X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

3 Players Sending Out Warning Signals After Week 8

 

Players That Are Making Me Nervous For Week 9

ben-tate-fantasy-football-running-backs-sleepers-nflHey all, Rek is on vacation this week so I'm coming off the bench to cover the players I'm worried about as potential busts for week 9! Let's start by looking at his three players from last week, like we always do.

Marshawn Lynch had another disappointing game but he did go over 4.0 YPC once again. There is a little cause for concern with his supposed unhappiness in Seattle but I would reaffirm Rek's thoughts that you shouldn't worry too much. He is an excellent football player, and the Seattle Seahawks will need to use Beast Mode more if they want to win consistently. Alfred Morris responded with his best game in weeks, totaling 85 yards and a score. I'd agree with Rek that he is an RB2 and was probably drafted as an RB1. He should be able to reach 80 yards in most games.

Lastly Reggie Bush did not play and Theo Riddick looked very good in his place. Bush is looking droppable in many league formats, as I can't imagine trusting him as a reliable weekly fantasy football option even if he has a strong game. Looks like Rek did a great job identifying three concerning players last week, so let's move on to this week!

 

Julius Thomas - TE, DEN

95% Owned on Fleaflicker

Through his first five games, Julius Thomas was on an insane record breaking pace, averaging nearly two touchdowns a game. He has since totaled 50 yards in two games with no touchdowns. Should we worry? Temper your expectations but don't think Julius is suddenly a horrible fantasy tight end.

Yardage-wise, Julius is on pace for a very similar season to last year. He is averaging 46 yards a game vs 56 last year. It is because of this that I had Julius as my TE3 in my preseason rankings. I stick by that, he never was expected to rack up yards like Graham and Gronk can. He is a touchdown specialist. So what's gone wrong lately? Mostly Emmanuel Sanders with some Juwan Thompson mixed in. Sanders had zero scores in his first five games but now has four during Julius' drought. Three of those scores are from within five yards of the endzone. Likewise Juwan Thompson vultured every Denver fantasy-relevant player with two goal line scores.

Is that a reason to worry? Not really. Sanders was due for some touchdowns but there is no reason to think that going forward the 5'11" Sanders will continue to get the goal line looks over 6'5" Julius. I think the absolute worst case for Julius over the final 8 games (9 if you play week 17) is five touchdowns. If he continues to average around 50 yards with five scores over the next 8 weeks I'd guess that is still TE3 or 4 from this point on and that is strictly worst case. More realistically he sees 7+ touchdowns and is easily top 3 if not better. I would seriously consider trading him for healthy Gronk if you can, but other than that you want Julius in your lineup. His low yardage will result in some duds but more often he'll get you 10+ points.

 

Ben Tate / Cleveland Running Backs

88% Owned on Fleaflicker

Through the first five weeks, Cleveland running backs were dominant and had a 10 point RB every single week and often an impressive two double-digit scoring RBs! The past two weeks the Browns had two average or better matchups (Jags, Raiders) and flopped badly. I think there is definite reason to worry here.

Of the three Cleveland backs (Tate, Crowell, West), not a single one has managed to exceed 2.6 YPC over the past two games. With Crowell and Tate both playing at an extremely high level up to this point I think it's pretty clear that the issue lies elsewhere. Luckily for me, I didn't have to look far before seeing a likely cause. Through week 6, Alex Mack was Pro Football Focus's 3rd highest graded Center before breaking his leg which has sidelined him for the remainder of 2014.

In Week 7, the Browns tried to replace him by moving RG John Greco over to C and starting Paul McQuistan at RG. McQuistan was the 67th graded G for the week out of 70. In Week 8 they tried something different and started Nick McDonald at C which resulted in him being graded as the 31st C of 33. It's been an absolute disaster trying to replace Mack and the RBs have suffered a great deal. They have some nice matchups going forward but I will have little confidence in the Browns run game until I see an offensive line that works. I am really worried and I'd be looking to trade Ben Tate to an owner that thinks he'll bounce back.

 

Matt Ryan - QB, ATL

96% Owned on Fleaflicker

Matt Ryan is another player that has suffered offensive line injuries. The Falcons offensive line woes are way beyond that of Cleveland though, as injuries have left multiple third-stringers starting. Do I think Ryan is talented? Absolutely, I think he's a top-10 QB in the league in terms of talent. However from a fantasy perspective I set the bar at 15 points (standard 4 points/TD scoring) as a decent performance. Over Ryan's last four games he's scored 14, 12, 11 and 15 points. Over the same span he's been outscored by Kyle Orton, Mike Glennon and Derek Carr.

As a result, I've made the case on Twitter (to some backlash) that Ryan is droppable IF you need the roster space, especially with his bye this coming week. He has several good matchups following the bye, starting with the Bucs and Panthers, but unless he has a Brady-like turnaround I can't say I'll feel comfortable starting him. I'll like Ryan a lot next year but with the offensive line he has to deal with, no thanks. Even in a good matchup it's hard to trust Ryan away from home (averaging 13.25 points in away matchups) which are where his next two matchups are.

So we're looking at a QB who is on bye and then plays away games in weeks 10-11. Even though those games are against the Bucs and Panthers, I don't trust him. If you feel the same way after reading this then Ryan is dead weight on your roster and you should consider making the change.

 

Closing Thoughts After Week 8

I hope you enjoyed me as a replacement. Rek will be back next week with the writing you know and love! In your average league there are just five more weeks before the fantasy playoffs so start assessing your team and figuring out what you need to do to get there. Good luck!

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Roman Josi13 mins ago

Suffers A Lower-Body Injury
Andrew Wiggins25 mins ago

On Track To Return On Wednesday
Fred VanVleet34 mins ago

Expected To Return On Wednesday
Alperen Sengün42 mins ago

Alperen Sengun Questionable For Wednesday
De'Andre Hunter48 mins ago

Likely To Feature Against Knicks
Bogdan Bogdanovic54 mins ago

In Danger Of Missing Another Game
Jalen Johnson59 mins ago

Carries A Questionable Tag
Josh Hart1 hour ago

Iffy For Wednesday's Cup Game
Jake Burger9 hours ago

Rangers Acquire Jake Burger From Marlins
Karl-Anthony Towns13 hours ago

Expected To Face Atlanta
Trae Young13 hours ago

Probable Again For Wednesday
P.J. Washington13 hours ago

Won't Suit Up Versus OKC
Naji Marshall13 hours ago

Returning On Tuesday Night
Isaac Guerendo14 hours ago

Misses Tuesday's Practice
Washington Nationals14 hours ago

Nationals Win MLB Draft Lottery
Nathan Eovaldi14 hours ago

Reunites With Rangers On Three-Year Deal
Andrés Giménez14 hours ago

Blue Jays Acquire Andres Gimenez From Guardians
Max Fried15 hours ago

Yankees Agree On Eight-Year, $218 Million Contract
Joey Daccord16 hours ago

Faces Panthers On Tuesday
Cole Sillinger17 hours ago

Available On Tuesday
Erik Cernak17 hours ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Anthony Cirelli17 hours ago

Doubtful For Tuesday's Matchup
Jake Allen17 hours ago

Unavailable On Tuesday
David Pastrnak17 hours ago

Good To Go Tuesday
Max Domi17 hours ago

Ready To Rejoin Action Tuesday
Grayson Rodriguez19 hours ago

Will Be A "Full-Go" For Spring Training
Thairo Estrada19 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Colorado
Max Fried20 hours ago

Nearing His Free-Agent Decision
Paul Goldschmidt20 hours ago

Tigers Showing Interest In Paul Goldschmidt
Carlos Correa20 hours ago

Twins Receiving Calls On Carlos Correa
Christian Walker20 hours ago

Yankees Making A Push For Christian Walker
Kyle Tucker20 hours ago

Cubs, Yankees Showing Interest In Kyle Tucker
George Pickens22 hours ago

Has Outside Chance Of Playing In Week 15
Dallas Cowboys22 hours ago

DeMarvion Overshown Expected To Need Knee Surgery
CeeDee Lamb1 day ago

Finds End Zone For First Time Since Week 8
Lonzo Ball1 day ago

Has Minutes Restriction Increased
Rico Dowdle1 day ago

Records Back-To-Back 100 Yard Rushing Games
Jaden Hardy1 day ago

Misses Second Straight Game
Naji Marshall1 day ago

Considered Questionable For Tuesday's Cup Action
Jaylin Williams1 day ago

Remains Out On Tuesday
Karl-Anthony Towns1 day ago

Returns With Winning Performance
Scottie Barnes1 day ago

X-Rays On Scottie Barnes' Ankle Negative
Taylor Hall1 day ago

Enjoys Multi-Point Outing Versus Rangers
Jason Zucker1 day ago

Amasses Three Points Against Red Wings
Andrew Copp1 day ago

Scores Twice In Monday's Win
Troy Terry1 day ago

Nets Two Goals In Losing Effort
Lane Hutson1 day ago

Sets New Franchise Record With Another Productive Outing
Jace Jung1 day ago

Undergoes Wrist Surgery, Expected To Be Ready For Spring Training
Patrik Laine1 day ago

Collects Two Points Versus Ducks
Joe Burrow1 day ago

Highly Productive In Week 14 Win
Chase Brown1 day ago

Remains Highly Productive As Receiver On MNF
Ja'Marr Chase1 day ago

Explodes For Monster Two-Touchdown Game
Jung Hoo Lee1 day ago

Won't Have Restrictions In Spring Training
Christian Yelich1 day ago

Should Be Ready For Spring Training
Brandon Woodruff1 day ago

Might Not Be Ready For Opening Day
Yordan Alvarez1 day ago

Astros Want To "Cut Back" On Yordan Alvarez's Time In The Outfield
Aaron Judge1 day ago

Likely Moving Back To Right Field In 2025
Jasson Domínguez1 day ago

Jasson Dominguez A Leading Candidate To Play Center Field In 2025
Dallas Cowboys1 day ago

DeMarvion Overshown Ruled Out On Monday Night With Knee Injury
Will Dissly1 day ago

Expected To Miss A Few Weeks
Rafael Devers1 day ago

Red Sox Haven't Discussed Moving Rafael Devers Off Third Base
Garrett Crochet1 day ago

Yankees, Mets Vying For Garrett Crochet
Kenneth Walker III2 days ago

Seahawks Unsure On Kenneth Walker III's Status
Immanuel Quickley2 days ago

To Get Additional Testing
Jameis Winston2 days ago

To Remain Browns Starter
Maxi Kleber2 days ago

Won't Play On Tuesday
P.J. Washington2 days ago

Could Miss Tuesday's Game
Khris Middleton2 days ago

Expected To Play On Tuesday
Drew Lock2 days ago

To Start In Week 15 If He's Healthy
Justin Herbert2 days ago

Expects To Be Fine
Tom Wilson2 days ago

Misses Monday's Practice
David Pastrnak2 days ago

Battling An Upper-Body Injury
Alexandre Carrier2 days ago

Out Week-To-Week
Rasmus Dahlin2 days ago

On Track To Return At The End Of The Week
Jordan Greenway2 days ago

Set To Return To Sabres Lineup
Mackenzie Blackwood2 days ago

Lands In Colorado
Alexandar Georgiev2 days ago

Traded To Sharks
Detroit Lions2 days ago

Aidan Hutchinson Could Be Ready For NFC Championship
Aaron Rodgers2 days ago

Has Played With Hamstring, Knee, Ankle Injuries This Year
Alexandre Pantoja2 days ago

Gets Second-Round Win At UFC 310
George Pickens2 days ago

Likely To Miss Week 15
Kai Asakura2 days ago

Submitted At UFC 310
Isaac Guerendo2 days ago

Day-To-Day With Foot Sprain
Alexander Volkov2 days ago

Takes Split-Decision Loss
Aidan O'Connell2 days ago

Has Bone Bruise, Not Ruled Out For Week 15
Ciryl Gane2 days ago

Edges Out Split Decision At UFC 310
Desmond Ridder2 days ago

In Line To Start If Aidan O'Connell Can't Play
MMA2 days ago

Doo Ho Choi Scores TKO Win At UFC 310
Derek Carr2 days ago

Suffers Major Fracture In Non-Throwing Hand, Likely Done For The Season
Nate Landwehr3 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC 310
Kron Gracie3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC 310
Bryce Mitchell3 days ago

Scores Knockout Win At UFC 310
Ian Machado Garry3 days ago

Suffers First Defeat At UFC 310
Shavkat Rakhmonov3 days ago

Remains Undefeated After UFC 310
Kai Asakura5 days ago

Competes For UFC Flyweight Title
Alexandre Pantoja5 days ago

Set For Third Title Defense At UFC 310
Ciryl Gane5 days ago

Set For Heavyweight Clash
Alexander Volkov5 days ago

Looks For His Fifth Win In A Row
MMA5 days ago

Doo Ho Choi An Underdog At UFC 310
Kron Gracie6 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC 310
Bryce Mitchell6 days ago

A Massive Favorite At UFC 310
Nate Landwehr6 days ago

Opens Up UFC 310 Main Card
Ian Machado Garry6 days ago

In A No. 1 Contender Fight At UFC 310
Shavkat Rakhmonov6 days ago

A Big Favorite At UFC 310

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

Video: Week 15 Must-Start Defense (D/ST) Streamers - 2024 Fantasy Football Start/Sit Analysis

With most leagues headed into the fantasy football playoffs, we're bringing the heat for Week 15! Check out our top 2024 fantasy football must-start Defenses (D/ST) and be prepared to dominate your playoff matchups! LaQuan Jones discusses his top "Must Start" Defense (D/ST) streamers that have the potential to be game-changers in Week 15, as […]


Von Miller Buffalo Bills Defense - Fantasy Football DST, Defense Streamers, Waiver Wire IDP

Top DST Starts for Fantasy Football Playoffs: Rest-Of-Season Team Defense Picks (2024)

The fantasy football playoffs are right around the corner, and now is the perfect time to line up your fantasy defenses for the rest of the year. Getting ahead of your league mates and picking up defenses that have a great upcoming schedule could be the difference between a championship or a first-round exit. This […]


Jauan Jennings - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets - Buy/Sell For Week 15 Including Davante Adams, T.J. Hockenson, Jauan Jennings, Isiah Pacheco

Well, RotoBallers, we made it. The fantasy playoffs are officially here. Because we're talking dynasty, you of course don't need to have made the playoffs to take something away from this column, but congratulations if you did! Even if you have a bye in Week 15, there are plenty of reasons to stay active and […]


Tua Tagovailoa - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 15 Include Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa, Kyren Williams, Terry McLaurin, more

The fantasy playoffs are finally here for leagues that use single elimination. The fun is just beginning as we finally get to see all our hard work through. As such, we need to focus on the best matchups this week. Any edge matters in the fantasy playoffs because any team can get hot at the […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Fantasy Football WR Injury Reports: Week 15 Updates For George Pickens, Chris Olave, Rashod Bateman, Cedric Tillman

Welcome to the fantasy football playoffs! A healthy roster is the best roster, so let's hope your wide receivers are ready to play. To keep close tabs on all of the news across the NFL, make sure to favorite or bookmark the fantasy football player news page. Also, download the free RotoBaller fantasy football mobile […]


Adam Thielen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Fantasy Football WR Sleepers: Smash Spots for Week 15 Include Calvin Ridley, Adam Thielen, Khalil Shakir, Jakobi Meyers

Week 15, here we come. Whether this is the opening week of your fantasy playoffs, your last week of the regular season, or a bye week, we’ve made it to the end of the fantasy season.  Last week, we nailed our WR calls, smashing Jauan Jennings (seven receptions, 92 yards, two TDs) and Darnell Mooney […]


Bo Nix - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Fantasy Football Matchups to Target, Avoid (Week 15) - Offensive Line Champs and Chumps

The fantasy playoffs are finally here. Making the fantasy playoffs is a huge achievement that requires good drafting, diligent waiver wire moves, and strong matchup analysis. If your team is in the playoffs, the hard part is just getting started. Winning a fantasy championship requires shooting for upside each week and exploiting every available matchup […]


Jordan Addison - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 15

As Adam says, Week 14 of the 2024 season is in the books. That means another week of cold, hard data to analyze. We’ll try not to overreact but instead, use logic and reasoning as the foundation for our decision-making in the weeks ahead. I'm Joe Nicely and I'll be pinch-hitting for the great Adam […]


Chase Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Rest-of-Season Fantasy Football Rankings: Week 15 Updates for Top 200 (2024)

Many of you are planning for the fantasy football playoffs and so we must deliver an updated rest-of-season rankings sheet! While many of you are only concerned with the current week, one should also consider all remaining games. That's what we're here to provide with our Week 15 fantasy football half-PPR rankings for the rest […]


Puka Nacua - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Rams vs. 49ers TNF Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford, Isaac Guerendo, George Kittle, Jauan Jennings

The 2024 fantasy football playoffs are officially upon us and they kick off with the Los Angeles Rams visiting the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football. Both teams are coming off dominant offensive performances (Rams scored 44 points in Week 14, 49ers scored 38), and this matchup could not be more important for NFL […]


Zach Charbonnet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS and Betting Picks

Fact or Fiction: Fantasy Football Outlooks for Zach Charbonnet, Isaac Guerendo, Jalen McMillan, Tim Patrick, Juwan Johnson

Josh Allen scored 51.9 fantasy points in Week 14. It was a huge game for Allen and was a surprising result because of just how many points were scored, but it's not like we didn't know Allen was an elite player. What was more surprising? The top two fantasy running backs this week were Zach […]


Bucky Irving - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For NFL RBs: Week 15 Updates for Kenneth Walker III, Isaac Guerendo, Bucky Irving, Jonathon Brooks

Below is our fantasy football injuries report for running backs in Week 15, as of December 11. The injury statuses for various NFL running backs are up in the air for Week 15, including Kenneth Walker III, Isaac Guerendo, Bucky Irving, and Jonathon Brooks. As the fantasy football season continues, every decision, transaction, and lineup […]


Week 15 IDP Rankings for Fantasy Football (2024) - Defense Positional Rankings for LB, DL, DB

As the fantasy playoffs start in full, now is a time to educate those too young to remember a scoring system called “rotisserie." It's a system still used in fantasy baseball and basketball, but some may not know it was once applied to fantasy football. Today, it appears to be a relic largely used in […]