X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

2018 Year-In-Review: Fantasy Football Busts

Justin Carter looks back at the 2018 NFL season and at what players were fantasy football busts. These are players who had a high ADP before the season or were expected to be strong sleeper options but who struggled during the year.

With the 2018 NFL season over, it's time to revisit some of the lessons we learned this year. Today, let's talk about some players who disappointed us this season.

In this column, I'll talk about why certain players who were expected to be strong performers this season didn't live up to the hype. All of these players came into the year with high expectations, but failed to live up to them for various reasons. Players whose seasons were mainly ruined by injury (for example, Delanie Walker or Leonard Fournette) are exempt from the list.

Below are 10 busts from the 2018 NFL season.

Editor's Note: Steer clear of costly draft mistakes with RotoBaller’s expert Fantasy Football Bust analysis. We break down overvalued players, potential letdowns, and risky ADPs to avoid, so you can build a smarter, safer roster.

 

Top 10 Busts - 2018 NFL Season

Matthew Stafford - Quarterback, Detroit Lions

This was not Matthew Stafford's year. Stafford has played all 16 games every year from 2011 to now, and this year was his worst fantasy finish, his fewest pass attempts, second-fewest touchdowns, and first time finishing with under 4000 yards over that stretch.

What did we learn: think this was probably a one-year dip for Stafford, but if we're looking for an overarching lesson for this season, it's that there are a few quarterbacks who can make something out of nothing, but the Stafford tier needs good weapons to succeed, and by the end of the season Stafford's only receiver of note was Kenny Golladay and I'm actually not sure I can name which Lions tight end had the best year off the top of my head. If 2019 hits and the Falcons end up losing Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley, he's probably not putting up the big numbers you want from Matt Ryan.

Blake Bortles - Quarterback, Jacksonville Jaguars

I thought Bortles, who had three seasons in a row as a top-13 fantasy quarterback, was going to be a sleeper who could help a lot of people. The team had a good running back in Leonard Fournette and an underrated receiving corps led by Marqise Lee. But Fournette was banged up all year, and Lee missed the entire season, and Bortles ended up getting benched for Cody Kessler.

What did we learn: At some point, NFL quarterbacks who are universally discussed as being "bad" are going to hit a wall. Bortles was a fine fantasy quarterback, but when the Jaguars needed him to take the next step to lead this team to Super Bowl contention, we remembered why everyone has hated on Bortles over the years. Quarterbacks who always land in the "they really should replace him" conversation are going to lose fantasy relevance at some point. (So, Eli Manning next year?)

Le'Veon Bell - Running Back, Pittsburgh Steelers

Ehh, let's not take the easy way out here.

Alex Collins - Running Back, Baltimore Ravens

Collins ended the season on the IR, but the games he played before his foot injury ended his year prematurely were...disappointing. Collins rode a wave of offseason hype to being picked around 30th in fantasy drafts. He started 10 games for the Ravens and ended up finishing with 411 yards. His yards per carry numbers dropped from 4.6 to 3.6 this year, and while he found the end zone seven times on the ground and once through the air, he just...wasn't impressive as a runner. Maybe that changes if Lamar Jackson is in command from the start and he winds up benefiting as Gus Edwards did at the end of the year?

What did we learn: Collins hype this year reminded me of Isaiah Crowell hype in 2017. A guy coming off a decent year gets hyped up, but we forget that he's on a bad offense and that his pre-draft ADP represents a best case scenario for him. Let's not fall for whoever next year's version of this is.

Royce Freeman - Running Back, Denver Broncos

Royce Freeman had plenty of pre-draft hype, but then he ended up taking a backseat all year to a more well-rounded back, Phillip Lindsay. Freeman played in 14 games and had double-digit carries in just five of them. He rushed for five touchdowns, with all five coming from inside the 20 and three of them from inside the five.

What did we learn: I think fellow RotoBaller Kev Mahserejian summed this up pretty well in the staff awards column: touchdown-dependent, two-down backs aren't guys you want to own. Freeman lost carries to a more dynamic player, and at this point, his future is what...being a LeGarrette Blount type? Freeman was targeted 10 times in the passing game in Week 17, but didn't we spend all offseason buying into the faulty logic that Leonard Fournette was going to develop into a threat as a receiver? Don't buy it, and don't don't buy next year's hot rookie who can't be on the field in passing situations.

Ronald Jones II - Running Back, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jones only played in nine games after missing the beginning of the season with...oh, wait, he wasn't hurt to start the year? It was a coach's decision for him to not play until Week 4? He did miss time with a hamstring injury later in the year, and then returned to take only 18 offensive snaps over the last five games.

What did we learn: Well, like with Freeman we learned not to overhype rookies, but Jones also taught us that sometimes when a player has the kind of disastrous preseason that Jones did, we should believe that he won't suddenly look like a good player. And on a personal level, I learned that trading Cooper Kupp in dynasty for Jones, Geronimo Allison, and a couple of rookie picks was not a great idea because sometimes you just need to keep the known commodities.

Allen Robinson - Wide Receiver, Chicago Bears

Robinson played in 13 games, averaging 58 receiving yards per game and catching four touchdowns. When he came to Chicago, people were having visions of his 1400-yard, 14-touchdown 2015 season, but we ended up pretty far from that. Sure, Robinson was the top player on the Bears in targets and receiving yards, but he just didn't do what we really expected.

What did we learn: A couple of lessons. First, it's ok to be worried when a receiver joins a team a new team. NFL offenses are complex, and expecting a player to come into a new one and be immediately dominant isn't the norm. The other lesson with Robinson is that we can't overvalue one season of strong production without evaluating how that production happened and that 2015 season in Jacksonville feels more like an anomaly as time passes.

Doug Baldwin - Wide Receiver, Seattle Seahawks

Baldwin said some things before the season about how he had a knee issue that would affect him all season, and then he played just 11 snaps in Week 1 before exiting with a knee injury, missed the next two games, and then returned to have an uneven year. Baldwin came on strong near the end of the season, scoring a pair of touchdowns in Week 15 and then having 126 receiving yards in Week 16, but even if we don't count Week 1, he still had seven games with fewer than 50 yards.

What did we learn: If a player says "yeah, I have an injury that's going to linger with me all season," then we should listen to that player and not draft him in the spot where we would have if he was healthy, Justin.

Devin Funchess - Wide Receiver, Carolina Panthers

Funchess missed two games with a back injury and returned to find himself essentially out of the Panthers rotation. This shouldn't have come as much of a surprise, as the Panthers drafted rookie D.J. Moore and Cam Newton doesn't have a great history with wide receivers from a fantasy perspective. Per FFStatistics, here is where the WR1 and WR2 under Newton has finished in PPR:

The WR7 finish came in 2011 and belonged to Steve Smith. Since then, things have been pretty bleak for Cam Newton wide receivers.

What did we learn: To paraphrase American Horror Story, as one Cam Newton wide receiver rises, another must fade. Funchess will likely be somewhere else next season, but don't get tricked into buying into whichever non-D.J. Moore receiver the Panthers have. Newton will look at tight end Ian Thomas and running back Christian McCaffrey before he looks at that other wideout.

Jimmy Graham - Tight End, Green Bay Packers

People were super into the idea of Jimmy Graham in Green Bay, even though Aaron Rodgers has a long record of not throwing to the tight end in the red zone and Graham has a history of being a guy who needs to have red zone production. Thumb and knee issues limited some of his productiveness, but he still played in all 16 games and finished outside of the top five for the first time in a full 16-game campaign.

What did we learn: It's important to know the history of how a quarterback uses his weapons and also to be careful when guys who've been in the league for awhile try to play through injuries. Not a great combination of things. Maybe in 2019 with a new head coach in tow, Graham will look more like the Jimmy Graham we've always known, but ultimately I just don't think the Rodgers/Graham pairing is a very productive one.

Mike Gesicki - Tight End, Miami Dolphins

Rookie tight ends are always a big risk, but I really liked Gesicki this year for the Dolphins. It was a good situation and he was expected to be a good receiving threat over the middle, but he finished the year with just 22 catches for 202 yards.

What did we learn: Well, we relearned that rookie tight ends are a terrifying investment in re-draft. Before the season, I wrote a piece about rookie tight ends and noted that we seemed to be moving toward a landscape where rookie tight ends were more involved than before. That world sort-of existed this year as Chris Herndon IV emerged as a good option for the Jets, and Mark Andrews and Dallas Goedert weren't bad when you look at the final position standings, but overall this rookie class didn't have a breakout star like Evan Engram in 2017 or Hunter Henry in 2016. We're supposed to have a pretty strong tight end class next season, but the 2018 season has scared me off of rookie tight ends enough that I'm going to really, really need to evaluate those guys before I commit to taking any of them in re-draft.

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF