Biggest Fantasy Football Busts of the Week - Fantasy Outlooks for Austin Ekeler, Raheem Mostert, Cooper Kupp, Keenan Allen

October 23, 2023

Several NFL players underwhelmed in Week 7 of the 2023 fantasy football season. Andersen Pickard identifies busts at each position and whether they'll bounce back.

The seventh Sunday of the 2023 NFL season has come and gone. Hopefully, you woke up on Monday morning feeling very good about how your matchup went. However, this week's slate of games was certainly stress-inducing for many fantasy football managers.

Part of that stress was caused by a group of players who drastically underachieved in Week 7. These players simply did not meet fantasy expectations, and it cost their managers in a big way.

Let's take a look at the biggest busts from Week 7, as well as whether or not we can still have some trust in these players moving forward. All point totals are based on the PPR scoring system.

Fantasy Football Quarterback Busts

Justin Herbert, 10.86 FPTS

The Chargers stayed competitive for most of Sunday's game against the Chiefs, but their star quarterback struggled, tossing two picks while taking a career-high five sacks. Kansas City's defense is no joke, and Herbert should be able to bounce back against a softer Chicago squad in Week 8.

Sam Howell, 9.46 FPTS

Howell delivered impressive fantasy finishes from Weeks 4 through 6 and was primed to have another big game against a soft Giants defense on Sunday. Instead, the NFL's most-sacked quarterback went down six more times and also threw an interception. He'll drop to the low-end QB2 tier for Week 8 versus Philadelphia.

Fantasy Football Running Back Busts

Austin Ekeler, 5.6 FPTS

Herbert wasn't the only Charger who struggled against a stout Chiefs defense. Ekeler was held to 45 rushing yards, but more importantly, he caught just one pass for one yard through the air. It also doesn't help that Joshua Kelley vultured a 49-yard touchdown run.

Josh Jacobs, 5.1 FPTS

The Raiders struggled against the Bears, with Brian Hoyer (and his late-game replacement, Aidan O'Connell) failing to lead much of anything. Jacobs had his worst game of the season and won't see his job get any easier against a Lions run defense that is solid (or so we thought before Sunday's game versus the Ravens).

Aaron Jones, 8.7 FPTS

Jones could have had a worse game, and fantasy managers certainly prefer the veteran's 8.7 points Sunday to his 2.4-point showing back in Week 4. Nevertheless, it was surprising to see him underperform against a weak Broncos run defense. We know he's a talented player, and now he just needs to find his groove again. He'll be a mid-range RB2 next Sunday.

Raheem Mostert, 6.1 FPTS

The Eagles' strong defensive front bottled up Mostert on Sunday night. He mustered only 51 scrimmage yards and finished without a touchdown for just the second time this season. He should bounce back next weekend versus the Patriots, on whom he dropped 127 scrimmage yards and two scores back in Week 2.

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Busts

Cooper Kupp, 6.9 FPTS

It was the Puka Nacua game for the Rams, which cost Kupp key production. The star receiver caught just two passes for 29 yards and also converted a two-point conversion. Sunday's outing showed that Kupp is human, but it has no bearing on his future fantasy value. He'll be ranked as a high-end WR1 entering Week 8.

Keenan Allen, 9.5 FPTS

Allen has been on another level this season, which is why it's noteworthy that he was held to single-digit points for the first time in 2023. Look for the 31-year-old to bounce back versus Chicago next Sunday.

Amari Cooper, 4.2 FPTS

The Browns dropped an NFL-most 39 points on Sunday, yet Cooper was unable to benefit. Despite eight targets, the veteran receiver caught just two passes for 22 yards. He figures to bounce back next week, but this latest dud against Indianapolis drops him to the low-end WR2 range going forward.

Christian Watson, 5.7 FPTS

Watson was primed to bounce back against the Broncos but instead caught just three of five passes for 27 yards. The Packers' offense is a confusing one right now, dropping the 24-year-old to WR3/Flex territory in Week 8.

Calvin Ridley, 1.5 FPTS

Ridley was a massive letdown on Thursday, mustering a season-low one catch for five yards. Ever since Week 1 against the Colts, the Christian Kirk show has gradually overtaken the Ridley show. The ex-Falcon is an uninspiring WR3 for Week 8 against the Steelers.

Fantasy Football Tight End Busts

Cole Kmet, 0.0 FPTS

The Tyson Bagent show was epic, but managers who invested in Kmet didn't leave Sunday too pleased. The Bears' tight end went untargeted in a game for the first time since Week 9 of his rookie year (2020). He's nothing more than a shaky streamer for Week 8 versus the Chargers.

Tyler Higbee, 1.7 FPTS

Higbee, too, was seemingly factored out of the Rams' offensive attack amidst a big day from Nacua. The veteran simply can't compete with Los Angeles' flashy receivers. He'll rank outside the top 12 tight ends heading into next week's clash with the Cowboys.

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