Those who selected John Brown in fantasy drafts last year got burned. He battled sickle-cell issues that limited his snaps, and he was bothered by a cyst that's since been removed from his spine. Brown seems to have put those problems behind him, and there could be considerable value in 2017 to those who look for a bounce-back.
Alas, Brown suffered a strained quad last week, which has so far cost him about a week of practice. The team will probably treat him with kid gloves in the exhibitions -- don't want to risk him getting a more serious injury. But assuming this one is a minor ailment, he's a player with a lot of ability, and potential.
Brown was really limited a year ago -- he couldn't lift weights or even play with his daughter without needing to sleep. Really sounds like his health issues were behind his disappointing season.
Set aside last year, and look at his breakout 2015 season. His 15.4 yards per reception was better than all but five wideouts who caught at least 60 passes that year.
| WIDE RECEIVERS, YARDS PER CATCH (2015) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | No | Yds | Avg | TD |
| Allen Robinson, Jac. | 80 | 1400 | 17.5 | 14 |
| Sammy Watkins, Buff. | 60 | 1047 | 17.5 | 9 |
| Mike Evans, T.B. | 74 | 1206 | 16.3 | 3 |
| T.Y. Hilton, Ind. | 69 | 1124 | 16.3 | 5 |
| Allen Hurns, Jac. | 64 | 1031 | 16.1 | 10 |
| John Brown, Ariz. | 65 | 1003 | 15.4 | 7 |
| Odell Beckham Jr., NYG | 96 | 1450 | 15.1 | 13 |
| A.J. Green, Cin. | 86 | 1297 | 15.1 | 10 |
| Emmanuel Sanders, Den. | 76 | 1135 | 14.9 | 6 |
| Amari Cooper, Oak. | 72 | 1070 | 14.9 | 6 |
| Willie Snead, N.O. | 69 | 984 | 14.3 | 3 |
| Travis Benjamin, S.D. | 68 | 966 | 14.2 | 6 |
| Calvin Johnson, Det. | 88 | 1214 | 13.8 | 9 |
| Brandon Marshall, NYJ | 109 | 1502 | 13.8 | 14 |
| Julio Jones, Atl. | 136 | 1871 | 13.8 | 9 |
| Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 78 | 1069 | 13.7 | 14 |
| DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 111 | 1521 | 13.7 | 11 |
| Brandin Cooks, N.O. | 84 | 1138 | 13.6 | 9 |
| Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 136 | 1834 | 13.5 | 11 |
| Eric Decker, NYJ | 80 | 1027 | 12.8 | 12 |
| Kamar Aiken, Balt. | 75 | 944 | 12.6 | 5 |
| Marvin Jones, Det. | 65 | 816 | 12.6 | 4 |
| Jeremy Maclin, K.C. | 87 | 1088 | 12.5 | 8 |
| Demaryius Thomas, Den. | 105 | 1304 | 12.4 | 6 |
| Jordan Matthews, Phil. | 85 | 997 | 11.7 | 8 |
| Donte Moncrief, Ind. | 64 | 733 | 11.5 | 6 |
| Anquan Boldin, Det. | 69 | 789 | 11.4 | 4 |
| Julian Edelman, N.E. | 61 | 692 | 11.3 | 7 |
| Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 109 | 1215 | 11.2 | 9 |
| Michael Crabtree, Oak. | 85 | 922 | 10.9 | 9 |
| Keenan Allen, S.D. | 67 | 725 | 10.8 | 4 |
| Pierre Garcon, Wash. | 72 | 777 | 10.8 | 6 |
| Jarvis Landry, Mia. | 110 | 1157 | 10.5 | 6 |
| Randall Cobb, G.B. | 79 | 829 | 10.5 | 7 |
| Danny Amendola, N.E. | 65 | 648 | 10.0 | 3 |
| Golden Tate, Det. | 90 | 813 | 9.0 | 6 |
Some teams will no doubt pass on Brown, and this latest quad issue won't change their thinking. But I suspect Brown will make it onto a number of my teams. A lot of potential if his health is right.
--Andy Richardson