When a player is selected in the first round of the NFL draft, they usually don't play for five teams in six seasons. Breshad Perriman is hoping he has finally found a home with the Jets, who signed the wide receiver to a one-year, $8 million contract.
Perriman, who was selected No. 26 overall in 2015 by the Ravens, has been inconsistent throughout his career and last season was more of the same until the final few weeks. Injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin created an opportunity and Perriman thrived for the Buccaneers, putting forth one of the better fantasy performances down the stretch.
In the past 15 seasons, only one player has had 500 yards, five touchdowns and 20 yards per catch in the team's final five games. It was Perriman last season. In that span, he had 25 catches for 506 yards with five touchdowns.
Perriman had at least had a touchdown or 100 yards receiving in each of the final four games and had at least 13 PPR points in his last five games.
One of the benefits of drafting fantasy football teams in April is the unknown. By the time we get to August, almost everyone is on top of the latest trends and ascending players and sleepers. At this time, especially before the NFL draft, there are many things we don't know. While that can deter some people from drafting, it creates a lot of value and potential difference makers.
Perriman fits this bill. Over the last seven days in FFPC best ball drafts, Perriman is going as the WR54 and 165th overall. This is an easy to pick make right now.
The Jets lost Robby Anderson to the Panthers in free agency and Perriman is in a prime spot at the moment. There weren't many better landing spots as far as opportunity. Anderson had an 18 percent target share last season, getting 96 targets and catching 52 passes for 779 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 15 yards per reception. Perriman could put up some similar numbers and possibly better if he can develop a rapport with Sam Darnold .
The Jets will likely draft a wide receiver and that could change Perriman's value depending on who they take, but he's a bargain right now. The lone returning key receiver from last season for the Jets is Jamison Crowder and he's a slot receiver and a complement to the outside threat of Perriman.
It was easy to see why Perriman was taken in the first round. Perriman is 6-foot-2, 215 pounds and he can run. He missed his rookie season due to a knee injury and the Ravens cut him before the 2018 season. He was with the Redskins for a few days, but never played a game for them before spending the season with the Browns. He was selected in the first round due to his size and speed, running a 4.3 40-yard dash.
Over the last two seasons, Perriman has performed well when the ball was thrown his way. He's had 95 targets, averaged 18.9 yards per catch and 10.5 yards per target. Based on the roster composition at the moment, Perriman is in line for a lot of targets and he's on a one-year deal to prove last season was the beginning of him fulfilling his potential.
Often times, we forget that athletes deal with every day problems that could affect their production. It's always difficult to gauge this but Perriman has had to deal with a few things. Brett Perriman, his dad who played for the Detroit Lions, suffered a stroke in April 2016 and was on life support. The same year his former Raven teammate cornerback Tray Walker, who he became close with, died in a dirt bike accident and Perriman said he was at a low point when that happened. It's possible these things took a toll on Perriman's performance.
It can often take players longer than expected to finally realize their potential and Perriman provided a glimpse of his upside when given the targets over the last two seasons. While the Jets offense isn't ideal, especially with Adam Gase as coach, Perriman is in a spot to get the targets based on the current roster. Based on his ADP at the moment, he should be targeted. He won't be this cheap for long.