Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
With three weeks in the books of not only the NFL season but our fantasy football season, the bye week begins to come into play. Like it or not — some players despise the idea — there are teams already going on their bye week heading into week four.
One of those teams is coming off their first win — a big one — of the season. The Carolina Panthers head into their bye week this weekend with time to reflect on the first three games of the year and prepare for the rest of the season.
In their win against the New York Giants, wide receiver Brandon LaFell was one of the standout playmakers offensively speaking. This gets us wondering: How valuable could he be off the waiver wire in fantasy leagues at this point?
Well, against one of the league’s worst defenses and most turnover-prone teams at the moment, LaFell broke out. Ending with three catches for 53 yards and two touchdowns, LaFell pulled some interest right away from teams in need.
Let’s make sure we understand, again, that LaFell only did this against the Giants — who are in shambles right now. LaFell showed promise the last couple of years, but never quite busted out as a consistent option for fantasy owners.
Unless you are desperate for a wideout next week, I would leave him be on those waivers. If you have a spot to spare and want to grab him and stash him, that’s not a bad idea. But, for now, after one game we can’t call him an automatic pickup. The Panthers still have lots to prove offensively, starting with Cam Newton, and LaFell is only a small piece of the puzzle at the moment.
Ryan Heckman is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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