TJI Special Report: Up in Flames

Al Pacino, as Colonel Frank Slade, said it best…”If I were the man I was 5 years ago, I’d take a flamethrower to this place.”

“What,” you’re asking, “does that have to do with fantasy football?”

We’re not exactly sure, but it’s a darn good quote. What we do know is that many of your fantasy football teams are teetering on the edge of collapse. Not because of injury. Not because of poor draft strategy. It’s all because of underperforming studs. All due to bad luck, basically.

Today we’ll take a look at some highly drafted players that are at the root of the problem. They’re the ones ruining your playoff hopes (if they haven’t ruined them already). We’ll give each one a rating, from one to five torches. The more torches, the more likely the player is to ruin your season. The more torches, the more you should be trying to deal this player before it’s too late.

LaDanian Tomlinson–4 torches
You probably took LT first or second overall. Now, with his anemic performance through seven weeks, he threatens to singlehandedly destroy your playoff hopes. Every week you tell yourself, “This is the week he breaks out.” But it hasn’t happened. Is he hurt? Who knows. Is he depressed? No idea. Will he snap out of it? Hopefully. But it might be a good idea to cut bait. Trade him for a solid WR and RB. His name alone should land you at least a 1-for-2 deal. One league we monitor just saw him moved for Greg Jennings and Michael Turner. Give it some thought. Rarely will we tell you to get rid of your top pick. But we’ve just got a bad feeling about it all.

Peyton Manning–2 Torches
He had a bad game Sunday. A terrible game. A nauseating performance. But don’t give up just yet. A QB like him is really hard to come by. Stick with him for a few more weeks and we think you’ll find that the debacle at Lambeau was an exception, not the rule.

Braylon Edwards–4 Torches
It’s official, the Browns are a mess. They can’t throw. They can barely run. They can’t score. Derek Anderson might not recover. If Brady Quinn gets the call, there’s no telling what we get. Expecting instant chemistry with Edwards seems a bit much. If you followed TJI this summer, then you know how much we love Braylon. We sincerely hope he bounces back. But all signs point to a season on the brink of collapse.

Willis McGahee–2.5 torches
Another year, another roller coaster season that has you kicking yourself. Will the real McGahee please stand up? Predicting Willis’s output is tougher than Yes, he had a great week, but can that possibly last long? Again, we loved him this preseason. And if he can keep up the numbers he posted in Week Seven, then he’ll be a top ten back the rest of the way. But we’ve fallen for this before. “Just when I think I’m out…they pull me back in.” (Pacino again)

Brian Westbrook–1 torch
He might have burned you the last three weeks, but he should be good to go for the rest of the year. You knew when you drafted him that he might miss a couple games–as he every year. So hang in there. Just like he did for many fantasy owners in 2007, he should be leading quite a few of you to the promised land starting with week eight, when he is scheduled to retake the field against the Falcons.

There you have it. They guys that just might make your season go up in flames. Did we miss anyone? Is there anyone (a la McGahee) that burns you every year, no matter what? Let us know, we’d love to hear from you.