FANTASY PICKUPS FOR WEEK 14

December 5th, 2005 3:00 PM ET

Ah, the certainties of football in December…the Dolphins getting shut out on the road, kickers coming up short from 45 yards out, and sneet in the Northeast. Lee Evans in the end zone hasn't quite locked up that title just yet, but it's awfully close.

With three touchdowns on Sunday against the Dolphins, Evans is in the process of coming out of nowhere just in time to help fantasy owners capture a championship…again. In his rookie campaign last year, he busted out for seven touchdowns in the last five weeks of the fantasy season. Combined with his hat trick in week 13, he now has nine touchdowns and an average of 91 receiving yards in five career December games.

So Evans isn't quite Reggie Jackson in October, but it's not just the time of year that has us touting the speedy Wisconsin product as this week's top pickup. Second-year quarterback J.P. Losman's return under center in Buffalo has woken Evans up from a sophomore slumber and made him a candidate to crack your starting lineup from here on out.

Losman got his second chance when teammate Kelly Holcomb sustained a concussion in the second quarter of week six, and J.P. immediately hooked up with his draft classmate for two touchdowns. In the three ensuing games, Evans registered at least four receptions in each tilt. Previously, he had not recorded more than three catches in a single game. Since reclaiming the starting job, Losman has thrown six touchdown tosses, and Evans has been on the receiving end of five of them. (All three of Eric Moulds' touchdowns came from Holcomb.)

On Sunday, Evans did his damage (117 yards) against a Dolphins defense that had previously allowed only one wide receiver (fantasy beast Steve Smith) to reach triple digits against them. Those looking for a wide receiver will be thrilled to learn that Evans' upcoming foes can't even come close to matching that kind of track record against opposing wideouts.

Next week, the Bills get their licks in against the Pats. Don't be fooled by the fact that the Jets managed just three points on the defending champs; after all, they were led by Brooks Bollinger. New England is still hurting on defense, especially in the secondary. They've given up more passing yards this season than any team not located in San Francisco, they've allowed eight 100-yard games to wideouts, and only one NFL defense (St. Louis) has surrendered more than their 16 wide receiver touchdowns.

 

Week 15 brings a visit to the Mile High City, where the Broncos have been stuffing the run all season. This is another favorable matchup for Evans; Willis McGahee and the Bills' ground game has struggled all year on the road, and the Broncos have permitted seven wide receiver touchdowns in their last six outings.

In your Fantasy Bowl, Evans draws the Bengals, who have shocked the world with their high-octane offense and their ball-hawking defense. Of course, they've also allowed 105 points in their last three games while being throttled by opposing wideouts. Evans will get his shot at joining a list that includes Reggie Wayne (117 yards, one touchdown), Derrick Mason (58, 1), and Hines Ward (135, 2).

Is it deja vu all over again for Evans? The calendar and the schedule certainly suggest tis the season.

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