DFS: Four Elite to Avoid for Week 8
Anyone who rostered Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan in Week 7 - 251 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT - is probably cursing him pretty heavily.
Ryan was considered one of the top options at quarterback, and he carried a fairly high price in DFS to match this expectation. Somehow, his price hasn't really dropped him out of the elite stratosphere despite his play.
He is not the only normally reliable player to be demonstrating warning signs after last week. Fade these four:
QB Andrew Luck, Colts (at Panthers)
It has been an up and down season . Luck has thrown more interceptions (11) than touchdowns (9). He threw for three touchdowns against the Saints in Week 7, but his two interceptions raised eyebrows - New Orleans only had two all season before then.
His fantasy points have been better the last couple weeks, largely due to him throwing six touchdowns in that time, but he's been far more inconsistent than normal. Luck threw nine interceptions in all of 2013. It has only taken him five games to reach that milestone in 2015.
At his price, below only Aaron Rodgers at QB, he needs to produce steadfast results. He won't do that against Carolina and one of the NFL's top pass defenses. Instead, pay less for Philip Rivers against the Ravens or even Eli Manning against the Saints.
RB Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at Bears)
Peterson hasn't eclipsed 100 yards rushing since Week 3. He doesn't have a touchdown since Week 4. His 5.2 yards per carry in Week 7 is misleading because of a 75 yard rush in the third quarter. Take that away and he rushed for 23 yards on 18 carries. That's a measly 1.3 YPC.
He always has the potential to explode. Peterson is a generational talent, and no one in their right mind would dispute that, but that doesn't mean his floor is as high as it once was. There are plenty of other options at RB, even among the expensive ones, who are more likely to be worth the investment.
WR Demaryius Thomas, Broncos (vs. Packers)
Coming off the bye week, the Broncos' offense should still be avoided in DFS. The Packers are the toughest opponent the will face all season. While Thomas has found success on various weeks, he still only has one touchdown reception.
He and Emmanuel Sanders are the only viable options in Denver's passing game, but Peyton Manning has looked terrible for the most part. He's been so bad that it's unlikely one week off will have solved his problems. And as Manning goes, so does the rest of the Broncos offense.
TE Greg Olsen, Panthers (vs. Colts)
Olsen has a good matchup against the Colts. His cost, though, is far too high. He is fairly unpredictable, too. He has two duds, two decent outings, and two elite performances.
With Olsen being priced like he's Rob Gronkowski, he's not worth the plunge. Take another favorable matchup that doesn't eat up as big of a chunk of your budget.