Danny Amendola, Brandon LaFell Fantasy Outlook After Julian Edelman Injury

Tom Brady has proved over the years that he can lose any number of talented wide receivers and still be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. As a result, Danny Amendola's and Brandon LaFell's respective fantasy football stocks are trending upward after Julian Edelman suffered a foot injury Sunday.

Edelman exited Sunday's win over the New York Giants, and NESN's Doug Kyed reported he was in a walking boot and needed crutches after the game. According to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports, Edelman could be out for the remainder of the year with a broken foot.

ESPN's Adam Schefter shed more light on the situation:

Since Rob Gronkowski is almost universally considered the No. 1 fantasy tight end, his ceiling won't change much should Edelman be absent going forward. Amendola and LaFell, on the other hand, could benefit from more targets in each game.

After all, somebody has to be the Patriots' No. 1 wide receiver.

Amendola is arguably the stronger option in points-per-reception leagues since he's a possession-based wideout and can thus take on Edelman's role in the offense. Look no further than his 10-catch, 79-yard night against the Giants.

Amendola might be available on the waiver wire, and if that's the case, you should move immediately.

LaFell has more value in almost any other format, though, based on his big-play potential. Entering Sunday, LaFell was averaging five more yards per catch than Amendola. He also caught 12 touchdowns between 2013 and 2014, the same total Amendola has registered in his seven-year NFL career.

LaFell hasn't found the end zone yet in 2015, but that's bound to change sooner rather than later. Going into Week 10, he was still working his way back from the foot injury that kept him on the shelf to start the season.

"I think I'm real close," he said earlier in the week, per Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. "We had a long week. We had a Thursday night game and we had an extra couple practices this week so I'm getting back to getting my wind, not being able to try to come out after three or four plays, going the whole series. I feel close."

Don't overrate LaFell's abilities too much, though. WR2 production is likely the best you can expect in standard leagues, but he'll unquestionably be valuable as the playoffs approach in the coming weeks.

Amendola, meanwhile, should be a fringe WR2 or flex play. In addition to his general lack of explosion when compared to LaFell, durability is a concern. He played a full season just twice in six years entering 2015.

With an increased workload, the chance he suffers another injury goes up as well. Keep that in mind when you project his potential value for your team over the rest of the campaign.