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
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Top 10 Fantasy Football Busts of 2016

We are one weekend away from knowing who will represent the AFC and NFC in this year's Super Bowl. One team will proudly hoist the trophy, while the other is destined to spiral downward in the offseason, miss the playoffs in 2017 and be rife with busts throughout their lineup (thanks for nothing, Carolina). Before we entertain thoughts of next year's busts, let's take a look back at the most infuriating draft picks of 2016 and hate ourselves for picking them one last time. Don't worry my friend. As the great Michael Jackson once said, "You are not alone." That drop from 14 TD in 1996 to four in 1997 was no joke.

jackson

Warning: while the picks made in this article are completely serious, you may find sarcastic humor laced throughout. If you don't have any sense of humor whatsoever, turn back now before you get all worked up. Comments, praise, complaints or ramblings can be directed to @pfunk00 on Twitter.

Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive BOTH our full season NFL and NBA Premium Passes for free, a $119.99 value. Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium Passes.

 

Divisional Round Recap

While the Wild Card round lived up to its name, the divisional round didn't provide too many surprises. Tevin Coleman was mostly stifled, but found the end zone. Jesse James suddenly came to life with his best stats of the season. The only other winner this week was Tony Romo. Even though he didn't see the field after all, he is bound to be traded, which means he is finally free from Jerry Jones and not bound by criticism from delusional Cowboys fans any more. Enjoy your freedom, Tony. You'll love the weather in Denver! Or Cleveland. Or wherever.

Here's looking at you, kid...

romo

 

Tevin Coleman (57 RUSH YDS, 22 REC YDS, 1 TD)
Jesse James (5 REC, 83 YDS)
Tony Romo (Free at last, free at last!)

 

 

 

Wherever you go, I still own you!

jerryjones


Russell Wilson (225 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT)

Brock Osweiler (198 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INT)
Lamar Miller (73 RUSH YDS, 16 REC YDS, 0 TD)
Jeremy Maclin (2 REC, 28 YDS)
Taylor Gabriel(4 REC, 71 YDS, 0 TD)
Malcolm Mitchell (3 REC, 29 YDS, 0 TD)
Austin Hooper (1 REC, 10 YDS)

 

A nice way to end, right around my unofficial season average of 75% (I don't actually keep count of these things). At this point in the season, we're down to the four best teams and everybody who steps on that field is a winner. Except Martellus Bennett - that guy was a bust this year! Now, let's recap the most glorious disappointments of 2016. As a reward to you loyal readers, bonus tweets this week!

 
 

Top 10 Busts of the 2016 Fantasy Football Season

Cam Newton (QB, CAR) - The Super Bowl hangover is real. Newton and the Panthers are another team that struggled out the gate and failed to make the playoffs the next season after losing the big game. Many (myself included) thought that Newton's rushing ability would keep his ceiling high enough to remain a QB1. Apparently not. Newton dialed back his running to a career-low 90 attempts, down from 132 last season. His rushing touchdowns were cut in half, from 10 to five. He also passed for a career-worst 52.9% completion percentage and barely more TD (19) than INT (14). I could go on and on, but that would just be more fuel for the haters. Oddly enough, people seemed to be more upset about his clothes than his play on the field.

newtontweet newtontweet2

 
 
Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB, NYJ) - Sure, you didn't draft him as your starter (for God's sake, please don't tell me you drafted him as your starter), but if you had him on your roster at all, you regretted it for the bad karma alone. When you earn a nickname with the term "pick six" in it and you aren't a defensive player, that's pure disrespect. The ugliness of his 2016 extended beyond the impressively bad six-interception game at KC. He finished the year with a 12/17 TD/INT rate and 193 Y/G average. Fitzpicksix won't be back in New York next year, but he will land somewhere on a team desperate for a veteran backup and wind up starting 14 games for them somehow. Just pray it isn't your favorite team.

fitztweet

 
 
fitztweet2

Todd Gurley (RB, LA) - Usually 1,212 total yards and six touchdowns would make for a decent fantasy year. Not for Todd Gurley owners who burned a first-round pick on him. Unless you play in a league that rewards cumulative points at the end of the season (what fun is that?), Gurley didn't help you much at all. Unlike in baseball, fantasy football is a weekly game. Forget 100 yards, Gurley didn't rush for more than 85 yards in a game once all season. Don't think he made up for it in the passing game - he didn't go for 50 receiving yards once either. Gurley owners will remember Week 3, which is the only time he pretended to be an RB1. Of course, it's not all his fault. When Case Keenum is your QB, Kenny Britt is your best WR and Jeff Fisher is your coach, you do what you can. Bounce back in 2017?

fishertweet

gurleytweet

 
 
Arian Foster (RB, HOU) - Sure, Foster didn't play most of the season. But it's not because he tore an ACL or lost his job. He retired in the middle of the year. Who does that? OK, besides Andre Johnson. Hopefully Foster didn't start a trend among aging and/or washed up veterans who suddenly don't feel like showing up to practice once they realize they won't be making the Pro Bowl at age 30. Foster had a dismal 2.5 Y/A in his brief Dolphins career, but he could have at least seen the season through with dignity. The old axiom about running backs over the age of 30 was proven true in his case. The Dolphins certainly won't miss him, but Texans fans will always carry fond memories of Foster in their backfield.

fostertweet

fostertweet2

 
 
Brandon Marshall (WR, NYJ) - We meet again, my old nemesis. Longtime fans of this column may remember that Marshall spurned my bust pick of him twice before finally succumbing to the pressure on the third occasion. It was all downhill from there, as Marshall ended the year with one touchdown in the last 10 games and not a single game over 70 yards in that span. The fact that his QB was on this list tells you it isn't all his fault either, but that doesn't make fantasy owners feel any better. Or Jets fans. He's reportedly on the verge of being cut by the Jets. Maybe he'll end up back in Denver. Unless he's already there...

marshalltweet2

marshalltweet

 
 
Allen Hurns (WR, JAX) - Fellow bust and teammate Allen Robinson was drafted higher, in some cases as high as the first round, but Hurns proved to be a much worse value. Hurns turned in 1,000 yards and 10 TD a year ago, only to drop to 477 yards and three scores in 2016. A popular WR3 pick turned waiver fodder, Hurns may have lost his job to Marqise Lee permanently. Hurns should be avoided altogether in 2017, unless you still believe Bortles is a franchise QB or that they are bringing in an offensive coordinator who will work miracles.

jaxtweet

hurnstweet

 
 
John Brown (WR, ARI) - Remember when one of the big draft-day dilemmas was which Arizona receiver to take first? Brown does have a sickle cell trait that needs to be monitored, but he only missed one game all season and it wasn't said to adversely affect his performance. A 1,000-yard receiver in 2015, Brown's yardage was cut almost in half and his TD total dropped from seven to two. While Larry Fitzgerald laughs at your decision to pick Brown over him, at least it's less embarrassing than picking Michael Floyd, dropping him and then watching him score for the Patriots during the fantasy playoffs. That's just the best.

browntweet

 
 
Tyler Lockett (WR, SEA) - Lockett had a nice rookie year in Seattle, scoring six times through the passing game and twice in the return game. The buck stops there, however, as Lockett only reached the end zone twice in 2016. Thought to be a valuable deep threat, he teased fantasy owners with a 99-yard game in Week 2. He then proceeded to wait 12 weeks before hauling in more than 72 yards in a game. He managed to post nine games with six or fewer fantasy points in full PPR leagues. At least he was consistent... Just to rub salt into the wound, Lockett decided to post his one good game of the season in Week 15 with 130 yards and a TD while fantasy owners who dropped him long ago were fighting to win playoff games. Then again, if you drafted him as your WR2, playoffs might not have been an option.

locketttweet

 
 
Coby Fleener (TE, NO) - How the hell do you play in one of the most high-scoring offenses with the most prolific passer in NFL history and wind up a bust? You must be Coby Fleener. His fat free agent contract raised a few eyebrows, but some (myself included) took the bait by drafting him as a TE1. If he could put up 774 yards and eight TD in Indianapolis, just imagine what he could do with Drew Brees throwing to him! We'll have to keep imagining, as Fleener averaged just 39.4 yards per game and scored three times - his lowest output since his rookie season. The nickname "Manos de Piedra" is a prestigious one if you're a boxer. Not so much if you're a tight end. Maybe he'll learn the offense better next season.

fleenertweet

fleenertweet2

 
 
Gary Barnidge (TE, CLE) - We should have seen this coming. Barnidge came out of nowhere to post a 1,000-yard season and score nine touchdowns in 2015. Prior to that explosion, he had a total of 603 yards over six NFL seasons as a backup tight end. Barnidge put up some adequate numbers at first (if you don't care for touchdowns, that is). In the second half of the year, the wheels completely fell off and Barnidge was a painful drop for many owners. QB issues aside, Barnidge let down many hopeful fantasy owners who settled on him as a starter. First Jordan Cameron, now Barnidge. The moral of the story is: don't trust Cleveland tight ends, no matter how good they look.

clevelandtweet




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Trey Murphy III2 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Dejounte Murray2 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Tuesday
Zion Williamson2 hours ago

Might Be Back In Action Tuesday
Bogdan Bogdanovic2 hours ago

Considered Probable Tuesday
Trae Young2 hours ago

Probable For Tuesday's Game
Anthony Davis2 hours ago

Likely To Play Against Mavericks
LeBron James2 hours ago

Probable For Tuesday's Action
Gary Woodland2 hours ago

Aims For Better 2025 Debut In Hawaii
Brent Rooker2 hours ago

Signs Five-Year Extension
Daniel Gafford2 hours ago

Likely "Out For Some Time"
Keith Mitchell3 hours ago

Attempts To Put Fall Behind Him
Robert MacIntyre3 hours ago

Tries To Learn Sony Open Lessons
Si Woo Kim3 hours ago

Makes 2025 Debut At Sony Open
Jacob Markstrom3 hours ago

Snaps Losing Skid On Monday
Tom Hoge3 hours ago

Tries To Keep Momentum Rolling In Hawaii
Devon Toews4 hours ago

Busy In Monday's Victory
Nick Suzuki4 hours ago

Tallies Three Points In Monday's Victory
Harris English4 hours ago

Begins 2025 At The Sony Open
Alex Tuch4 hours ago

Scores Twice On Monday
Jared Spurgeon4 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Jiri Kulich4 hours ago

Exits Early On Monday
Corey Conners4 hours ago

In Good Form For The Sony Open
PGA4 hours ago

Byeong Hun An A Strong Bet To Contend Again At Sony Open
Nolan Arenado12 hours ago

Red Sox Emerge As Strong Candidate To Land Nolan Arenado
Christian Watson13 hours ago

Packers Confirm Torn ACL For Christian Watson
Ezekiel Elliott13 hours ago

Signing With Chargers
Jalen Johnson14 hours ago

Ruled Out For Tuesday
Bilal Coulibaly14 hours ago

Could Be Ready To Return Against Houston
Malcolm Brogdon14 hours ago

Will Not Play Tuesday
Jordan Poole14 hours ago

Uncertain Against Houston
Bub Carrington14 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Tuesday
Jalen Green14 hours ago

Questionable Against Washington
Tari Eason14 hours ago

Doubtful Tuesday Against The Wizards
Josh Richardson15 hours ago

Downgraded To Out
Lauri Markkanen15 hours ago

Could Return Tuesday Against Atlanta
Keyonte George15 hours ago

Ruled Out For Tuesday
John Collins15 hours ago

Out Tuesday Against Atlanta
Jordan Clarkson15 hours ago

Will Miss At Least Two Weeks
Yuki Kawamura15 hours ago

Available To Play Monday Against The Mavericks
Michael Lorenzen16 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Kansas City
Gavin Lux16 hours ago

Traded To Cincinnati
Kyler Murray17 hours ago

"100 Percent" Chance That Kyler Murray Will Start For Cardinals In 2025
Brock Purdy17 hours ago

Wants Contract Done Sooner Than Later
Christian McCaffrey17 hours ago

"Definitely Close" To Being Fully Recovered
Jayden Daniels17 hours ago

Commanders "Not Concerned" With Jayden Daniels' Leg Soreness
Amari Cooper17 hours ago

Bills Hopeful Amari Cooper Will Be Available In Wild-Card Round
Erik Haula17 hours ago

Expected To Miss "A Few Weeks"
Patrik Laine18 hours ago

Misses Third Consecutive Game
Adam Larsson18 hours ago

Available Monday
Dakota Joshua18 hours ago

Out Week-To-Week
Elias Pettersson18 hours ago

Remains Out On Monday
Quinn Hughes18 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision For Monday
Aaron Ekblad18 hours ago

Unlikely To Play On Monday
Chicago Bears19 hours ago

Bears Seek Permission To Interview Mike McCarthy For Head-Coaching Job
Jalen Hurts19 hours ago

Still In The Concussion Protocol
Anthony Richardson20 hours ago

Will Be Colts Starter In 2025
Luis Arraez20 hours ago

Yankees Talking With Padres About Luis Arraez
Las Vegas Raiders21 hours ago

Antonio Pierce Expects To Return As Raiders Head Coach
Chicago Bears21 hours ago

Chicago Requests Interview With Mike Kafka For Head-Coaching Job
Geno Smith22 hours ago

Expected To Return To Seattle
Christian Watson22 hours ago

Believed To Have Suffered A Torn ACL
Seattle Seahawks23 hours ago

Seahawks Fire Offensive Coordinator Ryan Grubb
Chicago Bears23 hours ago

Bears Formally Request To Interview Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn For Head-Coaching Job
Zay Flowers23 hours ago

Considered Day-To-Day
Michael Pittman Jr.23 hours ago

Dealing With Fracture In His Back
Brian Thomas Jr.23 hours ago

Tops Century Mark In Loss To Colts
New England Patriots1 day ago

Patriots Request To Interview Ben Johnson
New York Jets1 day ago

Jets Request Interviews With Arthur Smith, Bobby Slowik, Joe Brady
Frank Vatrano1 day ago

Nets Two Goals On Sunday Evening
Sebastian Aho1 day ago

Leads Carolina To Victory With Three-Point Night
Bo Horvat1 day ago

Scores Game-Winner On Sunday
Filip Chytil1 day ago

Scores Twice On Sunday
Jake McCabe1 day ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Philip Tomasino1 day ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Kris Letang2 days ago

Returns To Penguins Lineup
William Carrier2 days ago

Misses Sunday's Game With A Lower-Body Injury
Clayton Kershaw3 days ago

Intends To Pitch In 2025, Expected To Return To Los Angeles
Charlie Morton4 days ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Baltimore
Pete Alonso5 days ago

Angels "Looking At" Pete Alonso
Xander Schauffele6 days ago

Hoping To Find Success Again At Majors In 2025
Chris Kirk6 days ago

Starts 2025 Defending The Sentry Title
Max Homa6 days ago

Hopes To Rebound After Disappointing 2024 Season
Nick Dunlap6 days ago

Looks To Build On Impressive Rookie Season
Collin Morikawa6 days ago

Heads To The Sentry After Excellent 2024 Season
PGA6 days ago

Sungjae Im Hoping To Start 2025 Season Strongly At The Sentry
Russell Henley6 days ago

Closes Out 2024 Season Strong
Jason Day6 days ago

Looks Ahead To 2025 Season At The Sentry
Akshay Bhatia6 days ago

To Repeat Last Year’s Sentry Performance?
Ludvig Aberg6 days ago

Returns To The Sentry
Jesús Luzardo6 days ago

Jesus Luzardo Feeling 100 Percent
Maverick McNealy6 days ago

Making First Career Start At Kapalua
Corey Conners6 days ago

Making Third Consecutive Start At Kapalua
Viktor Hovland6 days ago

A Gametime Decision For Year's First Event

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Derrick Henry - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

2025 NFL Playoffs Picture: Wild Card Teams, Matchups, Schedules, Seeding, Odds for NFL Postseason

The 2024 regular season has wrapped up, meaning it's time for one of the most exciting weekends of football. Wild Card weekend is set to kick off on Saturday, and we're here to get you primed for the opening round of the NFL postseason. While this season lacked an abundance of late-season drama, we're left […]


Mike Evans - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Playoff League Rankings for Fantasy Football: Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs, Mike Evans, Kyren Williams, Joe Mixon, Puka Nacua, Terry McLaurin

While the traditional fantasy football season is over, the start of the NFL playoffs brings various types of fantasy football contests geared toward the playoffs. Fantasy football is not over yet, so let's get to the action! Below are our 2025 fantasy football playoff league rankings to help you make the best decisions for your playoff […]


QB Awards

Video: 2024 Fantasy Football Awards - Quarterback MVP, Sleepers, and Busts

With the 2024 NFL regular season wrapped up and the playoffs set to get underway, it's a great time to look start analyzing what went right - and wrong - this season. RotoBaller's David Rispoli breaks down his 2024 fantasy football awards at the Quarterback position in this new YouTube short. Who surprised, who disappointed, […]


Zay Flowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Injury Reports: Wild Card Round Updates for Jordan Love, Zay Flowers, Jalen Hurts, Blake Corum, Christian Watson, Isaac Guerendo, Geno Smith

And just like that, the 2024 NFL regular season has come to an end. This was a very exciting regular season, and I hope you managed to win a fantasy championship this year. As great as the regular season was, the playoffs have the potential to be even better. Anything can happen, and injuries to […]


Nico Collins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Wild Card Weekend Matchups Analysis

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to another start'em and sit'em piece as we look ahead to Wild Card Weekend! If you are new here, this matchups analysis and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em article will look at the best and worst matchups of the week.  Whether you are looking for some DFS plays this weekend or are playing in a fantasy […]


Terry McLaurin - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Wild Card Weekend PPR Rankings for Fantasy Football: Puka Nacua, Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown, Nico Collins, Terry McLaurin, Mike Evans

You might think fantasy football leagues are done until next September, but that is not the case! All sorts of new playoff league contests are kicking off this week, along with DFS contests, and our coverage will continue as always through the Super Bowl. If there's a fantasy or DFS contest to win, we'll have […]


Quentin Johnston - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Lineup Picks

Wild Card Weekend PPR FLEX Rankings for Fantasy Football: Jalen McMillan, DeVonta Smith, Quentin Johnston, Jaylen Warren, Jayden Reed, Amari Cooper

Traditional fantasy football leagues have come to an end, but there are still ways to win with playoff league and DFS contests starting this weekend. Our coverage at RotoBaller will continue as always through the Super Bowl. Like in the regular season, we're here to help you crush any contest or tournament you're interested in […]


James Cook - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Wild Card Weekend PPR Running Back Rankings for Fantasy Football: Bucky Irving, James Cook, J.K. Dobbins, Joe Mixon, Aaron Jones, Jaylen Warren

Hopefully, you captured a fantasy football championship or had big DFS wins during the 2024 NFL regular season. However, whether you had plenty of success or struggled, there are more ways to compete during the NFL postseason! With Playoff league contests starting this week and DFS contests, our coverage will continue as always through the Super […]


Jordan Addison - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Wild Card Weekend PPR Wide Receiver Rankings for Fantasy Football: A.J. Brown, Nico Collins, Jordan Addison, Ladd McConkey, Cooper Kupp, Khalil Shakir

Running backs stole the show during the 2024 fantasy football season, but there were several wideouts who exceeded expectations and could make a difference in fantasy football playoff leagues. Our coverage for playoff leagues and DFS contests will continue throughout the Super Bowl. Let's kick things off with our Wild Card fantasy football PPR wide receiver […]


Pat Freiermuth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Wild Card Weekend PPR Tight End Rankings for Fantasy Football: T.J. Hockenson, Zach Ertz, Cade Otton, Tucker Kraft, Dallas Goedert, Will Dissly

The NFL regular season and traditional fantasy football season might be over, but there are still ways to compete. Whether you have joined a playoff league over at the FFPC or are navigating rankings for DFS purposes, we have you covered. Like regular fantasy leagues, tight ends are always difficult to navigate. We've got you […]


Baker Mayfield - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Wild Card Weekend Quarterback Rankings for Fantasy Football: Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts, Jordan Love, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Justin Herbert

It's NFL playoff time for 14 franchises, and it's fantasy football playoff league time for fantasy managers still looking to compete! Whether you're scanning Wild Card rankings ahead of your playoff-league draft or are just looking for another source to build your DFS lineups, we have you covered. Let's dig into the Wild Card QB […]


Justin Tucker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Kicker Streamers

Wild Card Weekend Kicker Rankings for Fantasy Football: Justin Tucker, Chase McLaughlin, Tyler Bass, Jake Elliott, Will Reichard, Cameron Dicker

Sadly, the fantasy football regular season is over. However, if you're still itching to compete, RotoBaller will provide coverage for playoff leagues through the Super Bowl. To get things kicked off, find out where kickers such as Justin Tucker, Chase McLaughlin, Tyler Bass, Jake Elliott, Will Reichard, and Cameron Dicker are ranked for the Wild Card […]


Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Wild Card Weekend Team Defense Rankings for Fantasy Football: Ravens D/ST, Chargers D/ST, Bills D/ST, Eagles D/ST, Buccaneers D/ST, Rams D/ST

The 2024 fantasy football season flew by in a hurry, and as always, there were plenty of surprise breakouts and duds. With those leagues in the rearview mirror, it's time to turn our attention to fantasy football playoff leagues. RotoBaller will cover these setups through the Super Bowl with a special focus on FFPC leagues. […]