Week 14 Fantasy Football Duds
A word of advice: If you suffered a loss because your fantasy stalwarts crapped your team, wipe the slate clean and flush this loss away. Hopefully, your opponent had as many duds in their lineup and perhaps there is still a chance for redemption on MNF. If not, well, it is never too soon to start preparing your draft lists for next season. If you choose to relive the horrors of Week 14 you can do so with the Footballers on the podcast.
Quarterbacks
Drew Brees @ TB
-257 passing yards, 3 INTs
Drew Brees’ home/road splits are ridiculous. This was yet another bump on the road.
Ben Roethlisberger @ BUF
-220 passing yards, 3 INTs
Big Ben sees your home/road splits and raises you a stinker.
Derek Carr @ KC
-117 passing yards
I suppose you can blame the worst performance of Carr’s career on the Chiefs defense, but I think you can point the finger elsewhere. Too soon?
Russell Wilson @ GB
-240 passing yards, TD, 5 INTs, 19 rushing yards
With any luck, the early reports of bad weather scared you away from starting Wilson.
Jameis Winston vs NO
–184 passing yards, 16 rushing yards
This one is especially painful for owners who stashed Winston and were counting on him to carry them in the playoffs with his double dose of Saints defense. There is still hope for a Week 16 shootout if you survived this dud.
Philip Rivers @ CAR
-236 passing yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs
On paper, this matchup looked like a slam dunk for Rivers. You have to assume the injuries are starting to take their toll on the chemistry in this passing game.
Running Backs
Mark Ingram @ TB
-7 carries, 14 rushing yards, 1 reception, 9 receiving yards
Tim Hightower @ TB
–6 carries, 31 rushing yards, 1 reception, 8 receiving yards
As long as both Ingram and Hightower are healthy they will continue to sap the other’s production.
Devonta Freeman @ LA
-6 carries, 6 rushing yards, 2 receptions, 12 receiving yards
The silver lining? Freeman plays the 49ers next week!
Devontae Booker @ TEN
-3 carries, 1 rushing yard, 2 receptions, 10 receiving yards
Mired in his own inefficiency and a timeshare with Forsett, Booker can be cast aside in fantasy.
Jay Ajayi vs AZ
–20 carries, 48 rushing yards, 1 reception, 15 receiving yards
Still getting the bulk of the carries. Still getting vultured by Damien Williams.
Spencer Ware vs OAK
-20 carries, 56 rushing yards, 1 reception, 7 receiving yards
Speaking of getting vultured, Charcandrick West stole Ware’s one chance for salvation.
Wide Receivers
Allen Robinson vs MIN
–1 reception, 17 receiving yards, 3 targets
My condolences if you were forced to start Robinson. On the other hand, if you had other options, shame on you.
Larry Fitzgerald @ MIA
-3 receptions, 12 receiving yards, 9 targets
When it rains, it pours.
Mike Evans vs NO
-4 receptions, 42 receiving yards, 8 targets
This huge letdown marks the second week in a row in which Evans has failed to reach 50 receiving yards.
Terrelle Pryor Sr. vs CIN
-1 reception, 3 receiving yards, 3 targets
The eloquent scholar who goes by the moniker Pac-man said it best, “Garbage”.
Kelvin Benjamin vs SD
-1 reception, 11 receiving yards, 4 targets
San Diego still has a solid secondary. Combined with the fact that Carolina was in control of this game yielded a low output for Benjamin.
DeAndre Hopkins @ IND
-2 receptions, 33 receiving yards, 4 targets
I don’t know what’s worse, being a Hopkins owner or being the guy who signs Osweiler’s paycheck. For what it’s worth, Vontae Davis is a great CB.
Randall Cobb vs SEA
–3 receptions, 33 receiving yards, 5 targets
With 3 Packers WRs featured in the Studs article, there just weren’t enough points to go around.
Brandon Marshall @ SF
-3 receptions, 33 receiving yards, 5 targets
Bryce Petty is following the trend of backup QBs throwing to backup WRs.
Amari Cooper @ KC
-5 receptions, 29 receiving yards, 10 targets
Get out your aluminum foil hats. The camera cable conspiracy theories are coming.
Michael Crabtree @ KC
–4 receptions, 21 receiving yards, 7 targets
Wait… Marcus Peters didn’t cover Cooper AND Crabtree, did he?
Jamison Crowder @ PHI
-2 receptions, 37 receiving yards, 5 targets
With Reed sitting out most of the game, I expected Crowder to be more involved, but the D-Jax revenge game was in full effect.
Jeremy Maclin vs OAK
–1 reception, 16 receiving yards, 3 targets
Either Maclin isn’t right, or the Chiefs simply have better options in the passing game in Kelce and Hill. Maybe both.
Tight Ends
Jordan Reed @ PHI
-1 reception, 10 receiving yards, 1 target
Rule 86 states that if Jordan Reed plays, you start him. Playing on 10 of 48 snaps (per Pro Football Focus) hardly qualifies as “playing”. Keep an eye on the practice reports going into Week 15.
Jimmy Graham @ GB
–1 reception, 16 receiving yards, 4 targets
I steered clear of this game citing weather concerns. While the weather wasn’t as much of a factor as expected, it appears that no one told the Seahawks.
Ladarius Green @ BUF
-2 receptions, 25 receiving yards, 6 targets
Owners were excited to start Green on the heels of his career game in Week 13, but it was not meant to be in Week 14. Owners should take heart in that even though Green’s snap percentage is still low, he is heavily targeted when he is on the field.
C.J. Fiedorowicz @ IND
-3 receptions, 32 receiving yards, 7 targets
Generally, if your TE gets 7 targets you can expect a solid performance. This was not the case for Fiedorowicz who is now in the league’s concussion protocol.
Delanie Walker vs DEN
–2 receptions, 30 receiving yards, 7 targets
Another TE who failed to deliver with decent volume.
Cameron Brate vs NO
-4 receptions, 47 receiving yards, 5 targets
This game was expected to be a shootout, but as is often the case in divisional games, the scoring was held in check.
Kickers
Mike Nugent @ CLE
-1/2 FGs, 2/3 PATs
Nugent’s PAT percentage has dropped to 79.3%. Inexcusable. You know what else is inexcusable? Not reading the Footballers’ Weather Report and starting/benching kickers accordingly.
Chandler Catanzaro @ MIA
-1/2 FGs, 0/2 PATs
Catanzaro is the reason the Cardinals lost this game. Hopefully, he didn’t cost you a game too.
Dishonorable Mentions
Marcus Mariota vs DEN
–88 passing yards, 38 rushing yards
Doug Baldwin @ GB
-6 receptions, 46 receiving yards, 11 targets
Tyrell Williams @ CAR
-2 receptions, 68 receiving yards, 5 targets
Brandin Cooks @ TB
–5 receptions, 61 receiving yards, 10 targets
Golden Tate vs CHI
–6 receptions, 58 receiving yards, 11 targets
Marvin Jones Sr. vs CHI
-4 receptions, 67 receiving yards, 5 targets
Eric Ebron vs CHI
-4 receptions, 32 receiving yards, 5 targets
Gary Barnidge vs CIN
–3 receptions, 27 receiving yards, 5 targets