WR Greg Little, Cleveland Browns

HT: 6-2, WT: 231, Born: 5-30-1989, College: North Carolina, Drafted: Round 2

2013 Projections

Average draft position

Current as of May 6th. [Full ADP list]

Overall: F Davis (171), Greg Little (172), R Broyles (173), R Tannehill (174)
Position: B Lloyd (162-WR58), B LaFell (169-WR59), Greg Little (172 - WR60), R Broyles (173-WR61), M Sanu (175-WR62)
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PPR Average draft position

Current as of May 6th. [Full PPR ADP list]

Overall: S Bradford (171), Z Stacy (172), Greg Little (173), K Allen (175)
Position: D Heyward-Bey (168-WR58), G Tate (169-WR59), Greg Little (173 - WR60), K Allen (175-WR61), M Sanu (178-WR62)
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Outlook

Greg Little has yet to fulfill the promise of his second-round draft selection in 2011 or the comparisons to the likes of Anquan Boldin. Part of his lack of production is poor quarterback play, but another part is a dearth of game-breaking skills. Little was passed up by Josh Gordon as quarterback Brandon Weeden's favorite target in 2012, and that was after Gordon joined the team late in the offseason in mid-July. Little is still a decent underneath option and chain-mover, but don't count on him to make "splash" plays or change games with long-yardage plays.

2013 Schedule

2012 Game Summaries

Week 1 - Greg Little and Brandon Weeden weren't on the same page all day. Weeden repeatedly missed him when he ran routes and the one time he did throw an accuracte pass, Little dropped it. Furthermore that drop turned into an interception at the goal-line.

Week 2 - Little showed the talent that gets people so excited about him and the hands that frustrate the same people so much. He did a good job coming back to Weeden when he was in trouble on third and 3 to make a first down grab early in the game. On third and six he ran a hitch short of the marker and failed to pick up the first down. His 24 yard touchdown was a pretty easy score for Little as the Bengals coverage broke down and Weeden put the ball right on the money.

Week 3 - Little had a rough day against the Bills and drew some deserved criticism from his coach in the post-game comments. He had several critical drops in the game that made it difficult for the Browns to sustain any momentum. Then, late in the game with the Browns trailing, he celebrated a big catch that was brought back on a holding penalty. With just 2 catches for 17 yards, it sounds like he could be in danger of losing his starting job as the team tries to find some consistency from their young receiving group.

Week 4 - It’s no wonder the Browns lead the league in drops. The enigma that is Greg Little continues, as he was clearly the best receiver on the field for Cleveland, but his trouble catching the ball hurt the team. Little caught just 4 of his 10 targets for 77 yards and let a touchdown toss slip through his fingers in the 4th quarter. Leaping for the ball, Little was right at the goal-line.

Despite his five drops, a couple of which were ugly, it’s hard to imagine Cleveland taking their most dynamic receiver off the field. Little made an impressive 43-yard reception in the 2nd quarter. He had to turn around and jump to bring in the pass with Cary Williams’ hand in his face. Later, he gained separation on a deep crosser and made the catch.

Week 5 - Greg Little was blanked in terms of receptions and rarely even targeted by QB Weeden on Sunday. The Browns ran the ball a lot considering they were behind for most of this game and held the ball for 10 minutes less than the Giants. As a result, Little had very few opportunities to make a mark in this game. When the Browns did put the ball up in the air, QB Weeden was targeting teammates Gordon and Norwood down the field. Little had a chance at a deep play down the field on a streak pattern but Weeden overthrew him. Weeden struggled with his accuracy and missed Little again over the short middle on a slant. It was clear on Sunday that Little was the #3 receiver in a struggling offense; a tough situation to produce as a WR.

Week 7 - With the continued development of Josh Gordon as the deep threat and Josh Cooper the savvy, dependable target, it left Little with a high target total, but an undefined role in the offense. Little found the end zone in this game, a bobbled reception as he jumped high above the coverage in the back of the end zone. It was a lengthy review to see if he had control when his feet were in-bounds, but the play stood. Little’s remaining targets were of the short variety, looking to get the ball in his hands quickly to use his running back-like physicality after the catch. Little was able to haul in a low pass from Weeden on one occasion and a contested crossing route on another. With Travis Benjamin and Josh Cooper in the lineup along with Josh Gordon’s progression as the no.1 receiver on the team, Little’s value is very spotty week-to-week in fantasy.

Week 8 - Little got wide open over the middle after finding a soft spot in the zone to pick up 22 yards, but he was rarely the first option down the field and the results showed that.

Week 9 - If Greg Little has played a better, more consistent game, I haven't seen it. Little caught every pass that was thrown his way and had a good understanding with Weeden throughout the game. The Browns took a shot to Little on the very first play of the game deep down the left sideline. He couldn't get separation however and the ball was overthrown. Little's first reception was a six yard pickup on third and five running across the field. He caught a wide open crossing route off of play action when he was wide open against Jimmy Smith. Litle caught a dart from Brandon Weeden underneath with a defender all over him. He caught the ball and did well to get down the field before stopping the clock by getting out of bounds. Little caught a pass with a defender on his back for a first down over the middle at the first down marker. Little caught a quick out route when he rounded his route too early and cost himself an opportunity at converting a first down. It proved to be a pivotal mistake as the Browns couldn't convert the following fourth down that led to the Ravens kicking a late field goal.

Week 11 - Little, like teammate Josh Gordon, made plays on the ball against Dallas that bailed out Brandon Weeden on poor throws. He extended for high passes as well as ones that were behind him. The emergence of Gordon as really hurt Little’s chances for a breakout as he has moved to the no.2 role in the passing game. In fact, Trent Richardson may be the no.2 passing option on a weekly basis. Little made all the plays that were available to him this week, which is a positive sign for the second-year receiver who has struggled with drops in his first two seasons.

Week 12 - Little was very rarely heard from in this game and appears to have fallen behind Mohamed Massaquoi on the depth chart and not even in sniffing distance of Josh Gordon.

Week 13 - Little was silent for the first 20 minutes of the game before making the most of his first opportunity. He turned a 10-yard hitch into a 20-yard gain with some nice moves after the catch. He played second-fiddle to Josh Gordon and had just a few short receptions before he made another significant impact. Late in the third quarter, Little made his biggest play. With Cleveland backed up in their own territory and facing third-and-long, Little turned momentum in Cleveland’s favor. Little caught a crossing route in a 13-10 game that shifted field position at a crucial moment. While it was yet another ho-hum fantasy day, Little played well given his limited (five targets) involvement. While Little has yet to have a breakout game in 2012, this marked his sixth game over 45 receiving yards. With Josh Gordon’s emergence as the no.1 receiver in Cleveland, Little’s fantasy upside will be capped going forward.

Week 14 - Little was clearly behind Josh Gordon in the pecking order but looked as good as I’ve seen him. He badly beat a linebacker out of the slot on a short cross for his biggest gain of the day, 34 yards. He ran crisp routes and did not drop the ball, which is a huge improvement. In a twist, the Browns actually gave Little a carry out of the backfield, a toss play on 3rd down. He looked like a running back following his blockers and picked up 11 yards and a first down.

Week 15 - Little led all Browns receivers in catches, receiving yards, and receiving yardage, manhandling the weak Redskins’ secondary on a bevy of pass routes. Catching five passes for seventy-four yards, including an impressive thirty-yard grab on a deep crossing route off a bootleg, Little looked to be the receiver most in sync with quarterback Brandon Weeden against Washington. Little was the intended target on Weeden’s second interception of the day. Weeden severely under threw Little in Washington territory, allowing Redskins linebacker London Fletcher to snag the pass and return the ball for eight yards. Browns fans and fantasy owners alike should be encouraged by Little’s performance, as Little had his best week since Week Four and continues to develop his rapport with Brandon Weeden.

Week 16 - With seven targets, Little was the second-most active Browns pass catcher to Ben Watson’s 10 looks in the pass game. In addition to catching six of those targets, he found the end zone on a goal line pass, his first touchdown since Week 7, a span of 24 receptions. He showed his physical play on his first two receptions, making contested catches look easy and bulldozing a defensive back at the end of a play. His lone missed target came on a horrible third down drop where the ball bounced right off of Little’s chest, a play that reminds fantasy owners of his inconsistent play, especially on routine catches. To add insult to the drop, Little was called for offensive pass interference on the play. In garbage time, Little collected two receptions, including his short touchdown. Outside of a strong Week 17, Little will see a decrease in his total production. Given their usage in 2012, Little looks like a possession-type receiver if he can continue his improvement, while Josh Gordon can be the prototype no.1 target in Cleveland.

Week 17 - Little made a good catch on a wide open out route as he had to extend and catch the ball off his feet for the first down. After Lewis missed him wide open underneath on the other side of the field, Little came free against the blitz running a crossing route before running down the field for a big gain and a first down. Little caught a touchdown pass in the back of the endzone on play-action after continuing to run his route when the quarterback initially refused to throw to him open over the middle.