It’s hard to believe that there are only three weeks left in the regular NFL season, and that means it’s time for our week #14 busts and diamonds roundup. Here, we will look at the biggest and most unexpected daily fantasy football producers, and those that disappointed us the most.
These Guys Didn’t Step Up
Marcus Mariota, QB, Tennessee Titans
Mariota had zero touchdowns, an instant disappointment. Looking at his other stats, this is actually a surprise. He had 274 yards and 21 completions. Those are not bad numbers at all, but his lack of touchdowns hurt him, as did his one interception. The good news is that Mariota put up those other numbers and that indicates he is capable of scoring touchdowns in the future. It’s uncommon to throw so many yards and have so many completions and still have no completions in the end zone. Mariota was a bust this week, but that will just make him cheaper for next week when he should perform much better.
LaGarrette Blount, RB, New England Patriots
It must be frustrating be the top running back on the Patriots. Blount had 53 yards on 10 attempts on Sunday against the Houston Texans, but no touchdowns. The Patriots are a great team, and Blount is a good RB, but QB Tom Brady is much more reliant upon his throwing arm than giving the ball to a back. That’s okay for the team as they’ve only lost 2 games this year, but it drives down Blount’s fantasy value a lot. Because the Patriots are so good, Blount will have a bit of an inflated price tag, but he’s really not worth drafting for your rosters right now. If he were traded to a team that did not have Brady, he would be a top pick, but that’s not the case, unfortunately for him.
Coming on at the Right Time
Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks
Wilson threw 5 touchdowns and had 292 yards in passing. Being that close to 300 yards without breaching the magic number might have been harmful to his fantasy worth for the week as some leagues reward you with extra points if your QB passes this point, and Wilson clearly did not. However, being this close to 300 is a promising thing for the next few weeks. If he did it in this game against the Baltimore Ravens, it can be done against Cleveland or St. Louis. The Seahawks are impressive right now, and Wilson could have some great end of the season sleeper value on your fantasy roster right now.
Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Carolina Panthers
Even as the Panthers’ magical season continues, Ginn’s performance was a bit unexpected. He had 2 touchdowns and 120 yards, all on 2 catches in 3 targets. This was a phenomenal use of talent on so little effort by QB Cam Newton, but the downside to this is it was more about Ginn being in the right place at the right time than it was the fact that he suddenly became a top ranked fantasy player. He increased his number of touchdown by a third this game, so while he does have potential, he hasn’t proven himself this season quite yet.
Todd Gurley, RB, St. Louis Rams
This is not Gurley’s first great game of the season, but it was still an impressive one. He had 2 touchdowns on 16 carries, for a total of 140 yards. The Rams have been one of those hot or cold teams this year, but Gurley has done a lot to help them. He averaged 8.8 yards per carry this game, with a long run of 49 yards to help inflate those numbers. Gurley has a ton of fantasy potential, and should be a top consideration for your roster each week, assuming you can get a realistic price on him. He even put up 7 yards in receiving on 1 reception, which only adds to his fantasy value at the moment.
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