Week 16 Fantasy Football Duds
Cue the sad music for the fantasy owners who woke up on Christmas morning to find lumps. Only it wasn’t lumps of coal in their stockings, it was poop in their players’ big boy pants. Which is arguably even more devastating. Some of these players carried their owners this far just to let them down, while others were last minute call-ups for whom we had high hopes. If you want to wallow in your sorrows, the Footballers rehash the duds of the weekend on the podcast.
Quarterbacks
Cam Newton vs ATL
-198 passing yards, TD, 2 INTs, 36 rushing yards
Cam Newton’s day earns a spot here because you expect more from him on a weekend in which many QBs had much more productive, and efficient days. (Cam was only 18 for 43 passing)
Running Backs
Thomas Rawls vs AZ
-8 carries, 8 rushing yards
I am starting to get really excited about the opportunities that C.J. Prosise will have in this offense next season. It doesn’t look like Rawls has been able to recapture his 2015 magic.
Jeremy Hill @ HOU
–7 carries, 8 rushing yards
Hill isn’t healthy. He is at his best when he can be spelled by Gio Bernard.
Jonathan Stewart vs ATL
-11 carries, 50 rushing yards, 1 reception, 2 receiving yards
The yards per carry were there for J-Stew, but he isn’t the kind of RB who can get it done with low volume.
Ty Montgomery vs MIN
-9 carries, 23 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 17 receiving yards
This one is rough because it was clearly a tough matchup, but owners couldn’t sit Montgomery after his Week 15 explosion.
Latavius Murray vs IND
-15 carries, 40 rushing yards, 2 receptions, 11 receiving yards
Latavius Murray found himself in a 3-headed RBBC on Saturday. If you need to use him in Week 17 he should get more volume as the Raiders will lean heavily on the running game
Wide Receivers
Jordan Matthews vs NYG
-2 receptions, 12 receiving yards, 6 targets
The worst part of starting a player on Thursday night is that if they have a stinker like this one you have to stew in it for 3 (or 4) days.
Taylor Gabriel @ CAR
–3 receptions, 15 receiving yards, 4 targets
Owners were hoping to stay in the flames with Taylor Gabriel, but when you start a player with low volume, more often than not you just end up getting burned.
Emmanuel Sanders @ KC
-1 reception, 26 receiving yards, 3 targets
Demaryius Thomas @ KC
-3 receptions, 20 receiving yards, 8 targets
If you were to combine the stats for Sanders and Thomas, the resulting stat line would still land them on this list. 46 yards on 11 targets is gross.
Malcolm Mitchell vs NYJ
-3 receptions, 29 receiving yards, 5 targets
You knew the Jets would get boat raced, but owners had hoped Mitchell would be more involved in the scoring.
Jarvis Landry @ BUF
-3 receptions, 29 receiving yards, 7 targets
When you are playing with a backup QB and Jay Ajayi is steamrolling the defense, days like this are coming for the WRs.
Larry Fitzgerald @ SEA
–4 receptions, 31 receiving yards, 4 targets
If you started Larry Fitzgerald on the road at Seattle, explain yourself. I’ll wait.
DeAndre Hopkins vs CIN
-3 receptions, 36 receiving yards, 6 targets
One last laugh at Hopkins owners. Following Week 15 they had hope for their championship round that Hopkins would be a worthwhile start but had their hopes ripped away… Savage.
Dontrelle Inman @ CLE
-3 receptions, 44 receiving yards, 10 targets
Everything about this game was embarrassing.
Tight Ends
Coby Fleener vs TB
–2 receptions, 30 receiving yards, 3 targets
Big boy pants revoked. Please remember how miserably bad Coby Fleener has been when drafting next season.
Zach Ertz vs NYG
-2 receptions, 33 receiving yards, 2 targets
Again, having a player crap your team on a Thursday is just the worst.
Dishonorable Mentions
Derrick Henry @ JAX
–4 carries, 13 rushing yards, 2 receptions, 22 receiving yards
DeMarco Murray @ JAX
–14 carries, 42 rushing yards, 2 receptions, 18 receiving yards
Tim Hightower vs TB
-8 carries, 29 rushing yards, 1 reception, 11 receiving yards
Charles Sims @ NO
-3 carries, 12 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 30 receiving yards
Robby Anderson @ NE
-nothing, 3 targets
Julio Jones @ CAR
-4 receptions, 60 receiving yards, 7 targets
Willie Snead vs TB
-2 receptions, 21 receiving yards, 5 targets
Ted Ginn Jr. vs ATL
–3 receptions, 29 receiving yards, 9 targets
Hunter Henry @ CLE
-absolutely nothing