Fantasy Football Powwow: Week 7 Pickups Of The Week (POWs)

Get Them While You Can

Deion Branch, WR, New England Patriots – 12.4%

Nick – Deion Branch played like he never left New England in Week 6, hauling in 9 catches for 98 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets.  Most impressive is the fact that Branch caught 9 passes in his Pats debut and Randy Moss had 9 catches all season while with the Patriots.  Look for Deion Branch to get around 10 targets a week and be a solid flex option for the rest of the season.

Buddy – It’s obvious that Tom Brady and Deion Branch have a connection. After just arriving back in New England, he led the Patriots in targets with 12 and caught 9 passes for 98 yards and a score. Most of the damage was done in the fourth quarter and overtime, indicating that Brady was looking for him when it mattered most. He will continue to be a big part of the Patriots offense the rest of the season: an offense that is already pretty good before Branch's return. 

Might Be Worth a Look

Benjamin Watson, TE, Cleveland Browns – 4.6%

Nick – After an impressive 14 point performance, Ben Watson is now a top 10 TE in terms of fantasy points. Colt McCoy very well may be the Brown's starter for the rest of the season and if so, he’ll need a veteran pass-catcher to rely on. Ben Watson fits that description. Watson was already playing well prior to McCoy's entrance, and his value only increases if McCoy remains the starter.

Buddy – Top 10 the rest of the way? I’m not going that far. He had a nice game that included catching a touchdown, but it was also just his second touchdown of the year. I like Watson as a bye week fill in if he’s got a good match up. His value as an every week starter is questionable.

Hold Your Horses

Colt McCoy, QB, Cleveland Browns – 1.1%

Nick – Colt McCoy played much better than expected in his debut against Pittsburgh, throwing for 281 yards and scoring 13 fantasy points.  Now that his toughest match up of the season is out of the way, McCoy might actually surprise some critics and finish the season as a decent QB option.  I wouldn’t start him over most QB’s, honestly. But in 2 QB leagues or if you want to take a chance, McCoy is an attractive option.

Buddy – Colt McCoy had more fantasy points against the Steelers than any other QB has done this year. That’s impressive. It’s not a guarantee that he gets the job in Cleveland, but if he does he may be worth a roster spot if you got room for a flyer.

Anthony Armstrong, WR, Washington Redskins – 2.1%

Nick – Anthony Armstrong only had 4 points last week but he did have 14 the week before and was targeted 7 times in Washington’s loss to Indy.  He has shown excellent athleticism and could develop into one of McNaab's favorite weapons.  Hold your horses for now, but put Armstrong on your watch list.

Buddy – Anthony Armstrong earned his first start for the Redskins and did enough to keep that job over the ageless Joey Galloway. He is a legitimate big play threat and will have some big games this year. But, I do think consistency will be a problem so I’d hold off on him for the time being.

No Go’s

Danny Woodhead, RB/WR, New England Patriots – 6.3%

Nick – Danny Woodhead wasn’t spectacular against Baltimore last week, but he was productive.  He had 16 touches for 115 total yards, which may go down as one of his best games of the year. I can see him sneaking a touchdown in occasionally with similar performances, but not much beyond that. Between Welker, Branch, Tate and Hernandez in the air and Green-Ellis and Taylor on the ground, Woodhead will remain a decent option at best

Buddy ­– 3 years ago while watching the 2008 NFL draft, ESPN had a segment on Woodhead. They showed his college stats and a highlight film. When he went undrafted I made a $5 bet with a friend that he would be a Pro-Bowler in 3 years. Well I’ll probably be out of $5 soon enough, but he has become a factor. He led the Patriots in carries and averaged an impressive 5.7 yards per carry. He also had 5 catches for 52 yards. I expect him to continue to see a lot of playing time and will be a solid fantasy option later this year. 

Denario Alexander, WR, St. Louis Rams – 0.1%

Nick – Danny Amendola was the Rams receiver who was supposed to be the #1 receiver when Clayton went down. The Chargers were all over Amendola last Sunday.  If defenses key in on Amendola each week like the Chargers did, Denario Alexander is the next best option the Rams have as of right now.  But between Mardy Gilyard and Brandon Gibson among others, any Rams receiver other than Amendola isn’t worth owning. 

Buddy – I like Denario Alexander as a possible sleeper the rest of the way, but it’s still too early to pick him up. He was a potential early round pick before getting hurt in college. He appears to be healthy now. Somebody will emerge out of the Rams receivers to be a decent fantasy option and it could very well be Alexander.

Check out fantasyfootballpowwow.com for the full list on Week 7 Pick Ups