How things change from week to week in the NFL.
This past weekend some fantasy owners are starting to see who is producing and who isn’t producing. It still might be early to tell anything for certain, but one thing is for sure – this weekend saw a lot of no-name players make big contributions to their squads and we saw some very productive fantasy players make their way onto the injury reports.
Andre brown – RB – NYG – I was watching the game on Sunday and when Bradshaw went down I was excited that I was about to see the future of the NYG running game with Rookie David Wilson, who was ready to make a stand and throw his hat into the ring to become the new starting running back for the Giants. I was wrong.
Andre Brown came into the game, sending thousands of fantasy owners like myself running to their computers trying to add this unknown player. With 13 rushes for 71 yards and a TD, Brown will be this week’s #1 pickup. If he is still available in your league he is a must add with Bradshaw in doubt of playing this Thursday night against Carolina.
Michael Bush RB – CHI – I had him on my radar over the off-season, tracking which team he was going to end up with. When I heard it was the Bears I thought it was a big hit against his fantasy value acting as Mat Forte’s back up. The Bears have used Bush as their red zone running back, and with the latest injury to forte he stepped up against the packers showing a respectable 54 yards on 14 carries. Bush should put up decent numbers against the Rams this weekend, and depending how severe Forte’s injury is he might be in line for a couple more starts.
Martellus Bennett – TE – NYG – Going undrafted in most Fantasy Leagues, Bennett has been one of Eli’s main targets and has been a big part of their offensive game plan. Bennett played close to 100% of the offensive snaps on Sunday’s game against the Bucs. At 6’6 270 he’s got great speed and is a defensive nightmare for most opponents. This past week with injuries to Aaron Hernandez and Fred Davis look to grab Bennett to be a solid addition to your squad. Bennett is a must own in all formats.
Daryl Richardson – RB – STL – After running across my house to try to add Brown and making my way back to my couch I noticed a name showing up on my stat tracker – Richardson? I scratched my head trying to figure out who he was. Out of Abilene Christian University he was the second last draft pick in this year’s draft. Richardson racked up 83 yards on the ground and another 19 on two receptions after Steven Jackson left the game with a groin injury. This Injury plagued Jackson all of last year and could haunt him for the rest of the season. Richardson is the clear handcuff for Steven Jackson owner as Isaiah Pead has yet to touch the ball in the St. Louis Backfield,
Brandon Lafell – WR – CAR – Last year Lafell put up 613 yards and 3 td’s. This doesn’t sound too impressive, but when you take into consideration he didn’t play every snap you start to see his potential. So far Lafell has put up 9 receptions for 155 yards and a score. With most teams putting their better corners on Steve Smith, look for Cam Newton to feed him the ball. Lafell will be a nice slash position type player and has more value in Dynasty Leagues.
Flying under the Radar
Donnie Avery – WR – IND – After injuring his knee in the 2010 preseason and missing the entire year, Avery only played eight games the following year with 3 receptions for 74 yards and a TD. With Austin Collie still recovering from a concussion; look for Avery’s targets to increase noticeable over the next couple weeks. Currently Avery has a respectable 12 receptions for 148 yards and a 1 TD. Depending on the length of Collie’s injury Avery could be a nice play during the upcoming bye weeks and if he becomes Luck’s go to guy he could have some big upside.
Looking forward to seeing how this week plays out, but one thing is for sure – no one knows what’s going to happen and what next weeks’ #1 pick up will be on Riding the 2012 Fantasy waiver wire.
Thanks for reading and I’ll see you right back here next Thursday morning.
Feel free to tune in every Wednesday night at 9:00 to Last Word Radio‘s “NFL Fantasy Tips” program. Along with Derek Brown, we will discuss NFL Fantasy and try to give you value
