Week 14 Outlook
Availability
The Philadelphia Eagles have released WR Chris Givens on Sunday.
Fantasy Impact
The Eagles took a flyer on Givens this offseason to help bolster their shaky wide receiver group, but he could not keep his hold on a roster spot entering the final week of the preseason. The veteran wideout could have a difficult time finding a new suitor with the regular season approaching less than two weeks away.
NJ.com's Eliot Shorr-Parks is suggesting that “it is becoming more and more clear Chris Givens is going to start opposite Agholar with Matthews on the inside" leaving Rueben Randle as the No. 4 wideout on the Philadelphia Eagles.
Fantasy Impact
Chris Givens is an under the radar name heading into the upcoming fantasy football campaign. Givens is entering his fifth NFL season and first with the Philadelphia Eagles. Since his rookie year in 2012, Givens' numbers has been on the decline but in a limited amount of playing time on a decimated Baltimore Ravens' wide receiving corps in 2015, he showcased a glimpse of his abilities. He caught 20 targets for 353 yards and a touchdown last season. The Eagles picked up Givens in the offseason and he has climbed his way up the depth chart and could possibly enter the 2016 campaign as Philadephia's No. 3 wideout.
Chris Givens is expected to hit the open market when free agency officially begins in March.
Fantasy Impact
Chris Givens is hardly a fantasy trustworthy wide receiver. Givens was handed the opportunity to showcase his talent due to the injury wave that hit Baltimore in 2015 but could not translate it into production.
Chris Givens caught two passes for 45 yards against the Steelers on Sunday, being targeted only four times, but one of his catches was a 39-yard grab. Although he only has 20 receptions for the season, his 17.7 yard per catch average would rank fourth in the league if he qualified.
Fantasy Impact
Catching only 40% of his targets will never make Givens a stable option for fantasy owners, or an NFL team, but his ability to stretch the field gives the opportunity for an immediate impact. Acquired by the Ravens for his ability to break off a big play, Givens now has five games with a catch of 30 yards or longer and has 346 yards and a touchdown in 11 games with Baltimore. Givens will close the season against the Bengals 7th-ranked defense against WR and Givens was without a catch against the Bengals in Week 3.
Chris Givens caught one of his five targets against the Chiefs for 17 yards. He has 18 catches for 308 yards this season.
Fantasy Impact
A 17.1 yard per catch average is enticing for fantasy owners, but Givens is only catching 39.1% of his targets this season. Givens only has two games this season where he has caught for 50 yards or more, but has four games this season where he has caught a pass that was 30 yards or longer. The Ravens are facing the Steelers in Week 16 and the Steelers rank 26th against fantasy WR, giving an opportunity for Givens.