Derrick Mason Gets No Love

While I was sitting in my basement pissed at the beginning of my draft because my computer shutting down for three rounds (just ask TBO how he liked his BJ Upton auto drafted pick) had fucked my whole strategy and I was forced to come up with a new one on the spot, I was pleasantly surprised when, it the midst of the computer auto drafting defenses for everyone, I was able to pick up Derrick Mason. Now maybe this is where most people are taking him or maybe even later. Guys one or two rounds ahead of him were Bernard Berrian, Santonio Holmes, Donnie Avery, and Steve Smith (the shitty Giants one). And I'm thinking, why?

Last year, Mason tied Wes Welker for fantasy points. In the past two years, Mason has finished 22nd and 21st respectively among wide outs. In the past eight years, Mason has only not gotten to 1,000 yards once. That year was in 06, and if you exclude that year (which obviously seems to be the outlier), he has consistently gotten 80+ catches for the past five years. Yes, he's gotten and probably will get you only about 3-5 TDs next year, but the fact that he's got a developing good rookie and consistency. AND, if you want to talk about guys who don't get TDs Wes Welker (who went four rounds ahead of Mason), will probably only get three TDs (In Brady's 50 TD year, Welker only caught four of them and last year he only caught three, one of which was on the last day of the season when most leagues have already ended)

I'm obviously not advocating Mason to be a stud or even a top teir receiver, I'm just curious why people seemingly don't like Mason. His consistency is probably better than flashier second tier guys because week to week, you know exactly what you'll get from him as opposed to those 1 point games one week and 13 points the next.

While these numbers don't pop, Mason is almost guaranteed to be a great #2 receiver yet he was the 29th receiver taken in my draft. He obviously should have been, at minimum, the 24th receiver taken overall.

And the key here is value. As Matthew Berry has so keenly pointed out (maybe link will come later), the difference between the #1 and #12 number two receiver is minimal. It's essentially one to two points per week which is almost negligible. So why not take the guy who will be the twelfth #2 receiver as opposed to the first #2 receiver four rounds later?

So while I may be frustrated with how my starters currently look, I'm sure as hell with my depth (although now I am starting Mason because I traded away my starting two WRs I drafted). And now that Mason didn't retire, it's absolutely time to reevaluate Mason.