Fantasy Football Week 5: Brandon LaFell a Viable PPR Option?

You have to be pretty talented to spot a diamond in the rough.

Given the passing of Steve Jobs, yesterday (R.I.P. Steve), I can't help but think about how his genius, which was largely discredited back in the day, helped transform Apple into the largest tech company in the world.

You see, back in 2003, Apple was a diamond in the rough, and accordingly, its stock traded at a very low $6.56 per share.  But now, after the iPod, iPhone, iMac, iTunes, iPad, and iCloud, shares of Apple now trade at $375.16 per share.  That's an increase of over 57 fold!  We all wish we had been investors in Apple back at $6.56, but the future wasn't so clear then, and hindsight is always 20/20.

That doesn't mean there weren't signs pointing to Apple's monster run.  The iPod was a revolutionary product (released in 2001), and we all could have been a little more discerning as to how successful it would be.

I mention this only to help us think about whose future in fantasy football could be pointing up at this moment in time.  And since more value can be realized when we find players whose fantasy stock is very low, I am trying to dig deep.

As such, I think a fantasy diamond in the rough could be second-year receiver Brandon LaFell of the Carolina Panthers.

Maybe it's no coincidence that LaFell plays for the Panthers in Charlotte, just miles from Apple's most recent invention, the iCloud.

The reason why I think LaFell could emerge as a viable PPR threat is that he actually has a competent quarterback throwing to him this year.  In 2010, LaFell suffered through his rookie campaign with the likes of Matt Moore and Jimmy Clausen under center. Between the two of them, Carolina's passing attack barely completed half of its passes, and didn't even average 150 yards per game through the air. Yikes!

But now, LaFell and the rest of the Panther wideouts have Cam Newton throwing to them, who appears to be able to execute at the quarterback position much better than his predecessors.  In fact, through just four games, Newton ranks third in the NFL in total passing yards and has a completion percentage of almost 60 percent.  While his ranking in passing yards will likely decline, that is beside the point.  Newton makes his receivers actual fantasy options this year.

In addition, so far in 2011, fantasy owners have been giving all of their Carolina attention to Steve Smith and Greg Olsen, and rightfully so. Smith has the second most receiving yards in the NFL this year, while Olsen is 10th  in that category among tight ends.

Quietly, however, Brandon LaFell has been putting up respectable stats for a second-year pro.  He's on pace for 48 catches, 644 yards and four touchdowns.  That's not bad!  In fact, with LaFell and the Panthers facing a New Orleans' defense that has given up more than 30 points twice this year, a big day could be in store.

Considering that most of New Orleans' defense's attention will go towards stopping Steve Smith, LaFell is actually a sneaky play for PPR leagues this week. He's worth a look, if several of your players are on byes or you are running out of viable receiving options.

Follow Andrew McFadden on Twitter @andrewmcfadden

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