Week 16 Fantasy Football Duds
Go ahead. It’s okay, I will be here for you when you’re ready. Take your time.
Done with your shower cry? Well then it is time to talk about your loss. The loss you sustained with these fantasy football duds in your lineup in Week 16. The Fantasy Football Championship, when you needed them the most, these players pooped in their big boy pants. The sense of betrayal will likely linger, but it will help to talk about it.
Quarterbacks
Dak Prescott vs SEA
182 passing yards, 2 INTs, 21 rushing yards
Ezekiel Elliot’s return was supposed to cure what ails Prescott and the Cowboys offense. It did not. I guess the sophomore slump is real and having tape on a young QB is a huge advantage for NFL defenses. I think Prescott is starting to believe this too as his disappointing 2nd season is coming to a close.
Eli Manning @ AZ
263 passing yards, 2 INTs
The New York offense simply doesn’t have enough weapons left. Especially when Sterling Shepard leaves the game. They had one good week against the Eagles but quickly reverted back to their old form.
Derek Carr @ PHI
140 passing yards, TD, 2 INTs
It’s been a rough season for Carr as well. All that’s left for the Raiders to do is to play the role of spoiler to the Chargers playoff hopes in Week 17.
Nick Foles vs OAK
163 passing yards, TD, INT
Nick Foles set an elaborate trap for fantasy owners. He had a fantastic Week 15 when no one started him just to remind us of how good he was once upon a time. The dastardly trap was sprung on fantasy owners as their #FootClanTitles were snatched away at the last moment.
Rich Schultz/Getty Images Sport
Case Keenum @ GB
139 passing yards, TD
Since taking over for Sam Bradford, Keenum’s season was a fantasy football fairy tale. I guess it was only a matter of time before the clock struck midnight and he turned back into a pumpkin.
Running Backs
Devonta Freeman @ NO
11 carries, 36 rushing yards, 2 receptions, 20 receiving yards
Bah Humbug!
Christian McCaffery vs TB
9 carries, 39 rushing yards, 2 receptions, 19 receiving yards
Not unlike McCaffery himself, his fantasy production was 2 sizes too small.
Kenyan Drake @ KC
13 carries, 57 rushing yards
Drake must’ve been seeing the ghosts of Chiefs defenses past because this was frightening.
Jerick McKinnon @ GB
7 carries, 42 rushing yards, 1 reception, 9 receiving yards
It’s a good thing McKinnon was a SPARQ (“spark”) freak at the combine because his owners will need to light the coal he left them to stay warm.
Mike Davis @ DAL
15 carries, 25 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 18 receiving yards
Seattle running backs were very naughty this year indeed. Mike Davis was no exception in Week 16.
Jamaal Williams vs MIN
15 carries, 58 rushing yards
The sewage in Cousin Eddie’s RV runneth over with how much poop was in these big boy pants.
Jonathan Stewart vs TB
7 carries, 19 rushing yards, 1 reception, -1 receiving yards
J-Stew might as well be Mr. Oogie Boogie because his fantasy owners ain’t goin’ nowhere.
Doug Martin @ CAR
6 carries, 7 rushing yards
…Sorry I’ve run out of Christmas puns. Doug Martin = bad.
Matt Forte vs LAC
8 carries, 19 rushing yards, 1 reception, 7 receiving yards
This was a great matchup for the veteran runner, unfortunately, it was is younger (though only slightly) teammate, Powell, who took advantage.
Isaiah Crowell @ CHI
12 carries 44 rushing yards, 1 reception, -1 receiving yard
With his contract set to expire this offseason, I fully expect Crowell to head for greener pastures.
Icon Sportswire / Contributor
Theo Riddick @ CIN
8 carries, 16 rushing yards, 3 receptions, 23 receiving yards
With Abdullah being a huge disappointment, owners have been hoping Riddick can channel some of his 2016 magic. It was not to be.
Lamar Miller vs PIT
10 carries, 55 rushing yards, 1 reception, 10 receiving yards
Miller forces coaching staffs to strike a delicate balance. Do you give him 10 carries and get 5 yards a clip, or do you opt for a bigger workload and watch his yards per carry fall precipitously.
Wide Receivers
Michael Crabtree @ PHI
nothing, 3 targets
Owners might feel particularly crabby after getting the Christmas goose from Crabtree.
Alshon Jeffery @ OAK
nothing, 2 targets
2! Ah Ah Ah! 2 Christmas Geese.
Adam Thielen vs MIN
2 receptions, 24 receiving yards, 6 targets
My name is Keaton Denlay, and I am hooked on a Thielen. It has cost me my fantasy championship, and those nearest to me have told me that I have become intolerable as I claim to be a victim in all of this.
Brandin Cooks vs BUF
2 receptions, 19 receiving yards, 5 targets
I don’t know that any WR let his owners down more this season than Brandin Cooks. He was a trusted WR1 for most of the year only go on a cold streak when it mattered the most.
Tim Bradbury/Getty Images
Dez Bryant vs SEA
3 receptions, 44 receiving yards, 6 targets, fumble
Generally, WRs do not fall off a cliff this early in their careers. That honor usually belongs to RBs, I just don’t know how else to explain Bryant’s struggles.
Devin Funchess vs TB
3 receptions, 11 receiving yards, 4 targets
The Buccaneers represented a very favorable matchup for the oversized WR. Unfortunately, his shoulder injury may have capped his potential this week.
Robert Woods @ TEN
3 receptions, 33 receiving yards, 8 targets
With 8 targets, you’d expect more production from Woods, but the bottom line is that there simply weren’t enough TDs to go around with Gurley hogging all the action.
Golden Tate @ CIN
3 receptions, 14 receiving yards, 6 targets
The Lions found themselves in a catfight with the Bengals. A fight in which they couldn’t get much going in the short passing game which has been a key part of their success on offense.
Marquise Goodwin vs JAX
3 receptions, 37 receiving yards, 6 targets
You can’t blame this one on Goodwin. Better receivers have tried and failed to put up solid days against the fearsome Jaguars defense.
Tight Ends
Kyle Rudolph @ GB
1 receptions, 6 receiving yards, 1 target
Rudolph was unable to guide the sleigh this year.
Delanie Walker vs LAR
3 receptions, 33 receiving yards, 5 targets
Look out for Week 17 against the Jaguars.
Greg Olsen vs TB
3 receptions, 27 receiving yards, 6 targets
I don’t know what is worse, that this dud came on the heels of a 116-yard performance last week, or that this marks the second best yardage day of Olsen’s fantasy season with just 27 yards.
Cameron Brate @ CAR
3 receptions, 13 receiving yards, 4 targets
With O.J. Howard on IR, Brate was supposed to be in line for a big workload. Now Brate owners are probably madder than Jameis Winston.
Dishonorable Mentions
Rishard Matthews vs LAR
2 receptions, 48 receiving yards, 4 targets
Josh Gordon @ CHI
2 receptions, 19 receiving yards, 8 targets
Marvin Jones @ CIN
3 receptions, 50 receiving yards, 5 targets
Jordy Nelson vs MIN
3 receptions, 11 receiving yards, 5 targets
Randall Cobb vs MIN
4 receptions, 22 receiving yards, 7 targets
Tyler Kroft vs DET
1 reception, 3 receiving yards, 5 targets
Jared Cook @ PHI
1 reception, 15 receiving yards, 2 targets