1) Rob Gronkowski: Gronk! How could he have killed your team? Well he was being touted as a first round pick coming into the season after setting the league on fire last year, but despite having a solid start to the season, he has not been elite in the first quarter of the season.
Tight end is a difficult position to scout – and if you spent a first rounder on Gronk you are probably second guessing yourself after the fourth week of the season.
2) Ryan Mathews: We fell for it again. Despite going down on the very first snap of the Chargers pre-season, a lot of owners still bought into the never ending hype of Mathews in San Diego. We expect him to go out and have an LT-type season, but he simply is not an upper echelon back.
He was going in the second round of most drafts, and he was fighting for time with Jackie Battle over the weekend. That should be enough to make you cringe.
3) Darren McFadden: The most frustrating part of Run DMC is that we have all seen first hand how good he can be. Last year before going down with an injury, he was arguably the best back in the league. But this year under the guidance of zone-blocking coach Dennis Allen, he has yet to find his path.
A player that you can imagine running for 2,000, McFadden was a first round pick and is averaging 3.5 yards per carry thus far. The Raiders had better hurry up and get him to learn this scheme before the season is written off.
4) Cam Newton: The hype was deafening. After a miraculous rookie season, the potential knew no bounds when it came to the second year pivot. Could he run for 30 and throw for another 30? He was picked before a lot of established signal callers based on a fairly small sample size.
The league has a year of tape on him, and it is clear that his emotions take over his skills with increasing frequency. He was going in the first round, and has yet to have a signature game early this year.
5) Steven Jackson: The inevitable decline of the back nearing their 30's. Jackson has been a work horse for years, but it is clear that his body is just wearing down. The Rams are also moving away from the run, and Jackson is suffering as a result.
He was still going as a second rounder this year, but this could be the last season that we see Jackson even mentioned in that conversation. Next year we could see him on the free agent heap.
6) Larry Fitzgerald: The risk of drafting an elite wideout who does not have an elite player throwing him the ball. Fitz wishes that still had Kurt Warner slinging the rock to him, but he will have to deal with Kevin Kolb for now.
Fitz was a top two or three wideout coming into the year, but unless the Cards go out and draft a big strong armed pivot – Fitz may take a tumble down boards next year despite his absurd skill-set.
7) Michael Vick: Is he the most frustrating player in fantasy history? The skills seep through his pores, but containing them have constantly been an issue. Injuries to his receivers have hurt a bit, but his decision making has been questionable at his this year.
More picks than throws for scores through four weeks and a trio of lost fumbles is not acceptable for a second round pick. If you were wise enough to grab a Dalton or Tannehill off the waiver heap, you might be okay for now.
8) Trent Richardson: The Browns just aren't very good if you haven't already noticed. Despite the limitless potential of the rookie back from 'Bama, he has had a tough time finding holes in the big show.
The Browns find themselves behind in games early and often, which forces Weeden to turn to the passing game with increased frequency. Richardson was going in the second round, but unless he can have a few more breakout games, that price may have been a bit rich.
9) Michael Turner: His bruising style of play simply does not fit with the way that the Falcons are moving. They are moving the ball through the hair with Julio, Roddy and Tony. The running game is easy to overlook when you have weapons like that at your disposal.
After once being a beast for 300+ touches a season, Turner has yet to eclipse twenty touches in a game this year, and don't expect that to change anytime soon. He is being phased out of the Falcons attack.
10) Hakeem Nicks/Fred Jackson/Greg Jennings: And any other elite player that has gone down with an injury of some degree this season. We have yet to have an elite player go down like Jamaal Charles did last year, but having high draft picks miss games early in the season is painful for any fantasy owner, no matter the severity.
We are now getting into bye season, so roster spots become increasingly valuable. Having those spots used up by injured players is a drain on any team.
