Biggest Fantasy Football Busts of the Week - Fantasy Outlooks for Amon-Ra St. Brown, Ja'Marr Chase, Mike Evans, Sam LaPorta

December 11, 2023

Several NFL players underwhelmed in Week 14 of the 2023 fantasy football season. Andersen Pickard identifies busts at each position and whether they'll bounce back.

The 14th 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 14. 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 14, 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

Jalen Hurts, 8.88 FPTS

Hurts was unable to handle Dallas' top-tier defense, finishing with zero touchdowns, zero touchdowns, and one lost fumble. He should bounce back with a much more favorable matchup against the Seahawks next week.

Joshua Dobbs, 4.62 FPTS

Dobbs' job was on the line coming out of the bye week and he certainly underperformed. The veteran failed to lead a scoring drive and was ultimately benched for Nick Mullens, who brought the Vikings into field goal range. (Minnesota converted that kick to defeat Las Vegas by a score of 3-0.)

Jared Goff, 6.44 FPTS

The Lions were stunned by the Bears on Sunday and Goff was a big reason why. The veteran threw for one touchdown and two interceptions while taking four sacks. He'll be a mid-range QB2 heading into next week's clash with Denver.

Fantasy Football Running Back Busts

Gus Edwards, 1.5 FPTS

The Ravens beat the Rams in overtime but didn't get many contributions from Edwards. Normally quite efficient, he was held to just six catches for 15 yards on Sunday. He was out-produced by Keaton Mitchell and can't be trusted in fantasy leagues ahead of Week 15 versus Jacksonville.

Dameon Pierce, 1.7 FPTS

One week after breaking double-digit fantasy points, Pierce came back down to earth with just five touches and seven scrimmage yards on Sunday. He has become the clear No. 2 option behind Devin Singletary and should be left on fantasy benches going forward.

D'Andre Swift, 3.9 FPTS

Swift rushed 11 times for 39 yards against the Cowboys' defense. It was another frustrating outing after he registered just six carries one week earlier. Until the Eagles commit to feeding him 15-plus touches per game, he's a fantasy RB3.

Roschon Johnson, 0.6 FPTS

Johnson flashed some upside with five catches back in Week 12, but he mustered the worst fantasy outing of his career this past Sunday. Justin Fields' athleticism takes work away from the Bears' running backs, none of whom have legitimate fantasy appeal.

Khalil Herbert, 0.8 FPTS

Different player, same story. Herbert rushed just three times for eight yards on Sunday. Fantasy managers can bench (or drop) him ahead of Week 15.

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Busts

Amon-Ra St. Brown, 5.1 FPTS

St. Brown commanded an impressive nine targets on Sunday but fell victim to the general struggles of Detroit's offense. There's no reason why he can't bounce back as a fantasy WR1 despite next week's tricky matchup versus Denver.

Ja'Marr Chase, 5.9 FPTS

Although Jake Browning's heroics continued, Chase wasn't nearly as productive as in weeks past, catching just three passes for 29 yards. He should bounce back next week versus a Vikings defense that just surrendered seven receptions to Davante Adams.

Stefon Diggs, 6.4 FPTS

Diggs didn't fare very well against a strong Chiefs secondary, tallying just four catches for 24 yards. With that said, Josh Allen targeted him 11 times on Sunday, so the opportunity and volume were certainly there. He's primed to bounce back as a WR1 against the Cowboys next week.

Mike Evans, 1.8 FPTS

For the first time since 2020, a healthy Evans caught just one pass. He did so despite commanding six targets. Don't be surprised if he returns to the WR1 tier in Week 15.

Gabe Davis, 0.0 FPTS

Like Diggs, Davis wasn't immune to the Bills' relatively modest passing attack on Sunday. The 24-year-old might be one of the most drastic examples of a low-floor, high-upside player. He now has three zero-point performances and four 20-point performances this season. Given his week-to-week inconsistency, fantasy managers should treat him as nothing more than a high-end WR4.

Noah Brown, 0.0 FPTS

Brown finished with zero catches for the second consecutive week. Over those two games, he has seven targets but nothing to show for in the stat sheet. With that said, he could be trending upward after Tank Dell (leg) was placed on IR and Nico Collins (calf) didn't return to Sunday's game. The veteran benefits from a relatively soft matchup versus Tennessee in Week 15.

Fantasy Football Tight End Busts

Sam LaPorta, 4.7 FPTS

Look at that, another Lion! LaPorta had the worst game of his rookie season, catching just two passes for 23 yards. He also added a four-yard rush. Even top-tier players aren't immune to an occasional dud. He should bounce back as a mid-range TE1 versus Denver next week.

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