You could look at yesterday's Miami Dolphins game against the New York Jets as the day first-round rookie wide receiver DeVante Parker truly broke out. The No. 14 overall pick caught four passes (on ten targets) for 80 yards and one touchdown. But despite the solid outing, Parker is still nothing more than a disappointment to fantasy football owners.
Coming into this season, Parker was one of the most popular sleeper picks in the league and widely expected to be one of the most productive offensive rookies once his nagging foot issues were behind him. Yet despite be able to play in Week 1, Parker never really caught on. The 6-foot-3, 218 pound receiver has all the talent in the world, but that doesn't mean he can help your squad with a late season playoff push.
"Dolphins rookie DeVante Parker scored his first touchdown, albeit in extreme garbage time of another loss," ESPN Fantasy Football Insider Eric Karabell wrote. "Hey, if the Dolphins want to use the Louisville product and first-rounder regularly and see what they have, sign me up, but there's no proof it will occur in 2015. A year after so many rookie wide receivers carried fantasy owners, it's hard to believe how little production the first-year options have provided. Parker has battled foot problems, but he sure is talented."
Overall, Parker has caught just eight passes for 129 yards and one score in nine games this year. He was expected to develop into a No. 1 option for quarterback Ryan Tannehill (who, in turn, was expected to take another leap this season). Instead, the Miami passing game ranks 17th in yards per game (244), 22nd in completion percentage (62.2) and 16th in passer rating (88.9).
Obviously, you can't blame Parker for all of Miami's offensive woes. You also have to take into account Parker's relatively low snap count as a factor that is supressing production. But there's no denying that he's been a disappointment as a top-15 pick and shouldn't be counted on for consistent fantasy production this year.
