Week 10 of the NFL season has gone by, and fantasy football managers are now analyzing what happened in their games. There are a few pop-off games from some stars this season. For every player that's booming, though, there's another that unfortunately busted this week.
For some players, a bad week can often signal the beginning of the end for a player's production. Today, though, we'll look at which fantasy football bad beats are just a one-off.
James Cook, Buffalo Bills RB
Over the last two weeks, James Cook's production has seen a significant drop. The Buffalo Bills running back had an excellent first game after the bye week, scoring 33.6 points against the Carolina Panthers in Week 8. In the next two games, though, Cook has only scored 13.5 points against the Kansas City Chiefs and 10.7 points against the Miami Dolphins last week.
The Dolphins game, in particular, is a bit concerning for fantasy football managers who have Cook on their roster. Miami has one of the worst defenses in the NFL this season, and yet Cook was limited to just 55 yards on the ground with no touchdowns. He did have five catches for 24 yards at least, but he also had a crucial fumble in the game. It leaves some questions over Cook's ability to perform in the next few weeks.
There are a few reasons why Cook should be able to bounce back despite this two-week downturn. For one, Cook uncharacteristically got fewer touches than usual. In the Chiefs game, the Bills gave their star RB 27 touches. Before that, Cook had 17 and 15, respectively. Against the Dolphins, though, Cook only got 13 touches as the primary running back. That number should rise against a Buccaneers team that's struggled against the run this season.
DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers WR
The lead option for the Steelers, Metcalf is experiencing a similar trend with Cook. Two weeks ago, Metcalf scored 16.5 fantasy points after recording five catches for 55 yards and a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers. It gave hope that the big-bodied wide receiver would bounce back in the next few weeks.
Since then, though, Metcalf has recorded 9.1 points over the last two games. In Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers, he had just three catches for 35 yards and no touchdowns, scoring just 6.5 points. It's a worrying trend that could indicate that Metcalf could be on the downturn for fantasy owners.
However, some good things are on the horizon for the Steelers. Metcalf is still Aaron Rodgers' favorite target, as seen by his targets per game. Against the Chargers, Metcalf got seven targets. The Steelers are also facing the Cincinnati Bengals, arguably the worst defense in football this season. DK posted just eight points in the first “Unc Bowl”, mainly due to the success of the running game. However, Rodgers' preference for targeting Metcalf in the red zone should still get him some consideration for fantasy owners.
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings WR
Prior to Week 10, Justin Jefferson had been enjoying a strong season. Even with a distinct lack of touchdowns (just two this season), the Vikings wide receiver has been a strong presence in fantasy. He's routinely a double-digit scorer and has been quite consistent as a fantasy option for teams.
Not in Week 10, though. JJ McCarthy's struggles trickled over to Jefferson's fantasy performance. He was held to just four catches for a measly 37 yards, failing to find the end zone. Jefferson finished with just 7.7 points, his lowest total this season and his first single-digit fantasy game.
It's highly unlikely that Jefferson will have another game like this. McCarthy's volatile performance means that Jefferson will not be as safe an option as he has been in the past. That being said, his Week 9 game (16.7 FP) gives hope that the Vikings wide receiver will be a scoring threat for the team.
