For most fantasy leagues, Week 13 marks the end of the regular season and that means some of you were fighting and clawing for a final playoff spot this past week. It can be a very stressful time for fantasy owners as starting and sitting certain guys becomes that much more magnified. For those of you who didn’t make the postseason and own one or more of the players below, let’s throw some more salt in that wound.
Top 5 Fantasy Woes for Week 13
1. Jimmy Graham
The star tight end did his best impression of a decoy in the Saints’ narrow 35-32 over the Steelers on Sunday. Quarterback Drew Brees didn’t even look his direction a single time as the running attack led by Mark Ingram did most of the talking late in the game. Brees tallied five touchdown passes to five different players as Graham’s backup, Benjamin Watson, even caught one inside the red zone during the second quarter.
The fact he was a no-show for a high-scoring game is a real head-scratcher considering he scored a pair of touchdowns the week prior and has nine on the season. He only played 31 of the team’s 56 offensive snaps and Pittsburgh tried to keep it out of his hands. For his owners, it feels like your prom date is getting cold feet right before the dance as you may be getting ready for the ‘big dance’ yourself also known as the fantasy playoffs.
2. The 49ers offense
It was an ugly performance on Turkey Day as San Francisco got run out of their own building by the division rival Seahawks, 19-3. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick looked dazed and confused as he got sacked four times and the offensive lined seemed like the turnstyles at the BART station. The Niners only mustered 100 passing yards and 64 yards rushing as a team and those numbers don’t help anyone’s fantasy team.
Richard Sherman intercepted two passes and then ate Thanksgiving dinner on the 49ers’ 50-yard line after the game. He looked like a man that just ate Kaepernick for lunch and was saving the turkey for supper to then hoist it above his head like a WWE Championship Belt. That is like your worst enemy coming to your house to eat the food off your table to only leave with your wife for the night in your car.
3. Matt Forte
It is hard to expect great fantasy numbers from a guy who only rushes it five times like Forte did on Thanksgiving against the Lions. The Bears passed often, 48 times versus eight rushes attempts, and Forte had 52 yards receiving. But that didn’t make up for the eight yards rushing he had with no trips to the end zone to speak of his grand total was five fantasy points in standard leagues.
Forte had more catches than rushing attempts (six to five) and that isn’t a winning formula for the Bears or fantasy owners. He is definitely one of, if not the best, running back to own in PPR leagues as he’s now caught at least five passes in all but one game this year. The only other player to do that this season is Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown. Look for Forte to get back on track on the ground against Dallas this weekend.
4. Tony Romo
There were three games last Thursday and we’ve already talked about players in the other two. So, it is only right that we visit America’s favorite whipping boy when the Cowboys lose like they did in a division game to the Eagles, 33-10. There may not be another person on the planet with more funny memes on the Internet than Tony Romo.
Romo got picked off twice and failed to throw a touchdown in a game for the first time in almost three seasons. It was only the second time that Romo has thrown multiple interceptions in a game with the other occasion happening in a loss to San Francisco in Week 1.
There is speculation that his back was giving him trouble and he already missed the game against Arizona in Week 9 with the same issue. The gunslinger is at his best when he can move around and improvise behind the line of scrimmage. Dallas is still 8-4 on the campaign with a good shot to make the playoffs, which is usually the time of year Romo picks up his golf game again.
5. Mike Evans
The most likely candidate for this year’s Rookie of the Year was relatively quiet with four catches for 49 yards, snapping his four-game touchdown streak in the process. Josh McCown targeted Evans a team-high nine times to Vincent Jackson’s four, but the signal caller never hit his stride and the offense sputtered.
It has been an outstanding season so far for Evans as one of the highlights on a 2-10 Buccaneers team. The former Texas A&M Aggie has a very bright future if they can get any consistency out of the quarterback position. Evans would easily be a top-5 wideout if he had a guy like Andrew Luck or Aaron Rodgers throwing him the ball.
To avoid as many fantasy woes on your team, make sure you check out the weekly fantasy football videos and if you win your league, get yourself an awesome fantasy football championship belt.
Jimmy Graham photo credit: Football Schedule
