Don’t bail on early washouts
IT CAN be very easy to be discouraged by a slow start in fantasy football. You see yourself at the bottom of the standings with an 0-2 record, your friends are making fun of you and players you were so high on coming into the season are leaving your scouting confidence shaken.
But as the old adage says, “Quitters never win and winners never quit.” Not only can you overcome a slow start in your fantasy league, but those players who are leaving you disappointed have more than ample opportunities to turn things around.
There is no question as to how disappointing the Bears receiving duo of Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller has been through the first two weeks. Both were in a smash spot against the Giants in Week 2, and Robinson caught just three of his nine targets while Miller was practically ghosted after coming up empty on three early targets of his own. With last season’s production still fresh in our minds, it is easy to see why fantasy owners are ready to dump both.
But hope is on the horizon, and it comes in the form of playing the Falcons this week. Atlanta is giving up an average of 372 passing yards per game, their cover corners rank almost dead last in the league and their free safety, Damontae Kazee, is banged up. The Bears may be 2-0 this season, but they know they need to make a statement on offense this week.
For running backs, if you’re a David Johnson owner, you also need to be patient. Opening the season against Baltimore and Kansas City is a daunting task for any running back. This week, he gets stuck with Pittsburgh. But take notice of his 5.0 yards per carry, a stark improvement to the previous two seasons. Should he struggle this week, stay the course as the schedule softens up tremendously after that.
The fantasy regular season might be just 12 or 13 weeks, but you cannot panic early. No one says you need to go undefeated. You just need to make the playoffs. Don’t give up on your players or your season.
Howard Bender is the VP of operations and head of content at Fantasy-Alarm. com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy football advice.