There’s just one week left in the regular season in the NFL. Yearlong fantasy football players are either about to finish their seasons, or are already done, but daily fantasy sports leagues still have several weeks left. Let’s take a look at what week #16 of the season produced as far daily fantasy busts and diamonds, and how we can use that information going into the last week of the regular season, and perhaps the postseason.
Players Who Let us Down
Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals
Fitzgerald didn’t play awful, but he is capable of far better than what he showed here. He had a touchdown, but just 29 yards receiving. A lot of this was because he only had 5 targets and 4 receptions. Again, Fitzgerald is a better player than this, but because of an injury, his use for this game was limited. He’s been averaging over 80 yards a game this year, so this was an uncharacteristic game for him. As the Cardinals get ready for the postseason, he’s a player that despite a quiet week, you should strongly be considering, especially if he participates fully in practice over the next few weeks.
Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers
This was Newton’s first bad game of the year. There were no passing touchdowns, and just one rushing TD from him, and only 142 yards passing. He was sacked twice, but luckily threw no interceptions. It was the first loss of the year for the Panthers, and because they are playing Tampa Bad next week, Newton is a must consider for your fantasy roster next week. And because he played so poorly this game, his daily fantasy football price will likely be down a little from where it should be realistically. For Panthers and Newton fans, this loss stung a lot, but for those looking to get a great price on a top QB next week, this was a helpful loss, in all honesty.
These Guys Came Through
Brandon Marshall, WR, New York Jets
Marshall had a monster game, and the fact that the Jets beat the New England Patriots and have a chance of making the postseason made his performance even better. He had 2 touchdowns, 115 yards receiving, and 8 catches. The Jets take on the Buffalo Bills next week, who have a weaker defense than New England this season, and with the Bills being out of the postseason and the Jets needing a win to keep going, you can bet that Marshall will be on his best game. He’s a player you will definitely want to keep in mind for next week.
Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints
This was a big game for Brees, who had 25 completions on 36 throws, 3 touchdowns, and 412 yards passing. The Saints have struggled this year, and beating Jacksonville isn’t a huge deal, but it was a big confidence booster for New Orleans. They play the Atlanta Falcons next week, who have also been quite unpredictable this year. However, the Falcons are looking like the better team, although their defense has issues. Brees has potential for next week, but he does carry some risk with him. Consider him, but be prepared to look elsewhere, too.
Tim Hightower, RB, New Orleans Saints
Hightower had 122 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns against the Jacksonville Jaguars. This total tripled his TDs for the year, and almost doubled his rushing yard totals for the year. Before this, he’d only been averaging 31.2 yards per game, but this seems to be what he’s capable of in a best case scenario. On that note, you shouldn’t expect a performance like this from him next week, and you certainly shouldn’t draft him for your daily fantasy football team unless you can get a very cheap price on him. But because of this outstanding performance, this is likely to be a lot harder than it should be, depending on how your DFS site evaluates salary prices for players.
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