RADIO
This has been a hard week for many fantasy players. A few days ago, we received news that Christian McCaffrey will be out for the season due to an ankle injury. That wasn’t the only news to float down the pipeline. We also caught wind that Dalvin Cook will be out a few weeks because of a shoulder injury. With the playoff picture at stake, fantasy managers will now have to figure out how to fill the void with both McCaffrey and Cook being out of the picture.
Knowing the warning signals will give you a good idea of which players you should avoid. This will prevent you from making a mistake when it comes to setting your lineups. Some players are on the wrong path. Gauging usage trends, injuries, and a player’s weekly matchup will prevent you from adding a potential bust to your fantasy team.
With the season winding down, let’s take a look at some of the troubled players who could stop your team’s progress this week.
Quarterback Concerns - Start'Em for Week 13?
Daniel Jones, New York Giants
There's a chance Jones won't be able to play this week. The young quarterback is dealing with a neck injury. He will be practicing on Wednesday and his status for Week 13 is still up in the air. Fantasy managers will need to monitor his situation throughout the week to see if he will be able to play. Even if he does play, there's still a chance the neck injury could drastically impact his performance.
Jones hasn’t produced a QB1 finish since Week 4. He has also not been slinging the rock downfield as often, averaging just 152.75 passing air yards per game in his last four contests. One of the main arguments for rostering Jones is his rushing production. Typically, he would provide just enough volume with his rushing output to provide a consistent floor. Unfortunately, in his last four games, he has provided fantasy managers with just 1.7 fantasy points per game with his rushing production. Therefore, the rushing volume hasn’t been there to keep him a safe fantasy option.
The Giants will be on the road this week to play against the Miami Dolphins. Vegas has a 41.5 over/under set for this game. This is the lowest implied point total for Week 13. The Dolphins are also one of the slowest-paced teams in the league by averaging 25.4 seconds between offensive snaps. During their last four games, the Giants rank 22nd in the league with a 57 percent pass rate while in a neutral game script. The game script is projected to be slower-paced with a limited passing volume.
What To Do:
The odds of Jones hitting top-tier QB1 production this week are not looking good. He might produce QB2 level numbers, but at the end of the day, that’s not going to be enough to help solidify a victory for your fantasy team. Considering his status for Week 13 is in limbo, and there's a very good chance the injury will compromise his play if he does take the field this week, the safest route would be to explore other options at quarterback.
Running Back Concerns - Sit 'Em for Week 13?
Devonta Freeman, Baltimore Ravens
Freeman has seen at least 13 touches in his last four games. Many fantasy managers were leaning on him to get through bye weeks and injuries. With him seeing just a 58 percent snap share last week against the Cleveland Browns, fantasy managers might need to question his player value going forward.
We saw Joe Mixon run wild for 165 yards against the Steelers in Week 12. This does not mean Freeman will see similar results against the Ravens’ division rival this Sunday. Vegas has an over/under of 44 for this contest. In their last five games, Pittsburgh ranks 31st in the league with 25 seconds between offensive snaps while in a neutral game script.
Naturally, you are going to want to start him if you don’t have any other healthy running backs on your roster. He does have two RB1 performances in his last four games. Fantasy managers will be banking on him to fall in the end zone for him to hit his upside. With this game projected to be lower scoring, the odds of that happening are not as likely.
What To Do
Pittsburgh's defense is allowing 133.09 rushing yards per game. There’s a chance they allow Freeman to get some run on Sunday. There’s also a chance most of those yards go to Lamar Jackson with Latavius Murray stealing enough touches to be a headache for fantasy gamers. Most people are only starting Freeman if they are in a bind. With that being said, fantasy managers should only start him this week if they have to because there’s a risk he could bottom out.
Wide Receiver Concerns - Sit 'Em for Week 13?
Elijah Moore, New York Jets
Moore has been trending upward as of late with two WR1 performances in his last four games. However, he has averaged 6.02 fantasy points per game while playing with Zach Wilson. Last week, with Wilson back in the lineup, Moore produced a dismal 9.3 PPR fantasy points. He did lead the team with eight targets against the Houston Texans.
Fantasy managers are starting to lose trust in Moore due to Wilson’s inability to fuel his receivers in the passing game. This week’s matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles might be a true test to see if this young duo can take a step forward. The Eagles defense ranks 11th in the NFL with 228.42 passing yards allowed per game.
What To Do
It might be best to look at other options for your wide receiver spot this week. Moore was a hot commodity a few weeks ago. With Wilson under center, his fantasy production is very unpredictable. There’s a chance the Jets’ offense struggles again this week against the Eagles.
Tight End Concerns - Start 'Em for Week 12?
T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions
Hockenson is an auto-start for most fantasy gamers due to his involvement in the passing game. There are only four games this season where he posted less than a 15 percent target share. The sheer volume alone makes him a must-start option in fantasy.
What To Do
Fantasy gamers need to come to terms that he might not yield typical results this week. He will be playing against the Minnesota Vikings, who are averaging just 8.4 PPR fantasy points per game to tight ends this year. In Week 5 against Minnesota, he logged just 8.2 PPF fantasy points. There’s a chance that Hockenson does not hit double-digit fantasy points on Sunday.
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