Mon Oct 12 2015 | 09:38 | Watson caught three passes on five targets for 36 yards, includi... |
Watson caught three passes on five targets for 36 yards, including a six-yard touchdown reception, in Sunday's loss to the Eagles. |
Watson had a 21-yard grab on the Saints' first drive and hauled in a short slant for a score on the team's second drive, but he did not catch another pass until the fourth quarter, when the Saints were down 19 points. Watson remains the Saints' primary tight end option and has proven to at least be a reliable source of some fantasy points - something not all tight ends can claim - but his upside is still limited. Up next is a Thursday night game against the Falcons. |
Mon Oct 5 2015 | 11:17 | Watson caught three passes on three targets for 30 yards in Sund... |
Watson caught three passes on three targets for 30 yards in Sunday's win against the Cowboys. |
Watson saw 64 of the Saints' 73 offensive snaps (88 percent), according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, compared to 34 snaps for backups tight end Josh Hill. It was Hill, however, who hauled in a three-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees in the first quarter. Watson has consistently out-snapped and out-produced Hill, but with only 12 total catches for 103 yards through the first four weeks, he has not proven to be much of a fantasy option. |
Mon Sep 28 2015 | 15:56 | Watson caught four passes on four targets for 42 yards in Sunday... |
Watson caught four passes on four targets for 42 yards in Sunday's loss to the Panthers. |
Watson continues to dominate the workload at tight end, garnering 86 percent of the Saints' offensive snaps, compared to 40 percent for Josh Hill, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. With Luke McCown starting at quarterback in Week 3, the Saints featured an offense that was heavily predicated on short passes, which suited Watson well. If McCown starts again in Week 4 against the Cowboys, it would not be surprising to see the team take a similar approach, which could bode well for Watson's prospects. Still, with only nine catches for 73 total yards on the season, Watson is probably not a high-upside play. |
Mon Sep 21 2015 | 17:11 | Watson caught two passes on four targets for 12 yards in Sunday'... |
Watson caught two passes on four targets for 12 yards in Sunday's loss to the Buccaneers. He played on 59 of the Saints' 78 offensive snaps (76 percent), according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. |
Watson is seeing significantly more time than his tight end running mate, Josh Hill, who saw only 31 snaps in Week 2. Still, Watson's ceiling remains limited in his 12th year in the league, particularly with the Saints' offense out of sorts. |
Mon Sep 14 2015 | 19:23 | Watson caught three passes on five targets for 19 yards in Sunda... |
Watson caught three passes on five targets for 19 yards in Sunday's loss to the Cardinals. |
Despite being forced to check down frequently, Drew Brees preferred to target running backs Mark Ingram (eight catches) and Khiry Robinson (five catches) over Watson. Watson may find things easier next week against a Buccaneers' defense that was carved up by rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota, but his owners should probably keep their expectations in check, particularly with Watson expected to continue to split snaps with tight end Josh Hill. |
Mon Aug 24 2015 | 12:39 | Watson caught two passes on four targets for 12 yards, including... |
Watson caught two passes on four targets for 12 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Drew Brees, in Saturday's preseason game against the Patriots. |
Watson again got the start at tight end for the Saints and split time throughout the first half with Josh Hill. Watson is only a few years removed from managing 49 catches and 501 yards in Cleveland in 2012, but his days as a premier pass-catching option - even in the Saints' tight end friendly offense - are probably behind him. The emergence of Hill, with who Watson will likely split snaps, further limits his upside. Watson could certainly provide value in any given game but it will be difficult to predict on a game-to-game basis. |
Thu Aug 13 2015 | 23:42 | Watson started Thursday's preseason opener against Ravens |
Watson started Thursday's preseason opener against the Ravens. |
As expected, Watson got the start over Josh Hill, who still managed to be much more active as a receiver. Watson didn't draw a target, while Hill caught all three of his for a team-high 40 receiving yards. Though he'll likely lock down the starting job and have a higher snap count, Watson is unlikely to match Hill's receiving production, as the veteran will largely focus on blocking. |
Thu May 28 2015 | 21:06 | Watson, due to superior block ability, will likely play more sna... |
Watson, due to his superior block ability, will likely play more snaps than Josh Hill, according to ESPN's Mike Triplett. |
The departure of Jimmy Graham could lead to a more prominent role for the 34-year-old Watson, who caught 39 passes in 31 games over the past two seasons with the Saints. Of course, even if Watson plays more snaps than Hill, the latter is far more promising as a receiver and a more natural replacement for Graham's role in the offense. Watson may prove quite useful to the 2015 Saints, but if that's the case, it'll probably be because he's paving holes for the running backs and pitching in with the occasional reception. Hill is much more likely to become a key target in the passing game. |
Tue Jan 6 2015 | 11:44 | Watson finished year with 20 receptions on 31 targets for 136 ya... |
Watson finished the year with 20 receptions on 31 targets for 136 yards and two touchdowns. |
Watson has one year left on his contract and is an consummate professional, but the Saints are facing a daunting salary cap situation and the emergence of Josh Hill may make Watson expendable. Even if he returns to New Orleans, his fantasy upside is limited, as Hill was the preferred receiving option even when Jimmy Graham was sidelined. |
Mon Oct 6 2014 | 11:59 | Watson (groin) caught five passes on seven targets for 43 yards ... |
Watson (groin) caught five passes on seven targets for 43 yards in Sunday's win against the Bucs. |
With Jimmy Graham (shoulder) exiting early, Watson and Josh Hill picked up the slack at the tight end position, combining for eight grabs and 96 yards. Early reports are that graham's injury is not expected to be anything too serious, particularly with an extra week to heal with the Saints on bye in Week 6, but Watson could have some deeper league value if Graham were to miss any time with the injury - though he'd likely share the receiving duties with Hill, limiting the upside of both. |
Sun Oct 5 2014 | 11:53 | Watson (groin) active for Sunday's game versus Buccaneers |
Watson (groin) is active for Sunday's game versus the Buccaneers, the Saints' official site reports. |
Watson has been lightly used in the Saints' passing attack this season, achieving more than one target just once in Week 2. Overall, with four catches (on five targets) for 21 yards on the season, he isn't a fantasy consideration, especially with fellow tight end Jimmy Graham handling such a high volume of looks in front of him. |
Sun Sep 28 2014 | 19:17 | Watson (groin) active for Sunday's game against Cowboys |
Watson (groin) is active for Sunday's game against the Cowboys, the Saints' official site reports. |
As long as Jimmy Graham is healthy though, Watson -- who has three catches and 14 yards in three games to date -- is off the fantasy radar. |
Fri Sep 26 2014 | 20:46 | Watson (groin) questionable for Sunday's game against Dallas |
Watson (groin) is questionable for Sunday's game against Dallas. |
Watson logged a limited practice, so he has a chance to suit up Sunday. He only has four targets for three catches and 14 yards in the first three weeks, however. |
Sat Jan 11 2014 | 20:54 | Ben Watson held without gain versus SEA |
Ben Watson was held without a gain on his lone catch in New Orleans' Divisional Round loss to the Seahawks. |
Source: Rotoworld.com | |
Fri Nov 22 2013 | 00:40 | Ben Watson catches one-yard score in win |
Returning from a concussion, Ben Watson caught a one-yard touchdown in New Orleans' Week 12 win over the Falcons. |
Watson's nifty, toe-tapping touchdown near the end of the first quarter was his lone catch of the evening. Watson will continue to struggle for TE3 value behind Jimmy Graham. |
Source: Rotoworld.com | |
Thu Nov 21 2013 | 19:34 | Ben Watson back from concussion for TNF |
Saints TE Ben Watson (concussion) is active for Week 12 against the Falcons. |
Watson missed Week 11. He's just a TE3 against Atlanta. |
Source: Rotoworld.com | |
Fri Nov 15 2013 | 16:19 | Ben Watson (concussion) ruled out for Week 11 |
Ben Watson (concussion) has been ruled out for Week 11. |
Watson didn't practice all week and still hasn't been cleared to return from his concussion. Josh Hill will serve as the No. 2 tight end behind Jimmy Graham. |
Source: Rotoworld.com | |
Wed Nov 13 2013 | 19:49 | Ben Watson (concussion) doesn't practice |
Ben Watson (concussion) did not practice Wednesday. |
Watson hit his head in the third quarter of last Sunday's game and had to be helped off the field. He'll have to progress through the league's protocol. |
Source: Rotoworld.com | |
Sun Nov 10 2013 | 23:12 | Ben Watson diagnosed with concussion |
Ben Watson exited Sunday night's Week 10 game with a concussion and will not return. |
Watson hit his head on the ground on a near touchdown in the third quarter and had to be helped off the field. He'll now need to pass the league's concussion protocol before returning to practice. |
Source: Rotoworld.com | |
Mon Oct 28 2013 | 18:53 | Ben Watson catches three passes in Week 8 |
Ben Watson caught three passes for 45 yards in Week 8 against the Bills. |
Watson played a season-high 47 snaps and caught all three of his targets with Jimmy Graham (foot) limited to just 18 snaps. No. 3 tight end Josh Hill was also heavily involved, playing 25 snaps and catching both of his targets for 17 yards. Lance Moore returned to the lineup and handled much of the work over the middle of the field along with Marques Colston. Watson is a bottom-barrel TE2 at best even if Graham remains limited the next couple weeks. |
Source: Rotoworld.com | |