Pittsburgh Steelers second-year wide receiver Antonio Brown ended last season as the team’s no. 4 wideout. He’s already shown this preseason that he’s capable of much more than that.
Brown, 23, exploded in last night’s matchup with the Atlanta Falcons both on offense and in the return game.
First, he returned the opening kickoff 51 yards before being dragged down by a horsecollar tackle.
Later, Brown burned the Falcons’ deep zone coverage for a 77-yard catch-and-run touchdown. Brown beat the coverage across the middle and made his way into the endzone untouched.
The Central Michigan grad also reeled in a 44-yard touchdown on a post pattern on third-and-10 in the final two minutes of the first half.
Brown finished the half with four receptions for 137 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his preseason total to three touchdowns and nine receptions for 230 yards, good for 25.5 yards per catch.
As his numbers suggest, Brown is a legitimate deep threat. We know quarterback Ben Roethlisberger loves to throw the deep ball, but is Brown buried too far down on the team’s depth chart to be considered an actual sleeper candidate this fantasy season?
Simply put, no.
Mike Wallace is the team’s no. 1 receiver. He’s one of the fastest players in the game and an emerging stud for the Pittsburgh offense, as he’s turning into one of the best deep threats in the game after gaining 1,257 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns last season.
Also lining up at wideout for the Steelers this season will be Hines Ward, as we’ve seen for the last 13 years. Ward is still the team’s best possession receiver, though what little fantasy value he has left (in most leagues) is dropping quick. He’ll probably be considered the team’s no. 2 receiver, at least to start the season.
Brown, the team’s sixth-round draft pick in 2010, will now likely be the team’s no. 3 receiver, ahead of free agent acquisition Jerricho Cotchery and the currently injured Emmanuel Sanders, who is hopeful to return for the team’s season opener.
While I’m well-aware that preseason success doesn’t always translate to regular season success, one can’t help but be excited by Brown’s performance thus far.
As we’ve seen with head coach Mike Tomlin, the Steelers will line up in more than enough three receiver sets to give Brown fantasy relevance. His upside is certainly not as high as Wallace’s, but he is, in my opinion, absolutely the second receiver on this team that you want to own.
Brown will definitely benefit from having opponents cover Wallace with their top defensive back, while he lines up on the opposite side of the field ready to burn.
Brown’s numbers this coming season will surely be a far cry from the 16 receptions and 167 yards he totaled in 2010. Seeing him eclipse the 750-800 receiving yard mark with seven touchdowns honestly wouldn’t surprise me.
He’s got the speed. He’s got the hands. He’s got the quarterback. And now he’s got the opportunity.
There is no doubt that Brown should line up as the number two receiver. Use Ward to do the te pass plays up the middle and let Brown take it to the house opposite of Wallace. Between Wallace and Brown it will be a track meet to the end zone.
I agree. Ben loves the deep ball and has a talent for throwing it. There’s no telling what he’d be able to do with Wallace and Brown on the outsides at the same time. Odds are one of them is going to beat their coverage.