with 50-60 receptions, 900-1100 yards, and 13 touchdowns.

Start or Bench: Week 4 at Arizona – Bench Week 5 vs. Indinapolis – Start Week 6 – Bye Week Week 7 at Washington – Bench Week 8 vs. Tampa Bay – Bench Week 9 vs. NY Giants – Start Week 10 at Chicago – Bench Week 11 vs. Seattle – Start Week 12 at Tennessee – Start Week 13 vs. Arizona – Bench Week 14 at Seattle – Bench Week 15 at Jacksonville – Bench Week 16 at St. Louis – Start Week 17 vs. Houston – Start

 
Daniel Gilford is a hardworking Communications major at St. Petersburg College. When he is neglecting his college work, you’ll find him posting under the name danleroi22 in the forums. Daniel also enjoys taking an active role in the Fantasy Football Cafe’s contests and games as well as football trivia.

Questions or comments for Daniel? Post your thoughts in the Cafe’s forums!