In this installment of "Bucky's Best," former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks provides "Bucky's *Beasts" -- the guys who are poised to produce spectacular numbers in Week 10:*
Brown has been so spectacular as the Steelers' No. 1 receiver that he could top this list every week, but he might set the fantasy football world on fire against a putrid Jets secondary that lacks a pure cover corner. Not that the question of who will cover Brown really matters -- the Pro Bowler has tallied at least five receptions and 80 yards in all nine games of 2014, tying Michael Irvin's NFL record to start a season. The sensational playmaker accounts for 36 percent of the Steelers' receiving yards right now, and he's been impossible to defend on the perimeter, despite facing a variety of bracket/double-coverage tactics from opponents. Jets coach Rex Ryan and defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman are clever tacticians with a wide array of schemes designed to neutralize the opponent's top receiver, but New York simply lacks the personnel in the secondary to get it done. As a result, opposing quarterbacks are completing 63.4 percent of their passes against Gang Green with a 24:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Brown and red-hot quarterback Ben Roethlisberger are surely licking their chops.
Harrison: Week 10 predictions
Forsett has quietly become the NFL's fifth-ranked rusher with 609 rushing yards, despite starting the season as a change-of-pace back. The seventh-year pro has surged to the top of the depth chart by torching opponents with a patient running style that allows him to slither through creases at the point of attack. His ability to get to the second level keys the Ravens' hard-hitting offense; with 21 runs of 10-plus yards, Forsett ranks behind just DeMarco Murray (32) and Arian Foster (22). The Titans have allowed 100-plus rushing yards in six of their past seven games and lack the gap discipline needed to thwart Baltimore's zone-based running game.
Jones is mired in a bit of a slump, having failed to reach the end zone in the past five games. The fourth-year pro's reduced production on the perimeter has played a major role in the Falcons' offensive struggles in recent weeks, but a visit to Tampa should help Jones regain his swagger. He's topped the 100-yard mark three times in five career games against the Buccaneers, including a nine-catch, 161-yard effort in Atlanta's 56-14 throttling of Tampa Bay in Week 3. With Jones scoring twice in that contest, the Falcons could make the young playmaker a top priority in the opening script of Sunday's game, to get him into a groove early on. For a Buccaneers defense that's allowing quarterbacks to complete 51.2 percent of passes thrown 20-plus yards in the air, No. 11 presents enormous problems.
A disappointing performance against the New Orleans Saints in Week 8 quieted some of the MVP talk surrounding Rodgers, but don't let that hiccup overshadow the quarterback's spectacular play this season. Rodgers leads the NFL with a 113.6 passer rating and has compiled a 19:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Going up against a Bears defense that allowed him to complete 22 of 28 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns in Week 4, Rodgers could re-emerge as a viable candidate for the league's top piece of hardware. He has traditionally enjoyed big games against the Bears, posting a 10-3 career mark against Chicago with a 105.0 passer rating and 25:8 TD-to-INT ratio. Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson will encounter favorable matchups against a struggling secondary, which could allow Rodgers to put up ridiculous numbers in this prime-time matchup.
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Sanu emerged as a legitimate weapon on the perimeter in October, catching 18 balls for 299 yards over the three-game span Pro Bowl wideout A.J. Green missed with a toe injury. Green returned to action last week, and on Thursday night, he'll likely be shadowed all over the field by Pro Bowl CB Joe Haden. Thus, the Bengals can turn to Sanu to exploit the weakest coverage link in the Browns' secondary (Buster Skrine). Sanu is a polished route runner with sneaky speed and quickness who excels at winning jump-balls over smallish corners down the boundary. Given his significant size advantage over the Browns' diminutive corner (Sanu is listed at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds; Skrine checks in at 5-9, 185), Sanu could be the focal point for Andy Dalton in the passing game.
Follow Bucky Brooks on Twitter @BuckyBrooks.
