RADIO
Last week we took a look at five players who might be sending out warning signals for what’s to come for the rest of the season. With a second game under everyone’s belt, there are some players who have unfortunately disappointed us twice in a row.
It’s in this two-to-three week range where you’ll most likely have to decide whether to buy low or sell high on a given player. Hopefully you haven’t panicked too much but either way; I’m here to help you figure out what to do with your studs.
Also, just a quick little heads up, after we go through this week’s list of players I’m going to provide a short little update on the previous week’s guys to see how they’ve progressed.
Five Players Sending Out Warning Signals
DeMarco Murray – RB, PHI
I had added Murray to this week’s list long before the news of his injured hamstring came to be and was hoping we’d have a little more clarity before it was time to publish. For this week alone, you’re just gong to have to wait and see if Murray can go but as an overall point, I’m already done holding my breath. The Eagles can’t seem to put together any sort of run game at all and aren’t even feeding Murray the ball as much as we’d like to see. Over the course of two games, DeMarco has just 21 rushes for an astoundingly low total of 11 rushing yards. Granted, the injured hamstring could have everything to do with that for all we know but it could also just be an additional setback. Either way, I’m already selling him if I can. The problem is, the hamstring injury temporarily destroys his trade value. It’s still worth seeing what you can get for him but you might just be stuck with him, hoping that he turns it around once he’s back to full health.
Jeremy Hill – RB, CIN
Of all the players listed this week, Cincinnati running back Jeremy Hill is the one that seems to have raised the most eyebrows. Through two weeks, Hill only has 102 rushing yards but does have two touchdowns, both of which came in week one. The more worrisome tidbit of information is the fact that Giovani Bernard outran him considerably in Sunday’s matchup with the San Diego Chargers. Bernard had 20 rushing attempts for 123 yards compared to Hill’s outing of 10 for 39. Even with that in mind, I’m not worried about Hill long-term. He fumbled in that game and it’s been made clear that he’s the lead back. Games like this tend to happen every once in a while whether it’s individual player struggles, game flow, or offensive strategy so I’m willing to chalk this one up as a combination of the three. Hang in there with Jeremy Hill and if you can buy low on him, pounce.
Jimmy Graham – TE, SEA
I would like to begin this little blurb by paraphrasing the great Bob Ryan of The Boston Globe and ESPN’s Around the Horn fame. With how little Jimmy Graham has been utilized in the passing game, Ryan made the analogy that this would be the equivalent of the Seattle Mariners signing Nelson Cruz just to slot him ninth in the batting order and play at shortstop. In other words, the Seahawks clearly aren’t playing to Graham’s strengths. Having said that, there are a couple important things to keep in mind here. The first is the fact that Jimmy Graham plays at a position that fluctuates on a week-to-week basis considerably. Tight ends come and go each week, with very few able to string together a level of consistency you can be comfortable with. That directly relates to the fact that Graham left an offense in New Orleans where he was the focal point of the passing games. Lastly, it is now public knowledge that not only is he unhappy with his role in the offense but head coach Pete Carroll is well aware of that fact. It’s for all three of those reasons that I think this isn’t as bad as it looks.
With a tasty matchup against the Chicago Bears looming and having Graham’s unhappiness addressed publicly, I’m confident that the Seahawks will find a way to utilize him more effectively sooner rather than later. Having said that, I think the days of Graham as the clear-cut number two tight end in the league are over. That’s not to say he can’t be an effective member of your fantasy team but I think he’s firmly entrenched in the same tier as Travis Kelce and Greg Olsen. They’re players who are a significant cut above the rest but still a step below Rob Gronkowski. It stinks if you drafted him higher than that and I’m in no way shape or form advocating bailing on him. I think you just need to temper your expectations going forward.
Andrew Luck – QB, IND
Remember when quarterback Aaron Rodgers told everyone to R.E.L.A.X. last year? That’s exactly what I’m going to tell you to do if you own Andrew Luck. Relax. He’s going to be just fine. Luck’s first two games were against tough defenses in the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets. With the Tennessee Titans on deck, Luck is going to turn it around. I’m willing to bet a fantasy draft pick that we’ve already seen Luck’s worst two performances of the season and honestly, wouldn’t you rather have them occur in weeks one and two rather than the fantasy playoffs? If Luck had gotten off to a hot start and face the Bills and Jets in weeks seven and 11, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Instead, we’d just be chalking it up to poor play against a tough opponent. Don’t panic on Luck. Hopefully the rest of your team was strong and healthy enough to get you through the first two weeks. Keep your chin up.
T.Y. Hilton – WR, IND
Speaking of the Indianapolis Colts, Andrew Luck’s primary wide receiver T.Y. Hilton is off to a slow start as well. A large part of that, perhaps even most of it, has been due to the fact that Hilton has been banged up to start the year. He entered week one questionable with a concussion, which was followed by a bruised knee in week two. Listen, 12 fantasy points in standard scoring through two weeks is certainly disappointing but it’s not like it’s all performance based. Between his banged up state and Luck’s struggles, this is just a case of a slow start for T.Y. Hilton. The big plays and monster performances are coming. As the Colts offense improves as a whole, both Luck and Hilton will turn back into the studs we expected them to be.
Updates From Last Week
Peyton Manning – QB, DEN
It looked a little shaky during the first half of Thursday night’s matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs but Manning was able to turn it around in the second. He’s not going to be the Peyton of old anymore but he should still finish the year as a top five or six fantasy quarterback. It doesn’t look nearly as grim as it did a week ago.
Calvin Johnson – WR, DET
This is another player whose early struggles seem to be largely affected by quarterback play. Matthew Stafford hasn’t played all that great to start the year and is dealing with some injuries of his own. Luckily, Calvin Johnson was able to find the endzone in this game so it would appear as if this one is a lot less dire than it could've been. Still, you’re going to have to just weather the storm until Stafford is back to full strength.
Adrian Peterson – RB, MIN
Adrian Peterson had 184 total yards and could have (should have) had two touchdowns in Sunday’s game against the Lions. Problem solved? Yes.
Greg Olsen – TE, CAR
Six receptions for 70 yards is certainly a step in the right direction for Greg Olsen who only had one catch for 11 and a touchdown that was negated by a flag in week one. The Panthers will face the Saints and Buccaneers before taking off for their bye week so look for Olsen to continue to get better as the year rolls along.
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