The return of wide receiver Brandon LaFell was supposed to be the significant move for the New England Patriots Sunday. LaFell, though, didn’t do much in New England’s 30-23 win over the New York Jets. Instead, it was Danny Amendola who led the way for the team’s wide receivers.
Fantasy football waiver wire advice: Danny Amendola has a big day
That’s two in a row for the New England receiver. We break down the fantasy implications.
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Amendola was targeted nine times in the game, catching eight of them for 86 yards and a touchdown. Julian Edelman was also targeted nine times, but caught only five for 54 yards. LaFell was targeted eight times in his first game of 2015, but caught only two for 19 yards.
It was tight end Rob Gronkowski who led the Patriots in receiving, with 11 catches on 16 targets for 108 yards and a score.
Fantasy impact: After a quiet first four games of the season, Amendola has now been productive in two straight, with 15 catches for 191 yards and a score. Amendola has been a disappointment ever since joining New England, but if he can keep this level of production up going forward, he could turn that narrative around.
The injury to pass-catching running back Dion Lewis certainly had an effect on Amendola’s usage. As Lewis and LaFell get healthier, Amendola’s usage will likely fall. That said, he’s owned in only 12 percent of Yahoo! fantasy leagues, and a productive New England wide receiver needs to be more owned than that. He’s worth a pickup.
