Biggest Fantasy Football Busts of the Week - Fantasy Outlooks for Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Njoku

December 4, 2023

Several NFL players underwhelmed in Week 13 of the 2023 fantasy football season. Andersen Pickard identifies busts at each position and whether they'll bounce back.

The 13th 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 13. 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 13, 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

Justin Herbert, 7.98 FPTS

Herbert had one of his quietest games of the season, tallying 212 passing yards and zero touchdowns. Those stats hindered his fantasy output despite the fact that he played turnover-free football and led Los Angeles to victory. It's possible that poor weather factored into his tough outing, giving managers optimism about his chances to bounce back in Week 14 versus Denver.

Fantasy Football Running Back Busts

Austin Ekeler, 4.7 FPTS

Ekeler posted a miserable 1.3 yards per carry on Sunday, drastically failing to reach his projection. The veteran seems to have lost a step lately, tallying just 114 rushing yards, zero touchdowns, and two lost fumbles over his last three games. Even with a juicy matchup against the Broncos on tap, Ekeler might drop to the RB2 tier in Week 14.

Zack Moss, 7.7 FPTS

The Titans' run defense once again showed that it is no joke. Moss mustered just 2.68 YPC, failing to find the end zone in his first start since Jonathan Taylor injured his thumb. The 25-year-old is primed to bounce back against the Bengals next week, ranking as a fantasy RB2.

Jahmyr Gibbs, 6.4 FPTS

Gibbs rushed for 60 yards on Sunday, but he saw less than half as many touches as David Montgomery. To make matters worse, when Gibbs broke off a long run that ended near the goal line, his touchdown was vultured by Montgomery. The rookie will return to the fantasy RB2 tier against Chicago next week.

Jaylen Warren, 6.5 FPTS

A favorable matchup against the Cardinals did not produce results for Warren (or the Steelers as a whole). The Steelers found themselves in an early hole and Warren was held to just 55 scrimmage yards on 10 touches. Pittsburgh's next matchup? The Patriots, who have held Austin Ekeler and Saquon Barkley to a combined 2.46 YPC over the last two weeks. It'll be tough to trust Warren as anything more than an RB3/FLEX option on Thursday night.

Devin Singletary, 5.0 FPTS

In his return from a four-game absence, Dameon Pierce ate into Singletary's workload. Neither player had particularly good games, though Pierce did salvage his fantasy production by finding the end zone. Both players are fringe top-36 options at the running back position heading into Week 14, though a matchup with the Jets certainly raises their ceilings.

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Busts

Adam Thielen, 5.5 FPTS

Thielen caught just three passes for 25 yards on Sunday and was significantly out-produced by rookie Jonathan Mingo for the second consecutive week. It may be tough to justify benching him just yet, but managers definitely have to consider that option as the fantasy playoffs approach. He'll face the Saints in Week 14.

Terry McLaurin, 0.0 FPTS

McLaurin delivered a dud on Sunday, failing to haul in any of his three targets. It was a disappointing game for the Commanders all around, giving them plenty to work on as they enter their Week 14 bye.

Josh Downs, 4.4 FPTS

Downs has quieted down since his big midseason run, and he was even out-produced by Alec Pierce this week. Fantasy managers were surely hoping for more production out of the wide receiver given his big role in one of the NFL's best scoring offenses. For Week 14, he's a fringe top-36 fantasy option at the position.

Drake London, 1.8 FPTS

The Jets' secondary is the real deal. London turned five targets into just one reception for eight yards. It was his quietest outing since Week 1, though he should bounce back next week against the Buccaneers.

Noah Brown, 0.0 FPTS

Fantasy managers were expecting big things from Brown after he totaled 325 receiving yards over his last two games. Instead, he was held without a reception even after rookie sensation Tank Dell (fibula) suffered a season-ending injury in the first half. Perhaps a full week of practice will allow the veteran to get back on track. The Texans face the Jets in Week 14.

Fantasy Football Tight End Busts

David Njoku, 3.7 FPTS

Njoku's streak of six consecutive double-digit fantasy performances (PPR) came to an end on Sunday. Joe Flacco kept the Browns competitive against the Rams but did not rely on Njoku too often. The 27-year-old is a high-end TE2 for Week 14 but could see his value rise if Dorian Thompson-Robinson (head) clears concussion protocol.

Logan Thomas, 2.0 FPTS

Thomas didn't record an official catch Sunday, though he did contribute a two-point conversion. The 32-year-old has just two receptions for 15 yards over his last two contests, dropping him to the TE2 tier when Washington returns from its Week 14 bye.

Juwan Johnson, 0.0 FPTS

Johnson had been trending up over the last few weeks, especially after commanding seven targets in his last game. However, neither Derek Carr nor Jameis Winston looked his way this Sunday. The 27-year-old should be left on benches or waivers heading into Week 14.

Cade Otton, 0.0 FPTS

For the first time this season, Otton was held without a target. This dud outing was likely an anomaly, though he's certainly difficult to trust heading into Week 14. Fantasy managers should leave him on the bench until he proves worthy of being started again.

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