The Washington Redskins need another wide receiver to step up behind Pierre Garcon, and one player in particular might be a candidate: Leonard Hankerson. In Week 1, Hankerson managed to snag five catches for 80 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Leonard Hankerson praised, could see more playing time; fantasy stock rising
Leonard Hankerson received praise from head coach Mike Shanahan and could see more playing time. We break down the fantasy implications.
Patrick Smith
More: For more on the Redskins, go to Hogs Haven
Head coach Mike Shanahan was very complimentary of Hankerson in his day-after press conference on Tuesday, saying that Hankerson “needs some playing time,” according to John Keim of ESPN. Shanahan also said that Hankerson was most impressive on many of the plays in which he didn’t catch the ball, because he was open a lot more than he was actually targeted, thanks to impressive route running.
Consistency is what Hankerson needs, and he can’t get that until he plays in more games. For now, he’s got off to a strong start and has earned Shanahan’s respect.
Fantasy Impact: To this point, Garcon is really the only Redskins receiver that is targeted in fantasy football. After Week 1, Hankerson should see some play on the waiver wires around your leagues. But should you actually go after him? At this point, it couldn’t hurt, unless you’re releasing somebody important to your team. He doesn’t have that value yet but the point is that he can. Garcon isn’t even a strong enough No. 1 receiver to prevent someone like Hankerson from taking over his role as well.
