There isn’t a season that goes by that we don’t see a well-known player who underperformed the previous season come back and have a great season. It works like clockwork and if you don’t do your homework to find these potential bounce back players, you will have trouble winning your league because you have to remember this: you won’t win your league with your first pick, you can only lose it. The winning picks are made in the middle rounds and these are some of the guys who are slipping in fantasy drafts due to a poor 2012 that should bounce back in 2012.
Elisha “Eli” Manning
If “Bounce-Back Players” were to look for a spokesman, the unintelligent looking Eli Manning would get the honors. Eli Manning has already had 2 seasons where he was able to bounce back after a poor season (both down seasons came after Super Bowl wins). 2011 was an epic bounce back year finishing after finishing outside the top 12 in 2010. As much as I hate to say it, Eli is a winner and can put up amazing numbers with Nicks and Cruz as his targets. If both WRs are healthy, Eli will get back to the top 10.
Impact: On average he is the 13th QB drafted. I think he will finish somewhere in the top 7 and if you can get him in the 8th or 9th round, you will be able to create some value for yourself.
Philip Rivers
It’s been a bad couple of season for Philip. His TD to INT ratio has been 1.51 to 1 over the last 2 seasons. However, from 2008 to 2010 the ratio was 2.79. The last 2 seasons have been tough as he didn’t have a head coach who fit the team’s strengths. Mix in the fact that his running game was weak and top 2 passing options have been hurt on and off during this stretch and things start to add up. Gates may not be the go to TE he once was, but now that he is 100% he may find it easier to catch passes on shorter routes, something that Mike McCoy is a believer in. Vincent Brown is 100% as well and Keenan Allen is an awesome new weapon so I see no reason why Philip Rivers can’t get back into the top 12 of QBs.
Impact: Rivers has been the 19th QB drafted on average. He might be a good guy to start the season as your back-up to develop into a tradable asset come trade deadline time or to even move the QB you drafted as your #1.
Here is the latest on that idiot Aaron Hernandez.
