The Hot Sheet looks at which top prospects are excelling and which ones are struggling on a week-to-week basis. The consensus top-flight players may not always appear on this list because we are trying to help you find the next group of breakout players before your league mates do.
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Hot List:
1.) Eddie Lacy, RB GB
Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy has been on a tear over the past few weeks. Since Week 10, Lacy is the RB3 and has given his owners three RB1 performances. Lacy also has over 100 total yards in six consecutive games after meeting that mark just once in the first seven contests. The downside here is Lacy is battling a hip injury and is in danger of missing the team’s Week 15 game. If Lacy is out, be ready to plug and play James Starks, the talented backup who has been playing well in limited chances.
2.) Joique Bell, RB DET
Lions’ running back Joique Bell is one-half of the team’s running back by committee, but with the injuries of Reggie Bush, Bell has had an opportunity for a bigger piece of the pie. The past two weeks mark Bell’s best stretch of the year with over 100 total yards in each game and four of his seven touchdowns on the season all occurring in Weeks 13 and 14. With the passing game surprisingly struggling and the Lions fighting to maintain their playoff spot, expect plenty more touches for Bell going forward. The Lions have to add a running back in the off-season with both Bell and Bush nearing 30 years old, but with less career touches, Bell could continue to have some value for the next year or two.
3.) Teddy Bridgewater, QB MIN
Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater of the Vikings got off to a bit of a slow start this season. Getting his first playing time in Week 3, Bridgewater only had one top 20 weekly finish among quarterbacks in his first five games. Bridgewater began to turn things around though, starting in Week 9. He’s heating up even more now that wide receiver Charles Johnson is also breaking out. Over the past three weeks, Bridgewater is a top 12 quarterback and Johnson has overtaken the disappointing Cordarrelle Patterson as a starter. This unlikely pair could be the future for the Vikings.
4.) Jonathan Stewart, RB CAR
Panthers’ running back has been a dynasty favorite for years, yet has never really lived up to the hype and expectations. With veteran DeAngelo Williams out with an injury, Stewart may finally be paying off for his owners at the right time. In the past two weeks Stewart is a top ten running back with over 260 total yards. Stewart and the Panthers do not face another defense ranked in the top 20, so it’s safe to keep riding Stewart through your fantasy playoffs. Things will get interesting during the off-season though. The team infamously tied itself to both Stewart and Williams with long-term deals that have limited their options at other positions. Could this be the off-season one of them, likely Williams, is finally let go? If so, Stewart, even at age 27, could give his patient dynasty owners a return on their investment.
5.) Martellus Bennett, TE CHI
Our friend Rich Hribar recently explained on Twitter that if you drafted tight end Martellus Bennett this year, you basically got Jimmy Graham production at a much lower price. After another big game for Bennett last week and yet another disappointing game for Graham, Bennett has risen to the TE2 overall for the year, behind only Rob Gronkowski. With receiver Brandon Marshall now out for the season, Bennett will continue to play a huge part in the Bears’ offense. Unfortunately, rumors are that both jay Cutler and Marc Trestman could be in danger of losing their jobs prior to the 2015 season, which would limit Bennett’s upside.
Also considered: Le’Veon Bell, TY Hilton, Marquess Wilson, Johnny Manziel, Mike Evans, DeAndre Hopkins, Odell Beckham, Jr., Charles Johnson, Jaron Brown, C.J. Anderson, Andrew Luck, Daniel Herron, Julio Jones, Alshon Jeffery, Marqise Lee, Rob Gronkowski, Mychal Rivera
Cold List:
1.) Andre Ellington, RB ARZ
Cardinals’ second year back is losing value primarily because his season just ended after suffering a foot injury. The truth is though, Ellington has not been that effective. In fact, his replacement, Kerwynn Williams, ran for 100 yards in Week 14, something that Ellington has only done once during his two seasons with the Cardinals. Factor in that Ellington is older than most other second year players and it’s very conceivable the Cardinals could be looking for a replacement in 2015.
2.) Giovani Bernard, RB CIN
This has not been the big season that many expected for Bengals’ running back Giovani Bernard. Maybe we should have suspected this when the Bengals selected Jeremy Hill in the second round just a year after they drafted Bernard. Through the season’s opening six games, Bernard was the RB6 in PPR leagues, but since that time, he’s been held to under 13 fantasy points in every game. This includes a span of three missed games, which is when we saw the skills Hill could offer. Bernard has been back for the past three weeks, but only has 156 yards from scrimmage, while Hill has amassed 215 yards during that time. Bernard is a talented back and should continue to have a large role in the Bengals’ offense, but the same can be said for Hill, which affects the value of each player.
3.) Kyle Rudolph, TE MIN
Much was expected of Vikings’ tight end Kyle Rudolph this season, considering the addition of assistant coach Norv Turner, who has played a prime role in the big tight end seasons for Jordan Cameron and Antonio Gates, among others. Instead, Rudolph missed a six-week stretch with an injury. He’s been back four weeks now, but still hasn’t gotten anything going. With barely 20 fantasy points over a four game span, Rudolph cannot be counted on as a fantasy starter.
4.) Charles Sims, RB TB
Just a few weeks ago, there were rumors that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were ready to dump the slumping Doug Martin and turn to rookie Charles Sims as their lead back. Even though he was the lead back with Martin injured, Sims failed to establish himself or show he could handle the duties of an every down back. When Martin returned, he regained the lead back role, though he too has been ineffective. It’s uncertain how this situation will play out in 2015, but Sims’ dynasty value is in question.
5.) Ben Tate, RB MIN
Running back Ben Tate continues to fail his dynasty owners. After appearing to be a promising young running back as the backup to Arian Foster in Houston, dynasty owners scooped him up, often overpaying in anticipation of him landing a starting job with a new team. That’s exactly what happened when the Browns signed Tate, but that lasted less than a full season and then few teams were interested in giving Tate a chance. While Tate is under contract with the Vikings through 2015, that obviously does not guarantee him a roster spot.
Also considered: Peyton Manning, LeSean McCoy, Brian Hoyer, Jimmy Graham, Colin Kaepernick, Jake Locker, Trent Richardson, Frank Gore, Cordarrelle Patterson, Terrance Williams
