Fantasy Football: 5 Players in Need of a Big Week 4 Before Possibly Being Cut

After three weeks’ worth of games and data to digest, many fantasy owners are at the end of their rope in regard to some of their underperforming players.

The five following players in this slideshow either showed a lot of promise in the offseason or were projected to be a big part of their team’s game plan, but for several reasons these players have disappointed their fantasy owners.

As you can deduce from this post this is all about the wide receiver and tight end position, as many underachieving running backs (i.e. Chris Johnson, Shonn Greene) that still get a bulk of carries for their teams still hold value—albeit slim value.

All that said, here are five players in need of a big week before they start facing the chopping block.

Titus Young: Detroit Lions

Young is coming off a fine performance last Sunday against the Titans when he hauled in six catches for 75 yards and a touchdown. However, most of that damage came on a 46-yard Hail Mary desperation heave.

Young has to prove last week was no fluke and that he is a primary target for Matt Stafford—who is all set to come back this week.

When assessing Young, don’t look for yardage as much as targets and receptions since we need to know if Young has a definitive role going forward in the Lions offense.

Sidney Rice: Seattle Seahawks

Almost unanimously pegged as the Seahawks' No. 1 wide receiving option, Rice has come out flat and has many fantasy owners questioning his value. Thus far, Rice has only been good for eight receptions for 91 yards and no scores through three games.

Obviously, Russell Wilson isn’t your typical pocket passer, and right now he is looking to favor Golden Tate above anyone else in the Seahawks' passing attack.

If Rice can’t get on track this week, then it appears his rapport with Wilson is not that strong and that he could be on thin ice for his owners.

Randy Moss: San Francisco 49ers

There was some hope that Moss would revive his career in San Francisco this year, but the results have not matched the expectations just yet.

Although he has a touchdown on the year, Moss has only eight receptions for a mediocre 88 yards in three games.

49ers quarterback Alex Smith seems to relying more on Michael Crabtree as his main man in the passing game (among receivers) while also building a relationship with Mario Manningham. Moss could very well be the fourth option for Smith behind Crabtree, Manningham and tight end Vernon Davis.

Against a banged up Jets secondary, Moss has to prove he is a trusted target or he’ll become waiver-wire fodder once again.

Jacob Tamme: Denver Broncos

The feeling all preseason was that Tamme was going to reunite with Peyton Manning and things would instantly click again.

However, it’s been a struggle for Tamme to connect with Manning, as Tamme has just 10 receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown through three games. With tight end Joel Dreessen also stealing targets away from Tamme, this could become a theme all year.

Tamme, though, does have a nice matchup at home against the Raiders. If he and Manning were ever to connect, this would be the week.

Justin Blackmon: Jacksonville Jaguars

Outside of keeper and dynasty leagues, Blackmon is just about on his last breath for impatient fantasy owners.

There is no easy way to sugarcoat it: Blackmon has been awful. In three games, Blackmon has only four receptions for 31 yards (and was held completely without a catch in Week 2) and no touchdowns. Sure, with Blaine Gabbert at quarterback, it isn't helping his cause, but still.

A home game against the Bengals, whose pass defense (allowing 261 passing yards a game) has been awful, could be what cures the struggling rookie phenom. So, this could be the week Blackmon gets it going. If not, it may be time to finally cut bait.

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