OK. So one week after getting shut out at Pittsburgh, Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, heretofore considered a Fantasy stud, caught just three passes for 25 yards Week 14 against Carolina. That's upsetting. I'll grant you that.
But what are you going to do about it? Maybe if trading was still an option, I could see how you might consider the possibility that the shoulder sprain he suffered way back in Week 5 is too much to overcome or that defenses have suddenly figured him out five years into his career. At that point, every tight end in the game is theoretically within your reach, so it doesn't hurt to examine every possible angle.
But this late in the season, the only places you can look for alternatives are the waiver wire and your bench. And unless you somehow have both Graham and Rob Gronkowski on your roster, I'm going to say neither offers an adequate replacement.
Even if Graham's shoulder is still bothering him, as he suggested earlier in the week, he still has six touchdowns in seven games since returning. You know how many other tight ends have six touchdowns during that stretch? Try zero. Graham still led the Saints in targets in Week 14 with 11. You know how many tight ends have gotten more than 11 targets in any game this season? Heading into Week 14, only seven. Graham himself was the only one to do it more than once.
The last two weeks haven't been what you hoped to see from a player of his caliber, but Graham's potential from week to week remains too great for you to sit him.