With Kelvin Benjamin out of the picture for the 2015 season, fantasy owners looked toward Devin Funchess as his primary replacement.
Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 1: Devin Funchess
Roles for rookies can be difficult to project in Week 1, such is the case with Carolina’s Devin Funchess. We break down the fantasy implications.
They weren't unreasonable for making this assumption, as Funchess has similar size to Benjamin, making him an attractive possession receiver once he becomes more seasoned. The issue is, he's clearly still raw, as he isn't yet ahead of Corey Brown or Ted Ginn, Jr. on the depth chart.
Fantasy Spin: Funchess isn’t worth dropping in 12-team leagues or deeper, since it can’t be ruled out that he will have a role this season. It’s certainly a cause for concern that he hasn’t overtaken lead receiver duties given the dearth of competition, but rookies shouldn’t be given up on simply because they aren’t starting Day 1.
For Week 1, even versus a suspect Jacksonville Jaguars defense, Funchess isn't likely to have the volume of targets come his way to warrant a spot in lineups. Keep him stashed for now, and patience must be exercised.
