Antonio Brown Fantasy Fallout: Five Potential Fill-Ins For Suspended WR

Admit it: You didn’t feel good when you took Antonio Brown in your fantasy football drafts.

Well, now your worst fears are coming to fruition.

The Raiders reportedly plan to suspend Brown after the star wideout “got into it” with Oakland general manager Mike Mayock. It’s unclear how long the suspension could last, but multiple reports indicate this isn’t some “go away for a week” scenario.

As such, fantasy owners must take action on replacing Brown, whom they probably planned on being their No. 2 wideout, at least. No, you probably can’t find a true replacement for Brown, but you’ve got to do something.

Here are five receivers who might be available in your leagues:

Tyrell Williams, WR, Oakland Raiders
Veteran fantasy players know the deal with Williams from his days with the Los Angeles Chargers. The tall, athletic wideout is a true boom-or-bust player, one who is equally capable of putting up WR1 numbers as he is doing absolutely nothing. It’s hard to trust Williams until we see what his role is with the Raiders, but with Brown looking at a suspension, Williams figures to be the No. 1 beneficiary in Oakland’s passing attack. He absolutely is worth an add.

Robby Anderson, WR, New York Jets
People seemingly are down on Anderson because he plays for the Jets. It also doesn’t help that he’s coming off a disappointing follow-up to what was a breakout sophomore campaign. But if you believe in Anderson’s talents (you should) and the potential for second-year quarterback Sam Darnold to take the next step (you should), Anderson is an intriguing fantasy asset. If he’s available in your league, scoop him up.

DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Listen, trusting a rookie receiver isn’t easy. Furthermore, trusting a guy who often is labeled as more of an athletic freak than a true receiver is equally risky. But Metcalf has all the tools, and has a chance to put up big numbers if he earns the trust of quarterback Russell Wilson.

Hunter Renfrow, WR, Oakland Raiders
Renfrow is more of a target for people in PPR leagues. The rookie wideout is cut right from the Wes Welker/Julian Edelman tree, and should see decent action right away. But with Brown out of the picture (for now), Renfrow could see a major uptick in targets.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, Green Bay Packers
Valdes-Scantling had some eye-opening performances in his rookie season, but ultimately wasn’t a valuable fantasy asset. That could change in Year 2, as Aaron Rodgers and the Packers should be at least somewhat more creative under new head coach Matt LaFleur than they were under Mike McCarthy. Pick up Valdes-Scantling and hope he turns into James Jones 2.0, or something.