Tom Brady, Quarterback, New England Patriots
Brady put up just 249 yards on 56 pass attempts against the Miami Dolphins in Week 1. His 43.8 quarterback rating was among the worst of any starting quarterback during the opening week of football. In addition to this, Brady struggled with accuracy throughout the game, continually over-throwing his receivers. Despite putting up that many attempts, Brady still finished 26th among quarterbacks in fantasy points.
While it was against a Dolphins defense that ranked seventh against fantasy quarterbacks last season, this still has to be reason for concern for Brady and Co. They now take on a Minnesota Vikings defense that absolutely dominated an atrocious St. Louis Rams offense in Week 1. The confidence is extremely high there, which could lead to another subpar fantasy outing from Brady. At this point, and following a 2013 campaign that saw him finish as a mid-tier QB2, it might be time to think about benching Brady if you have a decent QB2 option.
ay Cutler, Quarterback, Chicago Bears
Cutler was downright horrible Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. He completed 34/49 passes for 349 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Those numbers might have been worthy of the 10th-ranked fantasy week among quarterbacks, but they're not indicative of just how much he struggled in the overtime loss.
Now going up against a San Francisco 49ers defense in their first regular season game at Levi's Stadium, there is no reason to believe that Cutler will have much fantasy success. San Francisco forced four Dallas Cowboys turnovers on the road in Week 1, including three Tony Romo interceptions. Now taking on another turnover-prone quarterback, there is no reason to believe that it will allow Cutler to put up a ton of fantasy points. After that, Chicago is forced to go up against the New York Jets on the road. If you have a decent QB2, sit Cutler for the next two weeks. It's that simple.
Robert Griffin III, Quarterback, Wasinhgton Redskins
RGIII simply hasn't been the same since tearing his ACL back in 2012. And this has to be cause for alarm moving forward. The former No. 2 overall pick did completed 29/36 passes on Sunday against Houston, but he failed to reach the end zone and lost a fumble. Relying mostly on the likes of DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, RGIII's game became predictable as the game progressed. That's not a good sign moving forward.
Washington has favorable fantasy matchups against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants in the next three weeks. Maybe ride RGIII out over the course of this three-game stretch. But if he struggles, make the decision to bench him in lieu of a better option you may have on the bench.
Jamaal Charles, Running Back, Kansas City Chiefs
This is more about Andy Reid's inability to utilize Charles correctly in Week 1 and the Chiefs obvious lack of weapons in the passing game. Charles was completely left out in the cold as it relates to the Chiefs game plan against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1, putting up just 19 yards on seven rushes. Needless to say, this made him nothing more than a fantasy bust for the week.
While you have no other choice than to ride Charles this season, you might have to think about utilizing a running back in the FLEX role moving forward. Kansas City takes on the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins over the next two weeks. Those are not prime opportunities for Charles to put up elite running back numbers.
Frank Gore, Running Back, San Francisco 49ers
Unless your plan is to stream Gore with rookie Carlos Hyde, the veteran running back is no longer a viable RB1 or top-tier RB2 option in fantasy football. While still as good as ever on the field, the 49ers are not going to give Gore the necessary touches for him to make a huge fake-football impact. This was evidenced by Hyde putting up 50 yards on seven rushes against Dallas in Week 1. Expect Jim Harbaugh and Co. to continue utilizing this "committee" approach.
Zac Stacy, Running Back, St. Louis Rams
Without any type of a passing game, the Rams offense is going to be among the worst in the NFL as the 2014 season progresses. This is magnified by the fact that second-stringer turned starter Shaun Hill is currently injured and the fact that St. Louis plays in the most difficult division in the NFL. Simply put, defenses are going to stack the box against Stacy and Co, which will create a ton of issues moving the ball on the ground.
For his part, Stacy put up 43 yards on just 11 carries in Week 1 against Minnesota. With an upcoming game against a tough Tampa Bay Buccaneers run defense in Week 2, you might want to think about benching Stacy in lieu of a better matchup. You can likely then return him to the lineup against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3.
Larry Fitzgerald, Wide Receiver, Arizona Cardinals
Fitzgerald is no longer Carson Palmer's favorite option in the passing game. The future Hall of Fame receiver was targeted just four times and came away with one catch against the San Diego Chargers on Monday night. Fitzgerald might have been a decent WR2 option heading into the season, but it's going to be difficult to expect that type of production on a consistent basis moving forward. Instead, the focus in Arizona should be on Michael Floyd, who put up five catches for 119 yards on seven targets against San Diego.
T.Y. Hilton, Wide Receiver, Indianapolis Colts
The issue with Hilton's fantasy value at this point is the healthy return of Reggie Wayne to a Colts team that needed that veteran presence in the passing game. And this was evident against the Denver Broncos on Sunday night. Wayne recorded 13 targets while Hilton came away with 11 in the loss to Denver. Considering that Andrew Luck likely (hopefully) won't be asked to play from behind like he had to Week 1, both of these numbers are going to decrease. That's going to severely limit what Hilton can do from a fantasy perspective. After all, he was nothing more than a bottom-tier FLEX option in games that Wayne suited up in last season That's pretty much his ceiling, especially with Hakeem Nicks now in the fold in Indianapolis.
Victor Cruz, Wide Receiver, New York Giants
Until Eli Manning proves that he's more than a below-average quarterback in the NFL, none of his receiving options are going to be viable fantasy players. Cruz recorded just two catches for 24 yards on six targets in the Giants blowout loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday night. With an upcoming game against the Arizona Cardinals, you might have to actually consisder benching him for a week and see what your bench options can do.