Fantasy Football: One Breakout Candidate From Every NFL Team
John Brown, WR, Arizona Cardinals
John Brown's career was going smoothly prior to last season. He saw at least 100 targets in each of his first two years, and he finished as the PPR WR26 in 2015, amassing 207.5 fantasy points.
His upward progression was halted last season by a bout with sickle-cell trait. While there should be some concern about Brown moving forward, most reports on his health have been good, and he's entering the season as the Arizona Cardinals' number-two wideout with Michael Floyd long gone.
Carson Palmer and the Cards' vertical passing game needs Brown to thrive. His speed and after-the-catch ability were a perfect fit for Bruce Arians' attack.
#Cardinals John Brown delivers the big-play touchdown pic.twitter.com/xdmhfYYxbL
— The Sports Daily (@SportsDailyBlog) December 11, 2015
After ranking first in offense in 2015, per our numbers, Arizona checked in with the 16th-best offense a year ago.
Obviously, Brown's absence wasn't the only reason the team took a step back, but it was a factor, and no other surefire wideout option stepped up in his stead (although David Johnson caught roughly 5,000 passes).
If Brown is indeed healthy and Palmer can rebound -- and there are reasons to believe he can -- Brown could pay off big time at his current ADP of WR41 (9.01). If Brown isn't healthy, receivers J.J. Nelson and Jaron Brown could be breakout players.
The Cardinals have ranked second and sixth, respectively, in points scored the last two years, so we want a piece of their offense. Brown is a proven playmaker when he's right, and he could be a money pick later in your draft.
