Forecasting the Fates of the Underachievers

Our friends at FanDuel offer advice on which struggling players to bench.

One of the biggest storylines of this NFL fantasy season is the number of highly touted underachievers. As we inch closer to what will soon be the playoffs for many leagues, owners need contingency plans if their top picks are not performing as expected.

Experts at FanDuel are here to provide us with advice for a few fantasy football players in particular:

Tom Brady

Despite his Hall of Fame credentials and his ability to turn average receivers into stars during seasons past, there has been a decline in his production with the loss of Wes Welker and a lack of a potent running game. The consistent star is also getting up there in age and is without his two top tight ends from a year ago.

With that being said, his young receivers seem to be coming along with the help of his guidance and poise, and the offense is taking better shape all around its veteran leader. The Patriots have continued to show promise as a team each week, and everything will continue to be built around Brady. Don’t bench him just yet, especially with some favorable matchups on the horizon.

Mike Wallace

The Miami Dolphins have started off pretty well this season, but their key acquisition in the offseason hasn’t followed suit. Sure, in Week 2 he caught nine passes for 115 yards, but he has done very little otherwise.

Can this be blamed on some growing pains? Perhaps. However, fantasy football owners should probably expect inconsistent play all season long as Ryan Tannehill has proven to be successful with a range of other targets.

If you have depth at wide receiver, you might consider sitting him until the QB/WR combo begins to work out. Wallace’s lack of versatility so far is troubling.

David Wilson

Running backs who don’t find the end zone are the worst in fantasy football, so there are quite a few owners frustrated with Wilson. The New York Giants in general have been awful, but they have to turn it around soon, right?

Well, maybe this just isn’t their season. Brandon Jacobs will continue to steal touches from Wilson all season long (particularly at the goal line), and Wilson can’t be a trusted running back consistently. Fortunately, a person’s bench and the waiver wire will should offer options for the time being, and that’s advisable.