Biggest Week 2 Busts: Fantasy Football Reactions for Trevor Lawrence, A.J. Brown, Joshua Kelley, Calvin Ridley

September 18, 2023

Several NFL players underwhelmed in Week 2 of the 2023 fantasy football season. Andersen identifies busts at each position and whether they'll bounce back.

The second 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 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.

Fantasy Football Quarterback Busts

Trevor Lawrence, 9.24 FPTS

Lawrence had an uninspiring Sunday, completing just 22 of 41 passes for 216 yards. He tallied an additional 26 yards on the ground. The former No. 1 overall pick didn't throw any interceptions, but he also finished with zero touchdowns, four sacks, and one lost fumble. He'll look to bounce back next week versus a struggling Texans team.

Fantasy Football Running Back Busts

Joshua Kelley, 3.9 FPTS

After a huge Week 1, Kelley was slated for more production with Austin Ekeler (ankle) sidelined. Instead, he rushed 13 times for just 39 yards and did not get involved in the passing game. Kelley only has fantasy appeal going forward if Ekeler misses additional time.

Alexander Mattison, 4.9 FPTS

Mattison had a tough outing on Thursday night, registering just eight rushes for 28 yards on the ground and three receptions for an additional 11 yards through the air. He also lost a fumble in the contest. Heading into Week 3 versus the Chargers, fantasy managers should view Mattison as nothing more than an RB3/Flex play.

Dameon Pierce, 5.5 FPTS

Pierce was quite inefficient on Sunday, rushing 15 times for a mere 31 yards. He has been quite disappointing through the first two weeks, largely due to offensive line injuries and poor offensive play in general. The second-year back should improve a little when the Texans get healthier in the trenches, but Houston is still going to spend most of its season playing from behind. Pierce falls to the RB3/Flex tier going forward.

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Busts

A.J. Brown, 6.9 FPTS

Brown hauled in just four of six targets for 29 yards on Thursday Night Football. He was drastically outproduced by DeVonta Smith and D'Andre Swift, and Brown's subpar outing led to a viral sideline spat between him and quarterback Jalen Hurts. Brown is still an incredibly talented receiver who should continue to be viewed as a low-end WR1.

Calvin Ridley, 5.2 FPTS

Ridley's struggles were a product of the Lawrence-led Jaguars struggling against Kansas City. The talented receiver couldn't replicate his big Week 1 and ultimately showed that he is still human. Fantasy managers should expect some occasional dud games from Ridley, though he remains a high-end WR2 week in and week out.

Fantasy Football Tight End Busts

Kyle Pitts, 3.5 FPTS

Dud games have become all too common for Kyle Pitts as he opens his fourth career season. The Falcon contributed just two catches for 15 yards and was not a major factor as Atlanta continues to go run-heavy on a weekly basis. Pitts is a low-end TE1 going forward, and he would likely slide even further in rankings if not for his athleticism and talent.

Tyler Higbee, 4.2 FPTS

Higbee was peppered with seven targets Sunday, but he hauled in just three passes for 12 yards. A result like this stung even in PPR leagues, not to mention standard formats. To his defense, Higbee faced a stellar 49ers defense that controlled most of the game. He should be a fringe low-end TE1 versus the Bengals next week.

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