X

Have feedback / suggestions? Let us know!

Fantasy Sports Fantasy Football

Fantasy Football Week 11 Start or Sit: Darren Sproles

By

Darren Sproles

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

In no way is this article a knock on Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles as an NFL player, as opposed to it being an evaluation of him, as a fantasy football player, heading into Week 11 against the Green Bay Packers.

He is an integral part to the success of the Eagles, but with that being said, Sproles is also one of the riskiest plays of the 2014 fantasy football season.

According to Yahoo, Sproles is tied with teammate LeSean McCoy, for 17th among running backs, with 83.3 fantasy points. This is pretty impressive considering the fact that McCoy has 194 total offensive-touches, compared to Sproles’ 57 touches.

However, the reason why Sproles has been able to stay on par with McCoy is a result of two punt returns for touchdowns, along with a 6.6 yards per carry average (McCoy is averaging 3.7 yards per carry).

While fantasy owners are thrilled with the production he is giving them through the first 10 weeks, does that still mean Sproles is a reliable play for Week 11?

I say, no.

Over the first two weeks of the season when he accumulated 15 touches (non-special team touches) for 85 yards and a touchdown, and 11 touches for 178 yards, respectively, Sproles has failed to total more than seven attempts in any  game. There is no denying the explosiveness he brings with the potential to score on any play, but with so much uncertainty with how many times Sproles will touch the ball week-to-week, he is turning into the ultimate boom-or-bust candidate.

Two games that Sproles really stood out in, both occurred on Monday Night Football, resulting in more national exposure, which in turn allowed more fantasy owners to see how dynamic he really is. Yet, while owners should always consider starting a big-play guy, it is essential to be aware of the player’s overall numbers.

Since the start of Week 3, Sproles is averaging just 5.1 touches per game and only 38.3 yards per game from scrimmage, while scoring two offensive touchdowns during that span.

To go along with those numbers, Sproles has recorded more than 10 fantasy points just once since Week 2. That occurrence was this past week, during Week 10 (14.1 points), but owners need to be aware that six of those points came on a punt return for a touchdown, along with having only two total touches from scrimmage.

Sproles will continue to be a player who will give owners big plays, but for a guy who has totaled over 10 fantasy points just three times in 2014, it is hard to assume he will have more than one or two big games, during the remaining seven weeks. When a player is averaging only 5.1 touches per game, over the past eight weeks (six total games due to bye week and knee injury), my recommendation would be to keep that player on the bench.

Max Zelenko is a Philadelphia Eagles/NFL writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on twitter @maxzelenko, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

Share Tweet
Trending Now on