Courtesy: bleacherreport
The first two weeks of pre-season have proved to be brutal and many of you, including me, have lost your top fantasy picks to injury. The question I’m getting most right now is, “What do I do now?” Relax, just like the teams that will figure out other options, so will you. That is unless you have already held your draft. In that case, shame on you. Haven’t you learned anything? With that being said, here’s what you need to do if you just lost one of your top fantasy picks to injury.
Starting with running backs, I know a lot of people that had Mccoy or Foster high on their boards. If that is you, you may want to take a second look. While the reports claim that Shady is back to practice and will be ready for week 1, I don’t buy it and see a season riddled with time on the bench caused from injuries. With Foster, your best bet appears to be a return between weeks 6-8 which, could help for a late push but, is a heavy burden to put on your roster. I’m still sticking with my opinion of Jeremy Hill being the best value at running back however; here are two options to replace the RB position.
Lamar Miller looks poised to have a monster season in Miami. After being held back during his first two seasons, the Dolphins gave over the keys to the car last year and were rewarded with over 1,000 yards and 9 touchdowns. Look for Lamar to raise the bar this year and provide tremendous fantasy value.
Another great option is C.J. Anderson. Over the second half of last season, Anderson averaged 132 yards and posted 10 touchdowns. That included two 3-TD games and was also clutch receiving out of the backfield. The potential here with C.J. is incredible.
Now, looking at wide receiver, there are two huge losses in Jordy Nelson and Kelvin Benjamin. While these guys cannot simply be replaced, there are still a couple of great alternatives.
The stock on both Randall Cobb and Davante Adams just soared with the loss of Jordy and while Cobb seems to be the best option, don’t overlook Adams. He had a tremendous rookie season as the third receiver in Green Bay and gained the trust of Rodgers in big games including the playoffs. In his sophomore season, Adams was projected to follow that up with 6 touchdowns but, now as the number 2 option in the most prolific passing offense, look for that projection to be shattered.
Another receiver that should stop you in your tracks is Saints wide out, Brandin Cooks. Although Cooks totaled less than 600 yards and finished 2014 with 4 touchdowns, the Saints are now without Stills and Graham. This positions Cooks to be the clear-cut # 1 option for Drew Brees. If this pre-season is any indication, look for over 1,000 yards and possible double digit touchdowns from this explosive receiver.
