ASK THE EXPERTS appears weekly from training camp through the Super Bowl with answers to a new question being posted Thursday morning. How the guest experts responded when we asked them: Who is the biggest disappointment of the fantasy season?
SCOTT SACHS
So far this season, Jameis Winston has alarmingly regressed in his growth. As a result, the Bucs are experiencing a domino effect, downward sliding to a 2-6 record after a promising start. Consequently, a fantasy star like Mike Evans becomes pedestrian, along with the other skill players who would otherwise be must-starts, namely Doug Martin, DeSean Jackson, OJ Howard, and Cameron Brate. The question remains if TB can right the ship in time to salvage the season. With 6 losses, and Winston getting yanked due to an alleged sore shoulder, the answer is doubtful. His chronic immature behavior, this time during a sideline altercation after his benching, continues to be an ongoing issue affecting the entire franchise and fan base.
With two perfect seasons and multiple league championships to his credit, Sachs runs Perfect Season Fantasy Football, featuring LIVE Talk & Text Advice. He won the 2011 and 2016 Experts Auction League and also the 2012 Fantasy Index Experts Poll.
IAN ALLAN
It’s a long list. I will go with Jordan Reed. In the past he’s been a difference-making tight end when healthy. Most notably, he caught 87 passes for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games two years ago. This year, he hasn’t made that kind of impact. In the six games he’s played, he’s caught 27 passes for 211 yards and 2 TDs. He’s averaged only 7.8 yards per game and 35 yards per game. That’s a good offense, with one of the game’s better quarterbacks, but Reed has looked like just a guy. They’ve been featuring Chris Thompson in the passing game, which is weird. Neither Reed nor any of their wide receivers has made much of an impact. I’m not holding out much hope that he’s suddenly going to come to life and re-emerge as a Gronk-like threat in the second half of the year.
Allan is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame. A co-founder of Fantasy Football Index in 1987, he generates most of the writing, player rankings and analysis for that publication. His work can be seen in Fantasy Football Index magazine and also at www.fantasyindex.com.
ALAN SATTERLEE
Not that it’s too surprising from my perspective, but based on last year’s results and average draft position I think DeMarco Murray has to be the biggest fantasy disappointment. Murray was the 5th-best fantasy running back last year but he’s dropped to 25th this year, and his production per game is down 44 percent. He looks washed up. I don’t see Murray rebounding, and to the contrary it’s a little surprising to me that the Titans don’t just make Derrick Henry their bellcow back and let him get into rhythm of punishing defenses. A close second is Matt Ryan, last year’s NFL MVP and the 4th-best fantasy quarterback last season. Despite all the main skill-position pieces on offense returning, Ryan has dropped 25 percent per game in fantasy points. Ryan should rebound a little and he’s had his two-best games of the season over his last two. Aside from a game at Seattle, I do think Ryan will rebound for a much stronger second-half of the season including this week against Dallas.
Satterlee is the Fantasy Football Insider for the Charlotte Observer and is syndicated in a few other newspapers in the southeast. Satterlee first started playing fantasy football in 1990.
JUSTIN ELEFF
I am flabbergasted, flummoxed and a whole host of other old-timey words I never use over the failure of Terrelle Pryor to get anything going in 2017. Gobsmacked. I feel hoodwinked. Here was a guy just learning how to play wide receiver who talked openly about wanting his numbers and had enough raw ability to drag himself past 1,000 yards in 2016 despite working with a parade of B- and C-list quarterbacks. Then he signed on for a year in a receiver-friendly system with a much better quarterback, and ... nothing. Now he talks a lot (he's sorry for his lack of focus, his dominant season starts now) but plays very little. Can he turn it around? I very much doubt it, but in any case I have already cut him loose. Not that I hold a grudge or anything, but the next time I will even consider owning Pryor is 2019.
Eleff hosts the Fantasy Index Podcast, available in the iTunes Store now. He has worked for Fantasy Index off and on all century.
DAVID DOREY
Amari Cooper was a top 10 wideout in drafts and received hype in the offseason. He’s been nothing but a disappointment even though Michael Crabtree continues to produce. Cooper killed fantasy owners until finally he was benched and then went off for his one big game in Week 7 against the Chiefs. Then back to mediocre performances. I have no expectations that he’ll be anything more then he is and likely worse as the weather turns bad and passing always decreases.
Dorey is the co-founder and lead NFL analyst for The Huddle and author of Fantasy Football: The Next Level. He has projected and predicted every NFL game and player performance since 1997 and has appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers, radio and television.
ANDY RICHARDSON
I could probably just say Tampa Bay and leave it at that. But I'll cast my vote for a couple of AFC North running backs. We knew Cleveland would be bad, but they were bad last year and Isaiah Crowell still rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and scored 7 TDs. This year he's on pace for 700 and scored his first touchdown in Week 8. Finally, Joe Mixon is a talented guy, and he's essentially been featured since Week 3. And he's just been terrible, salvaging his value only by catching passes. Mixon might be a little better down the stretch, but I can't imagine starting him.
Richardson has been a contributing writer and editor to the Fantasy Football Index magazine and www.fantasyindex.com since 2002. His responsibilities include team defense and IDP projections and various site features, and he has run the magazine's annual experts draft and auction leagues since their inception. He previews all the NFL games on Saturdays and writes a wrap-up column on Mondays during the NFL season.