Close Call #14: Chad Ochocinco vs TJ Houshmandzadeh

[Miller]

If you need a refresher on the rules for the series or a run down of previous match-ups? Here is the rules and history thread:
"Close Calls 2009" - A Sports Outlaw Exclusive
Remember, this is based on re-draft leagues and non ppr scoring.

Today's Match-up:

Chad Ochocinco vs TJ Houshmandzadeh

Last Year's Stats:
Chad Ochocinco - 13 gms - 53 rec - 540 rec yds - 4 rec TD
TJ Houshmandzadeh - 15 gms - 92 rec - 904 yds - 4 rec TD's

Today's Match-up is between two WR's have been teammates since college, until this year. So which one can step up without the other? There are many questions with most, but Ochocinco may be one of the biggest question marks in all of fantasy football this year. Answer him right, and you may excel, step wrong and you could be second guessing yourself all year. Has the old Chad really returned? Can him and Palmer rebound with out TJ around? And then there is TJ in Seattle. For the first time in his pro career he will be asked to be the number one threat in a passing game. He will draw the top corner each week unlike the past, how will he respond? Can Seattle get their passing game on track with new and healthy weapons? These are just some of the questions you will need to answer in today's close call.

 

[Miller]

Have a feeling this one will get interesting.....

 

[bodey24]

I'm going with OchoCinco. I look for him to have a good season this year.

 

[RZR]

I can't believe I'm about to do this... COC for me.

Chad is already conditioned to being #1WR in double coverage and still racked up more Red Zone receptions than TJ in 2008 (11 of his 53 receptions). Granted, TJ's leash has been removed and the more of field is now is playground in Seattle, I feel the D's will be targeting him a bit more than he's used. Chad will perform better overall IMO.

Although if this was a trash talking close call - they'd tie in a heartbeat.

 

[WesDawg]

I'll stick to my guns on a prediction from an earlier thread that Chris Henry will lead this team in receiving TD's. Lav Coles will challenge Chad for the yardage lead, which leaves him in some state of production limbo. I also get this weird feeling that his window is closing and he's more comical sideshow than reliable receiver at this point in his life.
Housh on the other hand, is the undisputed main man for the Seahawks, but his reception total may suffer. Not so much with his TD output though, which is why he gets my nod. Similar yardage totals for these 2, but T.J. will hit double digit scores.

 

[Arctic Dawgs]

COC was entertaining with his list, since then .....

2 days ago I would have taken COC, then twitter ..... He should spend more time on FOOTBALL

 

[derringer007]

T.J Housh

Mr. Cinco with his gay ass Twitter, Tweeting or what ever it's called is going to be a huge team distraction, sounds like a T.O. clone.

Then there is C.Palmer's arm strength not being a 100% and the fact, this is the Bengals.

 

[Remote Controller]

More receptions for Housh.
More yardage for Chad.
More TD's for Housh.
In PPR leagues it's an easier call, but I will take Housh in this one. Sounds like he's being moved to the slot, so the double coverage thing might not be much of a deal at all.

 

[Remote Controller]

Chads later ADP is very enticing. Getting his potential in the 4th as a possible #2 Wr is very tempting.

 

[Miller]

Chads later ADP is very enticing. Getting his potential in the 4th as a possible #2 Wr is very tempting.

This is really becoming a non-issue with these two in non-ppr leagues and why I put them in the close call. Their ADP and rankings are very close all of a sudden. Even the ADP which at one point was over a full round apart, is now around 1/2 a round. Housh 3.12, COC 4.6, meaning at the point you would have both on the board and have to decide, you will likely be picking one over the other.

 

[Remote Controller]

This is really becoming a non-issue with these two in non-ppr leagues and why I put them in the close call. Their ADP and rankings are very close all of a sudden. Even the ADP which at one point was over a full round apart, is now around 1/2 a round. Housh 3.12, COC 4.6, meaning at the point you would have both on the board and have to decide, you will likely be picking one over the other.

....and I am saying that I would love to have Chad as my #2, and would settle for TJ as my #1, if I had to. I don't want to have to depend on Chad as my#1. I have found in many drafts this year that I have had to decide between TJ and Welker. I prefer Welker. Chad has not been a factor in those decisions, along with Marshall, and Edwards. I would love to get Chad or Edwards as a #2 though, and will not touch Marshall.

 

[Runnik's Hambones]

It's COC for me as well. Bad year for him last year and I see him owning in CIN this year with Carson back. Their running game is going to get better and I think their defense will as well.

 

[storminn0rm]

I'm going with COC as well. I have him rated higher in my rankings right now. His conditioning and committment to football in the offseason makes me think he will have a bounce back year. But all this twittering is getting to be a bit much.

 

[Cerberus]

TJ for me. Ocho runs his mouth too much, but i would still take ocho over TO.

 

[Remote Controller]

It's COC for me as well. Bad year for him last year and I see him owning in CIN this year with Carson back. Their running game is going to get better and I think their defense will as well.

The running game is a very good point. Seattle doesn't really have one, but they always have kind of seemed fine with that. We'll have to see what a new coach brings to that philosophy.

 

[Miller]

What I do find is funny is that those who dislike COC the person, use it as a way to avoid COC the fantasy player.....bad attitudes and cockiness don't deduct fantasy points...in fact, the more chad has talked historically the better he has performed. The fact he's being a goof ball again is a good thing from a fantasy perspective. When nhe crying and not talking....that is when he's the distraction.

 

[WesDawg]

What I do find is funny is that those who dislike COC the person, use it as a way to avoid COC the fantasy player.....bad attitudes and cockiness don't deduct fantasy points...

I don't personally dislike the person.. hell, I barely know him. LOL

And whereas bad attitudes and cockiness don't really bug me much in fantasy when a guy's rockin' 1400+ and 9 scores, it becomes an issue when he "produces" 540 and 4.

 

[Miller]

And whereas bad attitudes and cockiness don't really bug me much in fantasy when a guy's rockin' 1400+ and 9 scores, it becomes an issue when he "produces" 540 and 4.

See that's the key though, COC did not act like this during his 540 and 4. When he acted like this he produced 90-1355-10; 95-1274-9; 97-1432-9; 87-1369-7; 93-1440-8.

That is a 5 year track record that averaged 92.4 rec; 1374 yds; & 8.6 TD's.

He then spent an entire offseason pouting about not wanting to be in cincy, eating big macs, and not working out.....had ankle surgery late, half assed through the rehab, stopped talking to anyone, hurt his shoulder early in the season, played through it when most would have just had the surgery, lost his QB and had to catch balls from Ryan Fitzpatrick and went on to a 53-540-4 season.

Now fastforward a couple months to the current. He has refound his work ethic that made him the player he is, appears to be healthy, talking to teammates and his QB again, and has a HEATHY CARSON PALMER again, oh and best of all, he's acting like the old Chad, talking his ass off and acting stupid.....the same chad that averaged 92-1374-9 from 03-07.

I think those wanting to write him off after one bad injury plagued year are a little to premature in tuning up the fat lady. So I for one hope he twitters his ass off, continues to call out pro bowl LB's, makes every list known to man, and shows up to host a segment on SportsNation.......if he continues to do this it sounds like a Pro Bowl season to me!

 

[Remote Controller]

:flip: :flip: :flip:
:flip: :flip: :flip:

 

[WesDawg]

I can't bring myself to correlate immature distracting behavior with elite fantasy numbers, but I'll definitely concede that he's not putting up last year's line unless he gets seriously hurt. In fact, I'll give him '02's yardage (1,166) and '06's TD's (7) as a projection, but no more.

The only time he posted double-digit TD's was 2003 with right at 10.
That was my basis on going Housh in the first place. He's at least done it once that I know of and is the undisputed bell cow WR on his team.