Fantasy Outlook

Miles Austin was the hot sleeper last summer that had been electrifying in camp but when the regular season came along, he flopped. His first four games totaled only five catches for 81 yards and one score. And then the lightning struck in week five when he had 250 yards on ten catches in Kansas City. The next week he had 171 yards and two scores against the Falcons. He may have missed out on the first four weeks but by the end of the season, Austin ranked #3 in wideout yardage with 1320 yards and his 11 touchdowns were second best in the league. He had five efforts top 100 yards. He scored in eight of the final twelve regular season games. It was a pretty good year.

The previously undrafted receiver exploded last year with a 16.3 yard average on his 81 catches. Austin now is a part of that elite set of wideouts who not only turn in the occasional monster effort but that almost never has a bad game. His consistency alone makes him a stud wideout thanks to ten games with a score. The addition of Dez Bryant may impact Austin in the future but there is no cause for alarm this year and if anything, Bryant may help Austin by giving the secondary much more to consider than Roy Williams or Patrick Crayton.

Posted: 8/25/2010 12:35am et

During an interview with GQ magazine, NFL.com analyst Michael Lombardi said Dallas Cowboys WR Miles Austin was the league's smartest wide receiver, reports The Dallas Morning News. Lombardi wrote, "Undrafted out of tiny Monmouth University, he improves each year because of his rare ability to concentrate. Runs crafty routes, deadly after the catch."

Huddle Up: Whether this indeed is the reason he's come on so strong recently or not, it is still a little bit of trivia that is interesting to know. The fact is, Austin is one of the five best fantasy football receivers out there this year and is being drafted like it. The man with the 'rare ability to concentrate' is going to help a lot of fantasy owners this season.

Posted: 7/26/2010 2:47pm et

Dallas Cowboys WR Miles Austin, who recorded over 1,300 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in 2009, said he will work hard to try and have a similar campaign in 2010, according to CBSSports.com. 'Statistically who knows what is going to happen, but I know my efforts are going to be the same or higher this year,' Austin said.

Huddle Up: Austin entered the starting lineup in week five last year and was the #1 fantasy receiver from that point on. His explosive stretch from weeks 11-14 with 30 catches, 459 yards, and 4 TDs helped propel many of you to a fantasy title. Hopefully Kim Kardashian won't be too much of a distraction.

Posted: 7/24/2010 11:20pm et

The Dallas Cowboys will now shift their focus on signing WR Miles Austin to a long-term deal after the team signed all of their draft class, according to Todd Archer, of The Dallas Morning News. The club has had cursory talks with Austin's agent but talks are expected to heat up in the coming weeks.

Huddle Up: Austin is clearly Romo's go to guy and will likely have another solid season in Dallas with the tremendous cast around him. The Cowboys management appears to be looking to get more involved in contract talks with Austin to try and reach an agreement to lock up his services sooner rather than later. Look for Austin to remain a No. 1 wideout for fantasy teams regardless of the scoring format.

Posted: 6/14/2010 12:12am et

Dallas Cowboys WR Miles Austin will see some action in the slot this year, and he is excited about it, reports CBSSports.com. "Whatever helps the team ... but it's good to get inside and get some mismatches. Sometimes you can really make big plays from in there. I'm excited about all of it," Austin said.

Huddle Up: With plenty of depth at wide receiver, expect the Cowboys to move Austin around to create the best matchups for him. That can only mean good news for his fantasy value.

Posted: 6/12/2010 3:28am et

Dallas Cowboys WR Miles Austin signed his $3.168 million tender offer Friday, June 11, and the team is likely to work on a long-term deal with him now, according to The Dallas Morning News' Todd Archer. However, both parties have had minimal talks on a new contract during the offseason.

Huddle Up: It would make sense for the Cowboys to lock up Austin long term, and with the one-year agreement they just bought themselves more time to do so.

Posted: 4/15/2010 9:24pm et

ESPNDallas.com, reports Dallas Cowboys restricted free-agent WR Miles Austin said he plans to sign his one-year, $3.168 million tender offer before the deadline to sign with another teams. Austin said he would not have a problem playing on the one-year contract but hopes for a long-term deal.

Huddle Up: Dallas certainly should be considering a long-term contract for Austin even if they are not at the present time. He is clearly the No. 1 wideout on a team that needs playmakers and it would cause huge concern if another team were to wrestle him away at some point because they did not get a long-term deal in place. He is a quality No. 1 fantasy wideout and has developed nice rapport with QB Tony Romo in Dallas.

Posted: 4/12/2010 2:56pm et

The Dallas Morning News reports Cowboys restricted free-agent WR Miles Austin is not participating in the team's offseason program. Austin is working out on his own in Los Angeles. "Oh, Miles will be back, don't worry, he'll be back and around. He's just getting things done, the business side of things that happens once and while," QB Tony Romo said. "But I talked to Miles the other day, he'll be on a bike. He's a good kid, he's going to work hard and he'll be ready to go when the time comes. He does a lot of good things, and he knows what it takes to play at a high level, year in and year out."

Huddle Up: About the only recourse players have at this juncture is not signing their tender and staying away from team workouts. There is no reason to expect that to be a problem going forward; Romo knows where Austin is and should have little difficulty getting him the football.

Posted: 3/2/2010 8:05pm et

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, reports Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said one of the team's main objectives this offseason is to sign WR Miles Austin to a long-term contract. Jones said it will be difficult because of the potential of an uncapped year in 2010 and the uncertainty that lies ahead.

Huddle Up: Austin is without question the Cowboys' top wideout and he has developed nice rapport with quarterback Tony Romo in the offense. It would certainly be a big win for Dallas if they could lock him up on a long-term deal and provide the Dallas offense with some stability for many years to come at the position. Austin is a solid No. 1 receiver for fantasy teams at a position that has been vital to success in past years.

Posted: 2/15/2010 12:52pm et

Matt Mosley, of ESPN.com, reports the Dallas Cowboys will likely sign WR Miles Austin to a long-term contract before placing the franchise tag on him. Austin will likely become a restricted free agent this offseason and be eligible for the first- and third-round tender of $3.1 million from the Cowboys.

Huddle Up: The Cowboys could end up using the franchise tag as a last resort to buy more time for a long-term deal, but it sounds like everything is proceeding towards a deal getting done before the franchise tag becomes necessary.

Posted: 2/6/2010 5:45pm et

Todd Archer, of The Dallas Morning News, reports Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he wants to sign WR Miles Austin to a long-term contract. Austin will be a restricted free agent for the second straight season provided the NFL and the players association do not reach an accord on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Huddle Up: The Cowboys will likely have the luxury of treating Austin as an RFA due to the lack of a collective bargaining agreement, which buys them time to work out the details of a long-term deal for a receiver who emerged as Tony Romo's top target this season.

Posted: 1/29/2010 10:49pm et

Todd Archer, of The Dallas Morning News, reports Cowboys WR Miles Austin, who is an impending restricted free agent, said he wants to re-sign with the team during the offseason but knows that the decision is up to the Cowboys. The Cowboys likely will tender him an offer that would give them a first-round and third-round draft choice if another team signs him and the Cowboys do not match. The team likely will start long-term contract negotiations after they tender him the offer.

Huddle Up: Austin emerged as Tony Romo's go-to guy, so at minimum the Cowboys will tender him at the highest level. Certainly they'd like to ink him to a long-term agreement, but they're already overpaying Roy Williams and the RFA tag will allow them to keep Austin's price tag down... at least for now.

Posted: 1/21/2010 10:02pm et

ESPNDallas.com, reports Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said he wants to sign impending restricted free-agent WR Miles Austin to a long-term contract during the offseason.

Huddle Up: Austin has been nothing short of incredible this season and Dallas would certainly want to ltry and lock up his services as he has been arguably the Cowboys best wideout. The talented receiver will likely be a hot commodity if he hits the open market but Dallas will likely not let that happen.