Kevin Ogletree put on a show last night, helping lift the Dallas Cowboys to an important victory over the defending Super Bowl Champions. The New York Giants simply didn't have an answer to the fourth-year wide receiver.
The University of Virginia product had a total of 294 receiving yards and no touchdowns in 31 games played over the course of his first three seasons. However, last night he had the game of his life, going for an impressive 114 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches.
Ogletree's night was the type of game fantasy football owners dream of from a relative unknown, and there will undoubtedly be a scramble to pick him up in most leagues after being owned in just 4.1 percent of ESPN leagues on Wednesday night. If you have a chance to get this guy don't let it pass you by, as he has the potential to be a top wideout this season.
Before you go and and say that I'm buying into the hype too much consider this: The Cowboys had a receiver last season who had gone for a total of 1,000 yards and four touchdowns in four seasons in the league. This 6'2” wideout then broke out for 858 yards and 11 scores in 14 games, finished as the No. 15 wideout in the league. That player was Laurent Robinson.
Robinson is no longer with the Cowboys, but it appears that Tony Romo has found a suitable replacement. The 6'1” Ogletree is just one inch shorter than Robinson and will be filling a similar role this season as Robinson had last season.
While speculation about the season Ogletree will have is, well, speculation, there are certain facts that were seen last night that can't be avoided.
Ogletree was targeted 11 times last night, including at least three times in the endzone. He became Romo's new best friend when the team got close to scoring, and that could emerge as a pattern. While Ogletree was burning Michael Coe and not an elite cornerback, it would be foolish to think that he will ever have to do so. Ogletree is technically behind both Dez Bryant and Miles Austin on the Cowboys' depth chart, so he will be seeing the opposition's No. 3 cornerback at the very best.
Ogletree isn't going to have to beat great cornerbacks, and with Romo appearing to develop a chemistry with him around the goaline, it's worth at least picking this guy up in all formats.