Robert Meachem @ Jax
In 3 starts against Jacksonville, QB Drew Brees has completed 65.5% of his passes for 952 yards with 8 TDs and 0 INTs. He will bring it again this week, though with the Saints receiving corps it has become increasingly difficult to figure who will receive bulk of the looks. After all, it is RB Darren Sproles currently leading the Saint’s in receptions (21); WR Devery Henderson leads them in receiving yards (265); and to cloud matters further, Lance Moore had to go and make 9 catches last week. It is Robert Meachem, however, who leads the Saints with 3 TD receptions - one in each game in 2011 - and Brees trusts him near the goal line. He has also had at least 4 receptions in every game this season and should continue to be a factor in the passing game.

Lloyd is looking for the endzone.

Brandon Lloyd @ GB
After his breakout 2010 campaign, defenses have been paying more attention to Lloyd, making it difficult for QB Kyle Orton to get him the ball. In two games this year he has 10 catches for 127 yards, which isn’t terrible, but he has been held out of the end zone. I suspect that will change this week. The emergence of WR Eric Decker and a matchup (and potential shoot out) with the Packers should both serve to calm the nerves of Lloyd and his owners alike. He needs 5 catches to reach 100 with Broncos, and he should get them in Green Bay.

Denarius Moore vs. NE
Moore snared 4 passes for 34 yards and added a 23-yard rushing TD in Sunday's victory over the Jets. Raiders’ Head Coach Hue Jackson reiterated that Moore will continue to earn more playing time. He should be able to make some plays this week, especially if WR Jacoby Ford remains limited with his hamstring injury. Trusting a Raider in fantasy is never easy but often with high risk comes high reward; helping matters further, the Patriots defense has been lit up consistently in 2011.

Bench 'Em

Fred Davis @ Stl
Davis’ 2011 average of 17.8 yards per catch is impressive, but the tight end situation in Washington may not allow for him to attain true TE1 fantasy status. Davis was an offensive force in Weeks 1 & 2, racking up 11 catches for 191 yards and a TD. Plugged in to many Week 3 lineups in Dallas, he had 1 lonely catch for 23 yards and was out-produced by veteran TE Chris Cooley (4 catches, 41 yards) for the first time this season. While Davis is by far the superior receiving option of the duo, it was disappointing to see him virtually taken out of the game by the Cowboys.

Devery Henderson @ Jax
Henderson leads the Saints in receiving yards (265) and average yards per reception (22.1), but he was limited to 3 catches last week as Lance Moore returned to form. Unfortunately, with the excess of mouths to feed in the Saints offense and the looming return of WR Marcus Colston, Henderson may himself return to his weekly “boom-or-bust” status. He certainly has big-play ability but it is lack of consistency that could be an issue for the remainder of the season.

Mike Thomas vs. NO
Normally I endorse the #1 receiver on a bad team facing a high-powered offense; there tends to be a lot of gun slinging as the bad team feverishly plays catch up. Last week, Thomas had a decent game: 4 catches, 55 yards and a TD; but without a fluky “Hail Mary” type 36-yard touchdown at the end of the first half from rookie QB Blain Gabbert, he would have had a very quiet day. I need to see the chemistry develop between Gabbert and Thomas before advising to deploy him again.

Hines Ward @ Hou
After a great run of fantasy relevance (how many receivers have had 10 consecutive years of quality fantasy production?) the writing is on the wall for Ward owners. His 12 catches rank 2nd on the Steelers, but his catch totals have declined with each passing week (5, 4, 3) and he is losing looks to Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders. Ward’s average of 9.8 yards per catch is the lowest of his career and dating to last season, he has just 1 receiving TD in his last 10 games, which represents the worst such stretch since his 1998 rookie season. Stay away.

Good luck in Week 4!


Quarterbacks