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Streaming Defenses- Week 3

The Indianapolis Colts have a week three contest with the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars.

Analysis: Jacksonville quarterback Blaine Gabbert is banged up with toe and hamstring problems at the moment but he should be ready to go for the Indy game. He has led the Jags to a 32nd ranked total offense, 30th in points per game and he himself has the 21st “best” passer rating in the league. When Brees, Cutler, Stafford and Vick get it going expect his passer rating near the bottom of the league once again. The Jags haven’t been able to muster up anything on offense this year and a road game in Indy won’t see Gabbert throwing for three touchdowns.

On the other hand you have a respectable Indy D but they are far from special. They are sixth in the league in sacks which is always a plus when facing a struggling quarterback who has yet to put up decent numbers on the road. The Indy D is available in virtually every league which makes sense but they are certainly worth roster consideration this week. Another defense to take a look at is the Buffalo D, a defense that has tons of talent up front and should beat up on the Browns this week.

Andre Brown For Thursday

New York Giants running back Andre Brown is a must start in week three if Ahmad Bradshaw remains out with a neck injury.

Analysis: Ahmad Bradshaw left Sunday’s game against Tampa with a neck sprain and now his status for his week three contest with the Carolina Panthers is up in the air. What further compounds the situation is the Carolina game is this Thursday which will severely limit Bradshaw’s recovery time. With neck injuries it’s never worth the risk and it appears that Bradshaw will miss the game.

Enter Andre Brown into the mix who carried the rock thirteen times to David Wilson’s three carries in week two. Wilson may be a first round pick but he has struggled mightily as a pro thus far. Brown rushed for 71 yards and a score on those thirteen carries as well as catching two balls for nineteen yards. It appears that he will start in week three and he should be on the end of twenty or so carries which means he is a fantasy must start this week. He’s available in just about every league but he will be going fast.

Danny Amendola- PPR Only?

Yes, Danny Amendola had one hell of a game Sunday against the Skins going for 15 receptions with 160 yards and a score. Amendola only played in one game last year but in 2010 his 85 receptions were a delight to PPR owners everywhere.

Analysis: It’s a given that Danny Amendola is a PPR stud but in standard leagues it’s not so black and white. He did amass 85 receptions in 2010 but he did so for only 689 yards with an 8.1 yards per catch average and only three touchdowns. So he may be a pass catching machine but his touchdown totals are suspect. He’s played in 33 games now as a pro and only has five touchdowns to show for it on 153 receptions. That’s not a good ratio for a lower tier tight end let alone a wide out.

Amendola does have 25 targets through two games and a solid 230 receiving yards but you need to know what to expect going forward. You are going to see a lot of eight reception, 67 yard games without a touchdown from Amendola this season. The touchdowns just aren’t going to be there for you. Even Wes Welker doesn’t even have a 10 touchdown year despite his talent and four 100 plus reception seasons. Know what you’re getting yourself into when you pick Amendola up in standard leagues.

Under The Radar- Brandon LaFell

Brandon LaFell caught six balls on eight targets for 90 yards Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. This 90 yard receiving day was only the third of his career and hopefully a sign of things to come for fantasy owners.

Analysis: Brandon LaFell has amassed 155 receiving yards and a touchdown thus far in his first two games this year. His thirteen targets through two games in just two shy of Carolina’s number one offensive threat Steve Smith. Carolina did run the ball heavily in week two but make no mistake, this is one balanced football team.

Brandon LaFell may be a post hype sleeper at this point in his three year career but his emergence this season is legit. To what extent we don’t quite know but he has the size and leaping ability to be one of Cam Newton’s favorite targets in and out of the red zone. LaFell is only owned in a quarter of leagues out there and he just may be ready for WR3 type numbers sooner than later. The New York Giants are up next for the Panthers, so expect a shootout and plenty of targets for the twenty-five year old Brandon LaFell.

Selling High- Dennis Pitta

Former BYU star Dennis Pitta put up great numbers in his Monday night opener, but is he a keeper?

Analysis: Dennis Pitta led the Ravens with nine targets, five receptions, 73 yards and a score Monday night. As much as I like Pitta’s game, there will be plenty of contests which will see him end up with two catches for sixteen yards. Ed Dickson, Baltimore’s other tight end is actually the better athlete and should be breaking out this season. We also cannot ignore the addition of Jacoby Jones to an already solid receiving corps which in turn will further spread the ball around.

Pitta was only targeted 56 times last year to Dickson’s 89, so we cannot conclude much from a one week sample size. Ray Rice was even targeted over 100 times last year but was only thrown to four times Monday night. As good of a night that Dennis Pitta had and as talented as he is, I just cannot see him putting up top fifteen tight end numbers at all this year. Keep in mind that Pitta caught two or fewer balls in eight of sixteen games last year. If you’re looking for a tight end to sell coming in to week two- Pitta’s value will not get any higher than it is now.