Fantasy Football: 12 Struggling Superstars to Ditch Before Your Playoffs

The fantasy football playoffs are nearing, and it’s time to get ready to sit those players you don’t want starting in your league’s postseason games.

Whether it’s lack of production or a tough schedule, the following 12 players need to be on the bench when your league’s playoffs roll around.

Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers

Sooner or later, Philip Rivers will turn into the Philip Rivers of 2006 through 2010, right? Maybe, but it’s time to stop waiting for that to happen.

Rivers is slowly hurting fantasy football teams everywhere. He threw two interceptions again this past Sunday against the Chicago Bears, his seventh game throwing multiple picks this year. That was despite having solid offensive line protection.

Rivers is getting the passing yards and touchdowns, but the 17 interceptions through 10 weeks is a career worst. Find someone else to play quarterback for your team.

Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans

He’s no longer CJ2K, and there are no indications that Chris Johnson will ever regain the form that made him one of the most explosive playmakers in the game.

Johnson’s 509 rushing yards put him 26th in the league, and his 3.2 yards per carry is the second-worst mark among the 49 qualifiers. When he rushed for 130 yards against the Carolina Panthers, it appeared the slump was over, but he followed that up with a 12-carry, 13-yard performance.

Pick someone up on waiver wire, start your other running back, but don’t go with Johnson.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills made a gigantic mistake giving Ryan Fitzpatrick a six-year, $59 million contract. He’s thrown two touchdowns and seven interceptions since the signing while leading the offense to an average of 8.67 points per game.

His passer ratings: 51.9, 46.6 and 45.8. Get rid of Fitzpatrick before he keeps hurting your team.

DeSean Jackson, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

How can anyone not start DeSean Jackson? He’s so explosive, right? Yes, he is, but he’s just too inconsistent. Jackson is also battling a foot injury right now that leaves his Week 12 status against the New England Patriots in question.

Jackson is still on pace for around 1,000 receiving yards, but he’s a hit or miss as a fantasy player. He hasn’t broken 100 receiving yards for five straight games, and he’s gone four in a row without a touchdown.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Likewise, DeSean Jackson’s teammate is struggling. Jeremy Maclin is having a disappointing year. Much of his season production is inflated from one great game in Week 2 (13 catches for 171 yards and two TD) against the Atlanta Falcons.

He is also dealing with a grade two separation of his shoulder. Even if he suits up against the New England Patriots, Maclin just isn’t worth your time in terms of fantasy points.

Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

Andy Dalton has been an extremely pleasant surprise in 2011, putting his name in consideration for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

He’s likely to fade from the discussion in the next several weeks, though. Dalton is coming off two rough games, and he still has to face the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers again, plus a tough Houston Texans team.

Factor in Dalton’s right shoulder injury and A.J. Green’s injury status, and Dalton is not worth your time.

Andre Johnson, WR, Houston Texans

Bad timing for Andre Johnson: His return from a hamstring injury coincides with Matt Schaub’s placement on the season-ending injured reserve list.

Johnson is an extremely talented wide receiver, but it is a big risk to start him given his quarterback situation (Matt Leinart).

Brandon Lloyd, WR, St. Louis Rams

Brandon Lloyd’s breakout season in 2010 is looking more and more like a fluke. He doesn’t have the ideal team to put up numbers, as Sam Bradford is struggling and the offensive line is poor, but Lloyd ranks just 24th in the league in receiving yards and is catching fewer than half the passes targeted to him.

The Rams offense has also averaged just 11 points per game for the last three weeks. Sit Lloyd and go for someone else.

Josh Freeman, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Last year, Josh Freeman was one of the stunning players in all of football, throwing for 25 touchdowns against just six interceptions while racking up yards on the ground too.

In 2011, Freeman has been nothing but a disappointment for fantasy owners. He has just 11 touchdown passes in 10 games, and his most telling statistic has been the high number of interceptions: 15 already, including five multi-pick games.

Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis Colts

If you have Reggie Wayne, you probably picked him in one of the top rounds of your fantasy draft. After all, he caught a career-high 111 passes for 1,355 yards in 2010.

That was with Peyton Manning, though. With Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter, Wayne’s numbers are down. He’s at just 530 yards after 10 games, putting him on pace for less than 1,000.

He’s averaged just 36 yards per game for the last four contests.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, Carolina Panthers

DeAngelo Williams hasn’t been having a bad season in 2011. He’s actually at a surprising 5.1 yards per carry.

He’s just not getting the ball that much. Cam Newton is the Panthers goal-line back, and as a result, Williams’ touchdowns have suffered. He has scored just once on the ground, a far cry from the 20 total touchdowns he put up in 2008.

Williams also faces the fourth-ranked Atlanta Falcons run defense in Week 14 and the No. 1-ranked Houston Texans defense in Week 15. Find someone else to start.

Santonio Holmes, WR, New York Jets

Santonio Holmes has two relatively easy opponents in Weeks 12 and 13, going against the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins. He follows that with tough matchups against the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles pass defenses, each of which ranks in the top half in passing yards allowed.

Holmes has averaged just 46 yards in the last four games. He hasn’t quite been the big-play receiver the New York Jets envisioned when they gave him a five-year, $50 million contract in the offseason.