Week 3 at Chicago Bears
Antonio Brown had 5 catches for 62 yards on 10 targets last week after catching all 11 of his targets in Week 1. His numbers would have been better if not for a pass interference penalty on Xavier Rhodes as Brown blew past him on a deep ball. There isn't a player capable of covering him on Chicago's roster and the Bears have allowed 25 WR receptions in their first two games for 299 yards and a score. Brown will add to that total this week and should be used as a WR1.
Week 2 vs. Minnesota Vikings
Antonio Brown picked up where he left off from the past three seasons, catching 11 passes for 182 yards on 11 targets. He had 2 other targets, but one was a pass interference penalty 40 yards downfield and the other was a 15-yard catch called back by penalty. The only thing he didn't do was get into the end zone. That will come. Regardless of the matchup, and Minnesota presents a tough one, Brown is a must-start player in all formats.
Week 1 at Cleveland Browns
Antonio Brown begins his quest to become the first receiver in NFL history with five consecutive 100-catch seasons. Brown recorded eight receptions for 76 yards in his only meeting versus the Browns last season (he sat out the regular season finale). That was without a deep threat such as Martavis Bryant working on the other side of him, too. Bryant should pull some of the double teams away from Brown and benefit greatly. You drafted Brown as your No. 1 receiver. There's no reason to think he won't perform as one every week, starting with this game.
Fantasy Upside
Where does the upside end with Antonio Brown? He has topped 100 receptions in each of the past four seasons, averaging 1,578 yards and 11.7 touchdowns during that span. Despite the presence of Le'Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant, Brown is the clear-cut No. 1 target in this offense.
Fantasy Downside
Brown's targets dropped to 154 last season, a four-year low. He did sit out a meaningless regular season finale, though, but he had averaged 187 targets the previous two seasons. With Bryant back, Brown could see some of his targets go in that direction.
2017 Bottom Line
You know Brown has set the bar pretty high when a "down season" for him is catching "only" 106 passes on 154 targets. His 481 receptions over the past four seasons are the most in a four-year span in NFL history. The durable and explosive Brown should be the first receiver off the board in any fantasy draft.
AFC Championship at New England
Brown put up his fourth consecutive 100-yard game in as many outings in the playoffs, catching six passes for 108 yards on 11 targets last week. He would have added a TD to that total had Marcus Peters not ripped a ball away from him in the end zone at the last second. The Patriots have had Malcolm Butler follow Brown around in their previous two meetings with poor results. Brown has 16 receptions for 239 yards and a touchdown on 22 targets in his past two games against the Patriots with Butler attempting to stop him. Brown should be solid this week.
Divisional Round at Kansas City
Antonio Brown had five catches for 124 yards and two 50-plus yard scores last week, both of which came in the first quarter. The Steelers took the air out of the ball after that, but Brown showed he is still a major weapon even if Pittsburgh only puts the ball in the air 18 times as it did last week. He only had four receptions for 64 yards when these two teams met earlier this season, but two went for touchdowns. That's been the trend during Pittsburgh's eight-game winning streak. Brown hasn't put up huge numbers, but he has seven touchdowns in those eight games. Weather could be a factor, but Brown is capable of turning a WR screen into a long play at any moment. He should be solid this weekend.
Wild Card Round vs. Miami
Brown was limited to four receptions for 39 yards in the first meeting with the Dolphins with Byron Maxwell helping to shut him down. But Maxwell is iffy for this week's game and even if he does play on a sprained ankle, it could make things difficult to deal with Brown's change of direction. The Dolphins also have two new starting safeties in this game. Miami is 28th in adjusted defense against wide receivers and was just tortured at home by New England's receivers. Brown should have a big impact this week and be a top choice at WR.
Week 16 vs. Baltimore
Brown got just five targets last week and had three receptions for 58 yards. But he did have a touchdown called back because of penalty and drew another penalty on a pass in the end zone, so the red zone targets were there. His five targets were a season-low, however. Top corner Jimmy Smith could be out with an ankle injury in this one and Baltimore's ability to stop receivers isn't good to begin with. Brown had seven catches for 85 yards and a score in the first meeting and should be solid in this one at home - where Ben Roethlisberger has 17 TD passes in five starts - as well.
Week 15 at Cincinnati
Brown had just five catches but had 78 yards last week at Buffalo. He got plenty of looks but Ben Roethlibserger was off on a cold, windy day. Brown was limited to four catches for 39 yards on a rainy day in the first meeting with Cincinnati as the Steelers went run-heavy with DeAngelo Williams. Brown's always a threat to score thanks to his team-high 12 red zone targets, but the Steelers figure to keep riding Le'Veon Bell. Brown could put up similar numbers to last week, which is fine if he scores. But don't expect a huge game against a tough Bengals defense.
Week 14 at Buffalo
Brown had six catches for 54 yards and a touchdown last week against the Giants. It was his 11th TD catch of the season, and he remains in the league lead with 88 receptions. Weather could affect the downfield passing game this weekend in Buffalo, but Brown catches a lot of wide receiver screens, so he won't be as affected as most. The yardage total might not be huge, but he'll be a solid No. 1 in PPR and scoring leagues, as usual. Buffalo has allowed five WR TDs in the past three games.
