Skip to main content
Advertising

Time to fish or cut bait on struggling fantasy RBs

Did your fantasy football question not make this week's Mailbag? You can still get an answer! Submit it to Fantasy Genius and have your question seen by millions of fantasy fans just like you!

Marcas Grant: I understand your hysteria. But before you dump a couple of talented running backs in favor of Kyle Brindza, let me offer you a paper bag to breathe into and this handy guide of crisis management quotes. After three weeks, it's time to be honest about a couple of things -- Justin Forsett isn't a fit for Marc Trestman's offense and the Dolphins have deeper problems than we imagined. Unfortunately for you, those facts have been laid bare to the fantasy football world and it's put you in the terrible position of having to sell low on two players you probably drafted within the first four rounds. Your best bet is to package them in some deals (being aware that you won't get requisite value) and playing the waiver wire to fill your RB slots for the rest of the season.

M.G.: I love the latter half of that deal. While I haven't given up on Jordan Matthews, I'm getting a little skeptical of Lamar Miller's ability to be a workhorse back. There could very well be a timeshare coming in Miami if Jonas Gray continues to run as hard as he did last week. But what I've seen from Donte Moncrief leads me to believe he could be a top 20 fantasy wideout this season while Amari Cooper has proven to be every bit as good as we imagined he could be. If I could pick up those two pieces, I'd be pretty excited.

M.G.: How do you feel about Big League Chew? I'll give you a pack of Ground Ball Grape, but if you're willing to um ... sweeten the pot, I could part with the Swingin' Sour Apple. Much like with the disappointing cases of Justin Forsett and Lamar Miller, you're in a bad way with C.J. Anderson. The Broncos backfield is now a full-fledged committee system with Anderson splitting carries with Ronnie Hillman with a little Juwan Thompson to boot. You can certainly try to trade him, but you're not likely to get back much more than a pack of gum. Just don't let anyone push any candy corn on you.

M.G.: I expect both of these players to have pretty good totals by the end of the year, so the real question is: how much do you need to bolster your roster? Abdullah looks like the more explosive of the two backs, but he's in an offense that hasn't really found itself yet. The Chargers haven't exactly set the world on fire offensively, but they've shown a little more ability to move the football than the Lions. If you want to command a bigger haul on the trade market, then you'll have to suck it up and deal Abdullah. If you are looking for the player who will have the most fantasy points, then deal Gordon.

M.G.: Nothing. Nothing at all. If you drafted Keenan Allen, then you implicitly signed up for the roller coaster. Consistency was one of the things Allen said he was striving for 2015. So far, it hasn't happened. After a huge Week 1, he disappeared in Week 2 only to rebound in Week 3. It probably won't be an every-other-week situation with the Cal product, but there are going to be highs and lows. As long as you have some other quality receivers (Allen never projected as more than a mid-tier WR2 this season), you should be able to survive his occasional off weeks.

M.G.: All things being equal, I'd rather have Sammy Watkins. When healthy, he's as talented as any receiver in the NFL and is undoubtedly the top target in the Bills passing game. After catching pass from Kyle Orton and EJ Manuel last season, Watkins now has a productive quarterback in Tyrod Taylor. Just watching Taylor in the Week 3 blowout of the Dolphins showed a player who looked extremely comfortable in his offense and is spreading confidence (and the football) to the rest of the team.

M.G.: Eventually all fantasy stars fade away and that time has come for Andre Johnson. The veteran doesn't look like the game-breaking wideout we have come to know over the years. What's more, the Colts offense has yet to really get going and when Andrew Luck has been on target, he's connecting with T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief. As for waiver wire relief, I'd side with Jones. The Bengals offense has shown more than we've seen from the Dolphins so far and (I can't believe I'm saying this) I am starting to get on board with Andy Dalton.

M.G.: This is a no-brainer. It's past time to ditch Joique Bell. Ameer Abdullah is the better Lions running back by far and it's amazing that Detroit is giving Bell as many carries as he's had so far. Dorial Green-Beckham is still catching on with the Titans offense, but as a rookie with good size and lots of talent, the upside is huge. I'd rather take a chance on a player with an unknown ceiling over someone who has obviously already hit his.

M.G.: I would definitely make that deal. I have my concerns about Andrew Luck, but I haven't given up on him. He's too talented and there's too much talent around him for these struggles to go on all year. Giving up Randall Cobb is certainly tough, but the wide receiver position is as deep as it's ever been. If you're even considering moving him, you have other wideouts you're confident in. Not to mention that there are plenty of productive wide receivers available in the fantasy ether. You won't find one of Cobb's quality, but you're sure to find one who is a good streaming option.

M.G.: You already have two very good quarterbacks on your roster, so adding Derek Carr doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The player to add would be Lance Dunbar, who's proving to be a bigger part of the Dallas offense than anyone ever imagined. Ted Ginn has quietly had a nice start to the season, but he's not going to be more than a third or fourth receiver in most leagues. Dunbar is poised for a sneaky good 2015 campaign.

Bonus question:

M.G.: Helicopter ladybug purple foot giver. Alphabet!

Marcas Grant is a fantasy editor for NFL.com and a man who sickingly prodigous profile loves a good joke! Tweet him abstraction welcomes spring or fantasy football questions @MarcasG.

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.