Your 2024 Fantasy Football season probably hasn't gotten off to the start you hoped it would unless you drafted Malik Nabers, Rashee Rice, Alvin Kamara, Saquon Barkley, and Sam Darnold, among others. A Week 3 spot start of Jauan Jennings -- if you were somehow desperate enough at FLEX -- certainly didn't hurt either! Jenning has scored the second-most Fantasy points among wide receivers and sixth-most among all non-quarterbacks, just to give you an idea of where we're at! Today, we'll focus on a few players who Fantasy Football managers are already panicking over. Is it time to sell in a trade? Or worse -- is it time to cut some of these players? Let's dive into it!
Anthony Richardson, QB, Colts
Richardson was drafted to be a difference maker with the upside to finish as the QB1 overall in Fantasy after averaging QB1 overall type numbers over a small sample size in 2023. However, the Colts offense as a whole has taken a step back in 2024, and Richardson has struggled to keep the passing game in rhythm. Even after benefiting from the return of Josh Downs in Week 3, Richardson finished 10-of-20 for 167 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. The most alarming development has been the lack of designed runs. The Colts are focused on developing Richardson as a pocket passer, but that's not great for his Fantasy outlook. Richard had just 24 yards rushing in Week 3 and finished with 5.1 Fantasy Points just one week after finishing with 11.9 Fantasy points.
Upcoming schedule: PIT, @JAC, @TEN, MIA, @HOU, @MIN, BUF, @NYJ, DET, @NE, BYE, @DEN, TEN, @NYG, JAC
Advice: If you believe in the development of Richardson as a thrower, you'll want to wait one week before sending out trade offers, as he is unlikely to move the football against the Steelers defense in what should be the lowest-projected point total on the entire Week 4 slate. However, on the flip side, selling now won't return much value. The schedule doesn't soften, and you're best bet might be to trade for a QB2 (instead of trading away Richardson), who you can start for the next several weeks until Richardson and the offense get on track.
Several players we'll talk about today were discussed in depth on Sunday's Week 3 takeaways show on Fantasy Football Today. You can find those breakdowns here:
Rachaad White, RB, Buccaneers
White was a player I was notoriously lower than consensus on this entire preseason due to his lacking advanced metrics as a rusher in 2023. His finish as an RB1 in 2023 was predicated almost entirely on volume. Thus far in 2024, we've seen that volume dissipate. First, now fully removed from a torn ACL, Chris Godwin has taken over a larger share of the offense. More worrisome is the emergence of rookie running back Bucky Irving. After Week 3, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles confirmed that Irving will be getting more touches moving forward. That's a bad sign, considering White had zero carries in the second half. He finished with six carries for 17 yards after finishing with just 18 yards on 10 carries the week before. On the flip side, Irving ripped off 70 rushing yards on five carries and finished with five second-half rush attempts in Week 3.
Upcoming schedule: PHI, @ATL, @NO, BAL, ATL, @KC, SF, BYE, @NYG, @CAR, LV, @LAC, @DAL, CAR, NO
Advice: Leverage White's dominant 2023 season in trade talks to a Fantasy manager who is looking for upside at the running back position while you still can. White's trade value is diminishing with each passing week, and is a player to trade now.
Zamir White, RB, Raiders
There was no player I was lower than consensus on more than White. Jacob Gibbs touched on this in his newsletter titled "Decimating Dan Schneier's preseason rankings," but he didn't decimate this one because he was equally as low on White. Neither of us had him in our top 100 players overall, and there's nothing that has happened in the first three weeks to change my evaluation. In fact, I'm actually lower on him now than I was in the preseason. White has seen just 19% of the Raiders' running back snaps inside the 5-yard line -- a role that Alexander Mattison has dominated. He's not in on passing downs, and the Raiders' run blocking has graded out as the NFL's worst unit. Las Vegas will have positive game script sometimes, but more often than not, they'll be playing from behind. While White will still dominate the total rushing attempts, where is the upside to that if it's coming behind the worst run-blocking offense line on a team that isn't scoring a lot of touchdowns (and not using him in the red zone)?
Upcoming schedule: CLE, @DEN, PIT, @LAR, KC, @CIN, BYE, @MIA, DEN, @KC, @TB, ATL, JAC, @NO, LAC
Advice: If you can get anything at all for White in a trade, go for it, but he's a player I would be looking strongly into releasing from my bench if backs like Braelon Allen or Bucky Irving are still available in your league.
Isaiah Likely, TE, Ravens
The hottest waiver wire add from Week 1 has completely fallen off. Likely had just one target and one catch in Week 3 after racking up just two receptions for 26 yards (on three targets) in Week 2. Four targets over a two-week span are not going to lead to any kind of consistency. Likely is fine in best ball formats but will ultimately be frustrating in a weekly start/sit format.
Upcoming schedule: BUF, @CIN, WAS, @TB, @CLE, DEN, CIN, @PIT, @LAC, PHI, BYE, @NYG, PIT, @HOU, CLE
Advice: Tight end is so down bad right now that someone might be willing to trade for Likely, given the upside he put on display in Week 1. Make the trade. Take back running back or wide receiver depth and head to the waiver wire to find a tight end just as likely to return unpredictable weekly value.
D'Andre Swift, RB, Bears
Let's start with the most astounding stat of the 2024 season: kudos to Ian Hartitz. Swift has carried the ball 37 times in 2024 and here is his yards gained on each from least to most: -12, -4, -4, -4, -3, -3, -2, -1, -1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 20. Swift has never been an efficient NFL runner, but this is an all-time low for him. Watching the Bears on the All-22 tape, I can't place the blame all on Swift. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who tanked the value of Ken Walker in 2023 with arguably the least diverse run scheme in the NFL (all zone, all the time), has done the same to the Bears rushing attack. Waldron will be here all year, and Khalil Herbert is already stealing key red zone looks on an offense that doesn't look primed to break out any time soon. Roschon Johnson also got involved in Week 3 in the passing game.
Upcoming schedule: LAR, CAR, JAC, BYE, @WAS, @ARI, NE, GB, MIN, @DET, @SF, @MIN, DET, SEA, @GB
Advice: If you can find any takers, sell low on Swift.