Antonio Brown vs. Tennessee Titans
It's an interesting week for wide receivers, with the majority of top options facing tough matchups, and very few sure things up and down the position. However, these qualifiers do not apply to Antonio Brown, as he is both the surest thing at the position and has an excellent matchup against a subpar Titans secondary. Tennessee has been gouged by the likes of Doug Baldwin, DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, and Jeremy Maclin (!), and Brown certainly fits the mold. Additionally, Ben Roethlisberger is back home where he performs significantly better than the road. Expect a massive day for Antonio Brown and the whole Steelers passing offense.
Tyreek Hill at New York Giants
Tyreek Hill remains a volatile option at wide receiver, due to the boom bust nature of his talents. He's never going to be a clean route running 7 catch a game player (he's 23rd in catches per game,) but retains some of the highest upside of any player in fantasy. This looks like a good week for Hill's upside. The Giants are allowing the third most passing yards per game and have been burned for plays of 81, 67, 52, and 44 over the past two weeks. The susceptibility to the big play along with the lack of secondary talent in general makes the likelihood that Hill gets behind the defense at least once this game very high. Invest with confidence.
Michael Thomas vs. Washington Redskins
Michael Thomas owners may be a little disappointed in the overall output so far. He's only found the end zone twice and doesn't have a catch over 33 yards the entire season. But in a position that lacks few consistent options, Thomas has been as reliable as it gets, averaging over 9 targets, 6.5 catches, and 73 yards a game. Those stats mean he can be trusted every week even with the prospect of a lot Josh Norman coverage. The Redskins will likely be focusing on the run (haven't you heard, the Saints are a rush first team now,) opening the middle for Thomas to exploit. There's not huge upside here but Thomas should produce solid WR1 numbers.
Brandin Cooks at Oakland Raiders
With MVP talk for Tom Brady, the consummate threat of Rob Gronkowski, and the emergence of Chris Hogan, Brandin Cooks has been a bit of a forgotten man. But he continues to produce and remains a big play waiting to happen. Chris Hogan is nursing an injury and the Patriots used Cooks with renewed vigor in the second half of their game in Denver. Oakland is allowing the 11th most passing yards and have been exploited by similar speedsters Tyreek Hill, Josh Doctson, and Mike Wallace, meaning the big play will be available. And if it's available, you can guess that Josh McDaniels will draw it up and Tom Brady will make it happen.
Doug Baldwin
Despite a dip in targets last week, Doug Baldwin remains one of the busiest wide receivers in the league. The Seattle rushing attack is non-existent, and Russel Wilson continues to air it out with Baldwin being the main beneficiary. This week's matchup is not the most favorable, as Atlanta has the 6th best pass defense in the league, but Seattle has no choice but to continue to throw the ball. Expect a solid fantasy day and double digit targets for Baldwin in what projects to be a shootout in Seattle.
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