Fantasy Football Sleeper Spotlight: Is Mohamed Massaquoi Worth the Gamble?

While the Browns failed to settle on the man at the helm of their offense all year long, Mohamed Massaquoi some how stepped out of the shadows to emerge as a name worth knowing. While on the surface his numbers were modest at best, the flashes of greatness he showed spoke volumes of his potential.

Massaquoi caught 34 passes, which was tied for the team lead (and led the team with 624 yards). It’s a low number, so that leads to a fair question—is it the receiving corps or quarterbacks who were that bad? Let’s look to see how the two QBs fared:

• Brady Quinn - 136-256 for 1,339 yards and 8 TD
• Derek Anderson - 81-182 for 888 yards and 3 TD

Just to compare, while the Browns QBs completed 219 passes, their opponents completed 319. Another way to look at it—there were 23 QBs who had more completions alone then the Browns duo had combined.

It’s clear what the Browns thought, because it was the QBs sent packing, not the WRs. In 2010, it will be veteran Jake Delhomme lining up behind center. While we can agree that Delhomme isn’t the flashiest QB, he brings a much steadier hand to the position and should give his receivers opportunities to make plays.

That’s really all Massaquoi can ask for in his sophomore season. Drafted 50th overall in the 2009 Draft, he flashed brilliance at times, including an eight catch, 148 yard performance against the Bengals.

He has size, at 6′2″, but isn’t a blazing fast receiver. Don’t take that as meaning he’s slow. Just look at what nfl.com had to say about him heading into last year’s draft:

“Possesses at least adequate straight-line speed to challenge deep. Can throttle down to separate from defenders. Long arms which he extends well to make the tough reception.”

Among receivers with at least 30 receptions, Massaquoi was actually third, averaging 18.4 yards per catch. That’s what happens when nearly a third of your catches go for over 20 yards. With Delhomme getting him opportunities, it’s not inconceivable that if it continues, it would ultimately lead to more TDs (after scoring three last season).

Massaquoi is your typical high risk, high reward receiver. He’s currently being drafted 51st among WR according to Mock Draft Central, and isn’t being drafted in some leagues. Depending on the other options who become available to you, I could see taking a flyer on him late, but I would certainly monitor him on the waiver wire if he falls out of your draft. With Delhomme at QB, the Browns leading receiver should get better.  As he matures and learns the NFL game, it’s not a stretch to think that he becomes a viable WR3 by years’ end.

What are your thoughts? Is Massaquoi a player you’d be willing to take a gamble on?How good could he be?

Make sure to check out our 2010 rankings:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks
• Top 40 Running Backs
• Top 60 Wide Receivers
• Top 20 Tight Ends

Also, make sure to check out our recent rookie rankings:

• Top 5 Rookie RB
• Top 5 Rookie QB
• Top 5 Rookie WR

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