I’m benching Randy Moss. It’s not an easy move, but it’s one I have to make. And there are many similar ones you should consider as you head toward the finish line this fantasy season.
The players we’re about to discuss aren’t “busts,” in the traditional sense.
They’ve performed well this season – at least for a while. They’ve had their expected big games, but in the relatively short time of a fantasy football season, the “what have you done for me lately” question is one that must be asked almost weekly.
These are guys who are difficult to bench, but you have to do it and move on for a while.
Moss tops the list.
At this point, Moss and Baltimore running back Jamal Lewis – who is a legitimate bust despite his long-awaited wake-up call last week – is likely the highest fantasy draft pick who is not injured or suspended that you must consider benching.
It turns out that his fit with the Oakland Raiders wasn’t as wonderful as we all thought it would be. The first four weeks of the season looked wonderful for Moss owners, when he had three 100-yard games and two touchdowns.
Since then, his best game was three weeks ago when he had six catches for 87 yards and a score. With the exception of that game, his totals in four of the past five outings are 10 catches, 101 yards and one touchdown.
I could name you plenty of no-name guys who aren’t even taking up fantasy roster spots who have performed better than that over a four-game span.
Another receiver on the bench-even-though-it’s-tough list is Terry Glenn.
The Cowboys receiver looked to re-emerge this year when he topped 100 yards in three of the first five games this season and scored three times. Since Week 5, he’s never topped six catches for 64 yards and he’s scored just once.
Among running backs, Willis McGahee tops the list.
McGahee, who started the year with a 100-yard game, took three weeks to score his first touchdown. That started a string of four weeks in which he crossed the goal line.
Since Week 6, McGahee has failed to score a touchdown and topped 100 rushing yards just once, in Week 8, when he ran for 136 yards. His second-biggest rushing game since Week 6 was 66 yards.
Tatum Bell and Stephen Davis also find themselves on the list for completely different reasons.
Denver’s Bell rang loud from Week 5 to Week 8, when he topped 100 yards in three of the four games and scored five touchdowns. Because Bell shares carries with Mike Anderson, he’s always a dangerous boom or bust type of guy. But in the past two weeks he has failed to break a big run in any of his 26 carries and has just 78 yards rushing.
Davis gets his points in an entirely different way. In the first 10 weeks, Davis surpassed 19 carries just twice and never reached 100 yards in a game, but scored 12 times.
In the past two weeks, the load has been shifted to Deshaun Foster, leaving Davis with just 10 carries for 28 yards and no scores.
Among passers, Mark Brunell and Drew Bledsoe made big shows of their revived careers early in the season, but what have they done for us lately?
When Brunell took over the starting spot in Washington in Week 2, he came out strong, throwing for two or more touchdowns in five consecutive games with just two interceptions. He also never threw for fewer than 226 yards.
But in the five games since Week 7, Brunell has not thrown for more than 226 yards and has just three touchdowns to go with three interceptions. You likely didn’t draft Brunell in the first place, so if you turned to him earlier this year, it’s time to turn back.
Bledsoe started the first five weeks of the season by averaging 270 yards per game and threw for 10 touchdowns. Since then, he’s averaged 201 yards and just one scoring pass per game.
These are difficult moves to make, but if you have other options, use them.
Columnist Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
