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

Week 1 Busts - Overvalued Players To Avoid In Fantasy Football

Top 10 potential lineup busts to avoid starting in fantasy football. Keith Hernandez lists NFL players to consider sitting or benching as Week 1 lineup avoids and disappointments.

It's finally here. That moment all of you fantasy football fanatics have been waiting for. Week 1 of the 2019 regular season. No longer will we have to sit through meaningless preseason games and training camp babble. You can finally see if your prized draft-pick selections will pay off. Throw your special jersey on, kick up your feet and don't forget to have your beverage of choice in hand.

But before we get to Thursday night's kickoff between the Packers and Bears, let's talk about some players that could disappoint out of the gates. To be clear, we aren't telling you to outright bench these guys -- a lot of them aren't coming out of your lineups all year unless they're injured -- but they could fall well short of expectations given their Week 1 matchups.

Below are 10 potential busts for Week 1 of the 2019 Fantasy Football season.

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

 

Potential Quarterback Busts for Week 1

Matt Ryan - Atlanta Falcons @ Vikings

Ryan has gone over 4,900 passing yards twice in the last three years, so we're not trying to say that he's not a good QB1. It's not crazy to wonder if he'll go over 5,000 yards given the weapons he has around him (Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Mohamed Sanu, Austin Hooper, Devonta Freeman) while being reunited with offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter.

Just don't expect him to light it up in Week 1 on the road against a Vikings Defense that allowed the third-fewest passing yards per game (196.3) in 2018. Opposing QBs also had the sixth-lowest completion percentage (62.6%) against them. Minnesota will bring the heat and test Atlanta's offensive line. Ryan was a little less efficient on the road last year, completing fewer passes, throwing more picks and taking more sacks.

Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay Packers @ Bears (Thursday)

There are several reasons to expect a bounce-back performance from Rodgers in 2019. But some of those reasons are also why he might struggle early in the year. A new offense under head coach Matt LaFleur has blowup potential (in a good way), but keep in mind that Rodgers didn't play at all in preseason action due to a tight back. He has a great go-to receiver in Davante Adams, but will this offense be slow to adjust to a new play-caller?

It won't help that they're facing a tenacious defense -- and a division rival no less -- on the road in the first primetime game of the year. Rodgers has a knack for stepping up in these big situations, but he's been much more trustworthy at home in his career. He went 25-for-42 (59.5%) for 274 yards (6.52 yards per attempt) with no touchdowns and one interception on the road against the Bears last season. Chicago sacked him five times.

Others: Cam Newton (Vs. Rams), Jared Goff (@ Panthers)

 

Potential Running Back Busts for Week 1

Ezekiel Elliott - Dallas Cowboys Vs. Giants

Elliott's fantasy owners are thrilled that he signed a six-year, $90 million extension on Wednesday. He's expected to practice this week and play in Week 1. Elliott had been training in Mexico, so he should be in good shape, but the Cowboys plan to limit his workload in the season opener after he held out for all of training camp and the preseason. Elliott could easily lead the NFL in rushing again in 2019, but he'll have his lowest floor all season against New York.

Damien Williams - Kansas City Chiefs @ Jaguars

There's opportunity for Williams in 2019, there's no doubt about that. But the addition of LeSean McCoy further boosts KC's already impressive running back depth, and Andy Reid won't be afraid to utilize all his weapons. Jacksonville's defensive front is among the best in the NFL, which might make life difficult for Williams while causing the Chiefs to get the ball out quickly.

Derrick Henry - Tennessee Titans @ Browns

There was no better fantasy back down the stretch in 2018 than Henry. He had 97 carries for 625 yards (6.44 yards per tote) and eight touchdowns over the final five games to help win many fantasy titles. As hot as he was to finish, he was just as cold in the first five games (65 attempts, 219 yards and zero TDs).

That's not to say that Henry is bound to start slow again this year, but it's a reminder that he's streaky and inconsistent. Cleveland's rush defense was bad last year (135.2 yards allowed per game), but they've also improved quite a bit up front since then. If Tennessee can't keep the Browns honest through the air in Week 1, Henry could have a tough time getting going.

Others: Todd Gurley (@ Panthers), Duke Johnson (@ Saints), Aaron Jones (@ Bears)

 

Potential Wide Receiver Busts for Week 1

T.Y. Hilton - Indianapolis Colts @ Chargers

Hilton lost a ton of fantasy appeal the moment Andrew Luck announced his retirement. While he wasn't terrible in 2017 when Jacoby Brissett started the entire season, it was also just one of two campaigns in his career where Hilton didn't reach 1,000 yards receiving.

The Chargers secondary was in the top 10 in fewest receiving yards allowed per game in 2018. The loss of safety Derwin James makes them more vulnerable in the first half of the season, but expect Casey Hayward to follow Hilton around. Hilton had just one of his six touchdowns on the road last year.

Amari Cooper - Dallas Cowboys Vs. Giants

The matchup isn't bad and the Cowboys may elect to throw more with Elliott being eased into action, but this one has everything to do with Cooper's foot injury that kept him out of practices and the preseason this summer. He says he'll be fine, but we've heard that before. Cooper had five catches on 11 targets for 31 yards in his lone appearance against the G-Men in 2018.

Robby Anderson - New York Jets Vs. Bills

Anderson has been dealing with a calf injury he suffered in practice, but he will play in the season opener. Combined with the fact that he'll likely be covered by Tre'Davious White, Anderson will have a lower floor than usual as Gang Green's top wideout. Buffalo allowed the fewest receiving yards per game (192.8) last year and the third-fewest receptions (313) all year long. Unless Anderson comes up with some big plays, he's likely to disappoint.

Others: Jarvis Landry (Vs. Titans), Tyreek Hill (@ Jaguars), Antonio Brown (Vs. Broncos)

 

Potential Tight End Busts for Week 1

David Njoku - Cleveland Browns Vs. Titans

Njoku could take another step forward in his third season in an offense that's expected to be even better with the addition of Odell Beckham Jr. But there are also more mouths to feed, which means Njoku will still be hit or miss on a week-to-week basis. He'll be touchdown-dependent against a Titans Defense that was stingy to the position in 2018, allowing 4.12 receptions per game.

Austin Hooper - Atlanta Falcons @ Vikings

Hooper resides in one of the league's highest-ceiling offenses, but he's down on the totem pole in terms of targets and hasn't been much of a red-zone weapon. He will likely be asked to block much more against a stout Vikings defense that allowed only 3.88 catches per game and 44.50 yards per game in 2018 to the tight end position.

Others: Jimmy Graham (@ Bears), Jordan Reed (@ Eagles)

More Weekly Lineup Prep




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

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
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
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
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
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