We are nearly one-third through the 2014 fantasy football season. However in looking at the following players listed below, who have been having some of the worst fantasy football performances over the first four weeks, it might be time to start shifting that roster around. The fantasy points that these elite players have tallied up over the 2014 season so far, are what other players of the same position are scoring in one week.
Tom Brady, Quarterback, New England Patriots
Statistics: 781 passing yards, four touchdowns, two interceptions, three fumbles (28.24 points)
Brady has been incredibly disappointing over the first four weeks of the season, averaging just 7.60 fantasy points per game. If you’re a Brady owner, clearly you are frustrated, and even more so after his preposterous Week 4 performance against the Chiefs in Monday Night Football. It would not be surprising at all to see Brady on the waiver wires come Wednesday morning after he rewarded his fantasy owners with a pitiful 2.36 fantasy points this week.
Currently ranking 29th among his fellow quarterbacks is reason enough to cause panic for fantasy owners. Brady struggled in 2013 due to the absence of tight end Rob Gronkowski, however Gronk is back, so what is Brady’s excuse now? Hit the waiver wire stat, because Brady is just too much of a risk to continue tanking your fantasy team week after week.
Cam Newton, Quarterback, Carolina Panthers
Statistics: 728 passing yards, three rushing yards, three touchdowns, (32.42 points)
Fantasy owners of Newton are certainly getting off to a sluggish start with their quarterback. Unfortunately, Newton hasn’t been the same since his off-season ankle surgery in addition to a rib injury which is not helping his situation. The Panthers’ receiving options are dismal, they are losing games, and surely Newton isn’t helping his fantasy owners win either.
Last year Newton led his fellow quarterbacks in rushing yards with 585 for the season, and now he only has 33 rushing yards over the 2014 year. For those who drafted Newton as their primary fantasy quarterback, banking on the fact he would earn fantasy points not only through the air, but on the ground, you’ve been slighted thus far. Currently the 24th ranked quarterback in fantasy points, Newton’s owners might start exploring other options for the remainder of the season.
Larry Fitzgerald, Wide Receiver, Arizona Cardinals
Statistics: 10 receptions, 21 targets, 107 yards, one touchdown (18.70 points)
Week 4 was a bye week for Fitzgerald, however his performance in the fantasy department over his first three weeks must be addressed. Earning owners just slightly over six fantasy points per outing is just not acceptable. If you drafted Fitz as your WR2, you’ve been cheated.
At this time Fitzgerald is being overlooked by his quarterback, and fantasy owners are suffering from his lack of involvement in the team’s offense. Perhaps owners should give Fitzgerald another chance when the Cardinals resume play in Week 5 to see if he his targets and catches increase. However, another quiet, scoreless game should have Fitzgerald owners seeking other options the following week.
Demaryius Thomas, Wide Receiver, Denver Broncos
Statistics: 13 receptions, 27 targets, 141 yards, one touchdown, one two-point conversion (35.10 points)
Thomas like Fitzgerald was on a bye in Week 4, however his overall fantasy performance this season has certainly been cause for concern; especially considering he was the overall No. 1 wide receiver in 2013. At this time, if you drafted Emmanuel Sanders in later rounds you are winning versus those who loftily grabbed Thomas as their first-round draft pick.
Fantasy owners can be thankful for Thomas’ last second two-point conversion score in Week 3 against Seattle. If it wasn’t for that Hail Mary, Thomas’ fantasy numbers would even look worse than what they currently do. Let’s hope Thomas, who has been bothered by a sore toe, returns at 100 percent in Week 5. Surely for those who drafted him, he’s your best fantasy option at the wide receiver position. Fingers crossed we’ve seen the worst from the talented Thomas, who really shouldn’t ever be considered a sit option with Peyton Manning as his quarterback.
LeSean McCoy, Running Back, Philadelphia Eagles
Statistics: 71 rushes, 192 rushing yards, 64 receiving yards, one rushing touchdown, (42.60 points)
McCoy has been painstakingly disappointing as a first-round or perhaps first overall draft pick in 2014. I’ll give him partial credit for his first two weeks, however if you average in Weeks 3 and 4, where McCoy’s production took a severe cliff dive, fantasy owners are not reaping the benefits of their first-round draft pick up to this date.
One total touchdown and a major drop in receiving yards are taking a toll on McCoy’s fantasy output. There’s also the factor of running back Darren Sproles to consider as well when thinking about the future fantasy production from last season’s third-ranked running back. With any luck, Week 5 will have McCoy on the rebound as Philadelphia hosts the St Louis Rams who have allowed an average of 115 rushing yards per game in 2014.
Eddie Lacy, Running Back, Green Bay Packers
Statistics: 53 rushes, 161 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown, 49 receiving yards, one fumble (32.00 points)
Lacy, as a first-round draft pick is royally failing to produce anything close to RB1 numbers over his first four weeks of the season. Other than a boost in performance in Week 4 and finally scoring his first rushing touchdown, Lacy has been sluggish and is only averaging 3.0 yards per carry.
We’ll have to cut Lacy a bit of slack because he has faced some of the more challenging run defenses thus far. However, a softer matchup against the Minnesota Vikings is on the schedule for Week 5, where if Lacy doesn’t get something rolling, fantasy owners should seriously be concerned about his future fantasy outlook.
Jason Witten, Tight End, Dallas Cowboys
Statistics: 15 receptions, 23 targets, 156 receiving yards, zero touchdowns, (30.60 points)
Witten currently ranks 17th in fantasy points among his fellow tight ends. This ranking is far below the level for which he was drafted by fantasy owners. Witten’s 7.65 fantasy points he is averaging per week are paling in comparison to what other fantasy tight ends are producing thus far in 2014.
Last season Witten ended the year with the sixth-most fantasy points for tight ends. Right now, he is nowhere near on course to hit that ranking. Week 5 presents Witten with a matchup against the Texans who’ve only allowed one score to the position over four weeks. With Dallas performing adequately by incorporating a heavier run game, Witten’s value will decline over 2014 with Tony Romo throwing fewer passes. Perhaps it’s time to see if you can trade Witten before it’s too late.