Biggest Fantasy Football Disappointments of 2015
Who were the most disappointing fantasy football players this year? Let’s take a look!
Like most, this season was another interesting year of football. In terms of fantasy, I don’t think we have seen this many running back busts in the past ten years. The season opened with five elite backs and by about week 8, only one of them (Adrian Peterson) was anywhere close to fantasy relevance. This season will likely change many draft strategies as even the top-tier running backs are not safe from injury and the dreaded running back by committee.
Injuries are always an important factor in fantasy football; however, the rate of injury has increased tremendously over the years. This season, star players like Jordy Nelson, Jamal Charles, Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, Justin Forsett, Joe Flacco, Le’Veon Bell, Andrew Luck, Kelvin Benjamin, Andy Dalton, Arian Foster, Julian Edelman, Jimmy Graham, Marshawn Lynch and Peyton Manning missed multiple games with severe injuries.
It is always a killer when you lose one of your top guys, but this season, many teams could have lost up to 3 or 4 guys to the injured reserve. Many teams tried to go after that Romo-Dez combination that has been so dangerous over the past few seasons and this year they would have been destroyed.
This is one of my main problems with season-long leagues. Although, last week in my daily league, my team was on its way to a large payout before D’Angelo Williams went down with an ankle injury.
That being said, here are this season’s biggest fantasy football disappointments.
Next: Quarterbacks
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Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos: After a monsterous 2013 campaign, Peyton declined last season with 15 interceptions. I was very hesitant to select him in drafts because you would never know when his play would ultimately fall off. The injury concern was also there after having multiple neck surgeries in 2011 and a torn quad in 2014. It’s so hard to play at that high of a level for so many years without being worn out. Age has finally caught up to him as he sustained a foot injury this season that has prevented him from putting any zip on his passes. On November 16th, the Broncos coaching staff decided to bench Peyton in favor of Brock Osweiler, who played decent in his place. Despite yesterday’s brief appearance, Peyton has sat on the sideline as a useless fantasy asset. Peyton will finish the year with a 9:17 TD:INT ratio and a career low 59.8 completion percentage. Ranked as a top 5 quarterback, let’s just say he didn’t live up to his ADP.
Sam Bradford, Philadelphia Eagles: Where do we begin here. Let’s see, the Eagles missed the playoffs in the abysmal NFC East with a 7-9 record. Chip Kelly’s first and only season handling the Eagles’ player personnel decisions was heavily disappointing. With his offensive system, one would think that he would know which players would fit into his offense. In his three seasons as coach, he had a big part in getting rid of his three most explosive players in DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin. Without top tier athleticism, Bradford made this high-powered offense look slow and stagnant. Bradford’s draft stock skyrocketed after his pre-season dress rehearsal where he threw for 121 yards and 3 touchdowns on 10/10 passes. Many expected him to rise into the fantasy elite, but he simply didn’t have the right tools around him. What does look good for Bradford’s future outlook is his recent connection with Zach Ertz. In the final three games of the season, Ertz caught 30 passes for 352 yards. Despite a strong finish to the season, Bradford and the rest of the Eagles’ offense were huge fantasy busts.
Honorable Mention: Teddy Bridgewater, Ryan Tannehill, Andrew Luck, Colin Kaepernick
Next: Running Backs
Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers: I really thought that Eddie Lacy was going to be the best fantasy running back this season. Last season, He played on a great team, became more active in the pass game, and was entering his third season as a pro. All signs were pointing up for me and I was willing to take him first overall in many drafts. Oh boy, was I wrong? He was held to ten or less yards in a quarter of the games he played. I find that to be the most telling stat of the season. He averaged 4.1 rush yards per attempt, which is pretty good. He also had the tendency to disappear and fall behind James Starks as the team’s lead back. When you draft someone in the top five, you expect them to top 100 yards in more than just three games. The Packers offense as a whole missed a beat without Jordy Nelson, which set back Aaron Rodgers in the passing game. In the case of the Packers, the pass usually sets up the run and this year they weren’t able to throw the ball downfield at the same rate. When your not throwing deep, it’s unlikely that you blow out a lot of teams, so it makes sense that Lacy and the Packers didn’t get to gain momentum on the ground to kill the clock. Lacy should bounce back if given a defined role.
Eagles
DeMarco Murray, Philadelphia Eagles: It’s hard to replace LeSean McCoy’s production in any offense, especially in Chip Kelly’s fast paced attack. However, Kelly obviously thought that last season’s rushing champion, DeMarco Murray, would be a viable option out of the backfield. Leaving Dallas, Murray had tons of momentum. He was healthy for the first time in a full season and rushed for 1,845 yards and 13 scores. Granted, he was playing behind one of the better offensive lines we have seen in years, but it is still a feat that not many have accomplished. Murray is a downhill runner who uses his six foot, 217 pound frame to bull through defenders. The Eagles’ scheme features a lot of draw and counter plays where the running back is expected to bounce runs to the outside. Let’s just say that it didn’t work out and Murray found himself benched behind the diminutive Darren Sproles and the injury-prone Ryan Mathews.
Honorable Mention: Frank Gore, Alfred Morris, Melvin Gordon, C.J. Anderson, Jeremy Hill, Lamar Miller
Next: Wide Receivers
Charles Johnson, Minnesota Vikings: Arguably the biggest bust in all of fantasy, owners were able to drop him by week 5. This guy destroyed some of my best teams. The Vikings started the season by feeding AP 20+ carries and throwing short check down routes. At the end of the 2014 season, Bridgewater and Johnson grew a strong connection, connecting on several passes down the field. Norv Turner’s conservative game plans didn’t help continue this connection as Johnson received less targets. In week 3, Johnson suffered a rib injury that would take him out for three weeks. Upon his return, Stefon Diggs had seized the starting role alongside Mike Wallace, leaving Johnson with very little playing time. Johnson caught 22 less passes in his sophomore campaign and is likely to be looking for work for the 2016 season. Johnson’s rough break will likely kill his fantasy value until he gets another starting role as a featured receiver.
Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers: Davante Adams’ rookie year was average at best, but Aaron Rodgers was reportedly a big fan of his. When Jordy Nelson got hurt, the whole fantasy universe expected Adams to explode. His ADP went threw the roof as he became a top 10 fantasy wide receiver in terms of projection. Randall Cobb’s preseason setback blasted Adams as an elite target in drafts. The buzz on Adams died very quickly when he suffered an ankle injury in September. Quickly, the Packers offense fell off as Rodgers lacked consistent weapons. James Jones’ return also thwarted his potential to come back as Jones seemingly stole every touchdown. Adams has seen his targets diminish all season long, which is incredibly shocking considering how weak the Packers offense has been as of late.
Honorable Mention: Devin Funchess, Dez Bryant, Vincent Jackson, Andre Johnson, Nelson Agholor, DeSean Jackson
Next: Tight Ends
Martellus Bennett, Chicago Bears: It was set up so perfectly. Brandon Marshall was traded to the Jets. Rookie Kevin White missed the season with a shin injury. Alshon Jeffery missed a bunch of games due to a hamstring injury. Jay Cutler had a career season. One would think that this would be Martellus Bennett’s best season of his career with all of these factors, right? Wrong. Bennett was one of Cutler’s top targets last season and has had a growing role in the offense every season. He topped 60 yards only once all season and had nearly half the receptions as he had last year. Offensive Coordinator Adam Gase had implemented a tight end friendly system in Denver in years prior, but this year Bennett was simply phazed out of the offense. Bennett was drafted as a top five tight end this year and definitely let down his fantasy owners.
Julius Thomas, Jacksonville Jaguars: Ten starts, twelve touchdowns. Those are the numbers that you need to know about Thomas’s 2014 campaign in Denver. Ten starts, five touchdowns. Those are the numbers you need to know about Thomas’s move to Jacksonville. It isn’t the fault of the passing offense, either, as Blake Bortles threw a whopping 35 touchdowns in his sophomore season. In Denver, Thomas was a great red zone threat as Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas were better used as field stretchers. In Jacksonville, Allen Squared (Robinson and Hurns) had tremendous years, each topping 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. Hurns is a great route runner, which came in handy for Bortles when he needed to scramble in the red zone. Robinson’s incredible vertical was big for Bortles as it gave him a guy to trust in jump-ball scenarios. Thomas became the third option in the red zone, which relegated him to an average year.
Honorable Mention: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Jordan Cameron, Coby Fleener, Jimmy Graham, Kyle Rudolph