The fifth Sunday of the 2024 NFL season has come and gone. Hopefully, you woke up on Monday morning feeling very good about how your matchup 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 5. These players simply did not meet fantasy expectations coming out of the draft, and it cost their managers in a big way.
Let's take a look at the biggest busts from Week 5, 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. Players who missed part of the game due to injury are exempt from being featured.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
- Kicker fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Superflex fantasy football rankings
- IDP fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Fantasy Football Quarterback Busts
Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings - 6.1 FPTS
The Vikings won on Sunday, but Darnold completed fewer than half of his passes, delivered two turnovers, and also finished without a touchdown for the first time this season. He should bounce back on the other side of Minnesota's Week 6 bye.
Andy Dalton, Carolina Panthers - 5.1 FPTS
Dalton threw for 136 yards, tossed an interception, and took three sacks during Sunday's loss. In his defense, the Chicago Bears are an underrated defense with a strong secondary. However, we would have liked to see more out of the veteran, especially with such a negative game script. He's a low-end QB2 for Week 6 against Atlanta.
Dave Canales says he played Bryce Young in part because he didn’t want Andy Dalton playing behind beat-up OL in lopsided loss. pic.twitter.com/wUqsE2VgCd
— Joe Person (@josephperson) October 6, 2024
Fantasy Football Running Back Busts
Breece Hall, New York Jets - 6.7 FPTS
Hall was held in check for the second consecutive game, tallying just 23 rushing and 14 receiving yards. He's primed to bounce back with a favorable matchup against the Bills' poor run defense next week.
Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns - 7.9 FPTS
Ford was held to less than 50 scrimmage yards for the first time this season. Not only did he struggle as a result of the Browns' inability to move the ball, but he also lost key touches to D'Onta Foreman. Ford is merely a fantasy RB3 whose value will dwindle once Nick Chubb (knee) returns.
Jordan Mason, San Francisco 49ers - 8.8 FPTS
Mason delivered his worst fantasy output of the season, finishing with fewer than 10 points (PPR) for the first time this year. He touched the ball just 15 times and also had the first lost fumble of his young NFL career. He should bounce back as a low-end RB1 next week versus Seattle.
COSTLY fumble from Jordan Mason 😬
pic.twitter.com/RHn6EVq8UH— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) October 6, 2024
Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Busts
Diontae Johnson, Carolina Panthers - 5.9 FPTS
Johnson's struggles go hand-in-hand with those of Dalton. The two connected for just three completions on Sunday as Johnson had his worst game since when Bryce Young was under center. He should bounce back as a fringe top-24 fantasy receiver against the Falcons in Week 6.
Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns - 2.6 FPTS
Jeudy isn't the first Browns player here. The former first-round pick finished with fewer than 8.5 fantasy points (PPR) for the first time this season, ultimately catching just one pass against Washington. He's primed to bounce back against the Eagles next week, but it's fair to wonder if Deshaun Watson might be holding him back.
Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals - 5.6 FPTS
Harrison turned in his worst game since Week 1. Despite commanding seven targets, the No. 4 overall pick caught just two passes for 36 yards. There's no reason why he can't bounce back as a WR1 in Green Bay next week.
The Cardinals drafted Marvin Harrison Jr at 4th overall to be a decoy for Michael Wilson.
— Mike (@MikeForcella) October 6, 2024
Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos - 5.2 FPTS
Sutton couldn't capitalize on a positive game script against Las Vegas, finishing with his second-lowest reception and yardage totals of the season. He'll rank as a WR3/FLEX option heading into Week 6 against another divisional foe, the Los Angeles Chargers.
Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers - 4.0 FPTS
Wicks failed to capitalize on the absence of Christian Watson (ankle) and Romeo Doubs (suspension). He did see seven targets, though, so perhaps he can stay on the fantasy radar if he solidifies his rapport with Jordan Love. Wicks is a high-end WR4 whose value could rise or fall depending on which of his fellow receivers suit up next week against Arizona.
Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders - 4.6 FPTS
Tucker seemed like an intriguing option given the absence of Davante Adams (hamstring), but instead, he fell victim to the poor quarterback play of Gardner Minshew II and Aidan O'Connell. Moving forward, Tucker is a low-end fantasy WR4 who could see extra opportunities if the Raiders trade Adams.
Tre Tucker has 6 yards at halftime.
Disgusting
— Chris (@DaRuffWay_) October 6, 2024
Deebo Samuel Sr., San Francisco 49ers - 3.0 FPTS
Samuel had an uncharacteristically quiet game, catching just one of three targets for 11 yards. He did rush for nine yards, but it wasn't nearly enough to satisfy fantasy managers. It isn't uncommon for stars in crowded offenses to have an occasional "dud" game, so we should feel confident that Samuel can bounce back in Week 6.
George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers - 5.6 FPTS
Pickens couldn't quite propel the Steelers to victory over the Cowboys on Sunday night. He caught three of seven targets for 26 yards in a game where Justin Fields didn't throw a whole lot. The 23-year-old is still a low-end WR2 who should bounce back against the Las Vegas Raiders next week.
Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers - 2.3 FPTS
Jennings had his quietest game of the season as the 49ers' passing attack funneled through George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk. Given that he's the No. 3 wide receiver in a crowded offense, Jennings is tough to trust in fantasy football and may become dependent on breaking off big plays. He falls outside the top-36 fantasy receivers heading into Week 6.
DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks - 7.5 FPTS
Metcalf had his second-worst game since the season opener and also lost a fumble for the second week in a row. Despite the subpar performance in Sunday's loss to the Giants, Metcalf is a talented player who should be able to bounce back against the 49ers in Week 6. He remains a fantasy WR1 going forward.
Fantasy Football Tight End Busts
Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills - 5.4 FPTS
Kincaid was held to just two catches against the Texans, finishing with single-digit fantasy points (PPR) for the fourth time through five games this season. The 24-year-old ranks as a low-end fantasy TE1 heading into next week's divisional battle with the New York Jets.
At what point do we start having a conversation about just how underwhelming Dalton Kincaid is?
— Jay Skurski (@JaySkurski) October 6, 2024
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