Week 10 at Pittsburgh
After sizzling during the first six weeks of the season, Travis Benjamin has been ice cold. In his last three games, Benjamin has 10 catches for 95 yards. That includes last Thursday’s downer against Cincinnati, where Travis was only able to muster three receptions for 22 yards.
Fantasy owners who have continued to give Benjamin the benefit of the doubt can hang their hat on a highly favorable matchup. Pittsburgh just gave up three touchdown passes to Oakland’s Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper. Plus, the Steelers have allowed 16 touchdown passes in nine games and yield 273 yards per game. Benjamin is essentially a boom-or-bust player at this point, but depending on the situation, he still has value as a WR3.
Week 9 at Cincinnati
Week 8 was not kind to Travis Benjamin’s fantasy owners, as Benjamin struggled to get going against Arizona’s defense, catching three passes for 26 yards. Over the past two games, Benjamin has been held to seven receptions for 73 yards and zero touchdowns.
Benjamin would potentially be the biggest beneficiary of Johnny Manziel’s return to the lineup. During the first two games of the season when Manziel saw considerable playing time, Benjamin caught three touchdown passes. With both Brian Hartline and Andrew Hawkins in line to miss Thursday’s game in Cincinnati, Benjamin’s outlook gets even brighter. Owners should overlook his recent struggles and keep him in the lineup as a WR3.
Week 8 vs. Arizona
In Week 7, for the first time in 2015, Travis Benjamin was a liability to fantasy owners as opposed to an asset. With the overachieving Cleveland offense back in underachievement mode, Travis caught four passes for 47 yards in a 24-6 loss to St. Louis. At least Benjamin led the Browns in targets with eight, one more than Gary Barnidge and Duke Johnson.
Unfortunately, Benjamin may have a hard time elevating himself back among the fantasy elite on Sunday. With Travis far and away the best wide receiver on the Cleveland roster, he probably will see a lot of top Arizona's cornerback Patrick Peterson. And the Cardinals could create a lot of misery for Josh McCown. Because of his importance to the Browns offense, Benjamin will probably get enough volume to stay in the WR3 mix, but enough factors are working against him to curtail his upside this week.
Week 7 at St. Louis
One of 2015’s breakout performers, Travis Benjamin was very impressive in Week 6, catching nine passes for 117 yards against Denver. Benjamin is one of the few players who has been able to get anything going against the Broncos. And the showing offers further proof that Travis has emerged as much more than an occasional big play threat.
However, his big play past could emerge this weekend in the Gateway City. Although St. Louis has surrendered just five touchdowns in five games, they gave up two long touchdowns to Green Bay in Week 5 prior to their bye, with James Jones scoring on a 65-yard play and Ty Montgomery walking in uncovered from 31 yards out. It remains to be seen if Benjamin will put together a monster showing in St. Louis, but he certainly needs to be in your lineup.
Week 6 vs. Denver
Thought to be nothing more than a situational deep threat heading into the season, Travis Benjamin has exceeded expectations by a wide margin. Benjamin has not scored a touchdown since Week 3, but has been very steady the past couple of weeks. In Week 4, he caught six passes for 79 yards. Week 5 saw him haul in six passes for 83 yards. Travis has established a nice floor.
Can he keep it up against such a dynamic defense? Denver has given up a mere three touchdown passes, best in the league, with Minnesota’s Mike Wallace being the only wide receiver to score on the Broncos. They also surrender very little in terms of yardage. While Benjamin has been successful enough to justify a spot among the WR3 crowd, you may be better off going with someone else who has an easier matchup.
Week 5 at Baltimore
After finding the end zone the first three weeks of the season, Travis Benjamin was unable to make a trip there in Week 4. However, his early season heroics have earned him a bigger role in the Cleveland offense. Travis was targeted ten times last Sunday and he hauled in six passes for 79 yards. A performance like that reduces Benjamin’s bust factor going forward, especially considering he was also targeted 10 times in Week 3.
Baltimore’s pass defense is far from flawless when it comes to stopping opposing receivers. Cincinnati’s A.J. Green ran wild on them in Week 3, and other receivers such as Amari Cooper have enjoyed success. They have yielded seven touchdowns. One thing the Ravens have been able to do is stop tight ends, which may lead to more targets for Cleveland’s backs and receivers. Benjamin is firmly in the WR3 mix.
Week 4 at San Diego
Although Travis Benjamin scored his fourth touchdown of the young season in Week 3, the star power Benjamin had displayed previously was not on display. Benjamin’s touchdown was from four yards, not over 50, and he fumbled a punt away to the Raiders. He finished with four receptions for 45 yards. It was not a meltdown, but it was certainly a cool down.
And further chills could be ahead for Travis as San Diego is yielding a mere 189.3 passing yards per game. Thanks to Cleveland’s offense and the fact he is due for a bad game, it is safe to say the risks outweighs the reward with Benjamin. While he has earned a spot on fantasy rosters, he should stay seated on your bench.
Week 5 vs Oakland
Undoubtedly, the most surprising fantasy player of the season so far has been Travis Benjamin. After catching a 54-yard touchdown pass in Week 1, Travis went nuts in Week 2, with touchdown receptions of 60 and 50 yards. He also returned a punt for a touchdown.
Is Benjamin for real, or is this early season growth spurt a mirage? Going into this season, Benjamin had career totals of 41 receptions for 717 yards and five touchdowns. He has totally come out of nowhere, and owners who raced to the waiver wire to claim him this week can expect more big plays as the season goes on. However, in a conservative offense, Benjamin’s boom can go bust at any time, especially considering he will not get the volume other receivers will. He is a deep threat and little else. As a result, Travis should not be viewed as a starter this week.
Week 17 – Travis Benjamin at Baltimore Ravens
Travis Benjamin did not catch a pass in Week 16. As a lower-tier player on a bad offense, fantasy owners have no reason to pay attention to Travis.
Week 16 – Travis Benjamin at Carolina Panthers
Like all of the Browns, Travis Benjamin was quiet in Week 15, catching one pass for nine yards. Unlike all of the Browns, Benjamin has generally been invisible during his entire career. His numbers, which include just 40 receptions in 36 games, don’t mean dip to fantasy owners.
