Fantasy Football: What We Learned From Week 3

Randall Cobb Owners Should Also Worry

Death, taxes, and Randall Cobb performing well with Jordy Nelson back on the field. That was the fail-safe argument that was used to justify drafting Cobb in the third-round of fantasy football drafts this year.

And based on his history, the argument made sense. Here are his splits with Nelson since 2013, according to Rotoviz's Game Splits App.

From 2013 to 2015, Cobb produced 5.6 more PPR points per game with Nelson on the field than when he was absent.

But so far in 2016, however, things are not looking good for Cobb.

A Week 3 matchup against the porous Detroit Lions pass defense looked like the right time for Cobb to get back on track. But Cobb managed to garner only three targets in the entire game, bringing his average for the season to six targets per game.

If Cobb were putting up his 2014-self levels of efficiency -- a second-best-in-the-NFL 0.94 Reception NEP per target -- this wouldn't be as concerning. But Cobb's current 0.46 Reception NEP per target is half as efficient as it was in 2014. And without a considerable uptick in targets or a timely self-rediscovery, there's no way Cobb will justify his third-round cost.

Cobb can't be considered a must-start asset until he proves otherwise. But owners will likely have to stick with him or else be forced to accept pennies on the dollar. And that should make Cobb owners worry or cry -- or both.