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by Cameron Dark
Week 3 brought us some eye popping fantasy performances from some unexpected places. Of course, most of these guys are now hot pickups on the waiver wire, as owners pick them up in hopes that they become viable fantasy options. You know how it goes. Many times, however, there’s a reason these relatively unknown guys step up a certain week, and it probably won’t happen again (See Doucet, Early in Week 1). Let’s take a look at some of the better Week 3 performances from WRs that are probably available in your league this week and examine if we can expect any relevant future fantasy production.
Torrey Smith, Ravens
Torrey Smith had a monster game Week 3, posting 5 receptions for 152 yards and 3 TDs. Obviously you can’t expect these numbers every week, but is it reasonable to expect enough production from Smith to make him worth a roster spot on your team? I don’t think so. First of all, he got injured late in the game with a hamstring injury and has yet to practice this week, so he won’t be at full strength this upcoming week. On top of that, he’s now someone who opposing defenses must recognize and respect to some degree, meaning he’ll actually be getting halfway decent coverage in the future. Plus, Baltimore is going up against the hefty New York Jets Week 4, Pittsburgh Steelers Week 5, on bye Week 6, and Lee Evans should be back to full strength and eating into a lot of Smith’s playing time by Week 7. So there isn’t a lot of upside for Smith anywhere in the near future. He had one fantastic week, but I don’t see him producing much from here on.
Victor Cruz, Giants
By now I’m sure you’ve seen some of Victor Cruz’s spectacular Week 3 highlight reel catches, including an impressive TD catch with Nnamdi Asomugha covering him. Cruz finished Week 3 with 3 receptions for 110 yards and 2 TDs. Certainly not a bad day. However, with Mario Manningham cleared to play Week 4, the Giants will likely be placing Cruz in the slot while Manningham and Nicks are on the outside. Cruz is not the best route runner and has yet to shown any competence in the slot, so I’m wary of Cruz’s production. I see more potential to succeed from him than Torrey Smith, but Cruz definitely won’t be seeing the kind of down-the-field targets he got Week 3 anytime in the foreseeable future. I would like to see Manningham and Cruz on the outside with Nicks, the Giants’ best route runner, in the slot, but I don’t see the Giants making that change anytime soon. Keep your eyes on Victor Cruz if he hasn’t been added to a team in your league yet, but don’t pick him up just yet.
Nate Washington, Titans
Finishing up Week 3’s threesome of breakout WRs is Tennessee’s Nate Washington. Washington ended his week with a solid 8 catches for 92 yards and a TD. We’ve seen more of Washington than these other guys above and know what to expect from him. Washington is a good receiver, not a great one, and certainly does not possess the physical prowess of Kenny Britt. But Washington is a must add in all leagues nonetheless. He’s going to be THE guy in Tennessee now with Britt out for the year and the Titans’ run game being pretty much nonexistent three weeks in. He’s already proven he can handle plenty of targets and 8 receptions Week 3 means QB Matt Hasselbeck will undoubtedly be looking for him in the future. Washington has tons of upside for the rest of the season, and there is no reason not to expect decent production out of him on a weekly basis. Don’t get too overzealous and start him this week against a very underrated Browns secondary, but don’t hesitate to pick him up and stash him on your bench for future use.
While some of this is obviously hard to predict because of injuries and other issues that could arise throughout the season, as of right now Smith is a guy you don’t bother picking up, Cruz is someone who you keep your eye on, and Washington is the #1 player you should be adding.
