Biggest Fantasy Football Busts of the Week - Fantasy Outlooks for Patrick Mahomes, Derrick Henry, Nico Collins, Isaiah Likely

October 26, 2026

Several NFL players underwhelmed in Week 7 of the 2026 fantasy football season. Andersen Pickard identifies busts at each position and if they'll bounce back.

Week 7 of the 2026 NFL season had a little bit of everything, including a winless team getting back into the win column and two undefeated teams picking up their first loss. 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, Week 7 wasn't a positive experience for every player. A common trend 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 7.

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. Players who were limited due to injury are exempt from being featured.

Fantasy Football Quarterback Busts

Daniel Jones, 4.6 FPTS

We were expecting a quiet game from Jones against the Vikings' relentless defense, but even this performance failed to meet expectations. The 29-year-old had just 108 yards and one interception. He can be dropped to waivers in all leagues with 14 or fewer teams.

Baker Mayfield, 8.7 FPTS

Mayfield didn't throw much in his return from injury, but only because it wasn't necessary. He attempted just 11 passes, and the Bucs still managed to defeat the Panthers 43-13. He'll look to bounce back as a high-end QB2 in the weeks to come.

Patrick Mahomes, 7.0 FPTS

The Chiefs mustered just three points on Sunday night, and Mahomes had numerous issues with accuracy. The 31-year-old finished Week 7 with just 165 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. He'll look to bounce back as a QB1 against the Broncos in Week 8, but the potential return of Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II (ankle) will surely hurt his stock.

Patrick Mahomes is averaging 12.4 fantasy PPG in his last 4 games

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) October 26, 2026

Bryce Young, 9.4 FPTS

Young completed just 14 of his 27 pass attempts for 163 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions on Sunday afternoon. This game was certainly an anomaly for Young, who entered Week 7 with 12 touchdowns and just two turnovers through his first five games this season. He should bounce back as a high-end QB2 for fantasy purposes in Week 8.

Fantasy Football Running Back Busts

Kenneth Walker III, 9.7 FPTS

9.7 points doesn't usually qualify a player as a bust, but this performance was notable for Walker in his return to Seattle. He had just 36 rushing yards on 14 carries, and he added four catches for an additional 21 receiving yards. Walker will turn around and prepare for the Broncos in Week 8. When he faced Denver back in Week 1, Walker exploded for 191 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns.

Derrick Henry, 5.9 FPTS

Henry appears on this list for a second week in a row. Over the last two games combined, he has a total of 10.9 fantasy points. He finished this Sunday's game with 17 rushing attempts but just 2.65 yards per carry. It has been an uncharacteristic stretch for Henry, perhaps because the offense has lost an element of surprise with Lamar Jackson (ankle) sidelined.

Derrick Henry has scored less than 6 fantasy points in 2 straight games

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) October 25, 2026

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Busts

Xavier Worthy, 4.1 FPTS

Even with Rashee Rice (hamstring, knee) inactive, Worthy was unable to produce at a high level in fantasy football. The Chiefs scored just three points on Sunday Night Football, and Worthy finished with a modest three catches for 11 yards. He will be benched in most leagues if Rice ends up returning to action in Week 8.

Garrett Wilson, 4.6 FPTS

Wilson was held to just two catches against the Dolphins, despite the Jets operating with a negative game script. For the second week in a row, he was out-produced by Omar Cooper Jr., who had five catches, 115 yards, and one touchdown. Going forward, Wilson is still a solid WR2 option, but he has a lower floor than other similarly-ranked players.

Denzel Boston, 5.7 FPTS

Boston underperformed for the second week in a row, catching just three of his eight targets. We're starting to get concerned that he has caught just four of his last 13 targets, and he only has a 47.6% catch rate through the first seven games of his rookie season. He's falling to the low-end WR3/flex tier for Week 8 against Pittsburgh.

A.J. Brown, 7.8 FPTS

Brown's second game back from injured reserve was only slightly better than his first game back. He caught just three of six targets for 48 yards, and he now has just six catches on 16 targets over the last two weeks. We know that Brown has superstar talent, but he'll have a lower floor in fantasy football until he finds his groove again.

Jalen Coker, 1.9 FPTS

Coker had his worst game of the season, just one game removed from a solid showing in Week 6. In the Panthers' ugly loss to the Buccaneers, he finished with just four targets, one catch, and nine yards. He has previously proven that he can coexist alongside Tetairoa McMillan, so we'd expect him to bounce back as a low-end WR2 or high-end WR3 in Week 8.

Wan'Dale Robinson, 4.7 FPTS

In one of the weirdest stat lines you'll see today, Robinson caught four passes for just seven yards. He had two catches for positive yardage, one for negative yardage, and one for no gain. Presumably, his range of yardage outcomes will be higher in Week 8, putting him back in WR3 territory against Cincinnati.

Germie Bernard, 5.7 FPTS

Bernard had more than 40 PPR points over his last two games prior to this week, but he came back down to earth against the Saints in Paris, France. The 22-year-old had a modest three catches on five targets, producing just 27 yards and zero touchdowns. He remains the No. 2 option behind DK Metcalf and should rank as a high-ceiling WR3/flex in Week 8 against Cleveland.

Chris Godwin Jr., 6.7 FPTS

Godwin was expected to step up with Emeka Egbuka (concussion, foot) inactive. Instead, the veteran pass-catcher was held to just four catches on five targets. With that being said, Godwin is blameless for this dud performance, as Baker Mayfield only attempted 11 passes throughout the course of the game.

Nico Collins, 2.6 FPTS

Giants cornerback Deonte Banks did a great job limiting Collins to just two catches for six yards on Sunday. The 27-year-old turned in one of the worst fantasy performances of his career, as well as his first game this season with fewer than 10 fantasy points. Houston's receiver room is a little crowded, but Collins should bounce back as a high-end WR2 on the other side of his Week 8 bye.

Nico Collins

— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) October 26, 2026

DK Metcalf, 7.6 FPTS

This fantasy output represents Metcalf's median performance so far this season; he has three better and three worse games to this point. He was held to just two targets as the Steelers went run-heavy against the Saints. He has a lower floor but higher ceiling heading into Week 8 against the Browns, who just surrendered 69 yards to Carnell Tate.

Jaylin Noel, 1.7 FPTS

Noel caught two passes for negative three yards in the Texans' loss to the Giants. Quarterback C.J. Stroud completed just 10 passes to wide receivers, so Noel wasn't the only pass-catcher with a subpar performance. With that being said, Houston suddenly has a crowded receiver room, which means the 24-year-old projects as a low-floor WR3 on the other side of the Texans' bye week.

Josh Downs, 3.8 FPTS

Downs turned in his worst fantasy performance of the season, catching just two passes for 18 yards. He hasn't posted more than nine fantasy points in a game since Week 3, despite the fact that the Colts' offense has been without Alec Pierce (heel) and also didn't have Tyler Warren (groin) on Sunday. Downs can be benched in most fantasy leagues.

Justin Jefferson, 8.4 FPTS

There are worse bust outings than this one, but Jefferson still bears mentioning. He had just four catches for 44 yards, even as the Vikings improved to 6-0 and remained the only undefeated team in football. Minnesota wins games because of its defense, but we still would have expected a little more production from Jefferson, who was averaging 15.9 fantasy points per game before this week.

Fantasy Football Tight End Busts

Sam LaPorta, 2.8 FPTS

LaPorta had a frustrating National Tight Ends Day as he caught just one pass for 18 yards. Equally concerning is the fact that quarterback Jared Goff targeted him just twice throughout the game. Even after a dud outing, we'd still turn around and trust LaPorta as a mid-range TE1 for Week 8 against the Vikings.

Tyler Higbee, 3.4 FPTS

We expected Higbee to have a bigger day with Davante Adams (hamstring) on injured reserve, but instead, he operated as the Rams' No. 3 tight end behind Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen. The veteran's fantasy outlook will only get murkier going forward, as Terrance Ferguson (ankle) is eligible to be activated from injured reserve any week now.

Isaiah Likely, 3.2 FPTS

Likely's impressive stretch of games came to a screeching halt on Sunday, as he caught just two passes for 12 yards. This was quarterback J.J. McCarthy's first start as a Giant, so managers should consider the possibility that he and Likely don't have an established rapport yet. As a result, Likely will be a low-end TE1 when he returns to action in Week 9 against the Eagles.

Juwan Johnson, 1.7 FPTS

An ugly stretch continues for Johnson, who went from four double-digit games in a row to three consecutive games with fewer than 6.0 fantasy points. He has already been losing volume to wide receivers Chris Olave and DeVaugh Vele, and his target share could decline even further with Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) expected to return in Week 9.

We sold high on Juwan Johnson WEEKS ago

— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) October 25, 2026

Cade Otton, 0.0 FPTS

The Buccaneers blew out the Panthers on Sunday, but Otton was held to just one target and zero catches. This performance was the product of a run-heavy approach, as Mayfield only attempted 11 passes. Otton should be more involved in Week 8, but he's still not a reliable fantasy starter.

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