When it comes to annual exercise of fantasy football drafts, one of the more tried and true methods for success in picking players is to focus on guys who are looking at a boost in workload. Whether it is because an offseason free agent defection, trade, or injury, when one prime offensive player departs a given team's lineup, the Next Man Up instantly becomes a person of interest. Such was the case in Pittsburgh this past summer when the team's number 1 receiver Mike Wallace left to sign a massive deal with the Miami Dolphins. With Wallace now no longer part of the team's offensive plans, the depth chart was going to be tested. Playing the number 2 receiver role to Wallace's number 1 the season prior was Antonio Brown who was now going to be counted on to be the team's new top guy in the passing game. While there was some question whether Brown could handle such a responsibility, he had caught 66 and 69 passes the two seasons prior which showed that he was capable of stepping up. Still Brown was not given much love in fantasy football circles when it came to the draft this past summer as his average draft position was that of a WR 3.
Despite the concerns about stepping up to such a prominent place in the offense, Brown quickly put those worries to rest by catching 5 passes in the opener and than reeling off a string of monster games over the last month that placed him squarely among the most productive receivers in the game this season. In fact Brown has been ridiculous over the last three games, catching 9, 12, and 9 passes. The classic was the September 22nd destruction of the Chicago Bears when Brown caught 9 passes for a crazy 196 yards and two touchdowns. Clearly Ben Roethlisberger and Brown are on the same page and the Pittsburgh QB looks for him first on almost every drop back he takes. Those who own Brown in PPR formats are ding cartwheels over their good fortune while those in standard leagues want him to score a bit more. Be that as it may, Brown has graduated to near WR 1 status given the numbers we have seen him put up this season. Yet another example of a step up in production leading to fantasy football success.
No comments:
Post a Comment