RADIO
The first week of the NFL season is in the books! We learned all kinds of cool things last weekend, including the fact that Ryan Fitzpatrick is the greatest quarterback of all-time, that Matthew Stafford might as well change his last name to Peterman, and that having Alvin Kamara, James Conner, and Tyreek Hill all in the same lineup is a very, very good thing.
Last week's bust list had a decent hit rate, but I really got Patrick Mahomes wrong, y'all. I didn't like the matchup and I really didn't think he'd be able to produce so quickly, but I also forgot to factor in that Hill is a mythical creature with legs made out of NASCAR tires.
Below are 10 lineup busts and avoids for Week 2 of NFL action.
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Top 10 Busts - NFL Week 2
Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Repeat after me: do not overreact to Week 1. Ryan Fitzpatrick looked electric for the Buccaneers against New Orleans, finishing with 417 passing yards and four touchdowns as well as 36 rushing yards and a score. He was third for the week in averaged intended air yards despite the fact that "big arm" isn't a phrase that's been used to describe Fitzpatrick any time lately. Will he complete 75 percent of his passes this week against the Eagles? Will he have the time to sit back and go long? Can he even go long with DeSean Jackson dealing with a concussion that could keep him out of Sunday's game? This game should be more Picks-patrick than Fitz-magic.
Andy Dalton (QB, Cincinnati Bengals)
The Ravens defense played so well against Nathan Peterman last week that the Bills decided to bench Peterman for one of the rawest rookie quarterbacks from this year's passer-heavy first round, Josh Allen. Do I think Peterman's own ineffectiveness deserves some of the credit for that? Sure! But when you hold two quarterbacks to a combined 98 yards on 11-for-33 passing with a pair of interceptions, something is going very right with your defense. The Ravens get a Thursday game against the Bengals with quarterback Andy Dalton coming off a strong start to his season, going 21-for-28 passing for 243 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick. But that was against the Colts -- things won't be nearly as smooth against Baltimore.
T.J. Yeldon (RB, Jacksonville Jaguars)
It's not that I have any faith in the Patriots rushing defense, which allowed Lamar Miller to run for 98 yards and let Alfred Blue find the end zone, or that I'm worried Leonard Fournette will return from his hamstring injury and play on Sunday, because everyone reading this is smart and would know not to count on Yeldon in that scenario.
No, my worries about Yeldon are two-fold. First, Yeldon's best work as a runner came working off the right side on Sunday; in fact, he averaged just 1.75 yards per carry on runs to the left or the middle of the field. Fournette averaged over 4.4 yards per carry to those areas of the field in that same game. There's also the presence of Corey Grant, whose preseason performance merited excitement in Jaguars circles and could very likely cut into Yeldon's time this week. If Yeldon isn't able to gain traction early, Grant could see a decent-sized workload.
Jamaal Williams (RB, Green Bay Packers)
So, Chicago bottled Williams up in Week 1, holding him to just 47 yards on 15 carries. The Vikings defense held San Francisco's run game in check as well. So, I'm supposed to start Williams this week against the Vikings? Even though Ty Montgomery was in on 38 percent of the snaps, the Packers are a pass-first offense, and -- once again -- the Vikings are one of the NFL's top defenses.
Alfred Morris (RB, San Francisco 49ers)
Might as well throw Morris onto this list again after a disappointing opening game. I know a lot of people spent a lot of FAAB on Morris after the Jerick McKinnon injury, but Morris's 12 carry, 38-yard performance against the Vikings didn't inspire much confidence. While a home game against a Lions defense that was obliterated by the Jets seems more appealing, part of the reason that game got out of hand was Detroit turning the ball over and giving the Jets good field position. It's also worth noting that Morris and Matt Breida split snaps, with Morris in on 34 and Breida in on 30. With Breida doing more as a runner and getting a couple of targets, my faith in Morris is draining fast.
Dante Pettis (WR, San Francisco 49ers)
While I'm on the subject of the 49ers, rookie Dante Pettis started his NFL career off strong after Marquise Goodwin left the game with a quad injury. Pettis two passes for 61 yards and a touchdown, but the Lions have a solid defensive secondary and there's no guarantee Pettis is a key part of the offense as he was out-targeted by Pierre Garcon, Trent Taylor, and George Kittle. His Week 1 numbers can be tempting, but San Francisco has a lot of mouths to feed.
Robby Anderson (WR, New York Jets)
Anderson found the end zone in Week 1, but it came on his only catch target of the game. The Jets relied heavily on their run game, with rookie quarterback Sam Darnold throwing just 21 times. But even if Darnold is taking to the air more against Miami this week, the Dolphins have a good secondary and Anderson's usage against the Lions scares me. Quincy Enunwa has already re-established himself as the top option and Terrelle Pryor's size makes him an enticing deep threat for the team.
Any Dallas Wide Receiver Not Named Cole Beasley
The Jaguars wide receivers have a lot in common with the Cowboys receivers -- an unheralded group with no one player really standing out. That Jacksonville group didn't fare too well against the Giants in Week 1, with no receiver going for more than 54 yards. Beasley has a solid PPR floor working in the short passing game, but Dak Prescott's inaccuracy -- and the fact that he hasn't thrown a touchdown in six of his last nine games -- has me fading any other Dallas receiver that I still own. No Allen Hurns. No Michael Gallup.
Eric Ebron (TE, Indianapolis Colts)
I don't know how good Ricky Seals-Jones really is, but Washington held him in check in Week 1 despite the fact that RSJ was on the field for 92 percent of Arizona's offensive snaps. The Colts get Washington this week and while tight end Jack Doyle is versatile enough to play the traditional tight end role or slide over to the slot, Ebron's outlook is much bleaker. After spending his entire Lions career as a boom-or-bust player (with a heavy dose of the bust), don't expect a repeat of his four catch, 51 yard, one touchdown performance this week.
Kyle Rudolph (TE, Minnesota Vikings)
Kyle Rudolph has targeted just twice in Week 1. He found the end zone because he's always going to be a threat around the goal line, but his usage scares me. His opponent this week, the Packers, scare me, because they just held one of the biggest additions of free agency, Chicago's Trey Burton, to one catch. Green Bay also allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to tight ends last year. Can Rudolph put together a strong stat-line in this one? Sure! But the bust chances are high.
