After a hugely prolific 2023 season, All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown recorded just two catches for eight yards in the first half of the Detroit Lions‘ Sunday Night Football matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
St. Brown was a first- or second-round pick in just about every fantasy football draft this fall, so should fantasy managers who spent such a high pick on him be worried?
Should Fantasy Managers Be Worried About Amon-Ra St. Brown?
The short answer is no. The first half of this game featured far less offense on the whole than was previously expected. While some Lions did have a better half than St. Brown, he should have more volume if the offense takes a general step up.
No Lions receiver had more than two catches, so St. Brown, who tied for the team lead with three targets as well, was still as big of a part of the offense as any receiver; he just didn’t break any big plays.
The Lions were certainly a run-first team in the first half, but if the game picks up pace in the second half, expect them to go back to an air-heavy approach, with St. Brown serving as a key centerpiece.
In St. Brown’s breakout 2023 campaign, he was only held below 70 yards three times and cracked the 100-yard plateau nine times. There’s no reason to imagine that the Lions, who didn’t really bolster the receiving corps this offseason, have suddenly decided to move away from their star receiver; expect him to be a big part of the rest of this game, and in the big picture, the rest of the Lions’ season as well.
If a St. Brown manager in your fantasy league is overreacting to the quiet half, you have a great opportunity to make a trade for an elite player at a depressed value.