Kayshon Boutte

Kayshon Boutte 2023 Fantasy Football Rookie Profile

Overview

Coming into the 2022 college season, Louisiana State University (LSU) wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was touted by many as the top or, at worst, the second-best receiver in this class, along with Jaxon Smith-Njigba out of Ohio State University.

Boutte broke onto the scene in his freshman season earning Freshman All-American honors and being named to the SEC All-Freshman Team leading LSU with 45 catches for 735 yards and five touchdowns. National recognition came in the season’s final game against the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) where Boutte set an SEC record of 308 yards in one game.

Big things were expected in 2021, and Boutte started like a man possessed until an ankle injury six games in robbed us of the chance to see what kind of incredible season he could have produced. Even in six games, Boutte amassed 509 yards and nine touchdowns. All of this led to the potential for Boutte to cement his position as the class’s WR1 in 2022. Unfortunately, a second surgery in the offseason and the inability to get back to his best form saw a down year for Boutte, finishing with 48 catches for 538 yards and only two touchdowns in 11 games.

After an ultra-disappointing NFL Combine from Boutte has left more questions than answers. On film, he looked to have blazing speed and athleticism. But he failed to fire in Indianapolis and now will see his NFL Draft stock fall.

Pros

• Big play ability
• Utilizes size and speed
• Excels on in-breaking routes and slants
• Extremely versatile in his alignments
• High Football IQ
• Ability to break off the route and improvise if needed

Cons

• Focus issues leading to drops
• Needs improvement on release packages
• Doesn’t possess a great catch radius
• Poor NFL Combine performance and testing

Kayshon Boutte Player Comparison

A faster Jarvis Landry (WR, New Orleans Saints)

Jarvis Landry might not be the name many people think of when watching Boutte, but to me, he is a more twitched-up version. Landry ran a less-than-impressive 4.77 40-yard dash, but he is elite in a few areas.

He excelled at in-breaking routes and slants, causing the defense to shift their leverage to inside coverage, allowing him to get behind a defender for a big play. Yes, Landry isn’t the athlete that Boutte is, but after watching his film, the comparison stands out.

Kayshon Boutte Fantasy Football Projection

If Boutte can improve some of in the areas listed and regain full health, he can carve out a nice career in the NFL as a WR 2. This could lead to having multiple 100-catch seasons and becoming his quarterback’s safety blanket.

Boutte’s fantasy impact is tough to project, as we have been spoiled the last few years with the immense talent at the receiver position. So everyone is hoping this new batch of players lives up to the same hype. I’m sorry to say I don’t see the same type of talent as the previous years, but that doesn’t mean that these WRs should be ignored altogether.

To me, Boutte’s value ceiling is eventually developing into a Points Per Reception (PPR) WR2 at best. More than likely, he will be a WR3/FLEX option once established in the pros. He feels like a player who could average 10-16 a week. You won’t be hailing him as the league-winner on your team, but you will notice when he isn’t on the field, and you miss out on that consistent production.

Unless the landing spot is more-than-ideal, Boutte will be a late-round redraft target. However, he’s more of a long-term asset, making it more appealing to target him in the second round of dynasty league rookie drafts in superflex formats or the late-first round in 1QB formats.

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