Brandon LaFell has been on the verge for a good while now. From the moment he entered the Carolina Panthers lineup via the draft back in the third round in 2010, LaFell has shown flashes of brilliance. For a time they were not bright enough to secure him real playing time, but all that changed in 2011 when injuries allowed him to get some game experience. LaFell took that time and showed that he could produce. Now, here we are in his third year and he is starting to show up big time. Having Cam Newton under center and Steve Smith opposite you as a wide out certainly does not hurt your fantasy chances. Here are three reasons why Brandon LaFell is fantasy football ready:
He will almost always be single covered
When LaFell lines up, he generally has Steve Smith opposite him. Smith will always draw the coverage when they are sharing the field. Because of this, LaFell will get plenty of single coverage and should be able to get tons of targets. When he gets targets, he generally makes the catches. LaFell is also very good at yards after the catch due to his large frame and excellent speed.
He can steal you yardage on the ground
It does not happen too often, but when LaFell gets his shot to run the football he knows what to do with it. So far he already has a 25 yard run to his credit in this offense. I would wager we will see more of this as the season wears on. LaFell is going to get some runs now and then and that only helps your fantasy yardage that much more.
The Cam Newton factor
Cam Newton does an amazing job of buying time against most NFL defenses. Because of this, receivers have longer to find an open area of the football field. With LaFell's burst down the field, that means there will be plenty of chances for him to streak down the field and make huge plays. Cam Newton equals extra yardage for Brandon LaFell.
Although LaFell is going to be a long shot for many fantasy football teams, he is well worth the flyer if you have a deep league. It is entirely possible that LaFell will outperform other receivers that are much higher on the fantasy football totem pole. He should also come fairly cheap, but not for long. Grab him while you can before it is too late.
Source: Brandon LaFell's Yahoo Sports Stat Page
*Southern is a huge Carolina Panthers fan that is convinced that he will see a Super Bowl Trophy in Charlotte within five years.
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