Last week's Warning Signals piece took a look at three wide receivers who were on the WR3/flex border line as we headed toward the fantasy playoffs. Now that the playoffs themselves are finally upon us, we'll be switching gears back to some higher-end studs who are going through a bit of a rough patch as of late.

For the most part you'll want to stick with the particular guys mentioned here. Sure, there might be an exception, specifically as it pertains to one of this week's listings but overall the strategy mentioned a few weeks ago still applies; don't overthink it this late in the year. Now is not the time to tinker. I'm basically here to talk you off of the ledge in regard to pulling the plug on players that should remain in your starting lineup even with their recent struggles.

As always, we'll be taking a look at the receivers from last week at the end of the piece, so stick around for some last-minute updates.

Editor's Note: Identify fantasy football draft busts, overvalued ADPs, and key players to avoid so you can draft with confidence this season.

Wide Receivers Sending Out Warning Signals

Julio Jones– WR, ATL

Here's a name I'm certain most fantasy owners never thought would be listed in Warning Signals, myself included. If you've read anything I've written this year you'd know that I'm willing to forgive a lack of scoring if it's made up in volume or vice versa. After all, there is more than one way to obtain fantasy points. That being said, Julio Jones is now enduring a four-game touchdown drought. A large part of that glaring hole in Julio's game can be attributed to Matt Ryan's shaky play during the second half of the season. With four interceptions in the red zone this year and a passing game that is struggling overall, it's not all that surprising that Jones is failing to score consistently.

To be clear, you're not benching Julio Jones, nor should you be concerned about his overall production. Like I said, the volume is still there; he's averaging nearly 111 yards receiving during that four-game stretch so it's not like he's hurting you. Two games against the Panthers within three weeks might be a little intimidating, but Julio has proven he is more than matchup-proof. Please don't panic.

Larry Fitzgerald – WR, AZ

Speaking of scoring droughts, Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals is actually going through his own four-game touchdown-less streak. Granted, Fitzgerald is nowhere near as talented as Julio at this stage in his career, so it's a bit more forgiving given the circumstances. In fact, Jones has over 100 more yards than Fitzgerald over that same time frame. That might sound a little scary to those of you who have depended on him since his bounce-back year started, but the fact of the matter is you've basically already gotten a fair return on your investment.

Fitzgerald has far exceeded anyone's expectations for this season, so as far as I'm concerned he gets a pass for his recent lack of touchdowns. No one drafted him with the idea that he'd be as good as he's been this year. Besides, this offense spreads the ball around between it's three key wide receivers. Throw in the recent emergence of J.J. Nelson and you have yourself one high-powered offense that is a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

Similar to Julio Jones albeit on a considerably smaller scale, you're still going to start Larry Fitzgerald during the fantasy playoffs. The touchdowns might not be there but this is an offense that could explode at any given time, with Fitzgerald the most likely to do so. With Carson Palmer having himself a career year, there's no reason to bench any Arizona wide receiver if they've been helping you win this late into the season.

Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders – WR, DEN

I decided to group these two receivers together for the obvious reason that they play for the same team. The sad truth is that both Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders have had themselves a roller coaster season dating all the way back to Week 1. It doesn't matter which QB is throwing them the football, since they've both been fairly inconsistent no matter what.

Unlike the previous two players mentioned, Thomas and Sanders aren't nearly as close to automatic starters as Julio and Fitzgerald. There was a time when Thomas was a legitimate high-end WR1 while Sanders was a dependable high-end WR2 but those days are long gone. They're certainly having disappointing seasons but they're both still usable provided you don't have better options. There's certainly a scenario where your receivers are, say, Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, Brandon Marshall, and Allen Robinson. In a league where you'd only be able to start three of them, Sanders would be the odd man out by a mile. It'd be a little harder to bench Thomas, but you get the idea.

Updates From Last Week

Stefon Diggs – WR, MIN

Unfortunately for my guy Stefon Diggs, his lack of production has gotten so bad that he's borderline droppable at this point. I'd be hard-pressed to actually commit myself to making that move, but he shouldn't be anywhere near your starting lineup come playoff time. He'd basically have to string together huge outings in three straight weeks, and only then would you be able to even consider starting him in your championship game. This honeymoon is over.

Brandon LaFell – WR, NE

Strangely, Brandon LaFell seems to consistently be the odd man out in New England whenever someone goes down with an injury. First it was Dion Lewis, then it was Julian Edelman, followed by Danny Amendola and Rob Gronkowski. Even with all of those injuries, someone else on the roster manages to come away with more productive targets than LaFell. Until Gronk comes back, Amendola, Scott Chandler, and James White are the only pass-catchers you can trust on the Patriots.

Marvin Jones – WR, CIN

Marvin Jones had five catches for 55 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's blowout victory over the Browns, something I think you can happily ignore. The TD sounds appealing on paper but like I said last week, Jones is a WR4 who needs to score in order to justify starting. If that's the kind of thing you want to hang your hat on with a fantasy championship on the line, be my guest. I'll be looking for some more reliable options during the playoffs.

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