November 24, 2016

RotoBaller's Frankie Soler takes a look at some players sending out warning signals that you should be concerned about heading into week 12 of the fantasy football season.

Hello? Anyone still with me? Great, that means you're still in playoff contention. Or, at the very least, you're just as obsessed with fantasy football as those of us at RotoBaller. Nevertheless, Warning Signals is churning along with some new names to discuss heading into Week 12.

There's a pretty good chance that you're sitting at 7-4 or 6-5 and wondering why certain players are just barely scraping by, despite your competitive team. That's going to be the focus this week. We're going to look at players that are likely on winning teams but have put up some head scratching numbers as of late. After all, those of us in the middle of the pack are likely spending many hours trying to figure out what to do with our squads. Good luck in the home stretch!

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Heed the Warning Signs

DeAndre Hopkins - (WR, HOU)

I can sum up the season DeAndre Hopkins is having in a single two-word phrase: "Help me!" None of DeAndre's struggles are his fault as quarterback Brock Osweiler has been terrible this year. Osweiler is looking like the most overpaid passer in the league and Hopkins is suffering because of it. Even with that in mind, Hopkins likely avoids this week's list if the refs don't blow an early whistle on what could/should have been a touchdown running up the sideline in Monday night's game. Yet here we are after another disappointing showing.

Here's the skinny on DeAndre Hopkins: if you've made it this far by starting him, there is almost no conceivable reason to bench him. You would have to be absolutely loaded at wide receiver and even then, I would venture to guess you benched him long ago. At this point in the season, your team likely isn't winning because of Hopkins, you're winning in spite of Hopkins. Besides, if he ends up breaking out for the playoff push, you'll be kicking yourself from January all the way to August. This is a simple case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Anything DeAndre Hopkins does from here on out is gravy, especially if your team is already competitive enough to still be playing Week 12 and beyond.

Kelvin Benjamin - (WR, CAR)

At the beginning of the season not only did it look like Kelvin Benjamin was back to his old self coming off an ACL repair, but it looked like he was vastly under drafted. For a while, it seemed as if he was going to end the season as a sure fire WR1. Fast forward to November and he's come back down to reality . The Panthers just aren't the same team they were last year and virtually everyone is suffering because of it.

Similar to DeAndre Hopkins, we're far too deep into the season to be benching Kelvin Benjamin. Besides, he's been a bit more dependable than Hopkins anyway. Despite not scoring a touchdown since week four, Benjamin has only had one game with less than 70 yards since then. He's still very much involved in the offense and if he finds the end zone two or three times over that span he's not even in Warning Signals consideration. A good comparison for him is Mike Evans of 2015. Evans was a rock solid NFL wide receiver last year but his lack of touchdowns hurt his fantasy appeal. Kelvin Benjamin is going to continue to be heavily involved as one of Cam Newton's favorite targets. The second he finds the end zone you'll forget all about his recent struggles.

Spencer Ware - (RB, KC)

Speaking of scoring droughts, Spencer Ware is another player who hasn't found the end zone in quite some time. Ware's last touchdown came in Week 6 against Oakland, although it should be pointed out that he did miss one game because of a concussion. That concussion also limited his workload in the previous game against Indianapolis so his numbers are somewhat skewed. If you were to ignore those two mishaps, Ware is racking up touches at will. He's averaging 17.5 touches over his last two games and that isn't going to change anytime soon.

On paper, Kansas City's Week 12 matchup with the Denver Broncos could have some owners cowering in fear. Instead, Denver is actually much weaker against the run than they are the pass. You should expect a strong outing from Spencer Ware as soon as this week. Throw in some more soft games looming with the Falcons and Raiders and Ware is poised for a bounce back sooner rather than later.

Matthew Stafford - (QB, DET)

Matthew Stafford could be viewed as one of the poster boys for the "wait on QB" strategy. He's not exactly a superstar but he's usually serviceable as a fantasy option. In looking at his most recent numbers, however, owners might be wondering what's wrong with the guy. Stafford has less than 15 fantasy points in each of his last three outings and hasn't had more than 17 since Week 7. Looking ahead to Thursday's matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, it's not looking too good in Stafford's immediate future either.

The Lions might have to face a tough defense on Thanksgiving, but it definitely eases up after that. Stafford faces the Saints, Bears, Giants, and Cowboys from weeks 13 through 16. None of those defenses scare you and there are sure to be a couple of shootouts during that stretch. My advice regarding Stafford: see if there's a QB with higher upside for this week before you go right back to using him once Minnesota is out of the way. I would rather use the likes of Jameis Winston, for example, than force Stafford out there against the Vikings. After that, you can go back to using fantasy's ninth best quarterback on the year.

Updates From Last Week

Randall Cobb - (WR, GB)

Beyond Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson, the Green Bay offense is an absolute mess. No one outside of those top two players can be relied on in fantasy anymore. Randall Cobb is now a WR3 who either needs a touchdown or a massive workload for you to feel satisfied in starting him. He's certainly not droppable but he hasn't been an automatic start in quite some time. I would be very nervous using him come playoff time.

Ty Montgomery - (WR/RB, GB)

If Randall Cobb is a risky start, what does that make Ty Montgomery? You guessed it, droppable. The appeal for Montgomery was that he was being utilized as the team's primary running back until James Starks returned. With Starks back and Christine Michael likely active, the Packers are poised to take a more traditional approach on the ground. Considering how this offense operates it wouldn't shock me to see Montgomery have one more big outing down the stretch but I'll let someone else in my league figure out when that is.

Quincy Enunwa - (WR, NYJ)

All that's changed for Quincy Enunwa since the bye week is that Ryan Fitzpatrick is back under center. Enunwa is no longer a must own and can safely be dropped.

Coby Fleener - (TE, NO)

My hat is off to you if you were brazen enough to start Coby Fleener on Thursday night against Carolina. Fleener's stat line shook out to three receptions for 17 yards and a touchdown. The TD bails you out for fantasy purposes but he doesn't really possess weekly appeal. You'd have to be truly desperate to be rolling with Fleener this late in the season. Give me C.J. Fiedorowicz, Eric Ebron, or the reinvigorated Zach Ertz.