Author: TJ Streett

Blackmon Back On Radar

With two consecutive solid games under his belt, Justin Blackmon is back on the fantasy radar.

Analysis: Justin Blackmon had his best fantasy game of his young NFL career posting 5 receptions for just 32 receiving yards and an all important touchdown Sunday against the Detroit Lions. Blackmon added to his previous best fantasy game last week(4 rec, 67 yards) as he finally seems more acclimated to the pro game.

The Oklahoma State product has been targeted 17 times over the past two weeks which is a postive sign considering he only averaged 5 targets per game in the first month of the season. I’m not saying Blackmon has turned the corner but he is improving which is what we saw from Michael Crabtree in his wasted rookie year.

At the moment Blackmon is available in over half of fantasy leagues and he is worth roster consideration. His targets seem to be stable and if he can limit his drops and be on the end of more accurate passes he may even have some value in PPR leagues… although I wouldn’t hold my breath. There aren’t many wide outs available on the wire that will be targeted as much as Blackmon but he is far from reliable as he lands back on the fantasy radar.

Aminu Impressive In Opener

The New Orleans Hornets have very few things to look forward to this year but the emergence of Al-Farouq Aminu is one of them.

Analysis: Al-Farouq Aminu put up 17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals Wednesday night against the Spurs. He did all of this in 37 minutes and since the Hornets don’t have much at small forward you can expect to see a lot of Aminu on the floor this year for the Hornets. The uncertainty of Eric Gordon’s return is also an added plus for Aminu’s fantasy value, he will be one of the primary offensive options for New Orleans.

There are a couple of negatives when projecting Aminu this year. He’s a small forward that will give you next to nothing in the three department and his field goal percentage has been suspect since he entered the league. He will give you some blocks as a small forward which is always a big help and since he’s available in just about every league it is hard to make a case against him. If his minutes remain solid so will his fantasy contributions.

Streaming Defenses- Week 9

For the second week in a row the San Diego Chargers are the team of choice to stream.

Analysis: Whether you are looking for a defense to stream or need a fill in for the Niners or Jets, the Chargers have a great matchup Thursday against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Kansas City offense ranks 28th in points per game and 32nd in turnover margin. The Chiefs have only scored more than 20 points just twice in seven games this year. In short, the Chiefs are just plain awful on offense.

Meanwhile, the Charger defense has been solid this year. The San Diego D ranks 10th in yards per game, 9th in points per game, 13th in interceptions, 4th in forced fumbles and 6th in fumble recoveries. This is a defense that is still widely available in fantasy leagues while squads like the Cowboys and Bengals still get plenty of love in the fantasy world. The Chargers do need to step it up in the sack/pressure department but they are solid and have only had two bad fantasy games this year which were against the Saints and Falcons.

Last Call On Titus Young

Titus Young is set to break out as he steps into the number two wide out role in Detroit.

Analysis: Nate Burleson is out for the year with a broken leg and Titus Young is the unquestioned number two in Detroit. With that in mind, Titus Young came to play Sunday. The second year wide out had the first 100 yard game of his career and his second two touchdown game as a pro on Sunday. We all know the Lions love to sling the rock and Titus Young recorded nine receptions on nine targets Sunday. He may only be owned in about half of fantasy leagues but he is a WR3/FLEX option with the potential for more. Young has caught 15 balls for 181 receiving yards over the past two games and in doing so made himself a PPR league stud. Prior to week seven Young had only one game where he caught more than two balls(week three).

With what is out there on the wire you have to like your chances with Titus Young over guys like Cecil Shorts and even Sidney Rice. It’s last call on Titus Young.

Donald Brown Back In Action

Donald Brown was back in action Sunday against the Titans after missing two games with a knee injury.

Analysis: Brown is under the radar at the moment due to his knee surgery and the layoff but he did perform well Sunday. Brown was on the end of 14 carries for 80 rushing yards. He’s averaging 15 carries per game in his five games this year making him one valuable lower tier back. He does not help out much in PPR leagues with only 3 receptions thus far this year.

At this point Donald Brown is available in well over thirty percent of leagues but he will be one of the hottest pick ups going into week nine. He may only have one touchdown this year but his workload has been consistent and his 4.3 yards per carry average is respectable. He is certainly more of a fantasy asset than his backfield mate Vick Ballard.

Going forward Brown will split some carries with Ballard but expect 15-20 carries per game and just hope for the touchdowns to come. If he’s available there is no reason not to pick him up.