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Joseph Hutchins | Archive | Email
Staff Writer


The Shot Caller's Report - WRs
Your Weekly Guide To Fantasy Lineups: Week 3
9/20/12
Positions: QBs | RBs | WRs


Bye Weeks:
N/A

Grab a Helmet

Wes Welker @ BAL: There hasn’t been a stranger subplot in the first couple of weeks than Welker’s mysterious demotion, still being characterized (euphemized?) as a “personnel groupings” issue by both Coach Belichick and Tom Brady. Seriously? Julian Edelman’s a better option in ANY personnel grouping than the four-time All-Pro football vacuum who’s led the league in receptions two of the last three seasons? I’m no conspiracy theorist, but something is rotten in the state of Massachusetts and it reeks of Belichick-ian egomania. Luckily for Welker’s owners, there’s only one thing The Nattily-Clad One hates more than uppity ball players: losing. With Aaron Hernandez on the shelf for a couple of weeks, Welker’s likely to find himself back in good graces for the short term. As for the long haul? Let’s just say I’m certainly going to be entertaining offers the next few weeks. Get him in your lineup for Sunday night, and hope for the best the rest of the way.

Danny Amendola

Amendola owners are anxiously awaiting the follow up to his 15-catch performance in Week 2.

Danny Amendola @ CHI: Meanwhile, in St. Louis, Welker’s doppelganger is coming off a Week 2 explosion wherein he gobbled up 15 of Sam Bradford’s 16 targets to the tune of 160 yards and a touchdown in the 31-28 win over Washington. Where the heck did that come from? It came from 2010, actually, the year Amendola emerged as a legit option in PPR leagues. Most, myself included, considered him a great sleeper candidate heading into last season, but an elbow dislocation in the opener quashed any dreams of getting Welker-like production at the seventh- or eighth-round discount. The unintended, big-picture benefit, of course, is that Amendola could be had for even cheaper at the start of this season. Additionally, he seems more capable than ever of producing like his predecessor at Texas Tech, Mr. Welker. Expect Bradford to go looking for Amendola early and often against the Bears this Sunday.

Andrew Hawkins @ WAS: If Amendola is Welker light, Hawkins may be Amendola light…which is to say, he’s probably not even on your radar unless you’re in a very deep league or live in Cincinnati. The second-year firecracker from Toledo—by way of Montreal and St. Louis (guess they already had Amendola)—has taken the Queen City by storm, racking up 10 receptions, 142 yards, and one ultra-exciting score in his first two weeks of NFL action. Not bad for a former janitor, huh? I like his matchup against the short-handed Skins defense this weekend. Incidentally, I also think players like Hawkins (pint-sized but sudden and explosive) are the natural evolution from similarly statured possession types like Welker and Amendola. If you’re wondering what the future of this position might look like, check out the cover of this week’s SI. GO DUCKS!

Grab Some Wood

Randy Moss @ MIN: In with the new, out with the old. Moss in his prime was the antithesis of a shifty, shake-and-bake slot receiver, utilizing his enviable stride and uncommon size and athleticism to create separation from helpless defensive backs. Though he’s possibly still capable of recapturing that magic on a spot basis, his days of routinely changing a game just by lining up wide are officially in the rear-view mirror. Daunte Culpepper is not walking through that door. Tom Brady is not walking through that door. Jim Harbaugh…is absolutely walking through that door, and he’s not the least bit interested in a vertical passing attack, thank you very much. Moss will presumably get a warm welcome at the Metrodome, but it’s unlikely he’ll be responsible for sending the Vikings faithful home unhappy this Sunday. Steer clear.

Titus Young @ TEN: This guy was supposed to be a breakout candidate after a solid but unspectacular rookie campaign. He possesses above-average wheels. He’s almost never likely to face double coverage (thanks, Tron). He’s got a bona fide gunslinger chucking it and the requisite hands to pluck it. Simply put, he’s got the right skill set for the right offense at the right time. So, why exactly has he received a mere six targets in 2012? Heck, Nate Burleson’s already garnered 11 looks. The relationship between quarterback and wide receiver requires trust and nurturing and a whole bunch of other gooey elements that don’t show up on game tape. What does show up on game tape is Young’s relative ineffectiveness in the early going. Wait until he shows you something before getting him in your lineup.

Davone Bess vs. NYJ: Bess has been a pretty steady, though fairly boring, performer in four-plus NFL seasons. He’s good for about 40-50 yards a game and occasionally finds the end zone. Perhaps too occasionally. Through two weeks of the 2012 season, he’s averaging (wait for it...) 44 yards per game and has failed to score. I guess the good news is that Ryan Tannehill’s ascension to the starting job hasn’t markedly affected Bess’s production. The bad news, of course, is that said production was only marginally interesting to begin with. I don’t know about you, but I want guys riding my bench who at least have the potential to break out and be more than what they were when I drafted them. Bess is (with apologies to Denny Green) precisely who we thought he was.
Good luck, folks!

Quarterbacks