It’s the end of August, and for those of us entrenched in the sporting world, our attention is focused on two things: fantasy drafts and IU football.
Both hold the promise of something new, the chance to forget last season’s blunders and the opportunity for a fresh start.
We’ve ranked top-five position players, scoured the IU roster, made bold end-of-year predictions — and no, I can’t help you find a team name.
But what else do these two welcomed, get-me-out-of-class-already distractions have in common?
Seventy-two receptions, 1,096 yards and nine touchdowns.
Cody Latimer’s 2013 stats.
The would-be IU senior paced the Hoosier offense last season, leading the team in nearly every offensive receiving category.
His contributions ranked top-10 in IU history in numerous categories, including 100-yard games, yardage and receptions.
But what fans failed to realize when Latimer was drafted by the Denver Broncos is that this impact player was not done affecting the people of Memorial ?Stadium.
Latimer is back for the 2014 season. Only this time, it’s on the fantasy football field.
Denver Broncos wideout Eric Decker’s 2013 stats were nearly identical to Latimer’s IU stats.
Eighty-seven receptions, 1,288 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The 6-foot-3-inch, 218-pound receiver signed with the New York Jets this offseason, creating the need for a big man with speed, strength and explosive ?potential.
Enter Cody Latimer.
The 6-foot-2-inch, 215-pound wide receiver ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at IU’s pro day — on a broken foot.
His size and speed compare favorably with Decker’s, and while the 2013 stat similarities are no more than coincidence, the ?potential is not.
The next factor is the man quarter-backing for Latimer and — let’s face it — he’s a game-changer.
Coming off the best season any quarterback has ever had, Peyton Manning makes any Denver wideout an appealing fantasy draftee, whether it be as a starter or a late-round steal.
Latimer has reportedly spent many hours after practice digesting the playbook and any morsel he could from the five-time MVP quarterback.
And all the while, he’s gaining trust in a system that demands it.
But the real pièce de résistance for Latimer comes as it often does in the NFL: with injury.
In last Saturday’s preseason game versus the Houston Texans, Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker suffered his third concussion in the span of 10 months.
Welker has already expressed a willingness to cut his career short if his health is threatened, bringing to question the wide receiving circumstances in Denver should he not return.
Suddenly, all that stands between Latimer and a chance to catch passes from a living legend is a two-man battle with back-up Andre Caldwell.
It’s a long shot, I’ll be the first to admit, and I’m certainly not advocating you pick Latimer over ?Megatron.
But for those who play in dynasty leagues, Latimer is a gold mine.
As for the rest you, remember that a late-season pick-up could go a long way.
Especially for the savvy fantasy football managers who remain loyal to their IU football roots.
vziege@indiana.edu
