Top 10 Fantasy Football Playoff Duds

How many folds, creases, and highlighted sections of your fantasy football magazine mentioned that you would put together a wicked fantasy team only to have a handful of blue chip players sell you out in the playoffs? If your fantasy league started it’s post season this week (most did) you’ve dedicated at least 30+ minutes of your work week to mentioning how bad you were robbed by your go-to fantasy players.

Gridiron Experts did it’s best to mention the fact that the Bears play tough against the Packers and Aaron Rodgers, or that you should weigh your options before starting the Steelers defense, but hey…we don’t have a crystal ball.

The following are fantasy football weekly regulars  that choked in week 14 and took your fantasy hopes down with their crappy performance.

10. Calvin Johnson
The Detroit Lions had a bad match-up week 14 against the Baltimore Ravens on the road, and the fantasy results for one of the most electrifying WR’s in the game was frustrating. With Culpepper under center nobody thought the Lions were going to steal a win, but scoring points shouldn’t have been that difficult. The Ravens have been burned all season against the pass, and with a deep target like Johnson fantasy owners refused to bench the talented receiver in hopes of getting some pity points. Instead Calvin Johnson had only 4 catches for 37 yards, making him our number 10 dud on the fantasy football letdown list.

9. Donald Driver

After taking over as the number one receiving target in Green Bay, Donald Driver has become a secret weapon for fantasy owners. His draft value at the start of the season has him now being called one of the best mid-round sleepers of the ’09 season, but his performance crushed fantasy owners week 14. Driver, usually a go-to target, had only 2 catches for 11 yards against the Bears, a season low that fantasy football fans didn’t want to see.

8. Ben Worthlisberger (ouch)

The Steelers are done, and so are you if you started Roethlisberger against the Browns. When the schedule came out back in April, keeper league owners were laughing when they saw their first round fantasy playoff match-up, while others circled it as a great QB option as a sleeper. Big Ben played poorly on the road in Cleveland putting up only 201 passing yards. In week 6 against the Browns, Roethlisberger had 417 passing yards and threw for 2 touchdowns, what a tease.

7. Reggie Wayne

Something is better than nothing…right? Wrong. Reggie Wayne is a no-brainer in fantasy football, being the number one target for Peyton Manning and the powerhouse Indianapolis Colts, but week 14 was painful. The Colts had a huge day on offense against the Broncos in which Manning threw for 4 touchdowns and 220 yards, but very little of it involved Wayne. The number one receiver was held to only 4 catches for 43 yards.

6. Larry Fitzgerald

The Cardinals were slapped around on Monday night like an older brother was sitting on their chest forcing Arizona to punch themselves in the face. Larry Fitzgerald was a non factor in week 14, shadowed most of the night and losing game time to a nagging injury that forced him to end his night with two catches for 22 yards, making week 14 a season low for Fitzgerald.

5. Kurt Warner

Staying with the Cardinals for number 5, Kurt Warner was terrible on Monday night throwing 2 interceptions and only 178 passing yards. The Cardinals at 49er’s looked like a good fantasy match-up on paper, but the result was heartbreak for owners needing points for a Monday night win.

4. Rashard Mendenhall

Despite the Browns playing improved football in the last couple weeks, they suck! Ranking near the bottom of every category on defense makes fantasy owners lick their lips for big points with a power running back like Mendenhall. The Steelers offensive line looked like their last paycheck bounced, letting Cleveland Brown defenders blast through the line sacking and stuffing any efforts to move the ball. Mendenhall could only muster 53 rushing yards and 17 yards receiving against the Browns, making him our number 4 fantasy football playoff dud.

3. Aaron Rodgers 

Aaron Rodgers had a very strange performance on the road despite the Green Bay victory. Typically the Packers quarterback is lining up with 4-5 receivers out on the field in an aggressive passing attack that teams struggle to stop and fantasy owners love, but when your running back is on fire running for low scores I guess the coaching staff decided to give the passing plays a day off. Too bad fantasy owners didn’t get the memo. 180 yards was all we could get out of the gunslinging quarterback who usually makes at least one highlight reel pass for a score. Aaron Rodgers cost somebody a fantasy win, and makes the list at number 3.

2. Steven Jackson

The Rams are the doormat of the NFL this season, but Steven Jackson is having a career year. Regardless of who the match-up is, Steven Jackson finds ways to rack up fantasy points for his faithful fantasy owners. Whether it’s on the ground or in the air, Jackson makes plays. Against the Titans in a game where fantasy freaks needed him the most, Jackson was stuffed for 47 yards with 2 catches for 6 yards…ouch.

1. Randy Moss

Randy Moss is the leagues’ big threat play maker, catching passes with ease going over the middle or down the field, snagging balls out of the air like it’s as easy as getting another beer out of the fridge. Moss has never been moved out of the wide receiver slot in your fantasy line-up, but in week 14 he should have been. Randy Moss never found his groove on Sunday against the Panthers, only putting up 16 yards from one catch. Moss also had a fumble in the stats checker, and has no doubt been the number one fantasy heartbreak of week 14.

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