RADIO
Bruce lists players with warning signals who have recently struggled for fantasy football. They may be Week 13 fantasy fallers worth benching, trading or dropping soon.
Week 12 must have been the craziest slate of games to have ever been played. The Denver Broncos went without a quarterback. There’s a game getting pushed back until Wednesday. We also saw Latavius Murray outscore Alvin Kamara.
The closer we get to the fantasy playoffs the more things get magnified. The warning signals are going to shine a little brighter since there’s going to be more at stake. All it takes is one of your stud players to not perform to expectations in one game to kick you out of the fantasy playoffs.
It’s important to look into trends to see if they can affect your fantasy team. If a player’s situation changes then it could impact their fantasy output. Bad play could also hurt a player’s ability to provide production for our fantasy lineups. That’s why we need to look at the warning signals to pinpoint which players could become a liability.
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Quarterback
Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
Stafford didn’t have a horrific performance in Week 12, but what we are seeing him do on the field is not living up to our expectations a few months ago when fantasy gamers were drafting him. He has just two QB1 weeks on the season.
We have seen him struggle with Kenny Golladay out of the lineup. He is averaging 19.4 fantasy points per game with Golladay in the lineup compared to just 15.1 points per game when Golladay is not on the field. That is a substantial drop off that impacts his fantasy production.
Golladay hasn’t played since Week 8 and he also missed the first two games of the season. He was projected to be one of the top wide receivers in fantasy going into the season. When he has been on the field, he has looked the part, catching 20 passes for 338 yards and two touchdowns.
One of the reasons why Stafford hasn’t been living up to expectations is because he has not been living and dying by the deep ball. In 2019 he averaged 10.6 air yards per attempt and now he’s averaging just 8 air yards per attempt. He also ranks 15th in the league with just 39 deep ball attempts. Last year, he was on pace to be the only quarterback to hit triple digits before his season was cut short due to an injury.
Stafford’s fantasy value is game-script dependent. He needs to be on-point for him to yield the fantasy success that fantasy gamers are looking for. We might see him revert back to his old ways since the front office cleaned house right after their Week 12 loss to the Houston Texans. He could be slinging it downfield with a different coaching staff managing the offensive gameplan.
Running Back
Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
Everything went downhill when the Cowboys lost Dak Prescott to a devastating leg injury. The offense is struggling to move the football, making it hard for Elliott to make in impact in fantasy. The offensive line is far from healthy. The injuries to the offensive line has forced the team to be creative on how they field their lineups. Often they are playing players out of position just to be able to functionable.
This has been a horrible situation for Elliott. The running lanes are not there for him to run through. The offense is rarely in the red zone for him to receive goal line carries. He only has just one 20-yard run all season and even on that play he fumbled. We’ve also seen him develop a fumbling issue since he’s the third Cowboys player to fumble five times in a season since 2010.
Tony Pollard has looked amazing. As of right now, he looks like the better runner. The second-year back provides some electricity to the offense. On the contrary, it looks like Elliott has lost a step and does not possess the same homerun hitting speed he had a few years ago.
2020 is not fair. Fantasy gamers who expected to ride Elliott in the sunset are entering the final stretch of the season with a bitter taste in their mouths. There’s a chance he can land in the end zone or get enough volume to produce a few big games. Unfortunately, we can’t count on him with confidence for the rest of the season.
Wide Receiver
Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
Thomas accounted for a 62.5 percent market share of the Saints’ passing production on Sunday which registered for a whopping four catches for 50 yards. He is still the alpha in the offense, but the passing game is deflating right in front of our eyes with Taysom Hill at quarterback.
Drew Brees isn’t expected to return until Week 15. Hill will be the team’s starter for at least the next two weeks and he will be facing off against the Atlanta Falcons and the Philadelphia Eagles. Two games that would have been prime matchups for Thomas now have fantasy gamers wondering if they should have him in their line up.
Starting your studs is a must, especially during this time of the season. Thomas is seeing a large enough share of the targets that he could be a WR1 if the passing volume increases. There’s also a good chance that he reels in some targets in the red zone.
Tight End
Hayden Hurst, Atlanta Falcons
All tight ends not named Travis Kelce should have a warning signal strapped to their back. It’s the most volatile position in fantasy football. Hurst signals signs extra bright. He’s on an offense that can boost his fantasy production. However, he hasn’t scored a touchdown since week six and has accumulated less than 50 yards receiving in his last two games.
There’s a good chance that he turns things around. For what it’s worth, he does have five TE1 games on the season. The Falcons are known for their ability to push the ball downfield which could stimulate Hurst to TE1 status on any given week.
Breakout Alert!
Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams
The rookie running back has been an explosion waiting to happen. He finally erupted in Week 12, rushing for 84 yards and one touchdown. Akers looked like the best back on the roster on Sunday. On his 61-yard run, he demonstrated great burst through the open field that allowed him to scoot past the second-level of the defense.
Akers is a buy in all formats. He has the talent to be a league winner down the stretch. Search for him on waivers just in case he’s available.
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