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Coming into week three, Antonio Brown hadn’t done a whole lot to impress Fantasy Football owners. I can attest to that, as the wide receiver has sat on my bench all season. But as week three approached, it seemed that Brown could potentially have a breakout game. Mainly, because there were rumors swirling that he had a spat with offensive coordinator Todd Haley during the Pittsburgh Steelers loss on MNF in week two. Brown was said to be upset with the lack of footballs coming his way, but Haley came out and squashed rumors of a beef between the two.
I wasn’t buying it. But regardless, as the Steelers’ best receiver, you figured he would get his fair share of targets in the team’s must-win week three matchup with the Chicago Bears. As it turns out, that was most certainly the case. In total, Brown was targeted 13 times and hauled in nine receptions. He amassed a ginormous total of 196 yards, while landing in the end zone on two occasions.
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Of course owners can’t expect that kind of production each week, but after this performance, it’s safe to assume Ben Roethlisberger will be looking towards No. 84 on a much more frequent basis.
Brown not only has the speed to turn short throws into long gains, he also has the speed to get separation from corners and become a threat down the field. Big Ben hit Brown deep on several occasions Sunday night, but he also targeted him in the mid and short-range game as well. There’s really nothing Brown can’t do at the receiver position.
The Steelers are a mess, but there’s no doubt who’s going to get the most targets moving forward. Brown has now emerged as a guy you can start each week with confidence.
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