Week 13 was the final week of the regular season in most fantasy leagues and some owners missed the playoffs because they started players who failed statistically.
Let’s get the obvious repeat disappointment out the way first, Eddie Lacy. Just when we thought Fat Eddie might be turning a corner and being a start-worthy running back, we again lost trust in him and this Packers backfield situation. Coach Mike McCarthy basically said that Lacy might be the starter again, and that shouldn’t give owners confidence, but instead headaches. OK, let’s move on…
The Eagles’ DeMarco Murray who saw just 14 snaps all game, which equaled 24 yards on eight carries and no receptions in a surprising win over the Patriots on Sunday. Meanwhile, with Ryan Mathews in concussion symptoms, Darren Sproles and Kenjon Barner combined for 29 carries and 105 yards on the ground.
Murray was understandably upset after the game and went as far as meeting with owner Jeffrey Lurie to discuss the way he was being used in head coach Chip Kelly’s offense. It is a shame they signed him to a contract with $21 million guaranteed, but yet it is unclear whether he is the lead back from week-to-week and Mathews figures to play next game. Fantasy owners who took him early are feeling the pain as he has just one 100-yard effort so far this season.
Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson also griped about his lack of work on Sunday as the star running back carried the ball only eight times for 18 yards and added four catches for six yards. Seattle’s defense was dominant allowing 125 total yards at home in front of the 12th Man, so there is a very legit reason for Peterson’s struggles. He had four 100-yard performances and five touchdowns in the previous five games heading into Sunday and the Vikings are in a playoff race themselves, so owners shouldn’t worry much going forward.
Moving on to another tailback who let down owners in a big way this week, St. Louis’ rookie, Todd Gurley, found little running room against a good Arizona defense. He failed to reach pay dirt for the second consecutive game after scoring in each of the previous five and he wasn’t involved in the passing game at all.
Last year’s No. 10 overall pick has been the lone bright spot on a bad offense with Case Keenum being named as the starter in Week 14. Count your blessings if Gurley helped you make the playoffs with his solid play the last two months, but don’t expect too much in the fantasy postseason.
Then there is Miami’s Jarvis Landry who caught just two passes for five yards in a narrow win over Baltimore, 15-13. Landry has been the Dolphins’ top receiver this season, but a nagging knee injury must have slowed him down as Ryan Tannehill targeted him just five times. Talk about a real bummer for those owners who needed a big day out of their top-10 wideout, but instead got precisely zero points in standard leagues.
Both Emmanuel Sanders and T.Y. Hilton fell victim to having backup quarterbacks throwing them passes as each receiver caught just three balls in Week 13. It may be more of the same storyline next week as both Brock Osweiler and Matt Hasselbeck figure to be under center for the Broncos and Colts, respectively.
The craziest and most disappointing stat last week was a combined nine missed and/or blocked extra points for NFL kickers. Just for perspective, there were only eight missed extra points across the league last season when the kick was 13 yards closer. Oakland’s Sebastian Janikowski and Jacksonville’s Jason Myers each missed a pair of tries as Ray Finkle might have better success at this point as long as the laces are pointed out.
Good luck in the playoffs or the consolation bracket, either way it has been a pleasure guiding you through the most annoying fantasy meltdowns so far this season. Make sure to keep up with the weekly waivers and also register for the free fantasy football webinar which will be this Saturday, December 12th. See you there!
