Who To Watch: Danny Amendola
(New England Patriots, Wide Receiver)
Week 11
In the NFL, one of the most important positions on offense is the Wide Receiver. For those of you that do not know what the slot receiver is, let me explain. The wide receiver, of course, is the player that lines up on the outside near the sidelines. Usually, the outside wideouts are tall, fast, athletic, big-handed, long-armed, and very talented. The perfect examples of these types of NFL players are Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, Dez Bryant, AJ Green, and trust me there are plenty more. The slot receiver is extremely different. He doesn't normally line up on the outside, instead he lines up between the outside wideout and the tight end or offensive lineman (the left or right tackle). He is built a little different than the other receivers. The slot guys can sometimes be tall, but they are usually short. They have a smaller body build; they're quicker with their feet and are better at running tight routes. They have to be able to catch the ball well, because they are usually catching the ball in traffic. The examples of these types of wideouts are Randall Cobb, Wes Welker, Cole Beasley, and my Who To Watch for this week, Danny Amendola.
Danny Amendola went to Texas Tech University. In his college career, he totaled 204 receptions, 2,246 receiving yards, and 15 touchdowns. Along with his amazing receiving stats, he was a great punt and kick returner. He returned 116 punts for 1,283 yards and recorded one touchdown. He flew through his senior year under the radar, being completely overshadowed by his teammate Michael Crabtree. Coming into the 2008 NFL Combine, Amendola was praised for his ability to catch the ball in traffic, his agility and speed, and his kick returning skills. He entered into the NFL as an undrafted free agent.
He spent his first two NFL seasons on the Cowboys and Eagles practice squad, but he found playing time in 2009 for the St. Louis Rams. During his time with the Rams, Amendola had 196 receptions for 1,726 yards and 34 touchdowns. He suffered a dislocated clavicle and season-ending triceps surgery in 2012, which quickly ended his career in St. Louis. In 2013, Amendola joined the New England Patriots. In fact he signed with the Patriots on the same day that Wes Welker chose to sign with the Broncos. Because New England lost their slot receiver to Denver, they knew that they would need a talented guy to fill in that important role. Their needs at wideout and special teams led them straight to Danny Amendola. Overshadowed once again by talented wideouts, like: Randy Moss and Julian Edelman, Amendola was quiet in his first two seasons as a Patriot. In the 2013 and 2014 seasons, Amendola totaled 81 receptions for 833 yards and only 3 touchdowns.
Entering into the 2015 season, Danny Amendola was overlooked by many standard 10-12 team leagues. Roughly drafted in 12% of leagues (mostly by deeper 12-18 team leagues) at the beginning of the season, the Patriots' wideout was struggling to get targets when he was out there on the field. Playing in the middle of Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski (not to mention getting less snaps due to the return of Brandon LaFell), Danny has struggled to be fantasy relevant. Through 10 weeks, the Patriots' slot man was hardly targeted by future Hall of Fame QB, Tom Brady. Still being overlooked by many fantasy owners this season, Amendola has had 40 receptions for 403 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Entering their week 10 matchup against the New York Giants, Amendola was expected to play more because of the loss of their pass-catching RB, Dion Lewis. During the game, the Patriots lost another one of their stars, Julian Edelman. Amendola, in that game, was targeted 11 times, had 10 receptions for 79 yards. This made Amendola a hot topic for week 11 waiver wire pickups. Where he was only 32% owned before his week 10 matchup, Amendola is now a must-add in every league.
After the crazy, week 11 waiver wire scramble to acquire Amendola, he is now owned in 54% of leagues; this will increase dramatically by week's end. The Patriots take on Buffalo this week in MNF. With the attention on Tom, Gronk, Blount, and LaFell, Amendola has a great opportunity to have a great fantasy week. Priced at only $4,000 in DFS, Danny is a fantastic start. In Daily, Amendola is still priced as a mid-range WR3, but has chance to put up WR2 with a ton of upside.
Who Else to Watch in Week 11
Tyrod Taylor (BUF • QB) - The Buffalo Bills played well against the Jets last week. Tyrod played below average for fantasy owners, throwing only 17/27 for 158 yards and one touchdown. But against the Jets, Rex Ryan wanted to slow the game down and run the ball more to lock in the win against his former team. Looking ahead, Tyrod and the Bills will be playing from behind against a high-powered New England Patriots in week 11. Everyone will be looking away from Taylor because of who he's facing, but this matchup helps him in a huge way. The Bills are likely to be trailing in the second half of MNF, which will force them to throw the ball a lot. This also increases the value of Sammy Watkins and Karlos Williams. Only owned in 46% of standard leagues, he's still available for a valuable pickup. Priced at $5,200 in DFS, Taylor is an interesting start for Daily fantasy lineups.
Matt Hasselback (IND • QB) - With Andrew Luck out, the Colts have turned to Matt Hasselback. He is one of the oldest but most talented backup quarterbacks in the NFL. We saw how he played early this season, when Luck was ruled out in weeks 4 & 5. In those two starts, Hasselback threw for 495 yards and 3 touchdowns. Although he was playing hurt, he still put up good numbers in both real life and fantasy. From what we've seen, Matt likes to target his two tight ends, Cobly Fleener and Dwayne Allen, more; this can be bad news for Hilton and Moncrief owners, as their targets dropped dramatically. Going up against Atlanta this week, look for the Colts to run the ball more with Frank Gore and focus their pass plays on short, quick throws. Only 4% owned, Hasselback is not a bad idea for a BYE week fill-in. Although I'd stay away from him in Daily, Hasselback's DFS price is quite high at $5,500.
Jay Cutler (CHI • QB) - In an offense that has just recently figured out how to score, Jay Cutler has become a solid fantasy QB. In years past, Cutler seemed to force his throws (mainly to Alshon Jeffery). However, in the last few weeks, Cutler has been spreading the targets more. Throwing to Alshon less, which has surprisingly increased Jeffery's fantasy value. He has found other offensive weapons in Marcellus Bennett, Zach Miller, and Jeremy Langford. Spreading the attack has ignited their offense. He has thrown for 2,045 yards, 13 TDs, and only 5 INTs this season. Going up against the strong Denver defense, the Bears should run the ball more. Looking forward, Cutler's schedule for the rest of the season looks great. With the end of the fantasy regular season and the fantasy playoffs starting up, Cutler is a great pickup and stream (for this week); only owned in 40% of leagues, Cutler is still available. Although I'd stay away from Cutler this week in DFS, he is priced at $5,100.
Tevin Coleman (ATL • RB) - For all DeVanta Freeman owners, you should already own Tevin Coleman. For the teams that are looking to add a player for an immediate start, Coleman is NOT that guy. He will barely play, as long as Freeman stays healthy. But if you are an owner that's doing well in your league and have a roster spot or two that you like to play with, Coleman is a great insurance and "what if" player. That's why Coleman is such an important pickup and a must add in all leagues. If Freeman goes down, Tevin Coleman would be in the top 10 of running backs; its best to pick him up early as an insurance player on your bench, rather than loose him on waivers the following week. Owned in only 25% of leagues, Coleman is surprisingly still available. Freeman is owned in 100%, therefore Coleman should be, as well. Priced at $3,400 in DFS, (unless you know something I don't) Coleman is a non-factor.
Thomas Rawls (SEA • RB) - Thomas Rawls, the backup to Marshawn Lynch, has proven himself as a solid running back in the NFL. Like I said above about Tevin Coleman, Rawls is another great insurance pickup this week. Lynch is 100% owned, therefore Rawls should be 100% owned; he is currently only 27% owned. If you are a Marshawn Lynch owner, you must pickup Thomas Rawls. Priced at $3,800 in Daily, Rawls is a non-factor for DFS this week against San Francisco. Also, if your league is a Dynasty League, Thomas Rawls is a great pickup for next season. He is a talented back that will draw a lot of attention in the offseason.
Jay Ajayi (MIA • RB) - To go along with my other insurance players, Jay Ajayi is another smart pickup in all leagues. As Lamar Miller's backup, Ajayi has increased his playing time, his touches, and his fantasy value. Miller is owned in 100% of leagues, while Ajayi is only owned in 19% of leagues. Whether you are a Miller owner or not, Ajayi is a great pickup. If Miller were to go down, Ajayi would be the No. 1 back in Miami and a top 12 RB for the rest of season. This makes him a fantastic add for teams in dynasty leagues. Priced at $3,200 in DFS this week against Dallas, Ajayi is a will be continue to be a non-factor playing behind Lamar Miller.
Dorial Green-Beckham (TEN • WR) - Slowly developing his game more and more, DGB is one of the most talented wideouts out there on the waiver wire; he is only owned in 26% of leagues. Especially with the recent injuries of Justin Hunter and Kendal Wright, DGB could increase his fantasy value tremendously in the second half of the season. We have seen his targets go up in the last few games, look for Marcus Mariota to increase his targets more this week against Jacksonville. Priced at $3,200 in Daily, DGB could is a boom-or-bust WR3 this week.
Nate Washington (HOU • WR) - Turning into the No. 2 receiver in Houston, Nate has been playing well opposite side of DeAndre Hopkins. With all the attention on Hopkins, Nasty Nate is a sneaky start. Especially against the Jets this week, Hopkins will be on Revis Island; this gives Washington a great opportunity to have a massive fantasy week. Priced at $4,400 in DFS, Nate could be a smart start for any Daily lineup. Only owned in 33% of leagues, Nate is a great pickup for rosters that recently lost Edelman.
Jamison Crowder (WAS • WR) - Becoming a solid target for Kirk Cousins, Jamison Crowder has become an interesting fantasy wideout. Crowder is a good player to stash, stream, or BYE week fill-in. Only 9% owned, Crowder is a sneaky pickup for many leagues. Most interesting to me is PPR leagues; Crowder will continue to get the majority of targets. He is the No. 1 wideout for a team that is usually trailing in the second half, which makes Crowder the go-to guy for Cousins. Priced at $3,800 in DFS, Jamison is not a bad choice for a WR3 start. In a matchup against the undefeated Panthers, Cousins will try to connect with Crowder a lot in the second half.
Eric Ebron (DET • TE) - If you don't know by now, the Oakland Raiders are horrible against tight ends. Stream! Stream! Stream! Whoever the No. 1 TE is going up against the Raiders, stream him! Guaranteed to be a solid performance. Only 31% owned, Ebron is wildly available in a lot of leagues. With a very cheap price in DFS, Ebron is currently priced at $3,500. He is a great start for TE this week.
Richard Rodgers (GB • TE) - In a struggling offense, everyone is getting irritated. Aaron Rodgers is looking for a receiver that can catch the ball. The three main targets for the Packers' QB is Randall Cobb (WR), DeVante Adams (WR), and Richard Rodgers (TE). For weeks now, the Rodgers-To-Rodgers connection has remained strong. For deep passes over the middle of the field, quick dump-offs, and strong throws to the back of the endzone, Richard Rodgers is growing in targets and is not solely dependent on touchdowns. At 44% owned, Rodgers is a strong pickup and streamer at tight end. Only priced at $3,100 in DFS, Rodgers is a great start in Daily in his week 11 matchup against Minnesota.
By: Cameron Black
@GBCam_Black
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