While the COVID-19 situation has seen several players sidelined from week to week in the NFL, some fantasy managers might be getting a nice Christmas gift with the return of Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown. It was reported that Brown will rejoin the team Monday. Ironically, Brown was out due to a three-game suspension he received for submitting a fake COVID vaccination card.
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Prior to his suspension, Brown had missed playing time due to an ankle injury. He was close to returning when the suspension was announced on Dec. 1, so he should be ready to go when Tampa Bay plays at Carolina the day after Christmas.
Brown hasn’t played since Week 6, when he caught nine passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. A week before that, he had seven grabs for 124 yards and two scores. He was targeted a total of 21 times in those two games, so it’s clear Tom Brady likes throwing to the seven-time Pro Bowler.
Based on fantasy points per game, Brown is the QB1 among Tampa Bay’s three dangerous receivers:
- Antonio Brown – 19.1
- Chris Godwin – 17.8
- Mike Evans – 16.8
Fantasy managers with Brady are the biggest winners in this scenario. Brady has 16 TD passes in the five games in which he’s had the trio of Brown, Evans and Godwin all at his disposal. Brown’s return might hurt the value of Evans and Godwin, though fantasy managers will not be benching them.
