RADIO
Several NFL players underwhelmed in Week 2 of the 2022 fantasy football season. Andersen identifies busts at each position, and whether they'll bounce back.
The second NFL Sunday of the 2022 season has come and gone. Hopefully, you woke up on Monday morning feeling very good about how your week 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, 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.
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Fantasy Football Quarterback Busts
Russell Wilson, 15.3 FPTS
Wilson completed a mere 14 of 31 passes for just 219 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in Week 2. He was also sacked three times. Quite frankly, it was hard to see a difference between this Broncos team and the 2021 Broncos quarterbacked by Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater. After all, one would have imagined that Wilson could expose a suspect Texans defense. Although Denver won, it was certainly not a convincing first victory of the year. Wilson will drop to a borderline top-12 quarterback when he takes on a relentless 49ers defense in Week 3.
Matt Ryan, 3.75 FPTS
To be fair, Ryan's struggles were partly a product of injuries to Michael Pittman Jr. (quad) and Alec Pierce (concussion). Still, there were fantasy managers who had optimism about him after he posted 20.8 fantasy points in Week 1. Indianapolis could not get anything going against the Jaguars, whether it be on the ground or through the air. In addition to totaling 195 yards, zero touchdowns, and three interceptions, Ryan was sacked five times. Even in a potentially high-scoring affair against the Chiefs next week, Ryan should be left on the bench in fantasy football due to his terrible showing this past Sunday.
Fantasy Football Running Back Busts
Jonathan Taylor, 7.3 FPTS
Speak of the devil. After an impressive Week 1 performance, Taylor fell victim to the Colts' struggles in Jacksonville in Week 2. When all was said and done, he had just 54 rushing yards and nine receiving yards to his name. There's no denying that Taylor is elite and he should bounce back, so fantasy managers can feel comfortable about starting him in their lineups next week. Still, fantasy managers were hurt badly by his outing this past Sunday, especially after there was some expectation that Pittman's absence would create more touches for Taylor.
Rashaad Penny, 1.5 FPTS
Penny didn't do a whole lot in Week 1, but he was solid when called upon and therefore fantasy managers hoped for a decent outing in Week 2. Instead, they suffered a rude awakening in the form of his six carries for 15 yards. The Seahawks' running game was abysmal as a whole, which could become a trend for an offense that will be playing from behind a lot this season. Fantasy managers should not insert Penny into their starting lineups unless absolutely desperate.
Chase Edmonds, 5.1 FPTS
Edmonds registered just six touches and 41 yards in Week 2, and 28 of those yards came on one big run in the final minute of play versus the Ravens. All in all, Edmonds was used far less often than Raheem Mostert, which was a complete reversal from the backfield arrangement in Week 1. It remains to be seen what the splits will look like going forward, but managers invested in Edmonds should look for points elsewhere until the Miami backfield gains some much-needed clarity.
Kenyan Drake, 0.8 FPTS
In Week 1, hopes were high for Mike Davis, who responded with just 11 rushing yards. Fantasy managers thought they figured out what the Ravens' backfield might look like, so they pivoted to Drake in Week 2. The result? Six carries for eight rushing yards. Both Davis and Drake became nearly irrelevant on Sunday, much to the disappointment of fantasy managers who deemed themselves savvy after adding the latter when J.K. Dobbins (knee) was ruled out at the last minute. Until Dobbins comes back, the Ravens don't have a running back who should be started in fantasy football.
Darnell Mooney, 0.6 FPTS
Mooney finds himself in the "bust" category for the second consecutive week, but this time, we can't use poor weather as an excuse. Mooney was targeted just twice in the Bears' primetime loss, finishing with one catch for negative four yards. He was out-targeted and out-produced by Equanimeous St. Brown once again. Logically, it would make sense for him to get back on track eventually. After all, there aren't a whole lot of mouths to feed in Chicago so the touches have to go somewhere. However, until this happens, it would be wise to bench Mooney.
Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Busts
Davante Adams, 9.2 FPTS
It's hard to call someone a bust when they score a touchdown and close in on double-digit points, but Adams was truly a letdown in Week 2. Only seven days removed from his epic Raiders debut, Adams caught just two passes for 12 yards and a score against the Cardinals. He is still a top-tier wide receiver who falls into the "set and forget" category, but there's no denying that his performance on Sunday hurt many fantasy managers.
DK Metcalf, 7.5 FPTS
Metcalf fell victim to the Seahawks' offensive woes on Sunday afternoon in Santa Clara. He hauled in just four passes for 35 yards, marking his second consecutive week with single-digit fantasy points. It hurts to see a player with so much potential underwhelm on a consistent basis, but this might be a common occurrence for a large chunk of Metcalf's tenure in Seattle. As hard as it may be to move him to your bench, it's even more difficult to justify starting him in fantasy football.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, 4.00 FPTS
Smith-Schuster's underwhelming finish came on Thursday night as he caught just three passes for 10 yards. Quite simply, the Chiefs put him on the field (he finished with a 74 percent snap share) but Patrick Mahomes didn't look his way often. He still falls into the WR3 tier going forward, but his Week 2 performance provided proof that no one Chiefs wide receiver is going to emerge as a stud week in and week out. Rather, the Chiefs will spread the ball around, and as a result, players like Smith-Schuster are going to have "bust" weeks.
Fantasy Football Tight End Busts
Kyle Pitts, 3.9 FPTS
For the second week in a row, Pitts finished with two catches and 19 receiving yards. Even as the Falcons' offense tried to mount a late comeback against the Rams, Pitts was not very involved. It's far too early to panic and bench him, but it's fair to temper your expectations going forward. The second-year tight end simply hasn't provided the production that we expected.
T.J. Hockenson, 5.6 FPTS
We saw a glimpse of it in 2021 and it remains true so far this season: the Lions will prioritize getting the ball to players like D'Andre Swift and Amon-Ra St. Brown over Hockenson. The tight end was still involved on Sunday (three catches and 26 yards), but he was an afterthought compared to Swift and St. Brown as those two players combined for 56.1 fantasy points. Hockenson should still be started in fantasy football, but managers might view him as a mid-to-low TE1 going forward.
Hunter Henry, 0.0 FPTS
Henry's four fantasy points last week were alarming. Then, he registered one target and zero catches in Week 2. Regardless of whether this is a product of the Patriots' new offensive scheme or a poor relationship between Mac Jones and his tight ends, Henry's value has dropped significantly. He should be viewed as a mid-to-high TE2 for the time being. Fantasy managers invested in Henry would be wise to explore other options until he can get back on track.
Cole Kmet, 0.0 FPTS
For the second week in a row, Kmet finished with one target and zero catches. The Bears' passing attack (and offense as a whole) struggled against the Packers on Sunday night. Chicago's schedule does get easier over the next four weeks, so fantasy managers should not give up on Kmet just yet. However, it would be wise to insert a different tight end into your lineups until Kmet shows that he is back.
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