Biggest Fantasy Football Busts of the Week - Fantasy Outlooks for Drake Maye, TreVeyon Henderson, Justin Jefferson, Dalton Kincaid

September 28, 2026

Several NFL players underwhelmed in Week 3 of the 2026 fantasy football season. Andersen Pickard identifies busts at each position and if they'll bounce back.

Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season had a little bit of everything. We continued to see several big performances from top players, as well as some huge bounce-back showings from players who disappointed last week.

However, we didn't get matchup-winning performances from every player. A common trend in Week 3 was that many notable NFL players drastically underperformed. These "busts" failed to meet their fantasy expectations and may have cost their managers an opportunity to win their matchups in Week 3.

Let's take a look at the biggest busts from Week 3, 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 were limited due to injury are exempt from being featured.

Fantasy Football Quarterback Busts

Drake Maye, 5.8 FPTS

It was a disastrous Sunday for Maye, who had three turnovers, three sacks, and less than 200 passing yards. For the second week in a row, he finished without a touchdown, making it nearly impossible for him to have any sort of positive fantasy impact. He now has seven turnovers to just one touchdown, which is easily the worst ratio in the NFL. He can be benched for Week 4 against the Bills.

The Drake Maye fall-off needs to be studied

— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) September 27, 2026

Daniel Jones, 8.9 FPTS

Jones has been the definition of mediocre in fantasy football this year, but he started to slip a little below the "mediocre" line on Sunday. Although the 29-year-old did have a season-high 235 passing yards, he also made two turnovers (one interception and two fumbles lost). There's no reason to roster Jones in fantasy football for Week 4 against the Commanders.

Fantasy Football Running Back Busts

Omarion Hampton, 5.6 FPTS

Hampton had 15 carries for just 56 yards on Sunday, and he didn't catch a single pass. His usage was quite alarming, as he played just 42% of the offensive snaps while Keaton Mitchell played 38% and Kimani Vidal played 25%. Hampton is still the highest-ranked fantasy running back in this backfield, but on Sunday, he took a backseat to Mitchell (52 rushing yards, three catches, one touchdown).

Omarion Hampton Week 3

- 42% snaps
- 15 carries, 56 yds
- 6 routes, 1 target, 0 catches

Mitchell was a more effective runner. Both Mitchell and Vidal saw more pass game usage Officially worried about Hampton

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) September 27, 2026

MarShawn Lloyd, 3.8 FPTS

It was another incredibly disappointing week for Lloyd and the entire Packers backfield. Lloyd handled a season-low 23% snap share with just four carries for 11 yards, equating to a woeful mark of 2.8 yards per carry. He's not quite droppable given his role on the depth chart, but he's certainly not worth starting in most leagues.

TreVeyon Henderson, 3.9 FPTS

The Patriots' offense looked abysmal on Sunday, and Henderson was one of the several reasons why. A negative game script resulted in just eight carries for the 23-year-old, and he was only able to muster 23 rushing yards. He also converted his lone target into a six-yard reception. The game script won't get any easier next week against the Bills, dropping Henderson to low-end RB2 or high-end RB3 territory.

J.K. Dobbins, 6.3 FPTS

Dobbins was held in check on Sunday night, rushing for just 49 yards on 17 carries. That type of poor efficiency (2.9 yards per carry) will likely cost Dobbins snaps going forward, especially as RJ Harvey looks to carve out a bigger role. At this point, Dobbins is nothing more than a matchup-based RB3/flex play. He can be benched in most leagues ahead of Week 4 against the 49ers.

Jadarian Price, 1.2 FPTS

It was not a good day for Seattle's rookie running back. Price rushed for just 15 yards on five carries, caught one pass, and lost a fumble. He was out-carried by Emanuel Wilson and out-produced by both Wilson and George Holani. This looks like a true backfield by committee right now, and Price is proving that he doesn't deserve an every-down role.

#Seahawks Week 3 RB Usage

- Jadarian Price: 26% snaps, 5 carries, 9 routes, 3 targets (22 yds, fumble lost)
- Emanuel Wilson: 38% snaps, 9 carries, 9 carries, 11 routes, 0 targets (14 yds)
- George Holani: 36% snaps, 3 carries, 14 routes, 5 targets (58 yds)

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) September 27, 2026

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Busts

Khalil Shakir, 1.6 FPTS

DJ Moore's return to action resulted in a very quiet performance from Shakir, who caught just one pass for six yards. Despite handling a season-high 73% snap share, Shakir doesn't look like he's going to be a reliable fantasy option week over week.

Justin Jefferson, 5.2 FPTS

Jefferson had a gloomy performance in quarterback Kyler Murray's return to action. He caught just two passes for 32 yards on Sunday and now has single-digit fantasy points in each of his last two games. Jefferson needs reliable quarterback play to get him back into the WR1 tier for fantasy football, and we're not yet sure whether Murray can achieve that.

Jaylen Waddle, 6.4 FPTS

After exploding for eight catches and 138 yards last week, Waddle cooled down with two catches on seven targets. A two-point conversion boosted his fantasy production by a little, but it was still an underwhelming showing from the Broncos' offseason trade acquisition. He's a WR2 for Week 4 against the Broncos with a high ceiling and moderately low floor.

Jaylen Waddle Fantasy pts

Wk 1: 1.2
Wk 2: 21.8
Wk 3: 6.4 pic.twitter.com/M4ixe5hzXx

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) September 28, 2026

KC Concepcion, 2.9 FPTS

It was a bizarre game for the rookie, who had nine targets but managed to catch just two passes for nine yards. This is one of the lowest target-to-yardage ratios we've seen in a while, and it's unlikely to carry over into Week 4. He should get back on track as a low-end WR3/flex next week against Pittsburgh.

Tetairoa McMillan, 3.7 FPTS

The entire Panthers passing game was held in check on Sunday, and McMillan is no exception. He emerged from the Week 3 loss with just five targets, two catches, and 17 yards. McMillan has started slow in other games this season, but this is the first time he wasn't able to get going in the second half. He should have no trouble bouncing back as a mid-to-low WR2.

Xavier Worthy, 4.0 FPTS

It was a very quiet week for Worthy, whose two receptions made up just one-tenth of Patrick Mahomes' completions on Sunday. He now has fewer than five fantasy points in two of his three games and is a risky fantasy play going forward. Rashee Rice is the only Chiefs receiver we'd be willing to start with confidence.

Chris Godwin Sr., 5.5 FPTS

Godwin had a relatively quiet day as the Bucs fell to the Vikings. His 25 yards represented a new season-low, and he has now finished with single-digit fantasy points in all three games so far this year. Godwin is a touchdown-dependent WR3/flex, and as long as the Buccaneers struggle to sustain drives, he can be benched in most fantasy leagues.

I hope we can stop asking start/sit questions on this guy https://t.co/E18Bs4T4lg pic.twitter.com/XjJIXAIVPk

— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) September 28, 2026

Malik Nabers, 7.6 FPTS

Calling Nabers a bust may be a bit of a stretch, but we would've liked to see a little more from him against a weak opponent with a pass-happy quarterback throwing his way. Nabers is going to rank as a low-end WR2 with a concerning floor as long as Jameis Winston remains the Giants' starter.

Michael Pittman Jr., 3.6 FPTS

Pittman returned from injury and had a very modest performance, as he caught just two of his five targets for 16 yards. He's getting dangerously close to losing his job to Roman Wilson, who exploded for three catches, 60 yards, and a touchdown on Sunday. Pittman can be benched in most fantasy leagues going forward.

Brian Thomas Jr., 1.8 FPTS

Thomas' downfall hit a new low on Sunday as he dropped to fourth in the wide receiver pecking order, falling behind rookie Josh Cameron. Thomas' 37% snap share and one target are clear signs that he should be avoided in all fantasy football leagues going forward.

Week 3 was a new low for Brian Thomas Jr

- 37% snaps (4th among Jags WRs - Josh Cameron played more)
- 14 routes (3rd among Jags WRs - 43% vertical)
- 1 target, 1 rec, 8 yds (all career lows)

The Jags version of Marvin Harrison Jr

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) September 28, 2026

Fantasy Football Tight End Busts

Isaiah Likely, 3.3 FPTS

Likely's fantasy stock took a hit with Winston as his quarterback and rainy conditions impacting the game. He should return to the low-end WR1 tier for Week 4, but Sunday's game showed that he's certainly not immune to an occasional dud outing.

T.J. Hockenson, 3.1 FPTS

Hockenson had just two catches for 11 yards, which is a huge step back from his 13.6-point performance in fantasy football just two weeks ago. Until he offers more consistent production, Hockenson can be benched in most fantasy leagues.

Evan Engram, 0.0 FPTS

Our expectations were admittedly low already, but it's still somewhat of a shock to see him finish with zero catches on two targets. Once a promising TE1 in New York and Jacksonville, Engram has fallen off the fantasy radar almost entirely during his second season in Denver.

Hunter Henry, 1.5 FPTS

Henry is having an underwhelming season so far, but we would have expected the negative game script from Week 3 to bode well for his target share. Instead, he was targeted just twice, producing one catch for five yards. Henry has now finished with seven or fewer fantasy points in every game this season. Not only should he be benched in most formats, but he's droppable in shallower leagues.

The 3-0 Bills face the 1-2 Patriots next week with a chance to... pic.twitter.com/liW24rEa3a

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) September 27, 2026

Kyle Pitts, 1.5 FPTS

The return of Michael Penix Jr. didn't exactly offer the boost to Pitts that many of his managers had expected. The 25-year-old tight end caught just one pass on Thursday, bringing him to a total of just two catches through three games. Week 3 showed that the Falcons' offense is trending up, but Pitts should be benched until he proves capable of contributing consistently.

Oronde Gadsden, 0.0 FPTS

It seemed like the injury to David Njoku (fibula) would open the door for a big game from Njoku, but instead, he finished with zero catches on three targets. This type of low production will keep Gadsden off the fantasy radar going forward.

Dalton Kincaid, 3.8 FPTS

Kincaid followed up a dominant first two weeks with somewhat of a dud on Sunday. He caught two passes for 38 yards and lost a fumble in the Bills' win over the Chargers. This feels like an outlier game from Kincaid, and he wasn't the only Bills offensive player with turnover issues in Week 3. He should bounce back as a top-eight fantasy tight end in Week 4 against New England.

Mark Andrews, 5.4 FPTS

Andrews had a relatively quiet performance on Sunday, catching three passes for 24 yards. This was Andrews' lowest fantasy points total of the season, but we all knew a game like this was within his range of possible outcomes.

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