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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Week 14 Fantasy Football Fallers: Adrian Peterson, DeMarco Murray, Travis Kelce & More

There were some serious point totals turned in this weekend by many studs, but nothing is ever perfect. There were still several letdowns and games that really are giving owners pause heading into the playoffs (or maybe it killed your playoff hopes, if so I'll pour one out right now).

Some poor performances were rather predictable (Philip Rivers against Denver) and some were just rude and uncalled for (Jarvis Landry against the Ravens). I try not to repeat here, but please know that Matt Ryan deserves to be here again in the worst way.

Without further ado, let's check in on some players who saw their stocks fall with their Week 13 performance.

 

Week 14 Fantasy Football Fallers

Jay Cutler - QB, CHI

To Cutler's defense, he came into this game without Eddie Royal, Marquess Wilson, and Martellus Bennett and Zach Miller playing banged up. However, he still had a fully healthy Alshon Jeffery along with his great stable of running backs who are pretty good receivers in their own right. The 49ers aren't that threatening to the naked eye, but they were just coming off of a good effort against the Arizona Cardinals, and they followed that up by doing well against the Bears too. The 49ers won the game and Jay Cutler could only muster 18-for-31 passing for 202 yards with zero touchdowns and an interception that was taken back to the house.

Cutler was riding hot a few weeks ago until he matched up against the Broncos defense, and he's now had three very underwhelming games (vs. DEN, @GB, vs. SF). The rest of the season has Cutler and the Bears facing Washington, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, and Detroit. Tread carefully.

Adrian Peterson – RB, MIN

The Minnesota Vikings looked pretty broken from the get go against Seattle on Sunday, and Adrian Peterson was not immune to this. All Day only mustered 18 yards on eight carries, alongside four catches for a measly six yards. Seattle had been giving up a decent amount of yards on the ground in the past few games, but they tightened up all over on Sunday.

Peterson's had great games pretty much all year, but he's had three that were really not worth playing him. Week 1 when the Vikes lost 20-3 to the 49ers (feels like a lifetime ago), when they lost 30-13 to the Packers, and this Sunday when they lost 38-7 to the Seahawks. When the Vikings get blown up he simply isn't part of the plan, and unfortunately they are really fading right now.

Their defense is also extremely beaten up right now, which doesn't bode well for Peterson and the Vikings. Linval Joseph, Anthony Barr, and Harrison Smith are all reportedly out for the game against the Cardinals on Thursday night. The Cardinals could run away with this game and leave Peterson in the dust without much of a chance to fight back. After that though, AP gets to face the Bears, Giants, and Packers. The matchups against the Bears and Giants should bode well for him, though you'd like to see the defense get healthy to feel supremely confident. Regardless, you're playing AP.

DeMarco Murray – RB, PHI

DeMarco Murray stunk on Thanksgiving, rushing for 14 carries for 30 yards against a much improved Lions defense. He didn't see a single target in the passing game either. Murray followed this up with eight rushes for 24 yards and another zero target game. That is horrible.

The Philadelphia Eagles somehow beat the New England Patriots, but their team really isn't doing all that well. Everyone is suffering. Murray is easily the most talented offensive player that the Eagles have, and as such he appears to be the most criminally misused. He isn't really a lateral runner, but the Eagles don't pound the ball and design for north-south runs. When you combine this with him not getting any looks in the passing game, you're going to have a bad box score for the guy. Ryan Mathews has been out and Murray has had terrible games, which doesn't seem like it should correlate. Darren Sproles was the guy for the Eagles in Week 13. The snap count was 35 for Sproles, 14 for Murray, and 12 for Kenjon Barner.

Frustration has to be everywhere for Philadelphia, and we already saw Murray chirp earlier in the year about his usage, so there's no way spirits haven't just fallen further. Murray apparently expressed his frustrations to team owner Jeffrey Lurie. Now they face the Bills, Cardinals, Redskins, and Giants to finish up their regular season. Perhaps the divisional games will go well, but the next two games don't profile all that well for Murray. I said it last week, and I'll say it again: if you can bench him, it's a smart move.

Brandon LaFell - WR, NE

LaFell's 2015 started in Week 7, but outside of putting up a 102-yard game in Week 9 he hasn't done anything of note. He has 56 targets on the year and only 25 receptions. Many owners (myself included) circled the date with the Eagles as LaFell's best chance to come out of his shell for the year given the Eagles' struggles and the Patriots' depleting pass catching corps. He LaFell on his face. He saw nine targets, but only caught four of them (same as last week) for 27 yards. Brady clearly trusted his check down option in James White a lot more than his throws to LaFell.

The Pats face the Texans, Titans, Jets, and Dolphins to end the season, so LaFell may also square up with Darrelle Revis in most league's championship weeks. His stock is free falling right now and if you own him, you and Brady probably have very similar trust levels in LaFell. He's tough to let go of because he's a part of an offense with great potential and one of the best quarterbacks in the game throwing the ball, but I can't blame you if you pull the trigger.

Emmanuel Sanders - WR, DEN

Most owners know the deal by now. Sanders is more boom/bust than your average wide receiver. The real kicker here is that Sanders is dealing with a Brock Osweiler-led offense that, if it can be helped, goes through the running game and leans on its defense. The idea seems to be to ease Brock into the offense and not put too much on his shoulders. The game against the Patriots was an exceptional game that saw the Broncos really have to fight, but this most recent game against the Chargers shows how little Denver needs to throw sometimes.

Their next game against the Raiders might be closer, but it's still murky. They then face the Steelers and Bengals before ending the regular season against the Chargers again. Most of those games (sans the Chargers rematch) might actually call for some offense to really need to be cranked up, but all the same it isn't encouraging for Sanders' owners to see how Osweiler and Kubiak are running this offense.

Travis Kelce - TE, KC

One would have thought that a matchup with Oakland would benefit Travis Kelce greatly, especially since Alex Smith has been opening up the passing game a bit more lately. Unfortunately, Kelce only saw three targets, catching two of them for 42 yards and a fumble lost. There's not much to say here, Kansas City is just not going to really provide you with a consistent producer in Kelce. For what it's worth, Kelce gets to pick on the Chargers, Ravens, Browns, and Raiders in his last four games. That's a cake walk. As usual, Kelce's biggest enemy is Andy Reid and Alex Smith. His ceiling is so mighty, but boy the bell curve of his outcomes is depressingly skewed towards the lower end.

Other Fallers to Note: Ryan Tannehill (QB, MIA), LeGarrette Blount (RB, NE), Danny Woodhead (RB, SD), Martellus Bennett (TE, CHI).

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Cody Garbrandt

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Brundage

Defeated After Accidental Clash Of Heads
Cody Brundage

Mansur Abdul-Malik Defeats Cody Brundage By Technical Decision
Oumar Sy

Suffers His First Loss
Alonzo Menifield

Scores Upset Win
Alex Bowman

Delivers Bravura Performance After Michigan Injury
Tyler Reddick

Inexplicably Mediocre on his Once-Best Track Type
John Hunter Nemechek

Canny Strategy Gives John Hunter Nemechek Best Career Road-Course Finish
Cole Custer

Earns Best Finish Since Cup-Series Comeback at Mexico City
Grant Holmes

Punches Out 15 in Loss
Elly De La Cruz

Goes Yard in Fourth Straight Game
Will Vest

Dealing With Finger Injury
Jackson Merrill

Placed on Seven-Day Concussion Injured List
J.J. McCarthy

Looking "a Lot Stronger"
Shohei Ohtani

Will Be Dodgers' Starting Pitcher Monday
Roki Sasaki

Shut Down From Throwing
Garrett Wilson

Receives New Contract Offer
Jordan Hicks

Headed to Boston
Kyle Harrison

Traded to Red Sox
Travis Kelce

Slims Down During the Offseason
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Restart Contract Discussions
Brady House

Nationals Promoting Brady House to Major Leagues
Rafael Devers

Traded to San Francisco
Logan Gilbert

to Start on Monday
Jayden Higgins

Impresses During Minicamp
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

on the Move to Memphis
Cole Anthony

Dealt to the Grizzlies
Seattle Seahawks

DeMarcus Lawrence Making an Impression With his New Team
Isaiah Simmons

Being Used Exclusively as a Linebacker
Tyler Mahle

Placed on 15-Day Injured List
Travis Etienne Jr.

the Jaguars Lead Back?
Luis Robert Jr.

Scratched with Thumb Soreness
Desmond Bane

Traded to Orlando
Byron Buxton

Scratched from Sunday's Lineup
Daniel Jones

the Favorite in Colts QB Competition?
Brendan Donovan

Returns to the Lineup
Steven Adams

Rockets Agree to Three-Year Contract Extension
Royce Lewis

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Ty Dillon

Is a Respectable Cap Flexiblity-Focused DFS Option For Mexico City
Corey Perry

Produces 10th Postseason Goal
Connor McDavid

Scores First Finals Goal
John Hunter Nemechek

Is John Hunter Nemechek Worth Rostering In Mexico City DFS Lineups?
Shohei Ohtani

Blasts Two Homers in Win
Sam Bennett

Nets Another Road Goal in Game 5 Win
Eetu Luostarinen

Earns Two Points Saturday
Michael King

Not Making Progress
Brad Marchand

Pots Two Goals in Game 5 Victory
Jackson Merrill

Removed Early on Saturday
Sergei Bobrovsky

Ties NHL Record with 10th Road Win
Ross Chastain

Trackhouse Racing's Mexico Focus Makes Ross Chastain a Leading Contender for the Win
Kyle Busch

One of Two Past Mexico City Winners in the Field
Ryan Preece

Earns Surprising Front-Row Start
Austin Cindric

Not as Strong of a Road Racer as People Think
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Stronger on Infield Road Courses Than Purpose-Built Ones
Joey Logano

Seemingly Alternating Between Good and Mediocre Races
Brad Keselowski

One of the Few Drivers with Mexico City Experience
Denny Hamlin

Ryan Truex Makes First Cup Series Start Since 2014
Erik Jones

Mexico City Will Likely be a Struggle for Erik Jones
Noah Gragson

Front Row Motorsports' Speed May Make Noah Gragson a Decent DFS Option
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Road Courses Are Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s Worst Track Type
Riley Herbst

Surprisingly Outqualifies 23XI Racing Teammates at Mexico City
Cody Ware

a Very Experienced Road Racer but Still a Long Shot
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen the Heavy Favorite to Win in Mexico City
Christopher Bell

the Chalk DFS Play in Mexico City
Giancarlo Stanton

Likely Returning Early Next Week
Spencer Strider

Registers 13 Strikeouts
Emeka Egbuka

"the Talk" of Bucs Minicamp
Evander Kane

Drops to Fourth Line Saturday
Kasperi Kapanen

Won't Play on Saturday
Calvin Pickard

Starts Game 5 for Oilers
Jaxson Dart

Working as No. 2 QB During Offseason Workouts
Xavier Gipson

Roster Spot Could be in Jeopardy
Josh Reynolds

the Front-Runner for WR2 Duties
Garrett Wilson

Stock Up This Offseason
Breece Hall

Motivated Going into 2025 Season
Brandon Aiyuk

Making Good Progress From Knee Injury
Keon Coleman

Inconsistent at Minicamp
Mitchell Trubisky

Not a Lock for Backup Job
Dalton Kincaid

Adds Strength and Bulk
James Cook

a Full Participant in Mandatory Minicamp
Tyrese Haliburton

Struggles in Friday's Loss to OKC
Chet Holmgren

Dominates the Glass in Game 4
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Leads the Way in Game 4
Jalen Williams

Has a Quality Showing on Friday Night
Anthony Richardson

Should be Fine for Training Camp
Russell Westbrook

to Decline Player Option
Kevin Durant

Trade Could Happen in the "Next Few Days"
Joaquin Buckley

Set For Main Event
Kamaru Usman

An Underdog At UFC Atlanta
Miranda Maverick

Set For Co-Main Event
Rose Namajunas

Looks To Bounce Back
Andre Petroski

Looks To Extend His Win Streak To Four
Edmen Shahbazyan

A Favorite At UFC Atlanta
Raoni Barcelos

Set To Take On Former Champion
Cody Garbrandt

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mansur Abdul-Malik

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Cody Brundage

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Alonzo Menifield

Opens Up UFC Atlanta Main Card
Oumar Sy

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Connor Hellebuyck

Wins Vezina And Hart Trophies
Aleksander Barkov

Records Two Power-Play Assists Thursday
Sam Reinhart

Collects Three Points in Thursday's Loss
Matthew Tkachuk

Notches Three Points in Losing Effort
Calvin Pickard

Joins Exclusive List with Thursday's Win
Mattias Ekholm

Logs Two Assists in Comeback Victory
Leon Draisaitl

Delivers Victory in Overtime Thursday
Myles Turner

Playing Through Illness
Reed Sheppard

Will Play in the NBA Summer League
Kevin Durant

Deal Could Come Sooner Rather Than Later
Dorian Finney-Smith

Undergoes Ankle Surgery
Anze Kopitar

Wins Third Lady Byng Trophy
Sergei Bobrovsky

Heading Out for Win No. 15
John Klingberg

Won't Play in Game 4 Against Panthers
Viktor Arvidsson

Sits Out Game 4 Against Panthers
Stuart Skinner

Remains in Oilers Crease Thursday
Jalen Williams

Leads Thunder in Scoring Wednesday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Settles for 24 Points in Game 3 Loss
Pascal Siakam

Does Everything for Pacers Wednesday Night
Tyrese Haliburton

Gets Close to Triple-Double in Game 3 Win
Bennedict Mathurin

Leads All Scorers with 27 Points Wednesday
Brandin Podziemski

Has Second Offseason Surgery
Jaylen Brown

Undergoes Successful Knee Procedure
Matt McCarty

Comes Off Season-Best Showing at RBC Canadian Open
Justin Thomas

Desperate to Continue Good 2025 Season
Jon Rahm

Seeks Revenge at U.S. Open
Tom Kim

Aiming for Improvement in U.S. Open
PGA

Sungjae Im Expects Solid Performance at Oakmont
Brian Harman

Aims to Rebound From the Memorial
Tony Finau

has Been Up and Down at U.S. Open
Patrick Cantlay

Hoping This is the Year at Oakmont
Akshay Bhatia

Improving in Time for U.S. Open
Xander Schauffele

Primed for Another Major Championship Run
Cameron Young

May Struggle at U.S. Open
Collin Morikawa

Eyeing Third Major Championship Title
Matt Fitzpatrick

Seeks to Avenge Oakmont Collapse
Jordan Spieth

Can Contend at Oakmont
Shane Lowry

a Strong Value Play at U.S. Open
Brooks Koepka

Seeks Another Major Win at Oakmont
Viktor Hovland

Still Can Improve at U.S. Open
Michael Kim

a Boom-or-Bust Value Play at U.S. Open
Russell Henley

Looking to Play the Weekend at Oakmont
Tyrrell Hatton

a Safe Option at U.S. Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Eyeing Third U.S. Open Title
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF