Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Robert Woods has always been solid, but last season, he completely broke out, hauling in 86 receptions for 1,219 yards and six touchdowns, all career highs.
Prior to 2018, Woods never even totaled 800 yards in a single season, and he had only caught 60 passes once.
So, was Woods' phenomenal 2018 campaign in the Rams' explosive offense a mirage, or is it a sign of things to come for Fantasy Football owners in 2019?
Well, kind of both.
We do need to take into account that Sean McVay's offense is pretty special and leaves room for a whole lot of people to get involved. The Rams also have a really good quarterback playing behind a terrific offensive line, so the aerial attack will always be there.
But can Woods seriously replicate that production again?
Here is something to keep in mind: fellow wide out Cooper Kupp only played half of last season due to a torn ACL, so that unquestionably bumped Woods' numbers a bit.
That isn't to say that Woods still wouldn't have had a big year, but fighting for targets with Brandin Cooks and Cupp (not to mention running back Todd Gurley, who is a fine pass-catcher in his own right) definitely would have grounded him a bit.
With Kupp on the mend and almost surely ready to go for Week 1, we should then temper our expectations for just how much we expect Woods to produce in 2019, as it would be quite a surprise if he racked up 1,200 yards again.
Yes, Los Angeles throws the ball a lot, but you have to think that with Cooks, Woods, and a healthy Kupp that Jared Goff will spread the ball out over the course of the season.
Plus, again, Woods had never even come close to that type of production in the previous five years of his career. Now, granted, four of those seasons came with the Buffalo Bills, but still, top-flight wide receivers tend to put up numbers regardless of their situation.
Let's also remember this: Woods has not exactly been a beacon of great health.
He did play all 16 games this past season, but that marked Woods' first full 16-campaign since 2014. Between 2015 and 2017, Woods missed nine games, and while that may not seem like a ton, it could make all the difference in your fantasy league.
None of this is really a knock on Woods, who is still a fine receiver. It's more of the fact that 2018 may have been a bit of an outlier and that he probably won't get 130 targets again in 2019.
Woods put up No. 1 receiver numbers this past year, and if you are expecting him to do that again in 2019 and end up making him your No. 1 receiver as a result, you will probably run into some trouble.
The 27-year-old may very well catch 70 passes for 900 yards and five touchdowns in 2019, which are still really good numbers and make him worth it as a solid No. 2 or very high-end No. 3, but don't view Woods as a guy who is going to catch around 90 balls for over 1,200 yards again. It probably isn't going to happen.
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