RADIO
Each and every quarterback in the NFL has his favorite receiving targets. For Tom Brady, it’s Julian Edelman. In Denver, for Peyton Manning, it’s Demaryius Thomas or Emmanuel Sanders. Even down in Arizona, Cardinals’ quarterback Carson Palmer can’t help but frequently connect with Larry Fitzgerald.
Regardless of who a quarterback is, how much experience he has or where he’s playing, this sort of favoritism is a natural occurrence. As far as Odell Beckham is concerned, that’s perfectly fine with him.
Why? Well, with Victor Cruz still suffering from injury, he just so happens to be Eli Manning’s safety blanket. Seriously, in a Week 8 contest that saw Eli Manning and Drew Brees combine for 13 passing touchdowns, nearly a quarter of them ended up in Beckham’s hands. Though his team was unable to overcome a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit, Beckham turned in a stellar performance, successfully bringing in 8-of-9 targets for a grand total of 130 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
As far as specifics are concerned, the first two of Beckham’s touchdown catches came on pick plays near the goal line. The third, however, was a bit more exciting—a 50-yard bomb that saw Beckham use his raw speed to split both the Saints’ cornerback and safety.
Said the star receiver from LSU of his return performance in New Orleans, “It meant a lot for me to come back here at a place that I had always dreamed of playing in … Being able to come back home, I knew I was gonna have to put my best out there. Today, we came up short.”
The Superdome hasn’t been kind to Beckham. In fact, the last time he played there, LSU lost to Alabama 21-0 in the 2012 Allstate BCS National Championship Game.
In spite of Beckham’s relatively slow start to the season, things are certainly on the up and up. Currently, Beckham is on pace for 100 catches for 1,308 yards and 14 touchdowns. Fantasy owners should take not and consider him a must-have prospect in all formats. Next week, the Giants travel to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers. Needless to say, the contest will be a favorable one for Beckham.
