Studs and Duds in Fantasy Football
Aaron Young
Staff Writer
Halfway through the season and the NFL and there are still many questions to be answered. Will the Vikings ever get out of the constant slump they find themselves every season? Is Le’Veon Bell playing at all? Did Jon Gruden, head coach for the Raiders, make the worst trade in NFL history?
Unfortunately, I don’t have the answers to those questions. However, I can tell you that fantasy football is a lot more entertaining. For me personally, I started out 3-0, and now am 3-3. Maybe it’s because I rely on the waiver wire too much. Personal shame aside, fantasy football has its breakouts, busts, and sleepers every year. It’s time to look at some of the players who’ve dominated in Fantasy so far this season:
Stud: Patrick Mahomes QB Kansas City Chiefs
A first round pick in 2017, Mahomes is now at the forefront of the football world. He almost beat Tom Brady last Monday. In PPR & standard leagues, Mahomes is the #1 fantasy player in the league. According to Yahoo Sports, Mahomes has almost 200 fantasy points.
Stud: Adam Thielen WR Minnesota Vikings
Is there any other player having a better year than Adam Thielen. He made history by being the only player to have five consecutive 100 yard games.
The Viking is second on ESPN’s top WR’s in fantasy points with 93, behind only Tyreek Hill of the Chiefs.
Dud: Amari Cooper WR Oakland Raiders
The Raiders are 1-5 and according to the Athletic, Cooper may not be a Raider for long. Hopefully that’s for the better because Cooper has been inconsistent and a pain for fantasy football owners.
Stud: James Conner RB Pittsburgh Steelers
As mentioned earlier, Le’Veon Bell has yet to show up for the Steelers. In his place is the Auburn machine James Conner. Conner has been on a tear as of late and Bell may want to consider packing his bags and going elsewhere, because his job is getting taken over. In fantasy, Conner is the 4th best RB.
Dud: LeSean McCoy RB Buffalo Bills
Owned by 91% of Yahoo owners, McCoy has been underwhelming. He has had two decent weeks but his production value is poor. He’s now almost been unstartable in most fantasy leagues, averaging just over three fantasty points per game. That’s not getting it done.
Dud: Rob Gronkowski TE New England Patriots
Gronk has fallen off the map in 2018. I had him on my team last year, and he was a hit or miss player. This year, I couldn’t tell you what he has done.
Stud: Eric Ebron TE Indianapolis Colts
A TE nobody saw coming, especially in fantasy is Eric Ebron. The #3 TE in fantasy plays for the Colts. He’s got Luck on his side and many fantasy owners as well.
Now, fantasy owners just have to fight for playoff contention and some even for a win. In the end, only one person gets bragging rights, and I hope to be that owner. After all, I have a say in three teams so my odds are good. Just have to play the right people.
Feature Photo: Patrick Mahomes (pictured) has been a nice late-round surprise for fantasy owners who drafted him this season. (Photo courtesy of the Associated Press)