Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Mike who?
Antonio Brown‘s killer 2013 campaign made Steeler fans forget all about losing Mike Wallace, and fantasy owners were glad they didn’t choose the latter. Brown emerged as a WR1 in fantasy last year, hauling in 110 balls (2nd) for 1,499 yards (2nd) and eight touchdowns, finishing as the number seven wideout in all of fantasy. The guy was insanely consistent, finishing as a top-12 wide receiver 68.8 percent of the time, the second-best in the league. The clear-cut number one passing option for the Steelers, Brown should once again be a target machine, resulting in terrific PPR success.
Positives
Brown was literally a lock for five receptions each and every week last year. In fact, he posted at least five catches in every game of the season. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger loved looking his way, as Brown’s 165 targets ranked fourth-most in the entire NFL. He gets open with relative ease, and the Pittsburgh offense could be trending toward a more up-tempo one, which could lead to more volume for Brown.
From Week 9 on last year, Pittsburgh implemented a no-huddle offense, which worked wonders. In fact, during that span, the Steelers scored 223 points, 67 more than the first eight weeks of the season. Meanwhile, Brown averaged 10.4 targets per game during that span. And an important factor was the fact that Roethlisberger stayed upright when they changed the offense, being sacked just 11 times from those weeks, compared to 32 during the weeks prior. The better Ben plays, the better production owners will get out of Brown.
Negatives
Although Brown hauled in an impressive eight touchdowns last year, I do think he is due for some regression in that department. During the two seasons prior to 2013, he scored just seven touchdowns combined, and his size and play style doesn’t translate to a ton of scoring chances, unless he uses his speed to break a long one. I think Brown is going to be great, but don’t expect the same amount of touchdowns this time around.
Final Verdict
I love Antonio Brown. In fact, I wrote an article during the offseason last year with that similar title. He may not be as exciting as the higher-tier guys, but he is going to see a ton of volume in a suddenly high-paced offense as the main target. In PPR leagues, draft him relatively early and enjoy the consistent receptions. And if you’re in a standard league, draft him relatively high and enjoy the consistent overall production. Last season was no fluke, folks.
Bye Week: 12
Projected Round: 3rd
Auction Value: $30 (via ESPN)
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
