Biggest Fantasy Football Busts Of The Week - Fantasy Outlooks For Kirk Cousins, Aaron Jones, Terry McLaurin, Jaylen Waddle, Travis Kelce, more

November 18, 2024

Several NFL players underwhelmed in Week 11 of the 2024 fantasy football season. Andersen Pickard identifies busts at each position and if they'll bounce back.

The 11th Sunday of the 2024 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 11. These players simply did not meet fantasy expectations this week, and it cost their managers in a big way.

Let's take a look at the biggest busts from Week 11, 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. Players who missed part of the game due to injury are exempt from being featured.

Fantasy Football Quarterback Busts

Russell Wilson, 3.3 FPTS

The Steelers won despite failing to score a touchdown Sunday. Russell Wilson threw an interception and took four sacks, turning in his worst fantasy performance of the year.

Kirk Cousins, 2.9 FPTS

Kirk Cousins had no answer for the Broncos' strong defense, tallying 173 yards, one interception, and three sacks. He'll look to bounce back on the other side of the Falcons' Week 12 bye.

Cody Barton intercepts Kirk Cousins #Broncospic.twitter.com/XQgJUyeiJA

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) November 17, 2024

Fantasy Football Running Back Busts

Travis Etienne Jr., 6.3 FPTS

Even with Tank Bigsby sidelined, Travis Etienne couldn't get much going against the Lions' strong defense. He averaged just 2.25 yards per carry, adding an additional six receiving yards.

Raheem Mostert, -0.2 FPTS

Raheem Mostert missed a small portion of Sunday's game due to an injury scare. Even upon his return, though, he struggled to produce. The veteran running back finished with a loss of two yards on three carries. He should be benched in all fantasy leagues going forward.

Achane takes the Dolphins down the field, they force redzone touches to Mostert, the drive stalls. Tale as old as time

— Tim (@TeemothyYawn) November 17, 2024

Nick Chubb, 5.0 FPTS

Nick Chubb couldn't capitalize on a very favorable matchup against the Saints this Sunday. He rushed 11 times for 50 yards and was not targeted in the passing game. The 28-year-old hasn't scored a touchdown since his season debut in Week 7. Now, he ranks as a low-end fantasy RB3 ahead of Week 12 against the Steelers.

Jonathan Taylor, 7.0 FPTS

Jonathan Taylor is a borderline bust this week. He makes the cut given that the Jets had been soft against the run in previous weeks. The Colts' lead back averaged a season-low 2.38 yards per carry and gets an even tougher matchup next week in the Lions.

Tony Pollard, 4.9 FPTS

Tony Pollard struggled to get anything going against the Vikings' strong defensive front. He rushed just nine times for 15 yards and caught two of his four targets. The 27-year-old gets a slightly easier matchup against the Texans next week, but he still falls outside the top-24 running backs.

Aaron Jones, 5.3 FPTS

Aaron Jones touched the ball 16 times Sunday, but he averaged just 2.6 yards per carry and mustered only one reception. In his defense, the Titans' run defense has been phenomenal this year. He'll look to bounce back in next week's divisional battle against the Bears.

No player has been unluckier in the TD department than Aaron Jones this season.....and now Cam Akers just caught a touchdown. Oof.

— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) November 17, 2024

Kareem Hunt, 6.0 FPTS

Kareem Hunt seemed to be in a perfect spot this week, facing a Bills defense that struggles to contain opposing running backs. He did carry the ball 14 times for 60 yards, but the veteran was held without a single target. He could lose his fantasy relevance if Isiah Pacheco (fibula) returns in Week 12.

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Busts

Terry McLaurin, 2.0 FPTS

Terry McLaurin was seemingly absent on Thursday night, catching just one pass for 20 yards. His eight-game streak of scoring at least 14 fantasy points (PPR) came to an abrupt end in Philadelphia. He'll look to bounce back as a WR2 against Dallas in Week 12.

DeVonta Smith, 6.9 FPTS

DeVonta Smith caught four of six targets for 29 yards on Thursday. Quieter games like these aren't necessarily uncommon for the 26-year-old, who consistently has to compete for touches with the likes of A.J. Brown, Dallas Goedert, Saquon Barkley, and Jalen Hurts. Smith is still a solid WR2 option for Week 12 against the Rams.

Jaylen Waddle, 5.7 FPTS

Jaylen Waddle's tough stretch of games continued on Sunday as he caught just two passes for 37 yards. The 25-year-old has scored single-digit fantasy points in each of his last nine games; the last time he surpassed 10 points (PPR) was in Week 1. As a result, he drops to the low-end WR3/FLEX range for Week 12 against New England.

The Dolphins don’t even pretend to try to get Jaylen Waddle involved in the offense pic.twitter.com/1MvxqdyS79

— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) November 17, 2024

Garrett Wilson, 5.8 FPTS

Garrett Wilson was out-produced by Davante Adams on Sunday, catching four of his eight targets for 18 yards. The former first-round pick will be a mid-range WR1 on the other side of the Jets' Week 12 bye.

Darnell Mooney, 4.7 FPTS

Darnell Mooney was another victim of the Falcons' subpar offensive showing. Fresh off three games with 14-plus fantasy points (PPR), he mustered just two catches and 27 yards against Denver. He should bounce back with a more favorable matchup against the Chargers in Week 13.

Deebo Samuel Sr., 6.1 FPTS

Even with George Kittle (hamstring) sidelined, Deebo Samuel was not an integral part of the passing attack, catching just four passes for 22 yards. Jauan Jennings, on the other hand, converted 11 targets into 10 catches, 91 yards, and a touchdown. Both players could find themselves in the low-end WR2 tier next week against Green Bay.

deebo samuel end around hasnt worked since 2021 what are we doing

— Robert Beal Fan Club (@GregoryFan5) November 17, 2024

Tyler Lockett, 3.9 FPTS

Tyler Lockett was the odd man out from Seattle's wide receiver corps this week, catching just two passes for 19 yards. The veteran has delivered single-digit fantasy points in half of his games, dropping him to the WR4 tier for Week 12 against Arizona.

DeAndre Hopkins, 5.9 FPTS

DeAndre Hopkins was held in check by Buffalo, catching just three passes for 29 yards. Although he's not a very dependable fantasy option, managers could certainly justify starting him next week against a subpar Panthers defense.

Fantasy Football Tight End Busts

Travis Kelce, 2.8 FPTS

Kelce caught just two of his four targets on Sunday, and the veteran's eight receiving yards represented his lowest mark since Week 2. He should bounce back as a high-end TE1 versus the Panthers next week.

Kyle Pitts, 1.9 FPTS

The Falcons' offense-wide struggles plagued Kyle Pitts, who caught just one pass for nine yards. The 24-year-old heads into his bye week having tallied single-digit fantasy points in each of his last three contests.

Tucker Kraft, 0.0 FPTS

Tucker Kraft delivered his worst outing of the season, failing to catch his lone target on Sunday. The 24-year-old had been the overall TE8 in fantasy football this season, so Sunday's poor showing came as a major surprise. He'll look to bounce back in Week 12 versus San Francisco.

I played Tucker Kraft over Taysom Hill today. pic.twitter.com/tDsrvyxk6Z

— Mike (@PeoplesChampTV) November 17, 2024

Tyler Conklin, 1.7 FPTS

It was a strange week for the Jets, who overcame an early deficit just to fall behind in the final minutes and lose to the Colts. Tyler Conklin has just three catches for 12 yards over his last three games, dropping outside the top-24 tight ends for fantasy football in Week 12.

Pat Freiermuth, 3.4 FPTS

Pat Freiermuth's usage has continued to slip and slide. He has three or fewer catches in each of his last six contests, but he does have three touchdowns this year. The 26-year-old ranks as a mid-range fantasy TE2 for Week 12 against Cleveland.

Mark Andrews, 4.2 FPTS

Mark Andrews had his quietest game since Week 4, catching just two passes for 22 yards. He's still worth trusting as a low-end fantasy TE1 for Week 12 against the Chargers.

T.J. Hockenson, 3.3 FPTS

T.J. Hockenson couldn't get much going against the Titans, catching two passes for 13 yards. He was out-produced by fellow tight end Josh Oliver, which is likely an anomaly but is still a trend to monitor over the next few weeks. Hockenson returns to the low-end fantasy TE1 tier in Week 12 versus Chicago.

More Fantasy Football Analysis