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Danny Woodhead Has Opportunity to Shine for Fantasy Owners in Week 3

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By @WaltYeboah

Danny Woodhead Fantasy Football Week 3 Start or Sit

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Last season, San Diego Chargers running back Danny Woodhead was fantasy football gold in PPR leagues, because he finished second in receptions among all NFL RBs with 76 catches to his name. This season, he’s on pace to finish with just half of those catches, since he’s only hauled in five passes on six targets so far. However, now that Ryan Mathews has gone down with a knee injury, expect to see a little more usage out of Woodhead.

Donald Brown will take over the role as the starting RB for San Diego, but now that the Chargers are basically down to a committee of two, Woodhead will be utilized more often in their attack. Phillip Rivers trusts Woodhead in third-down situations and even in the red zone, because he can pick up his blocker on the blitz or get open for the easy dump pass.

Last week in their game against the Seattle Seahawks, Rivers connected with Woodhead for four of his 28 completions and the Chargers defeated the reigning Super Bowl champs because of their prowess in the passing game. TE Antonio Gates was unstoppable against Seattle, but Woodhead also played a key role as Rivers’ release valve when he checked down his passing options.

Brown played well in limited opportunities for the Indianapolis Colts last season, so the Chargers were wise to sign him because Matthews’ injuries are well-documented. Brown is a multipurpose RB since he runs hard and catches the ball well. However, familiarity is usually a quarterback’s best friend. If Brown gets off to a poor start, expect Woodhead to challenge him for the starting role as the main man in the backfield.

If you own Woodhead in a PPR league, it’s probably safe to start him at the flex position, but you should take the wait-and-see-approach this weekend, before you declare him as your RB2, or dare I say, RB1.

With Mathews out, Woodhead has the chance to shine with a few more touches, but Brown will be in his way as the No. 1 RB, unless he loses the trust of Rivers.

Walton Yeboah-Amoako is a Columnist for www.RantSports.com.  Follow him on Twitter @WaltYeboah, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

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