Biggest Fantasy Football Busts Of The Week - Fantasy Outlooks For Matthew Stafford, Rachaad White, Tank Dell, Travis Kelce, Sam LaPorta, more

September 16, 2024

Several NFL players underwhelmed in Week 2 of the 2024 fantasy football season. Andersen Pickard identifies busts at each position and if they'll bounce back.

The second 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 2. These players simply did not meet fantasy expectations coming out of the draft, and it cost their managers in a big way.

Let's take a look at the biggest busts from Week 2, 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

Jayden Daniels, 8.44 FPTS

Daniels is the highest scorer in this article, but his performance was still underwhelming. After all, people expected more from a running quarterback going against the Giants. Washington managed to win, but they didn't score any touchdowns.

Matthew Stafford, 2.64 FPTS

Stafford was already without Puka Nacua (knee), and he also lost Cooper Kupp (ankle) midway through this one. Still, he should have performed better than he did. The veteran ultimately finished with five sacks, a lost fumble, and zero touchdowns against a Cardinals defense that isn't supposed to be very good.

It’s really weird how Matthew Stafford is all of a sudden holding onto the ball too long, taking sacks and fumbling. No getting rid of the ball quickly is a choice

— Johnny Buckets (@JohnnyBuckets9) September 15, 2024

Caleb Williams, 4.20 FPTS

Williams had another shaky start, throwing two interceptions while racking up just 174 passing yards. He's averaging less than four fantasy points per game so far and cannot be trusted in lineups ahead of Week 3 versus the Colts.

Fantasy Football Running Back Busts

Rachaad White, 3.3 FPTS

The Buccaneers were cruising in Week 2, but most of their production came from Chris Godwin. White rushed 10 times for 18 yards and caught just one pass. He should be able to bounce back as a low-end RB1 next week against the struggling Broncos.

Zack Moss, 5.7 FPTS

Moss registered a dozen touches Sunday, but he mustered just 2.8 yards per carry. He's not seeing the volume of a lead back, which means his fantasy value will likely be heavily dependent on touchdowns going forward. He drops to the RB3 range against Washington next week.

Ezekiel Elliott, 5.2 FPTS

The Cowboys couldn't get anything going against New Orleans, and Elliott was no exception. The veteran running back rushed just six times for 16 yards while catching a pair of passes. Things won't get much easier when the Cowboys take on the Ravens' solid defense next week. Elliott will be a mid-to-low RB3 heading into that matchup.

#Cowboys Week 2 RB Usage

- Rico Dowdle: 44% snaps, 7 carries, 15 routes, 5 targets (59 yds)
- Ezekiel Elliott: 39% snaps, 6 carries, 17 routes, 3 targets (32 yds)
- Deuce Vaughn: 14% snaps, 4 carries, 5 routes, 1 target (17 yds)

Can't trust anyone here

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) September 15, 2024

More Running Back Busts:

• Zamir White - 6.8 FPTS
• Tyjae Spears - 5.1 FPTS
• Jeff Wilson Jr. - 3.2 FPTS

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Busts

Michael Pittman Jr., 5.1 FPTS

The Colts fell into an early hole against the Packers. While they did make a late surge, it wasn't enough to generate significant production from Pittman. He's had trouble forming a rapport with Anthony Richardson through two games and will drop to the WR3 tier next week. He's no longer a must-start receiver.

George Pickens, 4.9 FPTS

Pickens had a great Week 1 with Justin Fields at quarterback, but the two had a much less exciting connection this Sunday. Pickens caught just two passes for 29 yards as most of the Steelers' production came from Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth.

Of course, it should be noted that Pickens had two big plays called back due to penalties. The Steelers' top receiver remains a WR3 option heading into next week versus the Chargers.

The world deserves 5 more years of insane Justin Fields to George Pickens highlights erased by penalties pic.twitter.com/a5yeHK7iMp

— Chuck Bass (@ChuckFBass) September 15, 2024

Amari Cooper, 4.1 FPTS

The Browns won this week, but it didn't benefit Cooper very much. Through two games, he has just five catches for 27 yards. Managers can justify benching him despite next week's enticing game script against the Giants.

Christian Kirk, 0.9 FPTS

Kirk has two catches this season — and his lone reception this Sunday went for a loss of one yard. He should be benched in most leagues heading into Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills.

Tank Dell, 2.3 FPTS

Dell finished with one catch for negative three receiving yards, though he also added 16 rushing yards. It was a frustrating performance from the second-year receiver as he clearly operated behind both Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs. This competition for touches will leave him in the WR3 tier for Week 3 against the Vikings.

More Wide Receiver Busts:

Fantasy Football Tight End Busts

Travis Kelce, 1.6 FPTS

The Chiefs have started 2-0 despite not featuring Kelce much in the passing game. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, this might continue because Kansas City has so many weapons on offense. Some weeks will be Travis Kelce weeks; others will belong to someone like Rashee Rice, Isiah Pacheco, or Xavier Worthy. Don't overthink it, though: Kelce should be in your lineup every week.

Travis Kelce's totals through two games:

- Four receptions
- 39 yards
- Zero touchdowns pic.twitter.com/J2gSa6ZmcV

— Kris Pursiainen (@krispursiainen) September 15, 2024

Sam LaPorta, 3.3 FPTS

The Lions have looked less than convincing through two weeks. While Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, and David Montgomery have continued to be heavily featured, the same isn't true for LaPorta. With that said, he still has an overall TE1 upside and should be started in all leagues.

Juwan Johnson, 0.0 FPTS

One week after totaling 26 yards and a touchdown, Johnson was not targeted against the Cowboys. This could be a result of New Orleans going run-heavy since they took such an early lead. You can't argue the stats, though, and the numbers suggest that Johnson isn't startable going forward. He can be avoided in Week 3 against the Eagles.

More Tight End Busts:

• Isaiah Likely - 4.6 FPTS

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