Week 12 vs. Green Bay Packers
Martavis Bryant caught 2 passes for 30 yards last week but hasn't caught more than 5 passes since Week 5. He still has big-play potential, but hasn't scored since Week 2. He's worth a flex play only for those who are truly desperate.
Week 11 vs. Tennessee Titans
Martavis Bryant returned from a one-game banishment to catch 3 passes for 42 yards. He also had a two-point conversion, though he lost nine yards on an end around. Bryant received 5 targets, including a deep pass that was intercepted. He's going to get enough work moving forward to be considered a flex option with upside if the Steelers can ever get their deep passing game going.
Week 10 at Indianapolis Colts
Martavis Bryant is back in Mike Tomlin's good graces after his one-game suspension for some ill-fated social media posts. He's had a slow start to this season but the Colts could be the cure to what ails him. In two career games against the Colts, he has 9 receptions for 197 yards and 3 touchdowns on 15 targets. The Steelers want to get him going in the deep passing game. The volume might not be great but the reward could be. Use Bryant as a flex play with a lot of upside this week.
Week 7 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Bryant got a season-low 3 targets last week and caught 2 passes for 27 yards. He's played four career games against the Bengals, catching 16 passes for 229 yards and 2 scores. Cincinnati has been tough against the pass this season and is seventh in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers. This is a tough matchup, but Antonio Brown figures to get a ton of attention. That could open up Bryant down the field. But probably not enough to use as anything more than a flex option.
Week 6 at Kansas City Chiefs
Martavis Bryant caught a season-high 5 passes last week but for just 21 yards. He also had an end around that went for 13 yards. But that isn't the kind of production you're looking for from this deep threat. Bryant has been giving way more often to rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster, who is a better blocker, but Bryant remains a deep target—f Ben Roethlisberger can connect with him. KC is 29th in the league in points allowed to opposing receivers, so there's some hope here. But Roethlisberger has been missing him deep. Bryant is a solid flex play with some upside if he and Roethlisberger can finally hook up.
Week 5 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Bryant caught 3 passes for 48 yards last week in a semi-quiet game. He's going to continue to be a bit boom or bust given his deep ball abilities. He's second in the league in passes thrown to him 20+ yards downfield and is averaging 23.7 yards on the depth of the pass attempts thrown his way. Both he and Ben Roethlisberger have talked about how they need to hook up. It will come. But it might be difficult this week against Jacksonville's top-rated pass defense, which is helped by an NFL-best 18 sacks. Use Bryant as a WR3 with some upside. He's been a monster at home throughout his career.
Week 4 at Baltimore Ravens
Martavis Bryant caught just 2 passes for 30 yards last week but was targeted 8 times, including a bomb on the opening play of the game that he and Ben Roethlisberger just missed on. Bryant has caught just 7-of-10 targets thus far but for 135 yards and a score. The Ravens have done a nice job keeping opposing receivers in front of them and have given up just 1 WR touchdown. Bryant is a No. 3 WR this week with obvious upside. He's averaging nearly 20 yards per catch.
Week 3 at Chicago Bears
Martavis Bryant showed off his enormous upside with 3 receptions for 91 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown on a crossing route and a 51-yard catch on a bomb. Bryant also had 7 yards on an end-around to go along with drawing a 49-yard pass interference penalty that would have been another long catch had he not been tackled before the catch. Bryant now has 16 touchdowns in 23 career games, which is outstanding for a receiver, no matter how you look at it. He's a solid WR3 with plenty of upside in any format.
Week 2 vs. Minnesota Vikings
The bad news for Martavis Bryant last week was that he had just 2 catches for 14 yards. The good news was that he had 6 targets, and 3 of them were 20+yards downfield. He looked a little rusty last week, which was to be expected for someone who hadn't played a game in nearly two years. Better times are ahead for those who are patient with him. If Bryant sees 5–8 targets per game—a reasonable number—he should be fine. It's a tough matchup this week, but don't be afraid to use him as a No. 3 receiver with upside.
Week 1 at Cleveland Browns
I asked Martavis Bryant this week if he'd like to announce his presence to the league with authority. He said, of course. You can expect the Steelers want to do so as well so they can show future opponents they can't focus solely on Antonio Brown. If the Browns decide to go zero coverage on Greg Williams' blitzes, Bryant will destroy them. He's out to show that one of the league's top deep threats is back. Use Bryant as a No. 2 receiver this week with plenty of upside because of his deep ball ability.
