WR Torrey Smith (Baltimore)

Percent owned (ESPN): 0.2%

Lee Evans can’t get on the field with injuries and hasn’t been all that productive when he has been healthy (2 catches in 2 games). Evans was really just keeping the seat warm for Torrey Smith, their 2^nd round rookie out of Maryland who they felt couldn’t contribute as a starter right away. I guess they were wrong. Smith had 5 catches for 152 yards and 3 scores in a rout against St. Louis. Those 3 touchdowns were actually all in the first quarter and are more than another former Maryland receiver, Darrius Heyward Bey, has in his entire career (2). This is hilarious for everyone except Raider fans.

WR Nate Washington (Tennessee)

Percent owned (ESPN): 8.6%

Kenny Britt is expected done for the season with a torn ACL and MCL in his knee. Nate Washington isn’t a #1 receiver in this league, but by default, he’ll be their top receiver in Britt’s absence. He had 8 catches for 92 yards and a score Sunday after Britt went down.

WR Antonio Brown (Pittsburgh)

Percent owned (ESPN): 4.6%

Antonio Brown is Ben Roethlisberger’s 2^nd favorite target after Mike Wallace. In their last 2 games, Brown has 8 catches for 142 yards. Conversely, Hines Ward has 7 catches for 50 yards. Advantage Brown. This will only continue this season as the 23 year old Brown continues to surpass the 35 year old Ward.

RB Stevan Ridley (New England)

Percent owned (ESPN): 0.1%

BJGE had 9 carries for the Patriots against Buffalo. Woodhead had 6. Stevan Ridley, their rookie 3^rd round pick, had 7. He was much more effective with his carries than any of the other backs, leading the way with 45 yards. The organization is obviously not all that thrilled with BJGE, otherwise they wouldn’t have drafted Ridley, who has a similar skill set. Look for Ridley to get more and more action in future weeks. He’s a nice upside pickup.

 

RB Kendall Hunter (San Francisco)

Percent owned (ESPN): 1.1%

Frank Gore has a mere 148 yards on 59 carries in 3 games this season. After a fumble against Cincinnati, Kendall Hunter, their rookie 4^th rounder, got most of the work. He rushed for 26 yards and a score on 9 carries. He could continue to eat away at Gore’s carries in the future.

WR Brandon Gibson (St. Louis)

Percent owned (ESPN): 0.8%

There’s nothing spectacular about Gibson, but Bradford is more comfortable throwing to him than anyone else. He has 12 catches for 157 yards and a score in 3 games this season. If Bradford starts playing better, Gibson’s numbers will go up and St. Louis’ schedule gets easier down the stretch this season.

TE Ed Dickson (Baltimore)

Percent owned (ESPN): 8.8%

Flacco likes throwing to Dickson. Dickson has 12 catches for 135 yards and a score in 3 games this season. If you really need a tight end in deep leagues, he could be worth a look.

WR Victor Cruz (NY Giants)

Percent owned (ESPN): 0.3%

Steve Smith is gone. Mario Manningham is hurt. The preseason standout from 2010, Victor Cruz had a huge game against Philadelphia, with 3 catches for 110 yards and a score. He did only receiv 5 targets and Mario Manningham will be back at some point, but there’s upside with Cruz.

WR Michael Jenkins (Minnesota)

Percent owned (ESPN): 1.1%

Leslie Frazier seems to be using the Todd Haley strategy of not using your best player. Percy Harvin is the Vikings best offensive player, but he’s only playing about 50-60% of their snaps as their slot receiver. Michael Jenkins is a starter and he’s playing better than Bernard Berrian. He had 11 targets than went for 9 catches for 88 yards against Detroit. Maybe there is something to him.