Biggest Fantasy Football Busts of the Week - Fantasy Outlooks for Patrick Mahomes, Tony Pollard, Kenneth Walker, Cooper Kupp, more

October 30, 2023

Several NFL players underwhelmed in Week 8 of the 2023 fantasy football season. Andersen Pickard identifies busts at each position and whether they'll bounce back.

The eighth Sunday of the 2023 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 8. These players simply did not meet fantasy expectations, and it cost their managers in a big way.

Let's take a look at the biggest busts from Week 8, 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.

Fantasy Football Quarterback Busts

Patrick Mahomes, 5.64 FPTS

The Chiefs' 16-game winning streak against the Broncos came to an end in Denver on Sunday. Kansas City settled for just three field goals while Mahomes totaled 241 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. His past success suggests Week 8 was an anomaly and he'll be able to get back on track next Sunday in Germany.

Lamar Jackson, 11.98 FPTS

The Ravens dropped 31 points on the Cardinals, but Jackson had a quieter game, tossing for just 157 yards and one touchdown. Perhaps most peculiar was the fact that he rushed just five times for 17 yards on the ground, setting a new season-low. Nevertheless, we know how talented of a player Jackson is, vaulting him back into QB1 territory for Week 9.

Fantasy Football Running Back Busts

Kenneth Walker III, 8.0 FPTS

Walker seemed to be an afterthought against Cleveland, rushing eight nine times for 66 yards while adding a four-yard catch. He was incredibly efficient, yet Seattle chose to throw the ball 37 times. In the end, it worked; the Seahawks beat the Browns by four points. Walker returns to the RB1 tier in Week 9 versus a suspect Ravens run defense.

Tony Pollard, 6.5 FPTS

Pollard wasn't very involved in the Cowboys' early scoring barrage, nor did he play much of a role once they jumped out to such a large lead. By the time Dallas put in its backups, Pollard had only 53 rushing yards and a two-yard catch. This offense has found its legs, but with so many mouths to feed, Pollard is going to frustrate fantasy managers from time to time.

Isiah Pacheco, 6.7 FPTS

The Chiefs' tough outing wasn't limited to Mahomes. Pacheco, who seemed like a prime RB1 candidate against a woeful Broncos run defense, mustered just 40 rushing yards in the loss. He also caught three passes but finished with negative three receiving yards. Next week, the Chiefs face the Dolphins, who don't have a great run defense but could pressure the Chiefs to pass anyways given their high-scoring tendencies.

Alexander Mattison, 4.3 FPTS

The writing was on the wall for Akers to start vulturing some of Mattison's touches, but nobody predicted that he would finish with a season-low 1.94 YPC versus such a porous Packers run defense. When discussing his season-long outlook, it's worth noting that the Vikings will proceed with a new quarterback in rookie Jaren Hall. The good news is that the Vikings will likely dial up more run plays in order to ease Hall's transition to game action. The bad news is that if Hall struggles and the offense stalls, there will be far fewer opportunities for the Vikings to run the ball.

Dameon Pierce, 4.6 FPTS

In terms of volume and touches, the Texans went with a relatively balanced split between Pierce and Devin Singletary on Sunday. The second-year back out of Florida is an uninspiring RB3/FLEX option as we head into Week 9.

D'Onta Foreman, 4.6 FPTS

Fresh off a huge three-touchdown game, Foreman came crashing back down to earth in Week 8. The veteran led the Bears in carries but was out-produced by both Darrynton Evans and Roschon Johnson. The brief window in which Foreman was fantasy relevant seems to have closed. You can bench him in Week 9 versus the Saints.

Miles Sanders, 0.0 FPTS

Right before kickoff, news leaked that the Panthers would start Chuba Hubbard over Sanders. Not only did that happen, but both Hubbard and Raheem Blackshear finished with more touches than the 26-year-old. He should be benched in all leagues and could become droppable sooner than you might expect.

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Busts

Cooper Kupp, 6.1 FPTS

Kupp appears in this article for the second consecutive week. He still managed a little bit of production, but it was an underwhelming finish from a receiver whose elite factor is clearly still there. He'll have another chance to get back on track in Week 9 versus Green Bay.

Puka Nacua, 7.3 FPTS

Two receivers, one team. Nacua also makes this list after catching just three passes for 43 yards. The rookie entered Sunday as the WR4 overall in fantasy football, just one week removed from an incredible 154-yard game. He, too, could bounce back to fringe top-12 receiver status next Sunday against the Packers.

Zay Flowers, 6.9 FPTS

Flowers caught a respectable five passes on Saturday, but he produced just 19 yards along the way. It was an underwhelming performance from the rookie after he scored double-digit fantasy points in six of the first seven games this season. Look for him to bounce back as a mid-to-low WR2 in Week 9.

Fantasy Football Tight End Busts

Dalton Schultz, 2.5 FPTS

Schultz was targeted five times Sunday but finished with just two catches for five yards. He does not have an incredibly prominent role in the Texans' offense, so while he might reward fantasy managers with the occasional touchdown or big gain, it's tough to trust him on a weekly basis. Fantasy managers should view the ex-Cowboy as nothing more than an emergency streaming option.

Luke Musgrave, 2.9 FPTS

Musgrave had one of the quietest games of his young career on Sunday, catching just two passes for nine yards. The rookie should be rostered in most dynasty formats but isn't a very consistent option in redraft leagues. With that said, he could bounce back in Week 9 against a Rams defense that just let Jake Ferguson rack up 47 yards and a touchdown.

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