RADIO
The eighth 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 8. 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 8, 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
Daniel Jones, 10.8 FPTS
Jones was held in check by the Seahawks, partly due to their success at shutting down his involvement in the rushing attack. After logging 107 yards on the ground last week, Jones was only able to run for 20 yards this Sunday. He also completed just 17 passes for 176 yards, failing to register a touchdown. Despite the disappointing performance, he still has QB2 appeal going forward and could be a strong streaming option when he returns from bye to play the Texans in Week 10.
Derek Carr, 2.95 FPTS
Carr was woeful against a Saints defense that really isn't that good. The veteran completed just 15 of 26 passes for 101 yards and one interception as the Raiders were shut out. He was also sacked three times, his highest mark since Week 1. Things got so bad that Jarrett Stidham was summoned to play late in the game. Carr has quickly fallen to the QB2 tier and is hard to trust, even against the Jaguars next week.
Malik Willis, 1.95 FPTS
There was some speculation that Willis, starting in place of Ryan Tannehill (illness), could use his mobility and element of surprise to pick apart the Texans' defense on Sunday. Instead, the Titans made the right choice and simply fed Derrick Henry nonstop. As a result, Willis finished with 55 passing yards, 12 rushing yards, three sacks, and one interception. He's worth stashing in dynasty leagues but should be avoided in redraft formats regardless of whether Tannehill returns as the starter next week.
Fantasy Football Running Back Busts
Josh Jacobs, 7.4 FPTS
Jacobs isn't the first Raider on this list, nor will he be the last. The RB5 entering Week 8, Jacobs amassed 43 rushing yards and 11 receiving yards during Sunday's painful loss. He should bounce back against the Jaguars next week, but he has seemingly dropped to the fringe RB1 range for the time being.
Darrell Henderson, 5.0 FPTS
Henderson was limited due to an illness and ultimately lost his role in the first-team offense to Ronnie Rivers. Henderson finished with 30 scrimmage yards while Rivers tallied 36, so it's not like either back had a good game. In general, the Rams' backfield struggled significantly versus the 49ers. Henderson will rank as a low-end RB3 in Week 9, but he remains a super risky play and should be avoided in most formats.
Brian Robinson Jr., 2.0 FPTS
Robinson's volume took a step back as he rushed just eight times for 20 yards against the Colts. Not only did he see low volume, but he was quite inefficient, averaging just 2.5 yards per carry. The 23-year-old isn't a reliable pass-catcher and therefore has a relatively low floor in fantasy football. He should be viewed as a mid-to-low RB3 on a weekly basis.
Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Busts
Davante Adams, 1.3 FPTS
You knew it was coming. Adams turned his five targets into one measly reception for just three yards on Sunday. There's no denying that he's an uber-talented wide receiver, but if the offense can't get going, Adams and his fantasy managers will suffer severely. He and his team have a chance to get right against the Jaguars in Week 9.
Courtland Sutton, 2.3 FPTS
Sutton hauled in just one pass for 13 yards during the Broncos' loss in London. There had been some optimism that he might bounce back with Russell Wilson healthy, but that evidently wasn't the case. Rather, Jerry Jeudy and Greg Dulcich played more significant receiving roles than Sutton. He is still worth rostering in most leagues, but it's difficult to justify starting him when he returns from bye in Week 10.
DeVonta Smith, 7.3 FPTS
The Eagles put on a show in Week 8, but it was all Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown. Smith was merely left to do the dirty work, hauling in five of eight targets for just 23 yards. This was a letdown after he produced at least 15 fantasy points in four of his first six games. At this point, it feels like Smith's value is dependent on breaking a big play, which could bode well for him as the Eagles take on a suspect Texans squad next week.
George Pickens, 0.0 FPTS
After averaging seven targets, five receptions, and 62 yards over his last five games, Pickens laid a goose egg in Week 8. He was unable to haul in any of his three targets as the Steelers lost to the Eagles. The flashy rookie still has FLEX appeal, but his floor will remain low as long as he is competing for opportunities with Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool.
Gabe Davis, 5.5 FPTS
Davis racked up just two catches for 35 yards this week. There's no denying his talent, but his stat line has certainly been inconsistent this season. In fact, the 23-year-old has zero games in which he has posted between 6.8 and 16.3 fantasy points in 2022. For now, he's the epitome of a boom-or-bust play. Fortunately, he might just be able to boom against the Jets in Week 9, especially if Stefon Diggs is held in check by Sauce Gardner.
Fantasy Football Tight End Busts
Tyler Higbee, 3.5 FPTS
It wasn't just the Rams' rushing attack that was hindered in Week 8. Higbee underwhelmed, catching just two passes for 15 yards in the loss to San Francisco. After looking like one of the most underrated tight ends through the first five weeks, Higbee has a total of just 5.2 fantasy points over his last two games. Behind alpha receiver Cooper Kupp, there are a lot of mouths to feed in the passing game, making it hard to fully trust Higbee week by week.
Juwan Johnson, 3.4 FPTS
Coming off a two-touchdown performance, Johnson had a chance to thrive with Adam Trautman, Michael Thomas, and Jarvis Landry all inactive. The result? Two catches for 14 yards. He belongs 0n waivers in most leagues, though you could still justify adding him for one week if your rostered tight ends are on bye.
Cade Otton, 3.5 FPTS
With Cameron Brate inactive, Otton had a chance to thrive. After all, the rookie totaled 20.7 fantasy points over the last two contests that Brate missed. His fortune ran out in Week 8, though, as he hauled in just two of five targets for 15 yards on Thursday night. Part of Otton's disappointing outing can be blamed on a frustrating dropped touchdown in the end zone. He should remain in the TE2 tier for the duration of Brate's absence.
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