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

Hit The Panic Button - Time to Give Up on High Draft Picks?

Fantasy football strategy for owners holding onto ADP busts. Steve Rebeiro advises whether to hold, sell, or drop big name disappointments in 2017.

I've been writing a series of articles known as Disaster Recovery this season. Each week, I looked at typical must-start plays that turned in dud performances. You can call this list the Disaster Recovery All Stars. These guys would have appeared multiple times if I covered the same player two weeks in a row, and any of them who have qualified for the column this week have been featured.

The players listed below were players with relatively high average draft positions that have not lived up to where they were selected this season. Some of it is due to talent, some of it is due to opportunity, some of it is due to situation, and one player has experienced a combination of all three.

I'll be breaking down whether you should cut and run on these high draft picks, if you should try and make a trade, or if you should stay on course.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Let's Calm Down a Bit

Jordan Reed (TE, WAS) (4, 47 ADP)

Reed has been incredibly disappointing, but unless owners can command a ransom for him in a trade he should remain an every week plug and play unless you also own an elite tight end. He's one of the most talented tight ends in the league, he has a history of success with his quarterback, and he finally produced a real fantasy performance just last week. The fact that his season high in receiving is 64 yards is a concern, but Reed has seen at least five targets every game he has played this year and has a high floor compared to many other tight ends in that regard. Most importantly, tight end is weeeeaaak. Reed still managed to rank as Roto Baller's sixth overall tight end this week, and I'd even consider playing him over Hunter Henry and Kyle Rudolph. The cause for concern with Reed is much lower than the rest of this list.

Amari Cooper (WR, OAK) (9, 21 ADP)

Cooper would be in a much different spot on the list if not for the 210 yards and two touchdown performance he had last Thursday. If you want to hold onto Cooper, by all means, his talent and situation warrants it. But lets not forget that his previous five games consisted of receiving totals of 33, 6, 9, 8. and 28. This is as perfect of a sell high opportunity as I've ever seen. Could he go full Ajayi and post back to back 200 yard games? He has the talent to do so. But Cooper could potentially be flipped for a reliable WR2 or RB2 thanks to his big performance. It all depends on how much faith you have in Cooper. I'd personally try and move on. Either way, we need to end the notion that he may be droppable after his last game.

 

He's Been Bad, But You Got Someone Better?

Sammy Watkins (WR, LAR) (25, 56 ADP)

Watkins has been one of the most frustrating fantasy players this season. Since his dominant Week 3 performance against San Francisco, Watkins is averaging one reception for 18 yards per game. He's been completely unplayable in all formats.

The most frustrating thing about Watkins is that, unless you really need the roster space, I still wouldn't advise against cutting him, and nobody is going to want to trade for him. The three most important factors when scouting fantasy prospects is volume, opportunity, and talent, often in that order. Watkins has the latter two. He's played in at least 80% of snaps for the Rams during this four game stretch, and his talent still draws WR1 attention from opposing defenses. What are the odds that you're going to cut Watkins for somebody of equal talent and opportunity? Is it really worth dropping Watkins for a guy like Josh Doctson? He still makes for a better desperation play than many guys available, and has a bye week to try and figure it out with Jared Goff. It's just hard to justify cutting him for what's available in most leagues.

Marshawn Lynch (RB, OAK) (12, 24 ADP)

Let me start by saying that Lynch's ADP was just as insane at the time as it is now. The guy didn't even play in the league last year and wasn't good the last time he was in the league. That being said, there's no reason to cut Lynch, just temper expectations massively. He isn't going to be relied on for 20 plus carries and he isn't going to have much of an impact out of the backfield. But he still should be good for somewhere between 40-80 yards when he plays and still should see goal line work for an offense that should start finding itself in the red zone. Lynch has the benefit of playing with a talented quarterback in a talented passing attack and no real threat on his starting job. You aren't going to find a RB1 in a better situation among available players. I'd still advise owners to try and sell the Beast Mode brand to an unsuspecting owner, but if you can't trade him there's no reason to cut him.

 

Maximum Panic Approaching, Consider Abandoning

Isaiah Crowell (RB, CLE) (15, 28 ADP)

Crowell is the flip side to Lynch. He's still getting high volume, but he isn't playing with a talented quarterback, he doesn't have a talented passing game around him, and he kind of has a threat to his job in Duke Johnson. Crowell is averaging just 3.15 yards per rush this season and it doesn't look like its going to get any better. His volume still makes for an alright desperation play, but his lack of touchdown upside really derails his value. Any owner who has three other running backs that are useable should have no problem cutting Crowell. His volume makes him an asset, but he has done absolutely nothing with any of his opportunities this year. Crowell ranks 15th in carries but 44th in yards per rush out of 49 qualified players. It doesn't seem like he'll ever be a capable NFL running back.

Matt Ryan (QB, ATL) (3, 37 ADP)

The Falcons offense this season looks nothing like the Kyle Shannahan-led unit that played for a Super Bowl last season. Despite ranking fifth in passing offense, the Falcons are 26th in passing touchdowns, 11th in interceptions, and in the middle of the pack in points per game. They haven't been abysmal, but nowhere near the level you'd expect them to be following last year, and it starts with Matt Ryan. The reigning NFL MVP is one interception away from matching his total from last season and has failed to find a real connection with Julio Jones this season. Most importantly for us, he's averaging the 22nd most points per game for quarterbacks, behind the likes of Eli Manning and Trevor Siemian. If you own any of the top 15 quarterbacks and have made it past their bye week, I wouldn't lose any sleep over cutting Ryan. He might improve, but there is no way he returns to MVP form with the current offensive situation. He's a QB2 at this point. Owners who like to keep one QB on the roster can cut and run on Ryan.

 

Jump Ship At All Costs

Terrelle Pryor (WR, WAS) (13, 31 ADP)

I warned owners to stay away from Pryor at his preseason ADP, but even I didn't imagine it going this poorly for him. Pryor has a season high of 70 yards in a game, just one touchdown on the year, and has seemingly lost the starting job to Josh Doctson. Doctson played 84% of Washington's snaps, while Pryor only appeared in 30%. Compare that to a 82% vs 26% difference just the week before in favor of Pryor. Pryor is no doubt an extremely talented football player, but we still have no idea if he can consistently produce at an NFL level. He had under 50 yards in more than half of his games last year and only produced at a high level when he was receiving crazy amounts of targets. Pryor owners should try and trade Pryor for whatever they can get due to his name recognition. If they can't get anything, there should be guys available with higher volume on the wire.

 

More Week 8 Lineup Prep




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

Irv Smith15 mins ago

Houston Re-Signs Irv Smith Jr.
George Soriano23 mins ago

Patrick Monteverde Promoted To Major Leagues, George Soriano Optioned
MJ Melendez30 mins ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Mark Canha36 mins ago

Activated Off Injured List
Jake Cronenworth4 hours ago

Targeting Earlier Return
Liam Hendriks4 hours ago

Set To Return On Saturday
Jackson Merrill4 hours ago

Not Expected To Return Next Week
Martín Pérez5 hours ago

Martin Perez Will Undergo MRI On Saturday
Casey Schmitt5 hours ago

Expected To Hit Injured List
Brock Stewart5 hours ago

Expected To Return On Sunday
Luke Keaschall5 hours ago

Busy In MLB Debut
Jose Fleury5 hours ago

Continues Strong Start On Friday
AJ Smith-Shawver6 hours ago

Strikes Out Eight In Defeat
Marcelo Mayer6 hours ago

Tallies Seven RBI On Friday
Zyhir Hope6 hours ago

Hits Two Home Runs On Friday
Andrew Painter6 hours ago

Sharp In Second Rehab Outing
Tyler Anderson11 hours ago

Keeps Hot Streak Rolling Friday
Logan Webb11 hours ago

Fans 12 In Tough-Luck Loss
Carlos Rodón11 hours ago

Carlos Rodon Goes Six Scoreless To Snap Personal Losing Streak
Andrew Abbott12 hours ago

Dominates Orioles On Friday
Yoshinobu Yamamoto12 hours ago

Tosses Another Gem
Cam Smith12 hours ago

Hits Two Taters On Friday
Ja Morant15 hours ago

Cleared To Play Friday
Brandon Williams16 hours ago

Available Against Grizzlies
Anthony Davis16 hours ago

Will Play Friday Night
Gary Trent Jr.16 hours ago

Available For Game 1 Against Pacers
Taurean Prince16 hours ago

Returns To Bucks Lineup Saturday
NFL16 hours ago

Justin Hardee Sr. Waived With Non-Football Injury
Isaiah Stewart16 hours ago

To Return For Game 1
Ausar Thompson16 hours ago

Available For Game 1
Rui Hachimura17 hours ago

On Track To Play Saturday
Austin Reaves17 hours ago

Ready To Go For Game 1
NFL17 hours ago

Bills Release Armani Rogers, Branson Deen
Luka Dončić17 hours ago

Luka Doncic Removed From Injury Report
LeBron James17 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Game 1
Ben Sheppard17 hours ago

Probable For Saturday's Game 1
NFL17 hours ago

Kolton Miller Absent From Raiders' Voluntary Offseason Program
Kevin Durant17 hours ago

To Houston Already Losing Steam
Lauri Markkanen17 hours ago

Wants To Stay With The Jazz
NFL17 hours ago

Ross Blacklock Let Go By New York
Bennedict Mathurin18 hours ago

Expected To Play In Game 1 Saturday
Pascal Siakam18 hours ago

Available For Playoff Opener
Tyrese Haliburton18 hours ago

Returning From Two-Game Absence Saturday
Cade Cunningham18 hours ago

Available For Game 1 Against Knicks
Josh Hart18 hours ago

Back In Knicks Lineup Saturday
OG Anunoby18 hours ago

Good To Go For Game 1
Jalen Brunson18 hours ago

Available For Saturday's Game 1
NFL19 hours ago

Raiders Considering Drafting A Quarterback
Irv Smith19 hours ago

Sticking With Texans
Ryan Lindgren19 hours ago

Set To Return Saturday
NFL19 hours ago

Texans Expected To Draft Wide Receivers
Greg Dortch19 hours ago

Returning To Cardinals
Josh Manson19 hours ago

Available For Game 1
Mark Andrews19 hours ago

Could Be Traded Soon
Ondrej Palat19 hours ago

To Return For Start Of Playoffs
David Savard20 hours ago

Will Retire After Playoffs
NFL20 hours ago

Raiders, Falcons Could Have Interest In Jalen Ramsey
Robert Thomas20 hours ago

Good To Go Saturday
Matthew Tkachuk20 hours ago

Expected To Return For Game 1
20 hours ago

Raiders Are High On Ashton Jeanty
Jason Robertson20 hours ago

Considered Week-To-Week
Rome Odunze20 hours ago

To Hopefully Get More Involved
NFL20 hours ago

Dolphins Could Draft A Quarterback
James Cook20 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 Tonges2 days ago

Signs Exclusive-Rights Tender
Denver Broncos2 days ago

Broncos To Focus On RB Position In Next Week's Draft
Drew Lock2 days ago

Sam Howell, Drew Lock Expected To Compete For Backup Job
New York Giants2 days 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
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 Morikawa4 days ago

Eyeing Victory At RBC Heritage
Max Homa4 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
5 days ago

Austin Dillon Nabs His First Top-10 Finish Of The 2025 Season At Bristol
5 days ago

Ryan Blaney's Bold Strategies Fall Flat, Still Musters A Top-Five Finish At Bristol
5 days ago

Christopher Bell Finishes In The Top 10 After Falling Back Midway At Bristol
5 days ago

Ty Gibbs Earns His First Top-Five Finish Of The 2025 Season At Bristol
5 days ago

Chase Briscoe Quietly Scores First Career Top-Five Finish At Bristol
5 days ago

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

William Byron Makes Best Of His Mediocre Qualifying Run With Sixth-Place Finish
5 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