We only have two weeks of data in the books, so maybe it's a bit early to make firm declarations about any player's rest-of-season value. But the early returns look awfully good for Baltimore tight end Dennis Pitta. He currently leads all players at his position in targets (24) and he's tied with Jimmy Graham for the lead in receptions (13). Pitta and his quarterback, Joe Flacco, seem to have Witten/Romo-style chemistry. That is to say, Flacco loves him like a kitten.
Pitta had 15 balls thrown his way in Sunday's loss at Philadelphia, hauling in eight for 65 yards. Flacco wasn't necessarily at his best in Week 2, but he's been peppering Pitta with targets. With this sort of volume, you really can't go wrong. If you find yourself browsing the player pool this morning, shopping for Aaron Hernandez replacements, make Pitta a priority.
• If Pitta isn't an option for your fantasy roster — let's say you're a Pittsburgh fan with zero-tolerance policy regarding Ravens — then feel free to test drive Martellus Bennett. He's caught two touchdown passes already this season, and his quarterback has a decent history with tight ends in the red zone. I won't guarantee that Bennett will actually catch everything thrown his way, but he rarely comes off the field for New York and he saw double-digit targets in Week 2.
• Danny Amendola obviously had a huge day against the 'Skins, with a ridiculous 12 first-half receptions. We should note, however, that his upcoming schedule isn't the friendliest (at CHI, SEA, ARI), and he's still tied to an offense that none of us liked entering the season. Still, Sam Bradford is coming off one of his best days as a pro (310 pass, 8.9 Y/A, 3 TDs), and he's clearly found a go-to receiver. Amendola's ownership percentage is crazy-low at the moment (51), but that won't be the case much longer.
• I'm not about to give you a hard sell on any aspect of Miami's offense, though I've got nothing bad to say about Ryan Tannehill's Week 2 performance (200 pass, TD, 14 rush, TD). The rookie targeted Brian Hartline 12 times, completing nine for 111 yards. Thus, Hartline belongs on the PPR radar. Oakland's corners were ... well, they were bad. They had no answer for Hartline, so I can't imagine how they'll stop Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders this Sunday.
• Brandon LaFell's hot start sure doesn't seem like a fluke to me. He saw eight targets in the win against New Orleans, and he'll almost never receive max attention from defenses, not with Steve Smith on the field. Check the quote from LaFell's player page:
"With Steve pulling double teams and I'm getting one-on-ones, I've got the biggest smile on my face in the stadium. That's going to happen a lot this year. I always tell Smitty, 'I go off how you go.'"
Clearly, things are going well. Carolina host the Giants on Thursday night in Week 3, and New York has been torched by secondary receivers this year (Ogletree, Williams).
• Sure wish I had a few more shares of Malcom Floyd, and no investment in Robert Meachem. Floyd has been a tough cover in the opening weeks (14 targets, 10 catches, 175 yards, TD); Meachem is barely a rumor (six targets, two catches, 49 yards).
• Tennessee rookie Kendall Wright had a relatively quiet afternoon in Week 2, catching just two balls for 24 yards. But he managed to find the end zone in the third quarter, and he was targeted eight times by Jake Locker. The Titans face Detroit in Week 3, so you can expect another early deficit, which should lead to opportunities for Tennessee's receivers (probably at Chris Johnson's expense).
Read the rest at: Target Practice, Week 2: Dennis Pitta, clearly a Flacco favorite
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