Steve

Breaston

We’d expect Breaston to play against the Bills because he’s listed as probable, but this should be plenty of reason to keep him benched in fantasy leagues. Breaston didn’t beat out Jerheme Urban for a starting job, and the K.C. game plan figures to be run-heavy against Buffalo. Hamstrings can also be tricky.

Breaston made a pretty 43-yard catch in the fourth quarter that brought the Chiefs down to the Chargers’ 1-yard line. But note that play came while Dwayne Bowe was on the sideline recovering from a big shot over the middle. When Bowe is in the game, Breaston doesn’t even get a look from Matt Cassel.

The touchdowns were Breaston’s first and second since September of 2010. The Chiefs’ passing game finally got on track against the Colts, with Breaston matching up against 5-foot-9, 190-pound nickel back Terrence Johnson for most of the game. Breaston is picking it up a bit after a painfully slow start in Kansas City. The Chiefs now go on a bye in Week 6.

The Chiefs made it a point to target Raiders CB DeMarcus Van Dyke, so Breaston racked up nine targets. The five catches are a season high and Breaston now has four straight games with 50-plus yards receiving. He won’t be explosive with Matt Cassel at the helm and Dwayne Bowe dominating the ball most weeks, but desperate deep leaguers could do worse.

Breaston saw eight targets, but most were on quick slants and outs. He had the easier matchup as Stanford Routt worked against Dwayne Bowe, but was still second in targets. Breaston hasn’t topped 50 yards in any of his last five games.

A disappointing day for the Chiefs’ No. 2 receiver, but not one that should cloud what was ultimately a successful bounce-back campaign after Breaston’s 2010 was marred by a knee injury. Breaston made fewer than four catches just twice after Week 3, finishing his year with a 61/785/2 line. That, despite the fact that the Chiefs had three different quarterbacks start at least three games. Breaston should be a solid fantasy WR3 in 2012.

Breaston’s six targets led the team, but his longest catch was just 16 yards. Even with Kyle Orton breathing life into the passing game, Breaston is only a WR3 option in deeper leagues against the Raiders in Week 16. He hasn’t topped 50 yards in a month.

The Tyler Palko-led offense moved the ball at times, but still looked mostly awful against the league’s worst passing defense. When they move onto the Steelers, Bears, and Jets over the next three weeks, they should grind to a halt. If you can get anything for Breaston in a trade, now would be the time to do it. We wouldn’t be opposed to dropping him if you need the roster spot, either.

A typically solid afternoon for Breaston, who is averaging four catches for 53.4 yards with 75 percent of the season in the books. He’s also managed to stay productive under unimpressive backup quarterback Tyler Palko, averaging five catches for 52.6 yards. He’s a safe, if low upside, WR3.

He and Jonathan Baldwin are vying for No. 2 targets on a bad passing team, and now Matt Cassel could miss time with either a shoulder injury or the injury he suffered to his throwing hand. Breaston was a flaky WR3 option at best before Cassel’s injury, so any downgrade at QB would make him fairly expendable in most leagues. The Chiefs do get the Pats next week in a favorable matchup, for what it’s worth.