Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
Stop me if you have heard the following before.
“If he can stay healthy, Danny Amendola will be an awesome fantasy wide receiver.”
It’s Week 12, and guess what? Amendola hasn’t been able to stay healthy. In his inaugural season with the Patriots, Amendola has suited up for just six contests. He teased us with a very encouraging Week 1 outing, but that lasted all of, well, one week. Fantasy owners have been maddened by Amendola’s lack of production. I mean, after all, the best ability is availability, right? Amendola had everything going for him heading into the season, but the injuries continue to get in the way.
However, fantasy owners may forget all about that come Sunday night.
Peyton v Brady
I don’t speak highly of him too often, but I really, really think you need to find a way to get Amendola into your fantasy lineup this week. The high-scoring Denver offense comes to town on Sunday night, and football fans are fortunate to watch the 14th chapter of the Tom Brady/Peyton Manning rivalry. If the majority of their previous meetings are any indication, this contest should feature plenty of points, which would obviously benefit the fantasy prospects of Amendola. Take a look at the first 13 meetings between the two.
|
Year |
Score |
Total Points |
| 2001 | 44-13 | 57 |
| 2001 | 38-17 | 55 |
| 2003 | 38-34 | 72 |
| 2003 | 24-14 | 38 |
| 2004 | 27-24 | 51 |
| 2004 | 20-3 | 23 |
| 2005 | 40-21 | 61 |
| 2006 | 27-20 | 47 |
| 2006 | 38-34 | 72 |
| 2007 | 24-20 | 44 |
| 2009 | 35-34 | 69 |
| 2010 | 31-28 | 59 |
| 2012 | 31-21 | 52 |
And I get it. Both the offenses and defenses have vastly changed for both rosters, but at the end of the day, these two signal callers go at each other every time they play. Fireworks will ensue, Amendola will benefit.
Denver’s Defense
You always have to take the Broncos secondary numbers with a grain of salt because teams are always throwing the ball so much to keep up with that insane offense. Still, they are banged up, being without Champ Bailey and safety Rahim Moore, so his poses as a favorable matchup for Amendola. The Broncos are currently allowing 30.76 fantasy points per game to opposing receiving corps (13th-most), and most importantly, they have struggled defending wideouts out of the slot. Despite seeing limited action, Amendola has run 169 routes out of the slot, scoring one touchdown, and with Shane Vereen back in the mix, Amendola could continue to operate out of the slot. That bodes well for Amendola owners, as the Broncos are allowing the second-most receptions and yards to opposing slot receivers. The Broncos are also surrendering 18 passing touchdowns on the season, and are the 28th-ranked pass defense. Of course, Denver could very well get ahead in this game as well, which will spell garbage time opportunity for Amendola.
He may hobble on the way there, but Amendola should find himself among the top-20 fantasy wideouts for Week 12.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
