I’ll just come out and say it—Antonio Brown needs a better nickname. AB? Come on, people. We can do better than that. That’s just lazy.
As I argued in my Week 1 Power Rankings, Antonio might already be the second-greatest receiver of all-time. Initials just won’t do. Raiders running backs (Marshawn Lynch aka Beast Mode and Doug Martin aka Muscle Hamster) shouldn’t have a monopoly on all the cool nicknames. It’s time to start spreading the wealth. I guess the old adage is true—if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. So here goes—I’m calling Antonio Brown “Squeaky Wheel,” because this week, he’s getting the grease.
If you’re unfamiliar with the phenomenon known as Angry Antonio, let me clue you in. The Steelers are winless through two games—that includes a tie at the hands of Cleveland and a loss to 50-year-old chain-smoker (at least that’s what he sounds like) Patrick Mahomes. Clearly Pittsburgh’s slow start has not been lost on Brown. The disgruntled pass-catcher melted all the way down in Sunday’s defeat, blowing up on offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner during a sideline dispute, then skedaddling before the media could ask him about it. Brown’s tirade continued the next day when he played hooky from team meetings and sent out a hostile tweet daring the Steelers to trade him. None of that sat well with coach Mike Tomlin, who said Brown will be disciplined for his erratic behavior. AB owned up to being a distraction but said he’ll continue to voice his frustration if the situation calls for it.
“We haven’t won a game yet. For me, as a Steeler, that’s unacceptable,” Brown told the media on Thursday. “I’m pissed off. We’re losing. We suck.” AB may want to look in the mirror, because he hasn’t gotten off to the greatest start himself. So far he’s managed a mere 160 yards despite drawing 33 targets, good for second-most in the league behind Jarvis Landry, who has played one more game than Brown. Pittsburgh’s on-field play has certainly been a disappointment and at this point, it’s fair to wonder if the team’s toxic locker room is having an effect on morale. Le’Veon Bell’s continued absence has been a source of tension while Ben Roethlisberger has also been an alienating force, continually exaggerating injuries (yeah, like any of us believed he wasn’t going to play last week) and refusing to mentor teammate Mason Rudolph. The Steelers are, as Ron Burgundy would put it, a glass case of emotion.
Lashing out at coaches and teammates is not a particularly good look, but in this instance, maybe it’s the spark Pittsburgh needs. Think of how baseball managers go out of their way to get ejected while basketball coaches will sometimes pick up technicals to fire up their team. Even if the optics aren’t great—predictably, AB has drawn unfavorable comparisons to other famous hot heads like Terrell Owens and Randy Moss—Brown’s fiery demeanor is no different than Doc Rivers when he chews out a ref or Joe Maddon when he gives an umpire a piece of his mind. Through all the sideline tantrums, threats of violence and other gratuitous drama, it’s clear that Brown, above all, cares deeply about his team and wants to be part of the solution. Maybe Brown isn’t going about it the right way, but what is the right way? Because whatever the Steelers have done this year hasn’t worked.
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I know I don’t need to sell you on Brown’s fantasy merits, but here’s my quick pitch. If you’re feeling betrayed by AB’s underwhelming start (by his standards) or worried that he’s in the midst of some kind of manic break, which are both valid concerns, rest easy. Week 3 is the get-right spot we’ve all been waiting for.
Though the Bucs bring a 2-0 record to the table, Pittsburgh’s Week 3 opponent has been among the easiest teams to throw on this year, yielding an embarrassing 376.5 passing yards per game. Only Kansas City’s similarly non-existent secondary has been more generous. Tampa Bay may get a slight boost from the return of Brent Grimes, who had been sidelined with a strained groin, but don’t get the wrong idea—this secondary is still ripe for the picking. Factor in a handful of touchdowns from the suddenly unstoppable Ryan Fitzpatrick and we could have a shootout on our hands.
Brown isn’t exactly hurting for targets, but the squeaky wheel narrative is no myth. See this isn’t the first time Antonio has reached a boiling point. Far from it. The outburst-prone wideout absolutely lost it last year when Ben Roethlisberger failed to hit him on a would-be 64-yard touchdown against Baltimore. Brown let his frustration be known by slugging an unsuspecting Gatorade jug, spoiling gallons of valuable electrolytes while setting the internet ablaze with scorching-hot takes. That would end up being one of Brown’s worst games of 2017, though the 30-year-old flipped the script a week later by erupting for 157 yards on a season-high 19 targets against Jacksonville’s league-best secondary.
Unrelated to Brown, I remember an instance two years ago when Brandin Cooks, then a New Orleans Saint, was hopping mad after not being targeted in a blow-out win over the Rams (his current team, ironically enough). A week later, Cooks drew nine looks from Drew Brees, which at that point in time was a season-high. Ask and you shall receive.
Good players want the ball and good teams usually give it to those players. We all know how downright terrifying Tom Brady can be the week following a bad loss. Angry Tom is very much a part of the fantasy football lexicon and I’m sure Angry Antonio will be just as frightening. A generational wide receiver playing a phantom secondary the week after going Bobby Knight on everyone? Yeah, sign me up.
What’s the fantasy rub?
Brown won’t be on the DFS main slate this week, but if you’re a wild man and like to play more unconventional tournaments that run Sunday through Monday night, or if you simply own him in season-long, all I can say is sit back and enjoy.
Carson Returns
“Hey guys, I’m back!”
**Crickets**
“Where’d everyone go?”
**Tumbleweeds blowing in the wind**
For Carson Wentz, this week is the football equivalent of Millhouse throwing the Frisbee to himself. Or maybe it’s more like the time Kevin McCallister was abandoned by his wildly irresponsible family (sidebar: Uncle Frank might low-key be one of the greatest movie villains of all-time). Whatever pop-culture reference you prefer, the fact is this—when Wentz makes his long-awaited return this week, he’ll be playing without a full deck. In fact, if this were Texas Hold‘em, he’d barely have enough cards to play a hand.
Wentz is now over nine months removed from his torn ACL and by all accounts, looks to be completely healthy. That’s not what worries me. We know Wentz can huck a pigskin with the best of them. It’s his supporting cast that I’m not so sure about. Alshon Jeffery is making progress in his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery, but remains a long shot for Week 3. At least he hasn’t been ruled out yet, like teammates Mike Wallace and Mack Hollins, who will both be sidelined for the foreseeable future after being placed on injured reserve. Even the running game won’t be at full strength for Wentz’s return with lead back Jay Ajayi (back) and jack-of-all-trades Darren Sproles (hamstring) both out of commission.
We all know The Office wasn’t as good once Michael Scott left (sorry company that signs my paychecks, but you know it’s true). Well now the Eagles have their Michael Scott back, but where are Dwight and Jim? Heck, we would have settled for Andy Bernard but even he’s not around (twenty bucks he’s at Cornell). A full arsenal would have been nice, but we know better than to count out Wentz, who was on his way to an MVP season last year before his injury threw a wrench in that plan.
No matter. Wentz will just have to paint his masterpiece with different colors. If there’s one thing we can expect upon his return, it’s a steady diet of Zach Ertz, who has sizzled in the early going with 16 catches on a team-high 23 targets. Slot receiver Nelson Agholor has also been a key component of the Eagles’ passing game, particularly last week when he went for 88 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Tampa Bay. Those two along with running back Corey Clement (five catches for 55 yards in Week 2) should give Wentz enough firepower to keep Indy on its heels.
Often times a wait-and-see approach is the way to go when a player is coming off a major injury and certainly Deshaun Watson showed rust in his return from ACL surgery earlier this year. Because they had Foles at their disposal, the Eagles were able to slow-play Wentz’s recovery rather than rushing him back at less than 100 percent. That’s a reason for optimism and the matchup against Indianapolis isn’t especially problematic.
But playing devil’s advocate, it’s also been a long time since any of us have seen the 25-year-old in an actual game setting. And though he insists that last year’s injury won’t impact the way he plays, it’s possible we see a muted, less-daring version of Wentz in his first game back. That could be a good thing—Wentz’s reckless, all-or-nothing style of play is what put him in this position and dialing it back might be a necessary step in preserving him for the long haul. After all, the NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint.
What’s the fantasy rub?
Even with a diminished receiving corps in Philly and concerns that he could be tentative coming off a devastating injury, Wentz is still a must-start in my book. Even a rusty Wentz is better than most of the NFL. I’ll give it another week before I start jamming him into DFS lineups, but in season-long leagues where you likely got him at a discount, feel free to let your Wentz flag fly.
Gordon’s Debut
In a week that included our biennial Browns victory and a mid-game retirement, the biggest surprise was still Cleveland’s decision to move on from Josh Gordon. We’re all familiar with Gordon’s checkered past including his struggle with addiction, but it was still a stunner when Cleveland finally pulled the plug. After standing by Gordon throughout his rehab, of all things, an injury at a photo shoot was the straw that finally broke the camel’s back. Giving up on a player as talented as Gordon is a tough thing to do, but the Browns must not have wanted the baggage anymore.
While Gordon’s departure from Cleveland took many by surprise, once the trade winds began to swirl, it was only a matter of time before the Patriots gobbled him up. Nobody vultures stars quite like the Patriots, who have a habit of turning the NFL’s discarded pieces into world-beating superheroes. Corey Dillon was a high-maintenance head case in Cincinnati, so naturally, he bought into the Patriot way and won himself a Super Bowl. Randy Moss’ career looked like it was on the decline, until Belichick got his paws on him. Wes Welker was more of a special-teams weapon during his Dolphins tenure. Predictably, upon joining the Patriots, he became one of the most prolific pass-catchers in NFL history and the new gold standard for slot receivers. LeGarrette Blount was another hidden treasure uncovered by the scrupulous Belichick regime.
Based on those results, you’d think everything Belichick touches turns to gold, but that isn’t always the case. Not all of Belichick’s reclamation projects have worked. Chad Johnson never panned out in Foxboro while Michael Floyd and Mike Gillislee were also among Belichick’s misses. Playing alongside arguably the greatest quarterback ever is an exciting prospect for Gordon and surely fantasy owners will be tempted to use him as soon as possible. But is that really the best approach? Not with Gordon. Few players in recent memory have been as unpredictable as Gordon and Brady has already hinted that it’s been slow goings for the 27-year-old in his quest to learn the team’s playbook ahead of Sunday night’s date with the Lions. It obviously doesn’t help that he’s been limited by a hamstring injury.
Even if All-Pro cornerback Darius Slay suits up (he’s questionable with a concussion), Brady should still be able to easily pick apart Detroit’s defense. But if and when Brady goes off, the prime beneficiaries will likely be Rob Gronkowski and Chris Hogan, who have combined for three of the team’s five touchdown catches this year. After being hampered by years of poor quarterback play in Cleveland, New England could be where the troubled but talented Gordon finally reaches his full potential. Just don’t expect that transformation to happen in Week 3.
What’s the fantasy rub?
Gordon’s fantasy arrow is pointing up now that he’s a Patriot and he should have a chance to emerge as the team’s best deep threat since Randy Moss. But with only a few days of limited practice under his belt, I wouldn’t touch him with a 10-foot pole this week. It also doesn’t help that New England is playing in the late game on Sunday (8:20 PM ET), giving fantasy owners few alternatives should Gordon sit due to his hamstring injury.
