Donald Brown's Updated 2014 Fantasy Outlook Heading into Week 4

Donald Brown might not have had the best game against the Buffalo Bills, but his performance should be encouraging for fantasy owners going forward.

With Ryan Mathews out over a month with a sprained MCL, Brown was already in line for a bigger workload for the San Diego Chargers in Week 3. This became an even bigger role when Danny Woodhead was injured early against the Bills as ESPN's John Clayton noted:

Brown became the featured back for the Chargers and then some for the rest of the game, totaling 31 rushing attempts and five receptions on six targets. The running back did not do much with this chance, only tallying two yards per carry while failing to get into the end zone. However, he should still be a quality option in fantasy leagues going forward.

Even quarterback Philip Rivers admitted the workload is going to continue in the near future, via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego:

Head coach Mike McCoy was also satisfied with what Brown provided in the game:

Undrafted rookie free agent Branden Oliver might get some touches in the future, but in reality this will be Brown's job for the next few weeks. This is even better for a team that loves to run the ball and control possession, ranking in the top 10 in rushing attempts last season and the early part of this season.

Meanwhile, the lack of production can be attributed to a Bills defense that has become one of the best in the league. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com broke down how well the unit had played in the first two weeks:

Brown did have one carry of 14 yards but otherwise had little room to run.

Things will get much easier next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who allowed 150 rushing yards on five yards per carry to the Indianapolis Colts. In reality, the Jaguars have struggled in pretty much every facet of the game and could be down early, leaving the Chargers to run even more than usual in a blowout.

A Week 5 matchup against the New York Jets will be a bit tougher, but the Oakland Raiders loom in Week 6. In this stretch, Brown will get a lot of work and should be able to pick up plenty of yards and a few touchdowns.

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

Fantasy owners who have Brown on their roster should have no problem starting him until Mathews returns from his injuries. If you do not have him on your team, this would be a great opportunity to buy low in a trade before he blows up with a strong showing next week.

The most important thing is to not overreact to a poor performance and wait for a better showing in Week 4.

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