December 2, 2016

Pierre Camus' top 10 potential lineup busts for Week 13 of the 2016 fantasy football season. Players to avoid in your lineups as underperformers and disappointments.

You've read about all the sleepers, waiver wire pickups and starter suggestions based on matchups. Now let me burst some bubbles and tell you who I think is going to bust big time in Week 13.

This isn't to troll or spread hate - that's what those political sites are for. Think of this as a public service for fanboys and truth deniers who insist that everything is going to be alright, when it's clearly not. If you don't believe me, just ask the general public on Twitter. They know everything.

Warning: while the picks made in this article are completely serious, you may find sarcastic humor laced throughout. If you don't have any sense of humor whatsoever, turn back now before you get all worked up.

Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive BOTH our full season NFL and NBA Premium Passes for free, a $119.99 value. Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium Passes.

Week 12 Recap

There was a lot of "meh" in last week's picks, with most of them finishing just under their projected point totals. Hill and Cook busted big time and nobody else made you sad if you kept them on your bench. Freeman was the only one to truly disappoint me by scoring twice last week. The rushing totals were lackluster as expected, but he finished as the RB7 in fantasy scoring. In honor of the approaching winter (yes, it's coming) here are last week's results, from hottest to coldest.

Devonta Freeman (RB, ATL) - (60 RUSH YDS, 2 REC, 17 REC YDS, 2 TD)
Tavon Austin (WR, LA) - (4 REC, 45 YDS, 1 TD)
Willie Snead (WR, NO) - (5 REC, 38 YDS, 0 TD, 50 PASS YDS, 1 PASS TD)
Jordan Howard (RB, CHI) - (84 RUSH YDS, 3 REC, 43 REC YDS, 0 TD)
Tyrod Taylor (QB, BUF) - (166 PASS YDS, 1 TD, 38 RUSH YDS, 1 TD)
DeAndre Hopkins (WR, HOU) - (5 REC, 70 YDS, 0 TD)
Doug Martin (RB, TB) - (87 RUSH YDS, 2 REC, 3 REC YDS, 0 TD)
Isaiah Crowell (RB, CLE) - (44 RUSH YDS, 6 REC, 47 REC YDS, 0 TD)
Jeremy Hill (RB, CIN) - (21 RUSH YDS, 6 REC, 61 REC YDS, 0 TD)
Jared Cook (TE, GB) - (1 REC, 7 YDS, 0 TD)

Lucky Week 13 is upon us and it's more important than ever to avoid busts that could ruin your playoff chances. That being said, at this point you stick with your studs and dance with who brung you. Yes, I meant to say brung. That's how the saying goes. Good luck this week!

Top 10 Busts for Week 13

Andy Dalton (QB, CIN) - Dalton threw for 283 yards in Week 12 and is seventh among all QB in passing yards on the year. That's where the good news ends. The fact is Dalton hasn't thrown multiple TD in a game since Week 7 against Cleveland. He barely eclipsed 200 passing yards in Weeks 10-11 even with his star receiver on the field. A.J. Green and Gio Bernard aren't walking through the door this Sunday, so there is little reason to think he will provide QB1 value even in deep leagues this week. Sorry Cincy fans, it's time to abandon ship.

 
 
Jay Ajayi (RB, MIA) - It's too soon to completely jump off the Jay Train, but this is the wrong week to predict a turnaround for the breakout RB. Ajayi has seen diminishing returns the last three weeks against California teams (79, 77, 45 rushing yards). Part of that can be attributed to a lighter workload, but injuries to the offensive line are mostly to blame. The Dolphins are still not completely healthy up front and they now face the top rush defense in the league. Ajayi may be worth a flex spot in deeper leagues, but he won't be helping his quarterback out any more than he did last week.

 
 
Terrance West (RB, BAL) - While Miami's offensive line is in shambles, it's defensive front remains solid. Led by Ndamukong Suh, the Dolphins haven't yielded a 100-yard rushing game to a running back since Week 5. West is losing snaps to Kenneth Dixon each week and may soon fall off the RB2 map. West hasn't reached 50 yards rushing in four of the last five games and his run of success between Weeks 4-6 is looking more like an outlier with each passing week. He may still prove useful as a sliding consultant for Joe Flacco, if nothing else.

 
 
Kenny Britt (WR, LA) -  It doesn't look as if his new QB will hold Britt back, as Jared Goff showed a great deal of promise in his second start. Britt finished with 52 yards and a touchdown against the Saints. The problem this week is the matchup against Malcolm Butler and the Patriots. Britt will see his share of targets, but may not be able to parlay them into fantasy points with Butler shadowing him. He is a fringe WR3 in deep leagues this week thanks to Bill Belichick's defense.

 
 
Dorial Green-Beckham (WR, PHI) - Now that Nelson Agholor is out of the picture, DGB has the chance to attract more targets. Many expected big production from him against the Pack last week and he somewhat delivered with six catches for 82 yards. Cincinnati is much tougher against wide receivers, however, allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game. It would be a mistake to count on a receiver, or a passing game, that is known for its inconsistency.

 
 
Allen Robinson (WR, JAX) - It's hard to believe A-Rob keeps making this list, but look for another down week by Jacksonville's star receiver. Denver's secondary has shut down Julio Jones, Mike Evans, Amari Cooper and DeAndre Hopkins this season, keeping them all out of the end zone with less than 60 yards. In fact, this is the first of three tough matchups A-Rob will face, making it tough to keep the fantasy second-rounder in lineups at all as fantasy playoffs approach. Of course, us fantasy "experts" can't always be right, can we?

 
 
Will Fuller (WR, HOU) - Fuller is back healthy and chipped in 60 yards last week, but he is yet to do anything on the road. In four road games, Fuller has a whopping total of nine receptions for 74 yards with no TD. You never know - this could be the week he makes a big play and scores for the first time away from home. It's not worth burning a roster spot to find out.

 
 
Sammy Watkins (WR, BUF) - He's back! And he's hurt again... Watkins not only played in Week 12, he made a big play downfield and finished with 80 receiving yards. This week, however, he has been limited in practice and is apparently playing with a broken bone in his foot. Just as easily as he slid in the lineup and made an impact, he could slide back to the sideline with more injuries or not suit up at all. Keep him stashed, but save your sanity and keep him on the bench. In other words, it may be time to turn left on Sammy Watkins Drive.

 
 
DeSean Jackson (WR, WAS) - Jackson has come alive since returning from injury, with 169 yards and two TD the last two weeks. Before his recent re-emergence, Jackson had played five straight weeks without a score or more than 55 yards. This week he gets the Patrick Peterson shadow treatment. Plus, he may still be recovering from his birthday blowout.

 
 
Kelvin Benjamin (WR, CAR) - His score against the Raiders was his first TD since Week 4. Benjamin has only gone over 100 yards once this year, back in Week 2. He's stayed healthy this year, but it hasn't been altogether successful. The Panthers are just not in sync offensively and it certainly won't improve in Seattle this week. Benjamin can be ranked down to a fringe WR3.