RADIO
After last week's rather odd selection of wide receivers, this week's list contains some more traditional names you're likely concerned about. Typically, wide receivers are a lot more consistent than their running back counterparts but considering how bizarre this fantasy season has been thus far, there's been some unexpected fluidity among the more reliable players.
Now that I'm thinking about it, I suppose the theme of this week is basically "surprising inconsistency." That should be the alternate title for "Wide Receivers Sending Out Warning Signals" this year. The names we've discussed all year are just that with some others sprinkled in that warrant raising an eyebrow.
Two players were on a bye in Week 7 so we'll be using their most recent outings in Week 8 to revisit them at the end. The two players in question are Randall Cobb and A.J. Green, guys who are seemingly heading in opposite directions. We'll get to that in a bit but first, let's get going on the fresh faces.
Wide Receivers Sending Out Warning Signals
Demaryius Thomas – WR, DEN
I'll admit that adding Demaryius Thomas to this list is very non-traditional. Thomas has racked up some serious volume this season and is actually coming off of an eight-reception, 168-yard outing against the Green Bay Packers. That doesn't exactly sound like a wide receiver you should be worried about, but I have concerns about other aspects of his game.
My worries about Demaryius are twofold; on the one hand he's had to deal with extremely inconsistent play from quarterback Peyton Manning. Granted, he's managed to squeeze fantasy production out of some of Peyton's more disappointing outings, but a shaky QB could be a fantasy owner's worst nightmare. If it weren't for the fact that Thomas is still reeling in receptions in bunches, he would have made this list sooner thanks to Manning's noodle of an arm. The second, more pressing matter, is the glaring lack of touchdowns this season. Demaryius has just one touchdown on the season and hasn't found the endzone in four straight games. Obviously a lot of that is tied to the aforementioned up-and-down play from his quarterback, but it's still relevant to his fantasy prospects.
By no means am I telling you to panic on Demaryius Thomas. You don't need to trade him and you certainly don't need to bench him. All I'm trying to point out is that this offense isn't the juggernaut it once was. Peyton Manning is old and his receivers have taken a hit. Thomas came into the year as a top-three fantasy wide receiver but his lack of touchdowns have forced him closer to the back half of the top-10. Throw in the huge years from the likes of Julio Jones and DeAndre Hopkins and Demaryius has a mountain to climb if he expects to regain his throne.
Mike Evans – WR, TB
We've already discussed Mike Evans in the past so this is more of a season-long update than anything else. I've said before that there's been a surprising amount of inconsistency at wide receiver across the board, and Mike Evans is the type of player that fits directly into that category. Outside of a breakout game in Week 7, Evans has had himself an unreliable fantasy season thus far. A lot of that has to do with injury woes and dealing with a rookie quarterback, but you can't exactly gain fantasy points based off of excuses.
Luckily for Evans, quarterback Jameis Winston is showing signs of improvement, so it would appear that stronger outings lie ahead. Throw in the fact that fellow wide receiver Vincent Jackson is dealing with an injury and you should be on the lookout for a nice uptick in targets for Evans. The overall outlook on Evans is rather simple; he's cemented into that group of wide receivers that can explode any given week, but you're also going to have to deal with some lackluster four-for-40 showings as well. Given his size and athleticism, he has the tools to go out and have a two-touchdown game any given week. He's still a solid WR2 for the rest of the season.
T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief– WR, IND
If I could design my own personal logo for that alternate title of "surprising inconsistency", I'd be hard-pressed to find better poster-boys than the entire Indianapolis offense. All season long I had been preaching patience over panic in regard to Andrew Luck's horrendous start, stating that better days were ahead for the Colts' passing attack. I was expecting Luck to completely turn it around and find his primary receiver with frequency in T.Y. Hilton. While that was going on, Donte Moncrief had been putting together a nice little season for himself, threatening Hilton's claim to being Indy's top target. Fast forward to Week 9 and I'm changing my tune entirely.
It would appear that not only is Luck truly in for a disastrous season (by his standards) but he's essentially bringing all of his weapons down with him. T.Y. Hilton did have a monster game in Week 7 but Week 8 saw the Colts turn right back into the mess of an offense we had been dealing with at the start of the year. The Colts swear that Luck isn't injured anymore, but injury or no injury the team is suffering. Both T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief are in for a roller coaster season the rest of the way and are extremely inconsistent options.
Obviously Andrew Luck has the ability to pull himself back together but until that happens, I'm basically shielding my eyes as a Hilton/Moncrief owner. You're pretty much just hoping for one long touchdown at this point. If you can get solid value for either receiver you should make that swap ASAP as it doesn't look like you're going to end up with a reliable WR2 anytime soon. As a Hilton owner myself, I'm likely sticking with what I have since I don't want to undersell, but I'm certainly open to fielding any offers that come my way.
Updates From Last Week
Odell Beckham Jr. – WR, NYG
Odell Beckham went absolutely bonkers in that insane matchup against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. He finished the day with eight receptions for 130 yards and three touchdowns. It's safe to say he's fine.
Julian Edelman – WR, NE
Similar to Odell Beckham, Julian Edelman had a terrific outing in Week 8, posting seven receptions for 81 yards and two scores. He actually could have had a third touchdown if it wasn't for a pesky penalty. He too should be fine going forward.
Travis Benjamin – WR, CLE
As I alluded to last week, the honeymoon is over for Travis Benjamin. The big outings are going to be few and far between from here on out, so if you managed to benefit from one of those breakout games, congratulations on receiving the fantasy equivalent of icing on the cake. He's a bye week fill-in at this point and I don't even think you need to continue to roster him if you need to make a pickup. As an example, I dropped him for Stevie Johnson, a wide receiver with a better quarterback situation who is going to see a surge in targets now that Keenan Allen is out. Benjamin should rank behind the likes of Johnson the rest of the way, among several other WR3 options.
Randall Cobb – WR, GB
I can't possibly imagine that Randall Cobb is going to remain as bad as he's been the last few weeks, but boy is he struggling mightily. I'm hesitant to just lump him in with the other wide receivers that been wildly inconsistent. Given Cobb's talent, quarterback, and the offensive system in which he plays, I have to believe that better days are ahead. He's going to end up reeling in some touchdowns and the volume should eventually increase as well. You're not benching Randall Cobb and I wouldn't even trade him unless I got his full draft day value.
A.J. Green – WR, CIN
See: Odell Beckham and Julian Edelman. 11 receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown puts A.J. Green back on track as well. He's fine, but as a random little tidbit, be prepared for prime time Andy Dalton to show up on Thursday night against the Browns. That game has the potential to be a shocking upset.
