Biggest Fantasy Football Busts Of The Week - Fantasy Outlooks For Sam Darnold, Tyreek Hill, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, George Pickens, Jordan Addison, More

January 6, 2025

Several NFL players underwhelmed in Week 18 of the 2024 fantasy football season. Andersen Pickard identifies busts at each position and their outlooks going forward.

The 18th and final Sunday of the 2024 NFL regular 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 18. These players simply did not meet fantasy expectations this week and it cost their managers in a big way.

Let's take a look at the biggest busts from Week 18 and their outlooks 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. The same is true for key starters who were on abnormally low snap counts in order to stay fresh ahead of the playoffs.

Fantasy Football Quarterback Busts

Carson Wentz, 4.9 FPTS

The Chiefs were blanked by the Broncos as Wentz finished with just 10 completions and 98 passing yards. Patrick Mahomes will be re-inserted as the team's starting quarterback in the Divisional Round.

Bengals fans to Carson Wentz pic.twitter.com/eRs5OFiCFx

— SportsBettingDime (@SBD) January 5, 2025

Sam Darnold, 9.3 FPTS

Darnold had a terrible night by his standards, delivering his worst fantasy showing since Week 10. The Vikings' starting quarterback completed just 43.9 percent of his passes for 166 yards and zero touchdowns in the loss to Detroit. Darnold and his Vikings will take on the Los Angeles Rams during the opening round of the NFL playoffs.

Fantasy Football Running Back Busts

Brian Robinson Jr., 2.6 FPTS

Robinson's decline has not been discussed enough lately. The Commanders' primary running back has just 28 carries over his last three games, amassing an underwhelming 13.6 fantasy points during that span. It's possible that Washington is just keeping him fresh for the playoffs, but his production (or lack thereof) has been concerning nonetheless.

Tony Pollard, 6.2 FPTS

Pollard's appearance on this list is primarily a result of him not catching a pass or scoring a touchdown. However, we should point out his inefficiency, too. The 27-year-old averaged just 2.8 yards per carry on 22 touches.

Jaylen Warren, 2.1 FPTS

The Steelers seemed to abandon their approach of feeding Warren, especially through the air. He registered just six carries and zero receptions in the loss to Cincinnati. It appears Najee Harris has returned to the lead-back role ahead of the NFL playoffs.

Steelers have a power back. His name is Najee Harris. They ask him to run speed back pitches. The Steelers have a speed back. His name is Jaylen Warren. They ask him to do power back things. This is why I hate the Steelers play calling.

— Kevin Adams (@KevinAdams26) January 5, 2025

Carson Steele, 4.7 FPTS

Steele rushed eight times for 25 yards on Sunday. He played more than half of the Chiefs' offensive snaps but couldn't get much going against Denver. Of course, he wasn't alone. Samaje Perine had a singular rush for one yard while Kansas City tallied just 98 passing yards.

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Busts

Tyreek Hill, 4.0 FPTS

Hill caught just two passes for 20 yards as he was outproduced by players like Jaylen Waddle, Malik Washington, and River Cracraft. His productivity has declined with Tyler Huntley under center, though he wasn't exactly elite with Tua Tagovailoa (hip) healthy, either.

For the first time since 2016, Hill finished with less than seven touchdowns and fewer than 1,000 receiving yards. His time in Miami could be coming to an end after hinting at a potential trade request.

Eye-opening comments from Tyreek Hill on his Dolphins future after 8-9 non-playoff season:

“I’m opening the door. I’m out bro. It was great playing here, but at the end of the day I got to do what’s best for my career. I’m too much of a competitor to be just out there.” https://t.co/v6BQeRgVoO

— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) January 6, 2025

Jordan Addison, 1.0 FPTS

Addison had his worst game of the season on Sunday night, catching just one of five targets for no gain. The 22-year-old did command a target in the end zone, but he wasn't able to haul in the pass from Darnold. Addison finishes the season as a low-end WR2 in fantasy football, and he should bounce back as a productive DFS and gambling option when the Vikings face the Rams next week.

Brandin Cooks, 4.0 FPTS

Trey Lance targeted Cooks nine times on Sunday, but he finished with just three catches for 15 yards. He also lost five yards in the rushing attack. The 31-year-old had been a steady contributor in the five games before Sunday's dud. Cooks will hit free agency in March, but he lacks fantasy appeal for the time being.

Jayden Reed, 5.1 FPTS

Reed had three carries, two receptions, and 51 total yards on Sunday, but he lost a fumble along the way. Green Bay's primary wide receiver has been nothing more than a low-end WR3/FLEX play for most of this season. The Packers' wide receiver room will likely remain crowded with Reed, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Dontayvion Wicks moving forward.

George Pickens, 1.0 FPTS

Pickens had just one catch for no gain on Saturday. To make matters worse, he dropped three passes. The 23-year-old was responsible for numerous miscues as the Steelers ultimately fell to Cincinnati by two points. Pickens remains a talented, young player, but he has not quite proven that he can be a dependable No. 1 receiver week in and week out.

A night to forget for George Pickens:

1 Rec
6 Targets
3 Drops
0 Rec Yards pic.twitter.com/EEk3G48rl4

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 5, 2025

Justin Jefferson, 8.4 FPTS

Jefferson delivered a modest performance on Sunday, but it was poor by his standards. He turned in his second-worst fantasy finish of the season, catching just three of nine passes thrown his way by Darnold. He should bounce back as a top five receiver for DFS and gambling purposes next weekend.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, 5.3 FPTS

Smith-Njigba caught four passes on Sunday, but he mustered just nine yards through the air and four yards on the ground. Seattle's second-year receiver turned in an abnormally low yardage total. This was likely an anomaly, though, and isn't a sign of things to come in 2025. The Ohio State product should rank as a mid-to-high WR2 heading into next year's fantasy drafts.

Keenan Allen, 3.5 FPTS

Allen caught three passes for 25 yards on Sunday, but he also threw an interception on a failed trick play. The veteran receiver has expressed that he will only consider playing for the Bears, Chargers, or Rams in 2025. Each of those teams already has established No. 1 receivers, leaving Allen in a complementary role where he'd likely rank as a fantasy WR3/FLEX.

Fantasy Football Tight End Busts

Jake Ferguson, 3.2 FPTS

Ferguson had another disappointing game, catching two passes for 12 yards against Washington. He is averaging just 23 yards per game over his last seven contests, dropping him outside the top 12 fantasy tight ends ahead of 2025.

Kyle Pitts, 3.5 FPTS

One week after scoring a touchdown, Pitts saw a reduction in volume once again. He caught two passes for 15 yards against the Panthers, delivering single-digit fantasy points for the eighth time over his last nine games. Fantasy managers should not trust Pitts as a top 12 tight end in 2025.

Kyle Pitts goes 2 rec for 15 yards

4th overall pick just running cardio every week

— Rise Up Penix (@RiseUpReader) January 5, 2025

T.J. Hockenson, 2.9 FPTS

Hockenson caught just two of his eight targets on Sunday night as Darnold struggled to locate his top pass-catchers. The 27-year-old hasn't been his dominant self since returning from an ACL tear, but he'll get a chance to bounce back against the Rams when the playoffs kick off next weekend.

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