Nose for the endzone: Chris Hogan has scored
three times on only 17 targets early in the 2017 season.
Grab a Helmet
Chris
Hogan v. CAR: Only the Patriots could replace a former
college quarterback with a former college lacrosse player and turn
him into a Top 10 wide receiver in three short weeks. Ha! How did
we not see this coming? Julian Edelman was certainly the most notable
preseason casualty this year, but you had the feeling when the news
broke that Coach Belichick et al. would find a way to absorb the
seemingly devastating loss. Boy, have they ever. Hogan has now scored
double-digit fantasy points in two consecutive games and has made
the New England faithful mostly forget about Tom Brady’s favorite
target. Maybe Brady’s favorite target is just whoever’s catching
touchdowns on any given Sunday? That could very well be Hogan again
this coming Sunday (along with a host of other folks) as the Panthers
come to town. The Carolina defense is solid, but…yeah, so was Houston’s.
Adam
Thielen v. DET: Hogan caught just 12 passes at tiny Monmouth
University following that lacrosse career (Penn State), almost 200
fewer than Adam Thielen, also an undrafted free agent, snared at
the equally obscure Mankato State. It’s still possible, in other
words, to fly completely under the radar of football scouts, even
in this age of ubiquitous scouting intelligence. Thielen’s been
an especially great find for Minnesota, who hasn’t had two legitimate
receiving threats since 2009 (Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin). What
makes his and Stefon Diggs’ success even more amazing, however,
is the fact it’s been authored by Sam Bradford and Case Keenum,
two quarterbacks not likely to be trying on mustard-colored blazers
in Canton after they hang up the cleats. Thielen’s averaging almost
100 yards per game so far and if he starts scoring touchdowns, he
could end up being the fantasy WR find of the season.
Jaron
Brown v. SF: Arizona’s other “J. Brown” didn’t
exactly toil away in obscurity at Clemson, but it was hard to stand
out, I’d imagine, on a receiving corps featuring six future
NFL players (DeAndre Hopkins, Martavis Bryant, Sammy Watkins, Adam
Humphries, Charone Peake, and Brown). Think Deshaun Watson would
have liked slinging the rock to that crew? Brown has garnered 17
targets the last two weeks in John Brown’s absence and has
turned them into 100 total yards and a score. He could have had
two more TDs on Monday night but was foiled by a penalty and half
an inch of chalk. While everyone dashed for J.J. Nelson on the waiver
wire last week, I slunk in and made a small bid for this guy. I
think it could pay off in the weeks to come, starting this Sunday
v. the 49ers. Give Other J. Brown a look.
Grab Some Wood
Pierre
Garcon @ ARZ: Garcon looked like a great garbage time
grab in August drafts and he has not disappointed through three
weeks of the season. The former Washington wideout has 25 targets,
tied for 17th overall, and 249 receiving yards, good for 9th at
the position. That’s the good news. Here’s the bad: He hasn’t
accumulated any of those yards against a cornerback as good as
Arizona’s Patrick Peterson. In consecutive games, T.Y. Hilton
and Dez Bryant, two pretty terrific receivers, have combined to
tally just 61 yards against Peterson et al. Bryant was particularly
atrocious, notching just 12 yards in last Monday night’s contest.
If he hadn’t scored a touchdown, it would have been a downright
brutal performance. I like the chemistry Garcon has developed
with Brian Hoyer in pretty short order, but he’s not an every
week auto-start playing in that San Francisco offense. Sit him
down.
Ted
Ginn Jr.v. MIA (London): The tragically flawed Ginn
(great wheels, suspect hands) hoped to continue his late-career
renaissance in New Orleans’ fantasy-friendly offense this season.
And despite limited opportunities, he’s been very serviceable
so far. In three games, the former Panther has nine receptions
on 14 targets, 121 receiving yards, another 20 rushing yards,
and a single receiving touchdown. Useful-ish, yeah? The problem
is those numbers have come with Willie Snead out of the lineup
(serving a league-imposed suspension) and now Snead is back, ready
to reclaim his WR2 role. Even allowing for an adjustment period,
it seems reasonable to presume Ginn’s already limited touches
will become more limited as time goes on, especially considering
how well Brandon Coleman and Alvin Kamara have played. Bye week
spot starter, for sure, but every week starter? No way. Sit back
and wait for a better read on Ginn Jr’s long-term role.
Jermaine
Kearse v. JAX: The Jets have already surpassed my 2017
expectations, capturing a victory I never thought they’d
get in Week 3 against the Fish. It wasn’t very pretty, for
sure, but that’s the only kinda game you’re gonna
win if you’re New York this season: ugly and low-scoring.
That doesn’t bode well for Kearse’s long-term fantasy
prospects, despite the two-TD explosion in Week 2, and neither
does a matchup with the upstart Jags this Sunday. Jacksonville’s
doing it with equal parts Leonard Fournette and nasty defense
(just a dash of Blake Bortles, please) and if they’re successful
again Sunday, the Jets may not have the ball that often. Even
when they do, Kearse is likely to draw the undivided attention
of Jalen Ramsey, already one of the best CBs in the game, young
or old. You can spot start Kearse again this season, but Sunday
isn’t the spot.
