X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Players Sending Out Warning Signals Heading Into Week 6

RotoBaller's Frankie Soler takes a look at five players sending out warning signals that you should be concerned about heading into week 6 of the fantasy football season.

If you recall the intro to last week's edition of Warning Signals, you'd know that we're firmly entrenched into the portion of the NFL season where panic is going to trump patience. For better or for worse, players are starting to show their true colors in regard to their season long outlooks. I should reiterate once again that injuries and other extenuating circumstances make certain players temporarily exempt from appearing on the list.  It's the guys who are underperforming on the field with a clean bill of health that we're concerned about.

Despite knowing full well that this is time of year when we start declaring players as either legitimate or a bust, there still doesn't really seem to be many fantasy assets falling into the latter category. That said, you'll notice a recurring theme in this week's piece as almost every player mentioned has had their fantasy value tied to their touchdown total. I'm certain there are plenty of owners sitting at 2-3 or 1-4 who have one or two of the following players somewhere on their roster.

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out FantasyAces DFS contests. New users that sign up on Fantasy Aces and make a $20 deposit will receive RotoBaller's full season NFL Premium Pass for free (including Premium DFS), normally a $59.99 value. Expert DFS research, sample lineups, matchup ratings and lots more!

 

Heed the Warning Signs

As always, we'll revisit players from last week's piece after we've analyzed the fresh faces. You should also keep in mind that a player can't appear on Warning Signals more than three times barring an injury, trade, or suspension related circumstance.

Eli Manning - (QB, NYG)

I decided to start us off with what I'd call a softball heading into week six. In a year where everyone was hyping up Eli Manning as a breakout candidate, he has been absolutely dreadful for fantasy purposes. Eli currently has just five touchdowns compared to four interceptions and is sitting at 22nd amongst fantasy QBs. Compare that to his status as the ninth quarterback taken in fantasy drafts and it's safe to say that he's been a waste of a pick for those who decided to wait a bit before selecting their passer.

I will admit, however, that this was somewhat of an oversight by me. The Giants offense as a whole has been a huge disappointment this year and there's a case to be made for every player to show up on this list. I'm trying to rectify not including Eli Manning earlier in the season by telling you now that you can safely cut bait if you haven't already. If he can't perform well enough to rank within the top 15 at the position through five weeks, the breakout just isn't coming this year. Drop him if you haven't already and poke around the waiver wire for someone like Carson Wentz, Andy Dalton, or Dak Prescott.

 

C.J. Anderson - (RB, DEN)

Between his preseason ADP and his hot start in week one, it's possible that the C.J. Anderson owner in your league feels like they're getting decent enough return on his value. I, on the other hand, aren't letting C.J. off the hook that easy. Realistically speaking, Anderson has only shined in two out of his five games so far. A closer look at his season long box score shows that the week one matchup against the Panthers had the extra benefit of being involved in the passing game. He added 47 receiving yards and an extra touchdown to go along with his 92 yards and a score on the ground. Pepper in his other two scores along the course of the season and it's easy to make the claim that he's bailed you out with the touchdowns more than anything else.

Not to discount touchdowns entirely but the player who becomes touchdown dependent tends to end up being rather disappointing for fantasy. I'm not saying that's the player Anderson is for the rest of the year but what I am saying is that I'm concerned that he's yet to top 100 rushing yards in a game this season. In fact, he was short of 50 in his last two appearances and rookie DeVontae Booker ate into his workload against the Falcons on Sunday. Considering how inconsistent the RB position has been as a whole, it's hard for me to dismiss Anderson as an RB1 going forward. I just think he's closer to that 8-12 range than he is 1-7 the way he looked to start the year. Who can forget Carlos Hyde from last year? Hyde blew up in week one, everyone went nuts for him as a lock to finish as a top-10 back, then he struggled before he ultimately got hurt. Players have great games to start the year and then regress, it happens. Let's temper our expectations on Anderson a bit.

 

Lamar Miller - (RB, HOU)

If C.J. Anderson has done you the courtesy of bailing you out by finding the endzone, Lamar Miller has done the exact opposite of that. His scoring drought through five games has been extremely frustrating to watch yet it's difficult to be disappointed by his usage. He's been involved in what we can safely say is another disappointing offense but for whatever reason he just hasn't been able to score. This is a situation that's similar to Anderson's in that I can't dismiss him as a legitimate RB1, but the struggles are certainly worrisome albeit to a much lesser degree.

The thing about Miller is this: prior to Sunday's nightmare matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, Miller had managed at least 80 yards in each of his first four games. Throw in some usage in the passing game and this offense is utilizing him way better than Miami ever did. If you're telling me that Lamar Miller is going to be a clear workhorse back in the NFL who's producing enough yardage to be useful, I'll happily wait for the touchdowns to come. Besides, that game against Minnesota was against what we now know the best defense in the league. I'm not nervous about Miller's season long outlook, it just so happens that this offense isn't as good as we hoped it would be and that's ok.

 

DeAndre Hopkins - (WR, HOU)

As it turns out, it's actually Lamar Miller's teammate who has fantasy inching ever so closely to the panic button. DeAndre Hopkins is another one of those players whose knack for the endzone keeps salvaging his yardage totals. If I could sum up how I feel about Hopkins for the remainder of 2016 in one word it would simply be "chill."

Nuk Hopkins is going to be just fine and his breakout games are going to come sooner rather than later. Not counting a week seven visit to the Denver Broncos, five out of Houston's next six games provide favorable matchups for DeAndre. That stretch starts this Sunday night when the Texans are home to the Indianapolis Colts and it continues from weeks eight through eleven against the Lions, Jaguars, Raiders, and Chargers. None of those defenses should scare you so get ready for the big breakout games. And by the way, the game where Hopkins had just one catch for six yards came against a very underrated Tennessee Titans defense so that stat line isn't going to look as bad at year's end.

 

Alshon Jeffery - (WR, CHI)

As an Alshon Jeffery owner in a dynasty league, this one makes me sad. I was really trying to hold off in adding Alshon to Warning Signals but it's become increasingly harder to ignore. You guessed, this is another player who hasn't found the endzone at all in 2016. Luckily, Alshon's yardage totals have been respectable outside of a down game against the Lions in week four. We're looking at games of 105 and 96 yards to start the year and two 70+ outings against the Cowboys and Colts. Alshon hasn't bad, he just isn't living up to his WR1 status.

You know how I've mentioned that players are what they are at this time of year? Alshon Jeffery is no longer a wide receiver one. He's a WR2 with considerable upside but his inability to score touchdowns has hampered his fantasy value considerably. Not only that, but there have been a bunch of wide receivers who have jumped him ahead of him in the process. Wideouts like T.Y. Hilton, Kelvin Benjamin, and Marvin Jones have all catapulted ahead of him. Alshon has enough talent to shoot back up the ladder into WR1 status but that doesn't look like it's happening right now.

 

Updates From Last Week

Odell Beckham Jr - (WR, NYG)

Odell Beckham scored his first touchdown of the season in Sunday night's loss to the Green Bay Packers and that's enough for me to declare that he's trending in the right direction. Like we said earlier, Eli Manning is a mess but amazing talent usually prevails so stay strong with OBJ.

Amari Cooper - (WR, OAK)

Cooper had a big game against the Chargers and it could have been even bigger if not for a few overturned touchdowns. Those big games are always a possibility with a player as talented as Amari Cooper in an offense as potent as the Oakland Raiders. Him and Michael Crabtree might legitimately be the best wide receiver tandem in the NFL right now. They're both solid WR2s.

Matt Forte - (RB, NYJ)

The Jets didn't really do anything to make me change my opinion about Matt Forte so everything from last week still applies here. Forte's usage from the first two games was never sustainable and Bilal Powell will continue to get more touches in order to preserve Forte's health. Forte isn't the stud he once was in Chicago but he's still good enough to be a low-end RB1/high-end RB2 for the remainder of 2016.

Latavius Murray - (RB, OAK)

Latavius Murray was a surprise injury casualty last week so we'll have to wait and see how that progresses. Fortunately for him, neither DeAndre Washington nor Jalen Richard did enough to think that Murray's role will be lessened upon his return. We're in a holding pattern for the time being.

Carson Palmer - (QB, ARI)

This is another injured player we're going to have to wait to re-evaluate. He should be good to go against a poor Jets secondary on Monday night so hopefully he bounces back in week six.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jake Cronenworth3 hours ago

Targeting Earlier Return
Liam Hendriks3 hours ago

Set To Return On Saturday
Jackson Merrill3 hours ago

Not Expected To Return Next Week
Martín Pérez3 hours ago

Martin Perez Will Undergo MRI On Saturday
Casey Schmitt3 hours ago

Expected To Hit Injured List
Brock Stewart4 hours ago

Expected To Return On Sunday
Luke Keaschall4 hours ago

Busy In MLB Debut
Jose Fleury4 hours ago

Continues Strong Start On Friday
AJ Smith-Shawver4 hours ago

Strikes Out Eight In Defeat
Marcelo Mayer4 hours ago

Tallies Seven RBI On Friday
Zyhir Hope5 hours ago

Hits Two Home Runs On Friday
Andrew Painter5 hours ago

Sharp In Second Rehab Outing
Tyler Anderson10 hours ago

Keeps Hot Streak Rolling Friday
Logan Webb10 hours ago

Fans 12 In Tough-Luck Loss
Carlos Rodón10 hours ago

Carlos Rodon Goes Six Scoreless To Snap Personal Losing Streak
Andrew Abbott10 hours ago

Dominates Orioles On Friday
Yoshinobu Yamamoto10 hours ago

Tosses Another Gem
Cam Smith10 hours ago

Hits Two Taters On Friday
Trevor Story11 hours ago

Mashes Pair Of Three-Run Homers
Zack Wheeler13 hours ago

Records 13 Strikeouts
LaMonte Wade Jr.14 hours ago

Out On Friday
Ja Morant14 hours ago

Cleared To Play Friday
Brandon Williams15 hours ago

Available Against Grizzlies
Anthony Davis15 hours ago

Will Play Friday Night
Gary Trent Jr.15 hours ago

Available For Game 1 Against Pacers
Taurean Prince15 hours ago

Returns To Bucks Lineup Saturday
NFL15 hours ago

Justin Hardee Sr. Waived With Non-Football Injury
Isaiah Stewart15 hours ago

To Return For Game 1
Ausar Thompson15 hours ago

Available For Game 1
Rui Hachimura15 hours ago

On Track To Play Saturday
Austin Reaves15 hours ago

Ready To Go For Game 1
NFL15 hours ago

Bills Release Armani Rogers, Branson Deen
Luka Dončić15 hours ago

Luka Doncic Removed From Injury Report
LeBron James16 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Game 1
Ben Sheppard16 hours ago

Probable For Saturday's Game 1
NFL16 hours ago

Kolton Miller Absent From Raiders' Voluntary Offseason Program
Kevin Durant16 hours ago

To Houston Already Losing Steam
Lauri Markkanen16 hours ago

Wants To Stay With The Jazz
NFL16 hours ago

Ross Blacklock Let Go By New York
Bennedict Mathurin16 hours ago

Expected To Play In Game 1 Saturday
Pascal Siakam16 hours ago

Available For Playoff Opener
Tyrese Haliburton17 hours ago

Returning From Two-Game Absence Saturday
Cade Cunningham17 hours ago

Available For Game 1 Against Knicks
Josh Hart17 hours ago

Back In Knicks Lineup Saturday
OG Anunoby17 hours ago

Good To Go For Game 1
Jalen Brunson17 hours ago

Available For Saturday's Game 1
NFL18 hours ago

Raiders Considering Drafting A Quarterback
Irv Smith18 hours ago

Sticking With Texans
Ryan Lindgren18 hours ago

Set To Return Saturday
NFL18 hours ago

Texans Expected To Draft Wide Receivers
Greg Dortch18 hours ago

Returning To Cardinals
Josh Manson18 hours ago

Available For Game 1
Mark Andrews18 hours ago

Could Be Traded Soon
Ondrej Palat18 hours ago

To Return For Start Of Playoffs
David Savard18 hours ago

Will Retire After Playoffs
NFL18 hours ago

Raiders, Falcons Could Have Interest In Jalen Ramsey
Robert Thomas18 hours ago

Good To Go Saturday
Matthew Tkachuk19 hours ago

Expected To Return For Game 1
19 hours ago

Raiders Are High On Ashton Jeanty
Jason Robertson19 hours ago

Considered Week-To-Week
Rome Odunze19 hours ago

To Hopefully Get More Involved
NFL19 hours ago

Dolphins Could Draft A Quarterback
James Cook19 hours ago

Could Stay Away From Voluntary Workouts
Leon Draisaitl1 day ago

Wins First Rocket Richard Trophy
Nikita Kucherov1 day ago

Bags Third Art Ross Trophy
Bryan Rust1 day ago

Scores Twice In Season-Ending Win
Igor Shesterkin1 day ago

Shuts Out Lightning With 27 Saves
Dylan Cozens1 day ago

Picks Up Three Points In Regular-Season Finale
Matvei Michkov1 day ago

Caps Off Rookie Campaign With Three-Point Effort
Brady Tkachuk1 day ago

Makes Early Exit For Precautionary Reasons
Jake Tonges1 day ago

Signs Exclusive-Rights Tender
Denver Broncos1 day ago

Broncos To Focus On RB Position In Next Week's Draft
Drew Lock1 day ago

Sam Howell, Drew Lock Expected To Compete For Backup Job
New York Giants1 day ago

Giants Leaning Toward Taking Best Player Available At No. 3
New Orleans Saints2 days ago

Ryan Ramczyk Announces His Retirement
Buffalo Bills2 days ago

Tre'Davious White Reunites With Buffalo
Aaron Rodgers2 days ago

Willing To Play For $10 Million A Year
Jakob Chychrun2 days ago

Returns Against Penguins
Rasmus Andersson2 days ago

Out Against Kings
Jonathan Huberdeau2 days ago

Sits Out Regular-Season Finale
Ryan Pulock2 days ago

Out On Thursday
Jake Sanderson2 days ago

Back In Action Thursday
Thomas Chabot2 days ago

To Be Rested Against Hurricanes
Claude Giroux2 days ago

Active On Thursday
Lucas Glover3 days ago

Looks To Rebound After Poor Performance
Daniel Berger3 days ago

Looking To Continue Solid Play At RBC
Sepp Straka3 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back At RBC
Justin Thomas3 days ago

Looking To Shake Off Poor Masters At RBC Heritage
Xander Schauffele3 days ago

Still Looking For Year's First Win At RBC Heritage
Maverick McNealy3 days ago

Is An Intriguing Play At RBC Heritage
Shane Lowry3 days ago

Looks To Shake Off Poor Masters Sunday At RBC Heritage
Will Zalatoris3 days ago

Eyes A Bounce-Back At RBC Heritage
Gary Woodland3 days ago

Could Add Some Surprise At Hilton Head
Sam Burns3 days ago

Hoping For Better Times At RBC Heritage
Sahith Theegala3 days ago

Still Trying To Put It All Together
Aaron Rai3 days ago

Might Be That Guy For Hilton Head
Robert MacIntyre3 days ago

All Or Nothing At RBC Heritage
Tom Hoge3 days ago

Still Playing Solid Heading To Hilton Head
Nick Dunlap3 days ago

Continues To Have Rough Stretch
Keegan Bradley3 days ago

Looks To Move On From Masters Performance
Matt Fitzpatrick3 days ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Option At RBC Heritage
Patrick Cantlay3 days ago

A Strong Play At RBC Heritage
Jordan Spieth3 days ago

Targets Another Strong RBC Heritage Showing
Collin Morikawa3 days ago

Eyeing Victory At RBC Heritage
Max Homa3 days ago

Breaks Through At The Masters
Alexander Volkanovski4 days ago

Reclaims Featherweight Title
Diego Lopes4 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 314
Paddy Pimblett4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Michael Chandler4 days ago

Suffers TKO Loss
MMA4 days ago

Patricio Freire Gets Dominated In His UFC Debut
Yair Rodriguez4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Bryce Mitchell4 days ago

Gets Submitted At UFC 314
Jean Silva4 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC 314
Dominick Reyes4 days ago

Wins Third Fight In A Row
Austin Dillon5 days ago

Nabs His First Top-10 Finish Of The 2025 Season At Bristol
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

Bold Strategies Fall Flat, Still Musters A Top-Five Finish At Bristol
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Finishes In The Top 10 After Falling Back Midway At Bristol
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Earns His First Top-Five Finish Of The 2025 Season At Bristol
Chase Briscoe5 days ago

Quietly Scores First Career Top-Five Finish At Bristol
William Byron5 days ago

Denny Hamlin Cuts Into William Byron's Points Lead
William Byron5 days ago

Makes Best Of His Mediocre Qualifying Run With Sixth-Place Finish
Alex Bowman5 days ago

Despite Engine Failure, Alex Bowman's Improved Speed Looks Promising
NASCAR5 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Enters Playoff Picture With Surprise Bristol Top-10 Finish
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF