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6 Things We Learned in Week 14

6 Things We Learned in Week 14
Kenneth Farrow

Is there reason to be excited about Kenneth Farrow?

R.C. Fischer discusses Six Fantasy Football Things We Learned From Week 14.

This piece is part of our article program that features quality content from experts exclusively at FantasyPros. For more insight from R.C. head to Fantasy Football Metrics.

After each week of games, I’ll be discussing things that stood out to me or things I believe the football media is shaping the wrong way or has totally overlooked. Here’s my take after watching all the this week’s contests…

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Why You Want Rex Ryan Fired Monday…

You heard/saw the rumors about Rex Ryan possibly getting fired Monday. There is a fantasy opportunity possibly hiding in that move.

No one, and I mean no one has a better schedule for this D/ST for the rest of the season than the Buffalo Bills. The next three weeks: Cleveland (RG3), Miami (Matt Moore), and the Jets (Bryce Petty). The problem, right now, is that the Bills’ season/playoff hopes ended (essentially) with their loss to the Steelers…so this Bills team is in danger of rolling over on their lame duck coach.

However, if the Bills fire Rex and Rob Ryan they are likely to name offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn as the interim coach. Lynn is expected to be a hot coaching prospect this offseason, and a change would give the Bills a further preview of hiring him. The players would have a sense they might be playing for their new coach — and the Bills could win these final three easy games and jump to 9–7 with a miracle chance to make the playoffs.

An inspired Bills team/defense with something and someone to play for – they could be a huge, major, massive D/ST opportunity against RG3, Matt Moore, and Bryce Petty. An uninspired Bills team…who knows what they do this week. You’ve seen a solid Rams defense recently roll over on Jeff Fisher, right?

Trevor Siemian, Waiver Wire Hope?

After watching all the quarterback nightmare fantasy games in Week 14, perhaps you are looking for a change going into Week 15 because of matchup, weather, or general frustration. How about Trevor Siemian?

Two factors are converging to bring Siemian to the forefront of fantasy viability…

1) He’s a decent quarterback talent with some very nice wide receiver weapons, and a great defense to get him the ball back often.

2) Denver has no running game. The only thing worse than Devontae Booker as an NFL team’s workhorse is Justin Forsett.

The lack of a running game combined with playing several nip-and-tuck games is causing Siemian to have to throw a lot of passes – 40.0 pass attempts per game in his past five. The heavy pass attempt numbers are driving up his output – 303.8 yards passing per game over his past five. Back-to-back 330+ yard games in his past two. 334 yards this week (on 51 passes) when he was a weekend decision to even play. 8 TD/3 INT passing in his last four games.

Siemian’s putting up numbers because he’s being pushed into more throws. Facing must-win games with New England and Kansas City (neither a top 10 pass defense this season) the next two weeks should keep his pass attempt levels elevated.

You can have Colin Kaepernick as your Hail Mary emergency QB2, and I’ll take Trevor Siemian…and pray.

Who Will Replace All Of The Great, Aging Quarterbacks?

On and off this season, I’ve heard national radio hosts bemoan the fact that there are not enough quality QBs coming into the pros from the college ranks. It is debated in terms of worrying about the future of the league and viewership, etc.

Yes, who will replace Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, and Drew Brees…and their two TD passes and nine interceptions combined in Week 14. This trio of elder statesman QBs have combined for six TD passes and 15 interceptions the past two weeks.

Brandin Cooks, The Soap Opera, Is Not Over

Two weeks ago, I went nuts about the zero-target game and what a disrespect it was and what a poor response from the coaches and quarterback it was. Rumors circulated about Cooks wanting to be traded. Last week, I wrote that this saga/issue was not over, that the disrespect and tension was elevated as Cooks was stiffed for targets until late in the second quarter after the whole thing blew up the week prior. This week, the saga continued…

I have a morbid fascination watching Cooks play now. Looking for clues like a detective. I expected Cooks to be heavily targeted this week with Michael Thomas out, and maybe a big game/heavy targets would cure all the ills. Cooks did get 10 targets but had another mediocre game with 5 catches and 61 yards (eight games in a row under 100 yards) and no TDs (one TD in his last six games). It wasn’t the so-so performance that caught my attention. It was other things.

I saw Cooks wide open a few times, and yet Drew Brees was trying to stuff the ball into other receivers (unsuccessfully). I saw Cooks short-arm or protect himself when hung out to dry by Brees when targeted in a crowd…almost like Brees was leading him into trouble and Cooks wouldn’t take the bait. It was surprising to see Cooks not give the extra effort because that’s not like him. The thing that jarred me the most is when I caught a random moment during a timeout or break in the quarter and Brees was walking off the field and Cooks (already on the sidelines) was walking towards another player with Brees coming his way. They passed each other with little separation – they were in close quarters. Neither looked at or acknowledged the other. No high-five. No first-bump. No shoulder pad smack. No smile. No nothing. Like the tension between a married couple hunkered down in a spat with each other. They won’t look at each other so as not to acknowledge the other exists.

I mention all this because I heard people all weekend on radio mention that all is cured with Cooks because he got some targets after the ‘zero week.’ I’m sure football analysts will think everything is cool after this week…10 targets and all. I’m telling you; something isn’t right. Cooks plays better than this. Cooks produces better than this. I don’t think this situation is ‘fixed.’ We still have nothing but a WR3 on our hands in Cooks. A WR1 talent in a WR3 soap opera.

Who’s Next To Rollover?

When teams are ‘done’ for the season it can radically affect expected fantasy performances. Perhaps you’ve enjoyed fantasy success as your guys have steamrolled over such dead-in-the-eyes teams such as the Browns, Jets, Rams, Eagles, and 49ers. Bad teams with nothing to play for who seem to have given up on the season. After Week 14 there are few more contenders for rollovers this week, such as – Buffalo, Arizona, New Orleans, and San Diego.

The aforementioned Bills might get a new coach this week and change the narrative, but you have to believe it is wise for the future for them to shut down Sammy Watkins. If that happens, does Robert Woods step up again? Is Tyrod Taylor even the quarterback this week or next? It’s a good time to get Cardale Jones a look. Cardale against the Browns this week could be interesting.

The Cardinals have been awful most of the season, but are now done. This team has been sputtering all year. Will they really work David Johnson as hard the final two weeks as they have been all season?

The Saints took a division-winning talent and drove it off a cliff again this year. Is there a great need to push Mark Ingram with his sore foot and knee? Tim Hightower might be ready to matter late in the fantasy season again. How fast do you push Michael Thomas back?

The Chargers rolled over in Week 14 as witnessed by their lackluster play against Carolina. They lost Melvin Gordon. Is there any reason to keep putting Tyrell Williams in harm’s way with his torn labrum? Why not shut him down so he doesn’t further tear it? If Gordon and Williams are gone, and since Philip Rivers has been throwing picks at an alarming rate for the past few weeks, would the Raiders D/ST be a great play Week 15?

How Excited Should We Be About Kenneth Farrow?

With Melvin Gordon possibly done for weeks/the season attention turns to the Chargers’ backup RB Kenneth Farrow.

Farrow was the starting running back for the University of Houston in 2014-2015. In 2014, Houston moved from traditional offense to a running QB spread. Farrow had his best college season (1,042 rushing yards and 15 TDs) but really took off when the offensive switch was made midseason. Farrow rushed for nine TDs in his last four games of the 2014 season, including 103 yards and two TDs in their bowl game win. He had a solid but unspectacular college career.

Farrow was not invited to the 2016 NFL Combine. At his Pro Day, he ran a below-average NFL 40-time (4.59) but measured with NFL agility times and above average strength (22 bench reps) and vertical (38″). He went undrafted and caught on with the Chargers. After Danny Woodhead went down, Farrow became a little-used backup to Melvin Gordon (20 carries for 70 yards and one catch in 10 games) this season. Filling in for the injured Gordon for most of Week 14, Farrow ran 16 times for 55 yards, but more impressively he caught passes on six targets.

Farrow has a similar size and athleticism to Gordon, arguably a better athlete than Gordon but without the Big Ten pedigree or scouting status. In my scouting, I wouldn’t call him a future star, but I would say he is capable. With the Chargers’ season already done, I would not think the coaches would push third-string Ronnie Hillman over him. I’d expect Farrow to see 20+ carries and 3-to-5 targets, similar to Gordon. Considering that Farrow faces the No. 26 run defense of Oakland and No. 31 Cleveland the next two weeks, I think there’s enough to get excited about here for fantasy. Solid talent. Possible heavy workload. Favorable matchups.


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