The midway point of the NFL season brought a mixed bagged of blowouts, big plays and busts. Through Monday no team had been shutout and only one team scored in single-digits (seven points by the Bengals). Still, there was no shortage of mediocre fantasy performances. However, the players on this list stood out from the rest. Their games made fantasy owners cringe and wish they had put them in their starting line-up. Here are the biggest fantasy busts from Week 9.
Quarterback– Jameis Winston
67 Passing Yards, 8 Rushing Yards, 0 TDs
Injuries are starting to derail Jameis Winston this season, as for the second time this year he has not been able to finish a game due to his shoulder. Winston had a favorable matchup against the Saints but managed less than four fantasy points before leaving the game. What started as a promising season for both Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers is turning into a disaster. Winston is now out for a few weeks, and it may be best to move on from the young signal-caller.
Running Back– LeSean McCoy
25 Rushing Yards, 0 Receptions, 0 Receiving Yards, 0 TDs
Coming off his best two fantasy performances of the season, LeSean McCoy flopped hard on Thursday night, managing just 2.5 fantasy points in Buffalo’s loss to the New York Jets. The Bills as a team had one of their best passing games of the last two-and-a-half seasons (or when Tyrod Taylor took over at quarterback), yet McCoy could not get involved in the passing game, seeing just one target and zero catches. McCoy should rebound next week, as the extra time between games should get him ready and the lack of production in Week 9 should have him motivated.
Wide Receiver– A.J. Green
1 Receptions, 6 Receiving Yards, 0 TDs
Getting kicked out of a game for fighting is an easy way to land yourself on the bust list. Green, for some reason, took exception to being pushed by Jalen Ramsey and proceeded to rear naked choke him. A scrum ensued, Green throw some punches and both players were ejected. Before getting ejected, Green was having a quiet game, catching just one ball for six yards. Green finished Week 9 with only 0.6 fantasy points and could be facing a suspension for his actions.
Tight End– Jason Witten
1 Reception, 5 Receiving Yards, 0 TDs
Going into Week 9, Jason Witten was not the highest rank tight end, but expectations were for him to do better than just a single reception for five yards. Witten is not concerned about numbers, the Hall-of-Fame calibre tight end wants to win, and if he is primarily going to block or see limited targets, he will gladly take that if it means the Cowboys win. Witten is still better than most tight ends this year, as outside of Gronk, Kelce and Ertz, the position has been largely erratic or disappointing.
Defense – New York Giants
51 Points Allowed, 473 Yards Allowed, 0 Sacks, 0 Turnovers
There were a few horrendous defensive performances in Week 9, but unlike the Denver Broncos (who salvaged their fantasy day with a defensive score), the New York Giants were blanked on the stat sheet. Without any turnovers or sacks, the Giants finished the game with negative points. While not too many people had a high opinion of the Giants defense going into Week 9, with six teams on bye and some cold/rainy weather in New York, the Giants defense did see enough starts to warrant it a bust in Week 9.
Kicker– Blair Walsh
0 FGs, 0 Pats, 3 Missed FGs
Things could not go much worse for a kicker than they did for Blair Walsh in Week 9. The Seahawks’ kicker missed three field goal attempts and did not even get a chance to attempt an extra-point. In fairness, it was a rainy day and things were a tad sloppy, but this was no excuse. He ended up costing his team the game.
You have to worry about mind games now as Walsh stayed out at halftime, practicing kicks while his team was in the locker room. He’s had these issues before, which is why Minnesota cut him, and now it seems like they are back. Walsh had been good before Week 9, making 12 of his 13 field goal attempts and should bounce-back in Week 10 against the Cardinals.
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