Deion Branch got just two targets during the preseason and didn't catch any passes. Chad Ochocinco caught just three passes in three games. Apparently, that's cause for some concern for someone at The Boston Globe who asked Branch and quarterback Tom Brady about those low totals and if they were worried. Both said they were not, but Brady did put the blame on himself for not going to his top outside weapons more often.
"I have to do a better job getting those guys the football, because they are very consistent playmakers for us, and I have to really make sure they are getting the football," Brady said of Branch and Ochocinco on Friday. "That's the point of playing quarterback -- to get the ball to the guys who can do things with it. They are great players, they've been great players for a long time, and we're going to find ways to get those guys the ball."

Fantasy Analysis:

For owners of Branch and Ochocinco, it's nice to hear that Brady is making a point of getting them the ball. But this doesn't really change their value. Brady knows who they are and how valuable they can be to the team. That's not going to stop him from spreading the wealth to the Patriots' other targets -- Welker, Gronkowski, Hernandez, Woodhead, etc. I think Ochocinco will be the team's most productive wideout in 2011, but he's nothing more than a WR3. Unless your name is Welker or Randy Moss, the Patriots don't like to focus on one guy. And at the age of 33, Ochocinco's physical skills are declining.
Branch is a reserve option in fantasy leagues right now.