For many people, Sunday is about much more than getting to watch your favorite team. It’s about fantasy football. Whether you’re a first-time player, or a seasoned vet, you have to agree that fantasy football adds another entertaining parallel to your Sunday. Whether your fantasy team is in first or last place, never give up on your team and there’s always ways to get better. Here’s a couple of studs and duds at each position through the season thus far.
Dud: Andrew Luck
After leading the NFL in touchdown passes a year ago, many people thought Luck would be the number one fantasy quarterback this season, many selecting him in the first or second round. Up until his three-touchdown performance against New England, Luck had thrown seven interceptions in just three games. He then sat out two games to give his shoulder some time to heal. Luck is too good of a player to keep performing like he had, and many Luck owners rejoiced when he scored 27 fantasy points against the Patriots. As time goes on, Luck will get more confident in his shoulder and he’ll start throwing the ball down field again. Those long Luck to T.Y Hilton touchdown throws are in the foreseeable future.
Stud: Andy Dalton
I never thought I would see those words side-by-side. Dalton has been sensational through six games, throwing three touchdown passes in three of his contests and failed to throw multiple touchdowns just once this season. The Bengals’ offense is firing on all cylinders right now, and it looks like the Bengals are ready to transition from a run-first team. Letting Dalton throw the balls seems to be working, as the Bengals are one of five remaining undefeated teams. If you’re underwhelmed with the play of your quarterback, Dalton would make a good trade target.
Dud: Eddie Lacy
Like Luck, Lacy was ranked as one of the best at his positions, many opting to take him number one overall. Lacy got off to a slow start last year as well, so I’m not as worried about Lacy as I am Jeremy Hill. Lacy plays in too good of an offense to keep putting up these mediocre numbers. Lacy has yet to rush for 100 yards in a game this season. Following the bye, the Packers will take on the Broncos, who have been dismal against the run. Tat could turn out to be a breakout game for Lacy. If you can, I would try to buy-low on Lacy. Better days lay ahead.
Stud: Devonta Freeman
Freeman is without a doubt, the biggest fantasy surprise of the year. Freeman wasn’t even the Falcons’ starting running back until rookie Tevin Coleman got hurt. Since then, Freeman hasn’t looked back. Freeman rushed for three touchdwons in back-to-back weeks this season, and has scored a touchdown in all but the first game of the season. I don’t see Freeman slowing down at all either, although they still have to play the undefeated Panthers twice. Freeman is like a shot out of a cannon, and his versatility as a pass catcher gives him even more value in PPR scoring formats. Keep starting Freeman until he gives you a reason not to.
Dud: Antonio Brown
This one isn’t all Brown’s fault. I know he hasn’t been a dud all season, but for being the first drafted receiver in most leagues, it’s not the type of profuction you’ve hoped for thus far. Ever since Ben Roethlisberger got hurt, Brown’s fantasy production has taken a nosedive. Replacement quarterback Michael Vick just can’t get the ball to Brown as frequently as Roethlisberger can. It doesn’t help that Brown had Patrick Peterson trailing him all day, which opened the door for Martavis Bryant, who had six catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns. I fully expect for Brown’s value to go back to top-five once Ben Roethlisberger comes back, which could be earlier than expected.
Stud: DeAndre Hopkins
No matter which type of scoring format you use, Hopkins has been one of the best fantasy receivers to this point with mediocre quarterback play. Hopkins really thrives in PPR formats, as he’s caught at least eight passes in all but one game this season and eclipsed the 100-yard mark four weeks in a row and counting. Outside of Arian Foster, Hopkins pretty much is the Texans offense. Cecil Shorts III and Jaelen Strong have showed promise, but I don’t see the Texans trying to get the ball to Hopkins any less. He’s one of the game’s premier route-runners and hands that are second to none. You’ll probably get a lot of trade offers for Hopkins if you own him and my advice: don’t even think about trading him.
Dud: Jordan Cameron
When the Miami Dolphins signed Jordan Cameron away from the Cleveland Browns, on top of landing Ndamukong Suh, many believed the Dolphins had pulled closer and could challenge the New England Patriots for the AFC East. To put it nicely, nothing for the Dolphins has been working out this season. There was always a lot of hype around Cameron, dating back to his days with Cleveland, but I never saw the athleticism everyone else did. Cameron also missed most of last season due to injury, which gave me even less reason to believe in him. Cameron has just one touchdown this season and it came this week against the Titans. With little to work with in Miami, I was expecting Cameron to be a bigger factor in the passing game. If the Dolphins can start turning their season around now that they’ve fired their head coach, better days may lie ahead for Cameron, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
Stud: Tyler Eifert
Let’s clarify one thing about my tight end analysis. Rob Gronkowski is number-one and will be the number-one until defenses slow him down. One player that has been nothing short of a pleasant surprise this season is Tyler Eifert. I’ve liked Eifert since he came out of Notre Dame and had high hopes for him last season until he suffered a season-ending injury on the first play of the season. Eifert propelled himself into fantasy football relevance after catching nine passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener against the Raiders. I actually selected Eifert with my last pick in my keeper league, meaning I’ll be able to keep him by using my 15th-round pick. Can’t go wrong with getting a top-five tight end in the second to last round.