When Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself,” he was obviously not considering the implications of an unexpected MRI in the context of fantasy football.
In recent weeks, the gruesome amount of fantasy stalwarts that have migrated to the Injured Reserve has shockingly managed to increase once again. Yes, Keenan Allen, Le’Veon Bell, Arian Foster and Steve Smith Sr. now fist-bump each other from their hospital beds while your sad lineup clings to dear life.
To make matters worse, RB Dion Lewis now joins the infamous hospital crew after leaving Sunday’s game against the Washington Redskins with what has been confirmed to be a torn ACL.
Yeah, you probably need a hug at this point.
Unfortunately, at this point in the season, it may be difficult to plug the various leaks in your team. Going into week nine, the waiver wire looks to be a sad wasteland of players with murky upside and names like Orleans Darkwa — no, Darkwa is not a Sith Lord from “Star Wars,” but an actual NFL running back.
Certainly, if you were lucky enough to snag Pittsburgh RB DeAngelo Williams off the waiver wire, you’re probably feeling like the fantasy gods have cast a charitable gaze your way. Nobody expected Williams to come out and steal a bounty of points against a stingy Oakland defense, but I’ll bet that you now have recently erected a shrine to Williams.
As unheralded fantasy stars have emerged this season, so has scrutiny of the play of previously bona fide stars.
For eight weeks now, Eddie Lacy owners have patiently been waiting for the power running back to find his mojo in the high-powered Packers offense. Sure, Lacy has historically been a slow starter in fantasy football, but he is really taking his sweet time this year. Now, I am not saying to go ahead and drop Lacy, but at this point, fantasy owners should be starting James Starks, the alleged backup running back, instead of Lacy.
If you didn’t get the message from the first eight games, let me make it clear to you that almost any starting player on the New England Patriots has value in fantasy football. With Lewis sidelined for the year, the Patriots backfield remains murky outside of RB LeGarrette Blount. Look to add both Brandon Bolden and James White until one of the two takes the job of passing back.
I don’t care what the Chinese calendar says, this is the year of the backup running back.
Despite the fact that Buffalo RB LeSean McCoy has managed respectable fantasy performances this season, he has seen many of his red zone opportunities pirated by Karlos Williams, making Williams a viable pickup on a Bills team that relies heavily on the run.
With a season rife with injuries and disappointing performances in running backs, many of you may be reconsidering your first-round selection.
Well look on the bright side: There’s always fantasy rugby.
–Zac File
