WR Danario Alexander, San Diego Chargers

HT: 6-5, WT: 215, Born: 8-7-1988, College: Missouri, Drafted: ---

2013 Projections

Average draft position

Current as of May 21st. [Full ADP list]

Overall: M Austin (92), J Gordon (93), Danario Alexander (94), M Williams (95), D Richardson (96)
Position: M Austin (92-WR36), J Gordon (93-WR37), Danario Alexander (94 - WR38), M Williams (95-WR39), K Britt (98-WR40)
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PPR Average draft position

Current as of May 21st. [Full PPR ADP list]

Overall: E Manning (82), M Ingram (83), Danario Alexander (84), D Jackson (85), K Britt (86)
Position: J Maclin (77-WR33), M Austin (80-WR34), Danario Alexander (84 - WR35), D Jackson (85-WR36), K Britt (86-WR37)
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Outlook

Danario Alexander joined the Chargers in midseason last year and put up strong WR1 numbers over the second half of the season. He is a terrific athlete with good size and speed, and he can get behind a defense and make big plays. The big concern with Alexander is his injury history. He has had five knee surgeries on the same knee, and when he was with the Rams in 2010-2011, his knee would swell after every game, often limiting him or making him miss the following game. He strung a number of productive games together in a row last season, but there's no guarantee that his knee will hold up for a full season without. Alexander will also have to share the field -- and therefore the Chargers' WR targets -- with a more competent group of receivers this season. (Vincent Brown and Keenan Allen were not available last season, and Malcom Floyd was in and out of the lineup.) That means that Alexander could see fewer targets per game this season. Still, his upside potential makes him the most attractive Chargers WR this season: he is a fantasy WR4 with legitimate WR1 potential.

2013 Schedule

2012 Game Summaries

Week 8 - The newly-signed Alexander was targeted early on a deep ball down the sideline. He did a good job just getting his hands on it with two defenders around him, but it was knocked away for an incompletion.

Week 9 - The recently-signed Alexander ended up as the team’s leading receiver for the game, thanks in large part to two long pass plays. He caught a quick slant on third down and 2, busting it upfield for a 30-yard pickup. He sort of stumbled as he met the defender, otherwise he may have had enough foot speed to take the angle away and reach the end zone. As it was, it was a very nice catch and run. Later in the game, with TE Antonio Gates drawing all of the coverage away from the middle of the field, Alexander again got loose over the middle off a quick slant for 20 yards.

Week 10 - Alexander’s ascension to the starting lineup has been a couple of weeks in the making, and he responded to the coaches’ confidence in him by turning in a career-best performance. The afternoon started off with Alexander catching a seemingly innocuous quick slant. But after some very shoddy tackling by Tampa Bay defenders, Alexander managed to regain his balance and maintain his footing enough to outrun the defenders the remaining 70 yards to the end zone for the 80-yard score. Throughout the game, he was one of Rivers’ favorite third down targets and he responded time and time again. Several times, he showed a good ability to use his big frame and shield the ball from defenders, and he really added a much-needed threat to the San Diego passing game that had been lacking this season. He is still the third option in the passing game for the team and is still working with very troublesome knees, but he should see enough targets to carry fantasy value in good matchups.

Week 11 - Alexander had a relatively quiet first half, but exploded after halftime to lead all players on both teams in receptions, yardage, and touchdowns. Alexander showed his athleticism early on with a full extension dive near the sideline to make an outstanding sliding catch. He later did a nice job of using his body to shield off the defender in traffic to haul in a first down pass. Late in the third quarter, he hauled in a crucial 8-yard touchdown pass on a back shoulder pass in the front corner of the end zone. He may have pushed off a bit, but there was no call. He again did a nice job of using his body to shield away the defense, providing the physical downfield presence the Chargers have lacked since Vincent Jackson left as a free agent. With San Diego down by two scores, the team drove downfield against a softer Denver defense. On that one drive, Alexander hauled in four passes for 65 yards and a score (prior to that drive, he had just three catches for 31 yards and a score in the entire game). The touchdown he scored late in the fourth quarter was questionable, because he appeared to lose control of the ball as he fell to the ground. However, officials ruled that he had established possession of the ball and then in a second action, reached out over the goal line for the score and only lost it after crossing the goal line. The call on the field was upheld as a touchdown, and Alexander owners who took a chance on him were richly rewarded. There is always the worry that his troublesome knee problems will creep up again, but for now he is showing the talent that had always been there. 


Week 12 - Alexander’s day started badly, with two penalties against him prior to his first reception. But he made up for that with consistent production once he got going. The Chargers made a clear effort to get him the football in just about all situations. Alexander looked strong after the catch, and was QB Philip Rivers’ favorite third down target throughout the game. On a late first half pass play, he was targeted on a deep ball down the sideline and drew a penalty when he was drilled by the defender (who was whistled for hitting a defenseless receiver). He was very slow to get up but eventually walked off under his own power, and soon after that he returned to the game. In overtime, Rivers kept trusting Alexander in big spots. He was the target on four of Rivers’ eight overtime passes, and has developed into a fairly reliable fantasy option.

Week 13 - Once again, Alexander turned in an outstanding performance, leading all receivers in the game with 102 yards through the air. He was targeted in all manners: inside screens, short crossing route, deep slant, curls, fade patterns, you name it. His long gain of the game came on the crossing route, which was a short third down pass over the middle that he quickly turned into a 28-yard gain by bursting upfield. He really got to top speed in a hurry, accelerating away from would-be tacklers very quickly. Alexander did a nice job late in the first half of hanging onto a pass despite taking a vicious hit from the defensive back just as he turned around with the ball. Showing he was no worse for wear, he made a similar catch near the two minute warning (just without the vicious hit from the defender). During San Diego’s late drive to try and tie the game, Alexander was targeted twice. One was completed for 17 yards. The other was a floater to the corner of the end zone with just over a minute remaining that fell incomplete.

Week 14 - Alexander took another step towards becoming the top option in the San Diego passing game. With a team high seven receptions and 88 yards, Alexander was the guy QB Philip Rivers looked to in just about all situations. That was never more evident that on his two spectacular touchdown grabs. The first was a double move by Alexander that caused the defender to almost lose his shoes. He streaked down the sideline for a 39-yard score, getting wide open around the 8-yard line following the fake and then waltzing into the end zone untouched. Alexander followed the score up with a huge windmill dunk of the football over the goalpost. His second touchdown may have been even more impressive. He almost floated towards the end zone, keeping his body positioned between the ball and the defender and skying high over the top to snatch it out of the air. He showed great hands on the play that essentially ended the game, putting San Diego up 34-10. He did drop an easy wide open catch over the middle of the field that would have gone for first down yardage when he tried running upfield well before he caught it. And he soon after had another ball in his hands that was stripped away by the defender as he tried bringing it into his body. But the scores and big plays more than made up for those near-misses.

Week 15 - The clock struck midnight on Alexander’s Cinderella story, as he posted a goose egg in what was the fantasy semifinals for most leagues. He was only targeted three times, drawing a pass interference on one of them but otherwise failing to do anything positive. Early in the game, he dropped an easy one right in his hands when he tried to turn upfield prior to securing the ball and it was all downhill from there.

Week 16 - After a one week hiatus as a fantasy waiver wire darling, Alexander rewarded those owners who were fortunate enough to win their games last week despite his goose egg. He had a chance for a big play early on when he had several steps on his defender, but QB Philip Rivers underthrew the deep ball and it hit a defender in the back. Alexander sat there waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the pass to come down to him. He and Rivers did connect later in the half on a 4th and 2 slant pattern to pick up 19 yards. In the second half, Alexander was the target of a wide open pass over the middle. He has had some trouble with those in recent weeks, tending to turn upfield before he secures the pass. He managed to hang onto this one and THEN turn upfield for first down yardage. But his biggest play of the game came on a deep pattern early in the third quarter. He got past his defender deep in the corner of the end zone, and Rivers placed a perfectly-thrown pass right into his arms for the 37-yard score.

Week 17 - Alexander saw just two passes head his way in the game, both on deep targets. The first was on a first half bomb down the sideline. Alexander had a few steps on his defender, but the safety quickly came in to jump in front of the route and nearly intercept the ball. The second target featured no such danger. Coming with 5:00 left in the third quarter, Alexander got well beyond both levels of the defense, and Rivers placed an absolutely perfect pass right in his hands. Alexander outran the defense and avoided getting tripped up at the end to get in for the 34-yard touchdown and his first reception of the game.