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.
Hot List:
1) Travis Kelce, TE KC
I hope you had the chance to see Travis Kelce’s role in the Chiefs’ huge Monday Night Football win over the Patriots last week. Seeing his most significant playing time so far this season, Kelce responded with a huge game, hauling in eight passes for nearly 100 yards and a score. Kelce has repeatedly drawn comparisons to Rob Gronkowski and you see why as he combines size and speed to become a nearly unstoppable weapon. We can only hope Andy Reid and the Chiefs continue to feature Kelce as the prime pass catcher in their offense.
2) Kelvin Benjamin, WR CAR
Rookie receiver Kelvin Benjamin had his share of doubters as he entered the league this off-season, myself included, but his play on the field is quickly changing minds. Benjamin is easily outpacing a stacked rookie receiver class and is the WR7 overall in PPR leagues. Other than tight end Greg Olsen, he’s really the only receiving option for the Panthers and he already has the trust of quarterback http://www.nbcsports.com/edge/player/NFL/3511/Cam-NewtonCam Newton, not that he has many options. Based on some recent in-season dynasty mocks, Benjamin is still only being valued as WR19, which seems like a steal.
3) Larry Donnell, TE NYG
Out of nowhere tight end Larry Donnell of the Giants continues to impress and had easily his biggest game of the season in Week Four, catching three touchdown passes for a surging Giants’ offense. Donnell is the TE3 on the season and shows no signs of a letdown, seeing at least six targets in every game. Considering the Giants’ recent history of developing top producers at the tight end position, including Martellus Bennett and Brandon Myers, Donnell is likely here to stay.
4) Lamar Miller, RB MIA
Although the Dolphins still do not seem ready to lean on running back Lamar Miller, he is proving more and more why they should. In Week Three, Miller saw 15 carries and turned that into over 100 yards on the ground. To follow that up, the Dolphins decreased Miller’s touches despite a positive game script facing the lowly Raiders. In his three-year career, each time Miller has totaled 15 or more carries, he has tallied 70 rushing yards at a minimum. It seems that Dolphins should be more willing to hand the ball to Miller, especially with Knowshon Moreno out of action for the next few weeks.
5) DeAndre Hopkins, WR HOU
There are always some surprises when looking over the top fantasy scorers at each position. One of the biggest surprises early this season has been Texans second year receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Don’t get me wrong. I was impressed by Hopkins’ underrated play last year, but he lacked consistency and most felt we had at least one more season and Andre Johnson playing the role of top dog. Instead, Johnson is showing his age and Hopkins is a top ten PPR wide receiver, and one of the most consistent, scoring over 17 fantasy points in three of four games. He also already bettered his touchdown total from his rookie season, yet he is still somewhat under the radar.
Also considered: Jerick McKinnon, Matt Asiata, Blake Bortles, Eddie Royal, Darrin Reaves, Brandon Oliver, Mike Glennon, Andrew Luck
Cold List:
1) Toby Gerhart, RB JAX
Week Four was the high point this season for new Jaguars’ running back Toby Gerhart, but only because he scored for the first time this season. He also reached double digit fantasy points for the first time following three weeks to open the season in which he totaled only 82 rushing yards. Other disappointing backs, like Trent Richardson, have been able to help the teams and their fantasy owners by catching passes out of the backfield, a skill Gerhart has shown in the past during his time in Minnesota. In four games though, Gerhart has just seven receptions. With the Jaguars looking like they will be playing from behind the majority of the season, and some of their wide receivers proving they deserve the targets, things might not get better anytime soon for Gerhart.
2) LeSean McCoy, RB PHI
I bet this is a name you never imagined seeing on the Cold List. Sadly, Eagles’ star running back LeSean McCoy has earned his way here after two consecutive weeks in which he scored a total of 3.9 fantasy points in PPR leagues. Over that period, McCoy has 39 yards on 29 carries and has not recorded a catch. The good news is that there’s reason for optimism for McCoy owners. Getting the Rams at home this weekend is just what the doctor ordered to get McCoy back on track and following a Week Six battle with the suddenly hot Giants, the Eagles will have a week off, giving McCoy the rest he needs after battling some early season injuries. If there is a window to buy low on McCoy, now is the time to take advantage of that.
3) Justin Hunter, WR TEN
Around the dynasty community, expectations were sky high for Titans’ second year receiver Justin Hunter, but it’s clear the hype was, at least, a year too soon. I think many dynasty players got caught up in the sophomore breakouts of Alshon Jeffery and Josh Gordon last season and didn’t want to miss out on the next big thing. Through four weeks, Hunter has just nine catches for 138 yards and no touchdowns. That’s a solid game for some top receivers. Hunter’s dynasty value is plummeting as a result, but we shouldn’t be giving up on him yet.
4) Cecil Shorts, WR JAX
With troubled star Justin Blackmon out of the picture for the 2014 season, the expectations were high for Jaguars receiver Cecil Shorts. After all, he had back-to-back solid seasons as a starter and while the team had added some rookies at the position, he was the experienced veteran. Instead, he’s been troubled by a hamstring injury and even when he’s on the field has been outplayed by rookies Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. After returning in Week Three, Shorts was forced to exit last week’s game and has already been ruled out for this weekend. Shorts has called himself week to week after his latest hamstring aggravation. Shorts is a free agent following the 2014 season and it would not be far-fetched to see the Jags letting him walk, especially if rookie Marqise Lee can get back on the field and produce.
5) Donald Brown, RB SD
When the Chargers’ top two runners, Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead, went down with injuries, it appeared that dynasty owners had struck late round gold with Donald Brown. Not only did he now have the starting job, but the Chargers had some primo matchups in the season’s first month. Over the past two weeks, against the Bills and the Jaguars, Brown couldn’t even muster two yards per carry. In many cases, middling talents can still produce a nice fantasy day when given a heavy workload, but that hasn’t been the case for Brown, who has 81 yards on 41 carries over the past two weeks. He has been somewhat involved in the passing game, which may have saved him in PPR leagues.
Also considered: Eddie Lacy, Tom Brady, Kirk Cousins, Kenny Stills, Kendall Wright
