Biggest Fantasy Football Busts of the First Half (2026)

October 30, 2026

John discusses the biggest fantasy football busts of 2026 so far. These NFL players have not lived up to expectations for fantasy football in the first half.

We're nearly at the halfway point of the fantasy football regular season. As seven weeks have gone by, the playoff picture is starting to fall into shape for many leagues, at least for the very worst and very best teams.

Most of those bad teams likely have a high concentration among them of the biggest busts of fantasy football so far in 2026. Many of the players on this list will be commonly rostered in teams that have two or fewer wins so far.

Given how things have turned out, most fantasy managers may think it's better to dismiss these busts altogether. But we'll break down each as a potential buy-low candidate, potentially anticipating a breakout later this season. So, let's dive into the biggest busts (and possible buy-lows) of 2026 for fantasy football!

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Arizona Cardinals

Love's (ankle) college tape, draft capital, and positive traits as a running back made him an enticing pick in fantasy football in the second rounds of redraft leagues. He was selected with the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Cardinals and was expected to immediately earn a big role in the backfield.

The first problem with his fantasy scoring potential was the offense that he was in. While Arizona thrives in garbage time, as quarterback Jacoby Brissett racks up a ton of passing yardage when the game is out of reach, their offensive line isn't great.

While Jeremiyah Love looked impressive in his chances, these touches were also a reminder that NFL run game is so heavily weighted towards blocking up front

The ball security also needs to improve. One lost fumble can erase several games’ worth of positive EPA https://t.co/T3aa62uoNz

— Ryan Paganetti (@RyanPaganetti) August 15, 2026

The run-blocking hasn't been very good. Love is averaging just 1.9 yards before contact per attempt, and his offensive line is one of the worst in the NFL at both pass- and run-blocking, according to ESPN.

Will things get better? That's a great question. They probably will if he can return to full health, but players don't tend to play at their full potential until the season after they suffer a high-ankle sprain. A high-profile example of this last season was WR CeeDee Lamb.

Jeremiyah Love is playing through a high-ankle sprain this season and is running behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. In case you're wondering why he's been bad.

2nd picture is yards before contact per attempt, circled in red https://t.co/Npl72317zk

— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) October 28, 2026

The offensive line may need multiple seasons of aggressive trading and first-round draft picks to get into better form. We may not see Love be a great fantasy RB until next season, though. He has immense receiving upside, which can help cover for his rushing woes.

But Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur admitted that he hasn't been getting much receiving work precisely because of his ailing ankle. And that might not change in a big way until 2027.

If you can get Love for cheap, he could be a solid buy-low, but if not, it's probably not worth it to give up known good players for him unless you're desperate for any kind of starting RB and have WRs to spare.

Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

Thomas is the bust of busts this season, especially when you compare his current production to that of his rookie season. He was the WR4 in PPR fantasy football leagues for the 2024 season and the WR1 overall for the weeks of the fantasy football playoffs.

His dominant rookie season gave way to an injury-riddled 2025, and eventually to a 2026 in which he's hardly involved in the offense. He ranks fourth on his own team in target share, with just 11.6 percent, behind WRs Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers and tight end Brenton Strange.

Brian Thomas Jr. on a HUGE 3rd down, had a BAD drop, he can’t have this happen 💔 https://t.co/iT3neJYXYD

— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) October 12, 2025

Over the past two seasons, Thomas has struggled greatly with drops. He's seen his targets shrink as a result. And he's playing a "sacrificial X" receiver role right now, which doesn't lead to a lot of fantasy production. He runs a high rate of clearout routes to draw coverage away from other receivers.

He also just may not be a good fit for this team's offense aside from the role he currently has. He has a great combination of speed, length, and size, but his hands have betrayed him on many occasions and let the offense down.

Liam Coen on Brian Thomas Jr. getting back into the Jaguars’ receiver rotation. 🐆👀

Coen shares his confidence in BTJ and explains why the Jaguars will continue to support him and put him in the best position to make plays.

🎤 @ryanohalloran

#DUUUVAL | #Jaguars https://t.co/7mikda88Po

— 1010 XL / 92.5 FM (@1010XL) October 26, 2026

Coen's tune on Thomas has been at times more positive than others. He's not thrilled with all the drops, no surprise there. Jacksonville seems content with not involving Thomas a lot. Keep in mind the Jags have thrown to Strange, RB Bhayshul Tuten, and WRs Travis Hunter and Josh Cameron, too.

Jaguars WR Josh Cameron recorded the NFL's highest avg yds after catch above expectation in Week 5 (6.7 yds per catch). Cameron totaled 43 yds on 3 catches vs the Eagles (20 YAC yds)

via @NextGenStats & Zebra Technologies' on-field player & ball tracking https://t.co/SDv8eROvEX

— 𝕋𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕤 🅓. ℍ𝕠𝕝𝕞𝕖𝕤 (@TravisDHolmes) October 13, 2026

It seems unlikely Thomas will ascend to an every-week starter for fantasy football in this offense. It's more likely that Hunter, Cameron, Strange, and Meyers all rotate in effectiveness each week while Washington remains one of the biggest steals in fantasy football drafts this season.

Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

Brown's ineffectiveness as a rusher has been on full display this season. While he was able to bust off enough explosive runs in previous seasons to cover for his lack of contact balance and power, he's not been able to do so this season.

As a result, he's just the No. 20 RB in PPR fantasy football scoring this season, with 12.5 PPR points per game. He's started to lose rushing work to RB Samaje Perine, and Cincinnati's offense has leaned pass-heavy. Brown hasn't had more than 13 carries in a game since Week 2.

Every run from Chase Brown in Week 7 👀
#Bengals #WhoDey https://t.co/4QizZjdvVe

— 937Bengals 🐅 (@BengalsinDa937) October 28, 2026

He's an explosive athlete, but struggles to play through contact and has averaged just 3.5 yards per carry this year. He has also made some very high-profile negative plays, and his vision is suspect.

I still cannot believe Chase Brown did this, could've easily gone for 30+ or even a TD https://t.co/V6A3e6Wzrr

— YoshiSZN (@YoshiSZNs) October 15, 2026

Athleticism is very important at the RB position, but it's not everything. It's probably not wise to break the bank to buy him, but his receiving role keeps him fantasy relevant, and he's on a good offense. He's not a terrible fantasy football player; he's just more of an RB2 than an RB1.

Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts

The departures of wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Adonai Mitchell were supposed to clear a path for the team's remaining wideouts to improve for fantasy football. And when Colts WR1 Alec Pierce (heel) was placed on injured reserve, the runway appeared clear for a Downs takeoff.

Additionally, Colts tight end Tyler Warren (groin), who's been a target magnet this season, missed two games with a groin injury. Unfortunately, Downs did practically nothing in those contests. There are a variety of reasons for this.

How do you think Josh Downs could potentially fit in the Steelers offense? https://t.co/sk62DD8dPQ

— PorterLessBurgh (@PortersBurgh) October 28, 2026

Yet Colts quarterback Daniel Jones just doesn't throw to him much, despite Downs separating at a high rate and being an excellent route runner. He's now requested a trade away from the Colts. It remains to be seen if that will be accepted.

You could speculatively buy him hoping for a trade, but that would be more of a dynasty move than anything. WRs don't tend to see greatly improved production when they're traded midseason to another team.

Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

Barkley had a disappointing 2025 season in which he finished as the RB14 in PPR fantasy football leagues after his monster 2024 season in which he was RB2. This season, things have been far worse.

Though he's healthy from a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 4, he started the season with 9.0, 3.0, and 9.0 PPR fantasy point performances in his first three games. He finally logged a double-digit outing in Week 7, but it was against the Dallas Cowboys, who have one of the NFL's worst defenses.

Philadelphia's offense is in shambles, and appeared to be even before the starting quarterback got hurt. QB Jalen Hurts (deep vein thrombosis) has blood clots deep in his lungs and will miss the rest of the 2026 season.

SAQUON IS BACK

DALvsPHI on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/2EMpjL1ZKx

— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2026

The Eagles offensive line is nothing like its old self. Two of their elite offensive linemen, Lane Johnson and Landon Dickerson, are no longer great contributors to one of the best run-blocking offensive lines we have ever seen. Johnson has retired, and Dickerson's play has fallen off greatly.

Barkley isn't someone you should buy low. It would be better to sell high on him, if you can, after he scored his first rushing touchdown of the season. The Eagles offense is likely to get completely shut down against stiffer competition.

Omarion Hampton, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

There are varying degrees of hope on a potential breakout later in the season for many players who have been busts so far. But the situation with the Chargers offense is so dire that it's hard to find any hope at all.

Hampton is the RB36 in PPR fantasy points per game this season. He averages barely over 3.6 yards per carry, has only been targeted 10 times in six games, has scored only three rushing touchdowns and no receiving touchdowns, and has lost two fumbles.

WEEK 7 NFL NUMBERS THREAD THE SEAHAWKS ARE GOOD AGAIN

(we'll set aside where they are on this chart) https://t.co/anpHR4nAQC

— Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) October 27, 2026

Los Angeles has the worst offense in the NFL by expected points added per play. As usual, its offensive line has been obliterated by injuries, so the run-blocking and pass-blocking are both awful. And the coaching has not been there this season.

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh is on the hot seat now. Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel's seat is scorching, considering his schemes have made them regress in every measurable way in 2026.

Mike McDaniel in his bag on 3rd and 13 https://t.co/MM7KoGXrld

— Football Analysis (@FBallAnalysisYT) October 20, 2026

In particular, McDaniel's outside zone run scheme is an awful fit for Hampton. He's a much better man-gap runner and is a big bruiser who needs to get downhill and build up speed to punish defenders and pick up chunk plays. McDaniel is largely to blame for Hampton's ineffectiveness.

Rather than adjust his scheme to fit his players, McDaniel has stubbornly taken snaps and touches away from Hampton and given them to backups Kimani Vidal and Keaton Mitchell. The results haven't been great.

Omarion Hampton explosive runs (gain of 12+ yards) in the 2025 season. https://t.co/FmQ2HdiXle

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) June 11, 2026

Hampton's talent is evident when you turn on his 2025 tape. It turns out that former Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman is a far better run game schemer than McDaniel is. From a trade perspective, it's hard to see Hampton becoming an RB1 in fantasy football this year.

He's more of a dynasty buy-low than a redraft buy-low. In dynasty leagues, you should be doing whatever you can to get him at a reasonable price because he's a fantastic talent. The Chargers just need to clean house and hire better coaches for him to ascend to RB1 status.

David Montgomery, RB, Houston Texans

Many fantasy managers were excited about the prospect of drafting a running back who was projected to have a massive amount of touches in 2026, yet had just a fourth-round ADP in fantasy football drafts. It hasn't worked out very well for Montgomery (groin) so far.

He's dealing with a groin injury right now, but after his 28.9 PPR fantasy point detonation in Week 1, he averaged under 5.2 points in his next three games. That's enough to sink many fantasy teams early in the season.

COUNT 'EM 🗣️ That's three TDs for David Montgomery!

BUFvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/iUc7FIoNID

— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026

Since Week 1, he has averaged 1.7, 3.0, 2.4, and 2.2 yards per carry. Running behind one of the worst run-blocking offensive lines in the NFL hasn't helped. Houston's offense has been good overall, but that's due to the passing success.

Montgomery's rate of under 2.7 yards per rush on the season is simply dreadful. His backup, Woody Marks, averages over 3.5 yards per rush. That's not a stellar rate by any means, but he's simply looked better on film.

Woody Marks is wide open and gets the @HoustonTexans just inside field goal range...

HOUvsJAX on NFL Network
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/kIkn1kIptN

— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2026

Marks also has more pass-catching upside. Buying low on Montgomery probably isn't a great idea. It's possible he starts to lose touches to his backup, especially if he keeps up his poor efficiency.

TreVeyon Henderson, RB, New England Patriots

Henderson's issues were largely glossed over by the fantasy football community last season. They've come back to bite him in a big way this year. He's one of the least-efficient RBs in the NFL at breaking tackles, and his elusiveness is in major question.

It was like this last season, too. He needs to have a wide-open lane to run through on inside runs, or he's essentially a detriment to the offense. He's also not a very efficient receiver, struggles with pass-blocking, and always seems to go down at first meaningful contact.

Defense is SWARMING

📺: Prime Video https://t.co/XUbnYWY7Jp

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 23, 2026

Though Patriots RB1 Rhamondre Stevenson has struggled with fumbles in recent seasons, he's a better pass blocker, better receiver, better rusher, and has better vision. He's also better at remaining upright through contact.

There is no reason to think things will change. We know exactly who Henderson is at this point, and it's been clear since his college days when he was actively bad for the team on inside runs and didn't have a goal-line role.

He's a track athlete with football pads on.

Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Houston Texans

Harrison started off the year with the Arizona Cardinals, but it didn't take long before the Texans traded for him. That was a bad idea, and it could be detrimental to the offense. From a fantasy perspective, Harrison has been perhaps the biggest bust in dynasty fantasy leagues in recent years.

And in redraft, he hasn't fared much better. He has yet to log a game with double-digit PPR fantasy points this year. In two games with the Texans, he's caught four passes for 40 yards and one touchdown.

A Marvin Harrison drop with nothing but green grass in front of him.

📺: FOX/FOX One https://t.co/rVRQBswG6W

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 25, 2026

Harrison has never caught his stride in the NFL. He still struggles with drops, and though he looks to be playing with more effort in Houston, he now has an extremely crowded pass-catching room to fight through.

Things aren't looking up for him this season. He may have a good game here and there, but the passing offense is so diffuse in Houston that it'll be tough for him to become a weekly starter.

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