Week 8 at Oakland
Brandon Marshall's streak of four-straight 100-plus yard receiving games ended last week against the Patriots. Give New England credit. They were able to limit his targets to seven (his lowest of the season).
This week, Marshall faces the Raiders, who actually have a slight advantage in the matchup as they are 8th in aFPA to wide receivers. We still think Marshall will push his numbers back close to the level he has been playing at over the past month. Start Marshall in all leagues as a solid WR1 for Week 8.
Week 7 vs New England
Brandon Marshall recorded his fourth straight 100-plus yard receiving performance last week and also scored a touchdown for the fourth time in five games. He has been a fantasy stud through the first half of the season.
The Jets should definitely keep going to him this week against the Patriots, who are one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. Expect another big game from Marshall, and start him in all leagues and formats as a top-5 fantasy wide receiver for Week 7.
Week 6 vs Washington
There is no doubt Brandon Marshall feels very comfortable in the Jets offense. He has a three-game streak of double-digit targets and has 30 catches and three touchdowns in four games. Marshall also seems to be very comfortable with Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB. The Redskins are 14th in aFPA to wide receivers, so Marshall should be on his way to another big game. Start him as a low-end WR1 on Sunday against Washington.
Week 4 vs Dolphins
Back-to-back 100-yard receiving games and a touchdown visit in all three games puts Brandon Marshall on the fantasy map. Not that he wasn't there already, but you just aren't too sure when a moody receiver like Marshall goes to a different team.
The Jets are in London on Sunday against Miami who is 25th in aFPA to wide receivers. Marshall should be a decent play, although we don't know how the trip will affect each team, so start him as a high-end WR2 with caution. But so far, so good for Marshall and his owners.
Week 3 vs Eagles
Brandon Marshall looked good last week with seven receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown. He clearly is still playing at a high level and is the focus of the Jets passing game. There is always some doubt when a player goes to a new team and his role, but Marshall is doing what he has done since he came into the league.
He has to be licking his chops this week as the Jets play the Eagles. Philly's defense has struggled and Marshall should get plenty of opportunities. Start him in all leagues and formats as a low-end WR1. Welcome back to the top 10, Brandon!
Week 2 at Indianoplis
Brandon Marshall had a decent debut as a New York Jet with six catches for 60 yards and a TD. He is definitely the No. 1 target in the passing game and will regularly be targeted around 10 times a game.
The Colts pass defense is pretty good and they shut down Bills No. 1 receiver Sammy Watkins last week (0 catches). They will probably pay a lot of attention to Marshall, but the veteran is used to that. Start Marshall for Week 2 as a solid WR2. He probably will be that most weeks with the quarterback situation the way it is in New York.
Week 1 vs Browns
Brandon Marshall will start the year playing for his fourth NFL team, but we should still see the same great play and numbers out of him as we have in the past. The problem is the entire Jets offense is questionable, especially at QB. If every goes the right way for New York, we will eventually see very good numbers from Marshall, but for now, we rank him as a WR2 for Week 1.
Fantasy Upside
Big and athletic, Brandon Marshall is still a physical specimen at 30 years old. His numbers in Chicago were excellent, especially touchdowns where he had 31 over the past three seasons. His yards per catch has remained consistent and his overall fantasy numbers make him a good fantasy option. He will be the Jets No. 1 option in the passing game.
Fantasy Downside
Last season was the first since his rookie year that Marshall didn't have 1,000 yards receiving. He did miss three games, however, so that made all the difference. The bigger issue is the quarterback situation for the Jets. Ryan Fitzpatrick will get the ball downfield, but he will struggle at times to make plays, which could hurt Marshall's production.
Bottom Line
Marshall can still play. The issue is his fantasy value is downgraded by the Jets quarterback situation. His ADP is 56, but I wouldn't hesitate to take him a little higher. 80 catches and 8 TDs are very possible for Marshall and he makes for a solid WR2 for fantasy owners.
Brandon Marshall - Week 14 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Brandon Marshall is not having the type of season we're used to seeing out of him. He's finished with less than 50 yards eight times out of 12 games. His saving grace so far is the fact he's scored eight touchdowns (although four came in the first two games of the year).
Marshall's subpar season could continue this week in a tough matchup against Dallas. The Cowboys have only allowed eight scores to wideouts this season. Lately Dallas has been more favorable to wideouts, but they're still pretty stingy.
Marshall should be used as a WR2 option.
Brandon Marshall - Week 13 vs. Detroit Lions
Brandon Marshall's decline last week can easily be connected to the Bears' lack of passing. Jay Cutler only threw the ball 27 times, a season low, and completed just 17 passes (also a season low). In the end, Marshall finished with three receptions for 32 yards in what was expected to be a good matchup.
This week Marshall draws a difficult assignment. The Lions have been pretty tough against wideouts this season. They've only allowed 200 or more yards to WRs twice this season. They've also only allowed multiple touchdowns to wideouts once.
Marshall still holds value because of his high ceiling, but this week he'll be a mid-range WR2.
