What to Do About Stars Holding Out
After the drama and turmoil that occurred in the fantasy football community when Le’Veon Bell sat out the entirety of the 2018 season, most fantasy owners will want to be a little more cautious when it comes to protecting their investment. This training camp has already seen three star players threaten to sit out or retire if they did not get what they want. Here are the three situations and what you should do as a fantasy owner:
Melvin Gordon:
Melvin Gordon expressed early to the Chargers that he does not want to play this season unless they give him a new contract. At one point, he was even requesting to be traded if they could not afford to pay him. These threats by Gordon are real and he believes he has well outplayed his current salary of $5.6 million for the 2019 season. When Gordon was on the field, he was nearly unstoppable averaging 114.6 total yards per game in addition to scoring 14 touchdowns.
While Gordon is clearly valuable to the Chargers, they found out last year that their backup running backs Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson have both proven to be very effective when given the opportunity. Ekeler started only three games last season, but over the course of the whole season, he finished with a 5.2 yard per carry on over 100 carries. He was also a receiving threat out of the backfield catching 39 passes. Jackson played in 13 games and had a 4.1 YPC in those games. With both of these guys healthy and ready to go, the Chargers definitely have leverage over Gordon.
Verdict: Melvin Gordon is one of the great workhorse RBs in fantasy when he is healthy and on the field. He has already stated that he is fine with sitting out for as long as it takes which is not a good sign for fantasy owners. Our experts think there is a reasonable expectation that he will return at some point this season. Given the current uncertainty, we would look to draft Gordon if he falls to round three in 12 team non-PPR leagues. We also recommend anyone who is investing a draft pick in Gordon to draft Ekeler by the 6th round. Ekeler has some value even if Gordon returns in PPR formats and he is the backup to own.
Ezekiel Elliott:
Zeke has not made as big of a deal in the media regarding his decision to not attend training camp, but there has been a lot of reports regarding the status of the negotiations between Zeke and the Cowboys. While this situation is similar to the one of Melvin Gordon, the main difference comes when you look at the quality of the people that would be replacing Zeke and how integral Elliott is to the offense. Unlike the Chargers, the backups behind Elliott are not going to be able to produce or replace Zeke.
The Cowboys should be doing everything within their power to get Ezekiel Elliott back on the field. With that being said, there has been a decent competition so far for the number two role. Tony Pollard is a rookie out of Memphis who was extremely productive in college. He has been the most impressive RB in camp so far and he will start the preseason as the favorite for the backup RB spot. Close behind him is the veteran RB Alfred Morris who was signed at the beginning of training camp. Morris is already familiar with the Cowboys’ offense and he will provide veteran leadership at the RB position if Zeke does not come back. Darius Jackson and Mike Weber are both also in the mix for the backup RB spot, but based on the current reports, they would need to significantly outperform the other backs in preseason to secure the spot.
Verdict: Zeke is still in the Elite category as far as RBs go. While his holdout does create some concern, he should still be taken top four in every draft. Given his significance in the offense, I am very confident he will play at some point this NFL season. The backup with the most upside is definitely Tony Pollard given the reports that have surfaced throughout camp. This battle is one that fantasy owners should continue to keep a close eye on during the preseason, but it is Pollard’s job to lose right now. Pollard is going in the 13th round in most drafts and he should be taken even earlier by any Zeke owners who are looking for a handcuff.
Antonio Brown:
Antonio Brown has officially cemented himself as a headache in the head of every fantasy owner out there. After recent reports determining his foot injury occurred from frostbite that happened in a cryotherapy machine, fantasy owners were already beginning to have a bad feeling about the star wide receiver. Now, he is dealing with a helmet grievance that he filed against the NFL to let him continue to use the helmet he was using with the Steelers. Unfortunately, the helmet that he has used in the past is no longer approved by the National Operating Committee for Standards and Athletic Equipment. Because of this, AB has threatened to retire if the NFL will not allow him to continue to use the old helmet.
The Raiders have attempted to send Brown approved helmets to see if any of them appealed to him and he remains adamant that he only wants the old helmet. Antonio Brown is one of the best fantasy WRs of the past decade and it is hard to believe he would give up all the money he stands to make over the rest of his contract if he does in fact decide to retire. Until the NFL releases a decision regarding his grievance, it will be a waiting game for fantasy owners to see if AB returns to practice.
Update: Antonio Brown's helmet grievance was denied by the NFL. Despite his claims he would retire if the NFL did not let him wear his old helmet, he has since backtracked and has returned to the team. He is still searching for a helmet that he can use, but he will be out on the field before regular season. His value does increase slightly now that there is no longer a threat of retirement. He should now be drafted as a top 10 WR in all leagues.