Tavon Austin is a dynamic and versatile athlete, who made a huge impact on West Virginia's offense in his four years there. With the St. Louis Rams possessing two first-round picks and in desperate need of a difference-making receiver, they traded up to select Austin at No. 10 overall. But at just 5’8”, Austin is one of the smallest receivers in the NFL and will be facing an uphill battle against much bigger and faster defenders than those he faced in college. Let’s take a look at his possible fantasy impact for 2013 and beyond.
College Stats | Year | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD's | Att | Yd's | Avg | TD's | Kick Ret | Yds | Avg | TD's | Punt Ret | Yds | Avg | TD's |
| 2009 | 15 | 151 | 10.1 | 1 | 6 | 47 | 7.8 | 1 | 17 | 426 | 25.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | | 0 |
| 2010 | 58 | 787 | 13.6 | 8 | 15 | 159 | 10.6 | 1 | 12 | 230 | 19.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 |
| 2011 | 101 | 1,186 | 11.7 | 8 | 16 | 182 | 11.4 | 1 | 36 | 938 | 26.1 | 2 | 19 | 268 | 14.1 | 0 |
| 2012 | 114 | 1,289 | 11.3 | 12 | 72 | 643 | 8.9 | 3 | 32 | 813 | 25.4 | 1 | 15 | 165 | 11.0 | 1 |
| Totals: | 288 | 3,413 | 11.9 | 29 | 109 | 1,031 | 9.5 | 6 | 97 | 2,407 | 24.8 | 4 | 34 | 433 | 12.7 | 1 |
As you can see, Austin was a triple threat in college, putting up huge numbers and finishing in the top five in the Big 12 in receptions, receiving yards, yards from scrimmage, touchdowns, and every major special teams category. He further elevated his draft stock at the combine, posting the fastest 40-yard dash for receivers with a 4.34 second time and put on a clinic in the positional drills; catching every single ball thrown his way and running crisp, clean routes. His combine performance and stellar college numbers were enough to make the Rams believe he was the answer to fix their struggling offense.
The ability, talent and potential is all there for Austin to be the next Percy Harvin or Randall Cobb but at 5’8” you have to be a bit concerned about his ability to stay healthy. Another slight concern is the fact that he will literally only be able to line up in the slot. He’s just too tiny to line up outside, but should be able to get good separation over the middle with his speed and quick feet. It’s also highly likely that Austin will make a big impact in the running game. With the departure of Steven Jackson and a bevy of unproven talent at running back, Austin’s proven ability to carry the ball out of the backfield will be a huge asset to the Rams’ offense. It also goes without saying that Austin will replace Danny Amendola as the primary return man.
In the end, Austin will be the focal point of the Rams’ offense this coming season, and if he can show that his size won’t be an issue; he’s going to put up big enough numbers to be a decent WR2 and an even better FLEX option in redraft leagues with standard scoring and even more valuable in PPR leagues. As far as dynasty goes, he’ll have the same value as redraft and will likely get better in the future. Definitely pick him up if you can.
2013 Stat Projections: 300 rushing yards, 67 receptions, 900 receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns.