Percy Harvin

Hip surgery and a concussion ruined Harvin’s 2013 season, though last we saw him he was taking a kick to the house in the Super Bowl. Presumably healthy to start this season, the 25-year old Harvin is one of the most dynamic players in the game, and if the Super Bowl was any indication, the Seahawks won’t be afraid to use him in multiple ways. At 5-11, 184, Harvin runs a 4.39 40, is as quick as anyone in the league and does not go down easily on contact. While the Seahawks are a defensive-oriented, run-first team, we have to expect their historically good performance to regress, and tailback Marshawn Lynch has a lot of hard mileage under his belt. Moreover, Seattle let Golden Tate walk in free agency, so only Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse and Sidney Rice qualify as competition for targets, none of whom possess anything close to Harvin’s skills. While his size will likely limit his red-zone use, he’s a good bet to add a couple scores on the ground and/or in the return game, as well as some rushing yards. The biggest issue for Harvin, as always, is health – he’s missed 22 games the last two years, and three during his first three seasons in the league.

Harvin, who is coming off hip surgery, will start the season on the Seahawks' PUP list. While the move does not come accompanied by a timetable for Harvin's return, the designation does leave open the possibility that Harvin could contribute to the Seattle offense at some point during the coming season. In any case, he is officially ruled out for the team's first six games.

Dogged by character concerns and migraine headaches in years past, Harvin turned in the best fantasy season of his career in 2011, playing all 16 games and amassing 967 receiving yards, 345 rushing yards and nine total touchdowns (if you include kick returns). In terms of efficiency, Harvin dropped to a career-low 7.9 YPT, but we wouldn’t make much of that as he was paired with a washed-up Donovan McNabb and rookie Christian Ponder. Ponder should improve with a full training camp as a starter, and Harvin returns as his clear No. 1 target in the passing game. In fact, coach Leslie Frazier wants to get Harvin on the field for more than the 59 percent of snaps he’s seen the last two years. But Harvin will have to prove he can stay healthy and focused with an increased workload. At 5-11, 195, Harvin’s not big, but he’s fast, extremely quick in open space and tough to bring down. Harvin’s also got great hands – just seven drops over the last two seasons combined. Harvin doesn’t run a lot of downfield routes – usually catching short balls and creating his own opportunities after the catch – and he doesn’t see a lot of work in the red zone (just nine targets). But that could change this year if Ponder takes the next step with Harvin as his lead dog in the receiving corps. Even if it doesn’t, don’t forget to give Harvin a nice boost on account of his rushing stats. Harvin had arthroscopic surgery in late April to repair damage to the AC joint in his shoulder, but is expected to be 100 percent healthy well before the start of training camp.

Were it not for the recurring migraine headaches, Harvin would profile as a top-15 receiver. Despite playing with a diminished Brett Favre, Tarvaris Jackson and Joe Webb, Harvin had 868 receiving yards and 107 yards on the ground. He scored six touchdowns from scrimmage and another on a kick return – all in 14 games. At 5-11, 195, Harvin isn't big, but he's a tremendous athlete, incredibly elusive in the open field, has great hands (only four drops) and is capable of breaking tackles. In fact, Harvin was second in the league with 459 yards after the catch on just 109 targets. With Sidney Rice and Tavaris Jackson off to Seattle, Harvin becomes the team's No. 1 wideout with Donovan McNabb as his new quarterback. Interestingly, Harvin catches mostly short balls and does most of the work on his own after the catch, which isn't exactly how McNabb likes to play. In addition, there's the issue of the migraines that cost him two games last year and constantly render him a game-time decision, something that's hard on fantasy owners from a planning standpoint. It's impossible to say whether the condition will improve or get worse, but it's plagued him for years – even in college – and is simply part of his risk profile.

Of all the Vikings receivers, Harvin is probably the least reliant on Brett Favre’s return to retain his 2009 value. Harvin had an outstanding rookie year, averaging 8.7 yards per target and hauling in 66 percent of the passes thrown his way. He also managed three receptions of 40-plus on just 91 targets and led all wide receivers with 25 broken tackles — (Wes Welker was a distant second with 16). At 5-11, 202 (after putting on some muscle this offseason), Harvin’s greatest assets are his electrifying quickness and deep speed. He’s incredibly elusive in the open field, and can change directions on a dime. While Brett Favre threw the ball to everyone in the red zone, Sidney Rice and Visante Shiancoe were his first looks there, so a more run-first offense around the goal line in Favre’s absence would hurt Harvin least. Moreover, Harvin can “create his own shot” so to speak, so his explosiveness doesn’t depend on a premier assist man. Harvin also adds value as a runner out of the backfield — last year he had 15 carries for 135 yards, a rare bonus from a wide-receiver. One concern is Harvin’s propensity to suffer severe migraine headaches. The migraines cost him one game last season, and despite working out and staying in great shape, they’ve been plaguing him this offseason as well.

Here's your Blue Plate Special boom-or-bust pick. For those willing to overlook his perceived character flaws and propensity to get dinged up, there's an exciting playmaker with game-breaking potential. If all goes well, the Vikings have added a player with a Steve Smith (CAR) ceiling, but it may be a while before that's something fantasy owners can count on, so draft him for his floor, which is more in line with Devin Hester, the receiver.