By Lamar
A player on your radar had a big game. Do you pick him up? This is where we decide whether their forecast is fantasy or fools gold.
Mack Hollins WR Las Vegas Raiders
8 receptions, 10 targets, 158 rec yards, 1 TD
Ten targets on a pass first team is usually a promising sign for wide receiver. For the second week in a row the veteran out of North Carolina has led the Raiders in receiving and appears to be a favorite of Raiders QB Derek Carr. 6th year breakouts at WR are rare and the lack of production in his first 5 years in the league only fosters skepticism. With that being said the WR2 on the pass happy Raiders is an intriguing option, especially if WR Davante Adams is drawing all the attention.
Has Hollins passed WR Hunter Renfrow for the 2nd most targets on the Raiders? Well, I doubt it. But if he has, Hollins has streaming appeal in the right match up. If you have some dead weight on your roster then feel free to grab Hollins to see how the situation plays out. He is not bankable at this point, but the past two weeks have been promising for the suddenly hot receiver. If he emerges as the Raiders WR2 then Mack Hollins could become Fantasy Gold.
Laviska Shenault Jr. WR Carolina Panthers
2 receptions, 2 targets, 90 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 54 return yards
Keep moving here folks. Nothing to see. Shenault Jr. was invisible weeks 1 and 2. I expect him to return to those performances in the future. At best he is the Panthers WR3, but that is nothing you can rely on in the future. While QB Baker Mayfield is an upgrade over the 2021 version of QB Cam Newton, he has not been consistent enough to bank on any Panther WR, much less their WR3.
If the Panthers were to find some consistency on offense then maybe we could consider their WR corp. Until then the whole unit is Fools Gold.
Zay Jones WR Jacksonville Jaguars
10 receptions, 11 targets, 85 receiving yards, 1 TD
Personally I would love for Zay Jones to breakout and become a regular fantasy contributor. How can you not root for someone named Zay? The Bills had high hopes for Jones when they drafted him in the 2nd round in 2017. Unfortunately he was never able to put it all together in Buffalo or Vegas. Is Jacksonville a magical place where wide receivers go to live up to their potential? Maybe? The Jacksonville offense has produced the last two weeks. It is amazing what a competent coach can do for a football team.
The problem for Jones is that there are a lot of skilled players on the Jaguars and so QB Trevor Lawrence will wisely spread the ball around. With that being said Jones is clearly the speedy, stretch the field WR2 on this team. He is only 2 targets behind WR1 Christian Kirk after 3 games. Jones and the Jaguar offense have moved into the circle of trust and that makes Jones an appealing flex option for the future. While not a WR1, Jones has emerged as Fantasy Gold.
Romeo Doubs WR Green Bay Packers
8 receptions, 8 targets, 73 receiving yards, 1 TD
Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou in Weeks 1 and 2 Romeo? The rookie was the best WR for the Packers in Week 3 and seems to have established rapport with QB Aaron Rodgers. Rookies tend to be streaky in their first year as they adjust to the talent level of the NFL, so expect ups and downs from Doubs this year. However this is not a normal situation for a rookie wide receiver. Doubs has the luxury of being on the receiving end of footballs from one of the greatest QBs to play the game with little to no competition.
This scenario may change once fellow rookie WR Christian Watson recovers from a hamstring injury, but in the meantime Doubs in the Packer WR to own. If Doubs can become a favorite of Rodgers then the sky’s the limit. Go scoop up Doubs because he has a chance to be a game changer for your team and is now Fantasy Gold!
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