Targets
As always there have been some guys that have underperformed early on in the season and there will always be panicking owners. If you know an owner in your league is panicking try to target any of these players so you can get them when they begin trending upwards.
QB
Peyton Manning- Personally I was one of Peyton’s biggest critics during his dismal week 1 and that was mainly because I made the mistake of starting him. Manning is currently ranked 26th among fantasy quarterbacks and it is safe to say he could step it up in these upcoming weeks. Now would be an optimal time to target a panicking Peyton owner and sell high on one of the better quarterbacks so far.
Alex Smith- Smith was looking like a great pick in the first game of this season but in last week’s Thursday night football game we say Smith get absolutely destroyed. He threw 2 interceptions which is not like Smith at all. Prior to his first interception he had the longest active streak of pass attempts without an interception. Smith does not turn the ball over nearly as much as some of the top end guys. If there is a panicking Alex Smith owner I would recommend getting Alex Smith anyway possible and plug Smith right in as a streaming option.
Alex Smith- Smith was looking like a great pick in the first game of this season but in last week’s Thursday night football game we say Smith get absolutely destroyed. He threw 2 interceptions which is not like Smith at all. Prior to his first interception he had the longest active streak of pass attempts without an interception. Smith does not turn the ball over nearly as much as some of the top end guys. If there is a panicking Alex Smith owner I would recommend getting Alex Smith anyway possible and plug Smith right in as a streaming option.
RB
Justin Forsett- Forsett has been by far the biggest disappointment this season at the running back position. Prior to the start of this year many were looking at Forsett as a potential later round steal who they could use as a stealthy RB2. Personally I added Forsett last season and he played extremely well. This season has been a different story for Forsett. Forsett has not been the same guy who would gobble up dump off passes from Joe Flacco and turn them into yards like he had been in previous years. I personally would target Forsett simply because I believe Forsett is capable of much better. Target him and see what happens. If he plays anything like last season you will be envied by your entire league.
DeMarco Murray- This was the easiest, most obvious disappointment so far this season. Murray was obviously the NFL’s leading rusher last season and going into Philadelphia everyone expected it to transfer over. I have written previous articles on Murray and what is going wrong so far for him. Murray has not looked like the same DeMarco Murray that we saw last year. He currently has scored a total of 18 fantasy points over 2 games. Last season it would be rare to see Murray not score 18 in a single game. Murray is a high value player and if you can target him and get him in a trade I would certainly recommend doing so.
DeMarco Murray- This was the easiest, most obvious disappointment so far this season. Murray was obviously the NFL’s leading rusher last season and going into Philadelphia everyone expected it to transfer over. I have written previous articles on Murray and what is going wrong so far for him. Murray has not looked like the same DeMarco Murray that we saw last year. He currently has scored a total of 18 fantasy points over 2 games. Last season it would be rare to see Murray not score 18 in a single game. Murray is a high value player and if you can target him and get him in a trade I would certainly recommend doing so.
WR
T.Y. Hilton- Personally I do not think that Hilton is bad fantasy player but he has not been on the field enough this season to prove me wrong. Hilton has been banged up this year and many owners of Hilton are already panicking over scoring issues as well as his health. Hilton has been the biggest question mark this season simply because we do not know if he will play each week. I would certainly say Hilton is a high risk player because you will not know if he is going to play or not. However with the high risk comes a high reward, if you manage to reel in Hilton he will be a great asset if he stays on the field. As always if there is a panicking owner I would recommend targeting their top players for cheap prices.
Demaryius Thomas- Thomas was my preseason #2 wide receiver and last season he finished second at a highly contested position. Thomas is currently ranked 25th at the receiver spot and has not lived up to the hype that led to many owners taking him early. I own Thomas in many leagues and originally I believed he would be a for sure start each week. Plenty of owners are panicking because he has not produced how he was supposed too this year. I think this week is Thomas’ week to show exactly why he is a top receiver. Get him now before he has returned to his star form.
Demaryius Thomas- Thomas was my preseason #2 wide receiver and last season he finished second at a highly contested position. Thomas is currently ranked 25th at the receiver spot and has not lived up to the hype that led to many owners taking him early. I own Thomas in many leagues and originally I believed he would be a for sure start each week. Plenty of owners are panicking because he has not produced how he was supposed too this year. I think this week is Thomas’ week to show exactly why he is a top receiver. Get him now before he has returned to his star form.
TE
Zach Ertz- Ertz was deemed a top tight end far too soon. Philadelphia’s offense has struggled this season and Ertz has been directly affected by it. Ertz has accumulated 5 fantasy points total this year. Ertz was once viewed as top 10 tight end and now looks like a lower tier tight end. If you truly believe in Zach Ertz and think there is a chance he becomes a top tight end, I would trade for him. There will be a time when Ertz is at the top but I do not think this is his time to shine yet.
Greg Olsen- Olsen was inside my top 5 tight ends in my preseason rankings and so far he has looked like anything but a top 5 receiver. Olsen struggled week 1 against Jacksonville simply because the Jaguars learned if the only target on Carolina is triple teamed, then Carolina is not a great team. Being brutally honest with Panthers fans, Olsen is the only real consistent threat on that team, the rest are not actual threats. Olsen will play better in the next few weeks and I believe he will get better as the year goes on.
Greg Olsen- Olsen was inside my top 5 tight ends in my preseason rankings and so far he has looked like anything but a top 5 receiver. Olsen struggled week 1 against Jacksonville simply because the Jaguars learned if the only target on Carolina is triple teamed, then Carolina is not a great team. Being brutally honest with Panthers fans, Olsen is the only real consistent threat on that team, the rest are not actual threats. Olsen will play better in the next few weeks and I believe he will get better as the year goes on.