Something that most Trey Sermon fantasy football owners are thinking is, “What in the world is Kyle Shanahan doing with Trey Sermon, and why?” From a regular fantasy football enthusiast just looking in on the box scores, and game logs, It seems like dropping Sermon is not a bad idea. Wanting to give up on a player in fantasy football is a normal feeling. Do not fall for the trap! If you can, go out and trade for Trey Sermon before people catch on.
Trey Sermon Brings Fantasy Value
Sermon Blew Up When His Trainer Told Him to “Turn it Up”
During the early 2020 season for the Ohio State Buckeyes, Sermon looked like a running back that should have a small workload. Sermon was not having any big performances against any team, and here is the proof.
Sermon’s first four games as a Buckeye went like this:
- Nebraska: 11 carries for 48 yards.
- Penn State: 13 carries for 56.
- Rutgers: 12 carries for 68 yards.
- Indiana: 9 carries for 60 yards.
Sermon went on to have just one 100-yard rushing game during the regular season.
Rischad Whitfield, also known as the ‘Footwork King’, was one of Sermon’s personal trainers when Sermon played in college.
Two days before the Big Ten Championship Game, Whitfield got on the phone and told Sermon, “Look Trey, this isn’t the Trey I know. You need to turn this up. There is no Plan B. You’re not doing what’s expected of you. Turn this up and apply pressure.” Whitfield would not sugar-coat anything. Whitfield tempered Sermon into going off for 331-yards and two touchdowns, in the Big Ten Championship Game. Sermon broke the Ohio State all-time single-game rushing record set by Eddie George in 1995 which was his Heisman winning season. 314-rushing yards was the previous record, and it took 25 years for someone to break it.
Shanahan is Easing Sermon Into the Offense
Sermon may not be up to game speed yet. He spent three years in Oklahoma before transferring to Ohio State. Another factor that led to Sermon struggling in his senior year was he learned a new playbook, after three years in Oklahoma. The covid pandemic had just begun when he transferred to the Buckeyes, so that limited what he could do in the off-season.
San Francisco 49ers head coach, Kyle Shanahan has been burnt on high-end running backs getting injured early in the season, and he is already dealing with this problem. Shanahan could be holding him for later in the season. Keeping Sermon from being overworked is the only thing that makes sense about how the 49ers are utilizing him. If you have been paying attention, Shanahan is actually working Sermon up to game speed. Give it some time, and you could see a handful of top-15 performances from the rookie running back.
Fantasy Football Outlook: Trade For Trey Sermon
Once Sermon has a big game, everyone who dropped him is going to regret it. You cashed in when you drafted him because his big performances will come later in the season. Shanahan is trying his best to work him into the offense and get him up to game speed before he unleashes him with a full workload. Once Shanahan puts the pressure on him like the ‘Footwork King’, Rischad Whitfield did for him at Ohio State, he will be tough to stop. Make a trade for Trey Sermon before people catch on.
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