With weeks of bye weeks ahead, this is the point of the season it becomes necessary to start ridding your NFL fantasy team of under performing assets. These players have all been letdowns to start the season, but likely based on their names and where you drafted them, they are still sitting on your bench or maybe in your starting lineup. Here are five fantasy players to cut bait on.
Jordan Reed, TE, Washington Redskins
Injuries were obviously a big concern coming into the season, but they are not the only reason it is time to give up on the former Pro Bowl tight end. Reed is becoming inconsistent. Going back to last season, Reed has one touchdown in his previous six games and has failed to top 50 yards in the same stretch. In fact, since the beginning of 2016, Reed has been unable to score a touchdown in 11 of 15 games. It is highly possible to trade Reed instead of just dropping him, but whatever you do, the best move is to move on.
Brandon Marshall, WR, New York Giants
Although he was coming off a down season in 2016, Brandon Marshall had proven time, and again he could excel in just about any situation, catching for over 1000 yards on four different teams (which is an NFL record). This year things have gone very poorly for Marshall. Marshall is averaging just 8.7 yards per catch, 35 yards per game and has not yet scored a touchdown. Marshall looks now to be the fifth option in New York, between Beckham, Shepard, Engram and Vereen. This gives him minimal fantasy upside for the remainder of the season.
Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Andy Dalton never enters the season as a top-tier quarterback. Somehow though, he has managed to finish as a top-12 quarterback in three of the last five seasons, and would have done it again in 2015 had he not been injured and missed the last three games. This season feels different. The Bengals as a whole seem to be a mess. Excluding Dalton’s four touchdown game against the Cleveland Browns, the signal caller has averaged just 7.6 fantasy points per game. If you drafted Dalton to be your fantasy quarterback, it is probably time to start thinking about streaming the position.
Adrian Peterson, RB, New Orleans Saints
One of the biggest challenges in fantasy football is knowing when it is time to let go. Everyone: it is time to let go of Adrian Peterson. Interestingly enough, age is not the primary reason Peterson is a terrible fantasy player this season. It is his usage rate and his new offensive system. Adrian Peterson does not get enough touches nor is he efficient enough with the touches he gets to be worth a spot on your fantasy team. Unless the Saints trade Peterson or one of their other two backs get hurt, it is hard to see Peterson even coming close to being a good option in fantasy.
Remember that Mark Ingram is the team’s starting running back and carries the mail – most of the time. And then also remember that the team traded up to get Alvin Kamara, so obviously the coaching staff likes him. He’s shown well and fits the pass-catching role very well. That leaves just a few carries in between for Peterson. If it was any other player without the brand name, you wouldn’t own him (the third running back on the Saints). It’s time to say goodbye to a player who may have once won you fantasy championships.
Eric Decker, WR, Tennessee Titans
Starting the year, Eric Decker looked like a decent fantasy option with enough touchdown potential to make him an occasional starter. After four weeks, Decker needs to be dropped. The Tennessee Titans almost have too many mouths to feed to make any of their wide receivers relevant. Of all their receiving options, Decker is the most widely known and the most disappointing, catching just 104 yards and zero touchdowns in the first four weeks of the season. To make matters worse, the Titans have to start Matt Cassell this week and maybe for longer. If you have not dropped Decker yet, now is the time.
Click here to bet on the football futures for the 2017 NFL season right now. DSI will have all of the latest lines, spreads and props for this year’s action!
