X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Biggest Busts of 2018 - Wide Receiver

With the 2018 fantasy football season at an end, Craig Rondinone analyzes the biggest busts at the wide receiver position based on ADP and draft cost for the 2018 NFL year.

The NFL might be a passing league these days, but there were still plenty of busts at the wide receiver position in fantasy football in 2018.

17 wide receivers broke the 1,000-yard barrier in this season. Eight receivers had 100 receptions or more. Guess what? None of them are mentioned in this column. I am here to focus on the receivers that laid eggs the Easter Bunny would be proud of. These are the guys who cost fantasy football players titles and prize money because they did not deliver the numbers they were expected to.

Here are fantasy football’s biggest busts of 2018 at wide receiver!

Editor's Note: Identify fantasy football draft busts, overvalued ADPs, and key players to avoid so you can draft with confidence this season.

 

Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos/Houston Texans

2018 Stats:  59 receptions, 675 yards, 5 TD

I can assure you as a fair fantasy football journalist that I am not highlighting Thomas in this article simply because he hurt my fantasy squad more than he helped it this season with his inconsistent antics. I think I speak for everyone and anyone who owned Thomas in 2018 that we expected a little more from a man who averaged 1,303 receiving yards per year over the past six seasons than 675 yards, a shortage of targets, several dropped passes and a torn Achilles.

You can argue that Thomas should be a double bust since he failed to live up to expectations with both Denver AND Houston. In Denver, he was overshadowed by top target Emmanuel Sanders and newcomer Courtland Sutton whenever Case Keenum would throw his dying quails downfield, while in Houston he had one good game during his seven-game stretch as a Texan – and many of his owners, including yours truly, probably did not use him that week because he had not been doing anyone any fantasy favors with his numbers. Hopefully, Thomas rebounds from his major injury and gets himself back into the good graces of fantasy players next season.

 

Marvin Jones Jr., Detroit Lions

2018 Stats:  35 receptions, 508 yards, 5 TD

Jones has always been known as one of the streakiest receivers in fantasy football. For a month, he will be a ghost that we barely hear a peep from, then the following month he will be the second coming of Jerry Rice. This is why Jones has frustrated fantasy owners over the years, but he was coming off the best season of his career after giving fantasy players 61 receptions for 1,101 yards and nine touchdowns in 2017 and was a top-15 WR on many fantasy draft boards in August.

Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford spread his passes out more than he usually does, however. Instead of a two-way target split between Jones and Golden Tate, it was a three-way split due to the emergence of flashy Kenny Golladay. Jones only topped the 70-yard plateau in one of his nine contests and then suffered a season-ending injury that ruined the second half of his year. Jones should bounce back in 2019, but that does not help the fantasy owners who had him in 2018.

 

Chris Hogan, New England Patriots

2018 Stats:  35 receptions, 532 yards, 3 TD

It pains me to put Hogan on this list when he is from my alma mater of Monmouth University in central New Jersey. I wish I was writing glowingly about how he and Tom Brady had a Bradley Cooper/Lady Gaga type chemistry and combined for countless touchdowns and led me and millions of others to fantasy riches and championships. Instead of being one of fantasy football’s biggest booms, though, he was one of its biggest busts.

Hogan had everything going for him entering the 2018 season. Julian Edelman was suspended for the first four games, tight end Rob Gronkowski seemed more interested in Hollywood than the NFL, and the Patriots did not bring in any big-time pass catchers during the offseason (Phillip Dorsett?). The world was his oyster. Yet during the first month when Edelman was out, all Hogan could muster was 109 receiving yards and two scores. Hogan was so bad at separating from cornerbacks that the Patriots had to take a gamble on Josh Gordon, who helped to make Hogan irrelevant fantasy-wise for much of the season. Hogan proved he is a No. 3 WR in the NFL and a non-factor in fantasy leagues unless you use him in the perfect one-week spot.

 

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

2018 Stats:  69 receptions, 734 yards, 6 TD

Fitzgerald is a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. We all know this. Fantasy players who owned him in 2018 wish he did not have the worst year of his storied career when they had him on their fantasy squads, however. Fitzgerald had his lowest amount of receiving yards of any of his 15 seasons, the second-lowest amount of catches in over a decade, and only had one 100-yard-game. If you thought Carolina’s D.J. Moore, Tampa Bay’s Chris Godwin, and Atlanta’s Mohamed Sanu would all end up with more receiving yards on the season than Fitz, then you are a smarter person than me and should be the one writing this column.

Father Time and Fitzgerald cannot be blamed for what transpired this season. Arizona’s offense was as inept as a bachelor is at keeping his apartment clean. The Cardinals were dead last in total offense and passing offense as rookie signal caller Josh Rosen threw more interceptions than touchdowns, and that was after injury-prone veteran Sam Bradford started the season and became one of 2018’s biggest free-agent flops. The jury is out on whether Fitzgerald will retire or return for another season, but I personally hope he does not end things on this sour note.

 

Kelvin Benjamin, Buffalo Bills/Kansas City Chiefs

2018 Stats:  25 receptions, 380 yards, 1 TD

Benjamin’s fantasy value had steadily declined since his sparkling rookie season in 2014 when he dazzled fantasy players and dominated defensive backs with his 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns. Since then he has gone from fantastic first rounder to someone who might have a hard time making it on an NFL roster in 2019.

Benjamin was probably thought of by many as a decent sleeper during drafts because Buffalo had about as many options in its passing attack as a vegetarian does at a bacon convention, yet while Zay Jones and Robert Foster were catching Josh Allen passes during the latter part of the season, Benjamin was released and eventually signed with the Kansas City Chiefs to be their No. 5 receiver. His effort, understanding of offenses and his diminishing skills were all called into question, so the chances of him getting taken in fantasy drafts in August and September are slim unless he becomes a sudden starter on Kansas City or if there are leagues out there where you can stash 10 receivers on a roster.

More NFL Year-in-Review




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nolan Arenado

Ready for Second Half
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Back in Action to Begin Second Half
Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF