September 23, 2016

Pierre Camus' top 10 potential lineup busts for Week 3 of the 2016 fantasy football season. Players to avoid in your lineups as underperformers and disappointments.

You've read about all the sleepers, waiver wire pickups and starter suggestions based on matchups. Now let me burst some bubbles and tell you who is going to bust big time in Week 3.

This isn't to troll or spread hate - that's what those political sites are for. Think of this as a public service for fanboys and truth deniers who insist that everything is going to be alright, when it's clearly not. If you don't believe me, just ask the general public on Twitter. They know everything.

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out FantasyAces DFS contests for Week 3. New users that sign up on Fantasy Aces and make a $20 deposit will receive RotoBaller's full season NFL Premium Pass for free (including Premium DFS), normally a $59.99 value. Expert DFS research, sample lineups, matchup ratings and lots more!

Top 10 Fantasy Football Busts for Week 3

Let me start by recapping how wildly successful I was at predicting busts last week, going 8 for 10. The lone exceptions were Dez Bryant, who surpassed 100 yards receiving, although he didn't reach the end zone, and Frank Gore, who did reach the end zone and continues to carry that Luck guy on his back. For the record, I am NOT giving any credit to Ryan Tannehill for piling up yardage in garbage time after letting my team, er, his team fall behind by three TD in the first half. If I spared you from watching Todd Gurley or Eddie Lacy run into their own lineman or Jameis Winston completing passes to the opposite team, you're welcome. Now, on to this week's picks, who are sure to be more busty than Nicki Minaj wearing spandex.

 
Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB, NYJ) - The Fitz is in. I'm sure Jets fans will agree he is earning every penny of that $12 million contract so far. They're just an agreeable bunch. 374 passing yards and AFC Offensive Player of the Week against division rivals Buffalo will do a lot of fence mending after all. Don't get overanxious this week, as the Jets travel to Arrowhead to face Marcus Peters and a Chiefs defense that ranked fifth in fewest fantasy points allowed to QB last season. Despite a first-half lapse against the Chargers, the defense has turned the beat around and is fifth again this year against the pass. They could easily subdue an offense that has a trio of banged up receivers. Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, and Quincy Enunwa have all been listed as questionable, with Marshall and Decker both DNPs the last two days of practice. Even if they suit up, don't count on a repeat performance of last week. Of course, for some fans it won't ever be enough. He could go 49 of 50 for 500 yards and eight TD and be crucified for that one incompletion. Such is life in the Big Apple...

 
 
Carson Wentz (QB, PHI) - The #2 overall pick has played better than anyone could have expected over his first two games. Wentz currently has a higher Raw QBR than Drew Brees, Andy Dalton and Russell Wilson. As much as you have to give him credit, let's take this time of remind ourselves of one thing: schedules matter. The Eagles have had the luxury of playing Cleveland and Chicago so far, both of whom are in full rebuilding mode this season and saw their starting quarterback injured during the game. While props go to the Philly D for their mafioso style hits on the opposing QB, the offense has looked better than it really is. Enter the Steel Curtain. Pittsburgh has actually been awful against the pass, allowing 695 yards through the air. That would be second-worst behind only Oakland. But that's what makes this a bust play. The Steelers have dominated against the run and Wentz may be forced into some obvious passing situations which will make things much tougher compared to what he has faced so far (which isn't saying much). I'm not a fan of his this week, but he still may have a fan in opposing QB Ben Roethlisberger.

 
 
Marcus Mariota (QB, TEN) - Mariota has been decent in his first two outings, throwing for 271 yards in Week 1, 238 yards in Week 2, with a 2/1 TD/INT rate in each game. Now, the Raiders come to town with a defense that apparently relocated to Vegas a year early and forgot to travel with the team. The Raiders have allowed more passing yardage than anyone in the first two weeks, so this could be a chance for Mariota to light it up and be a sneaky good start in deep leagues. Or he could keep dumping the ball off to DeMarco Murray and Tajae Sharpe for a craptacular 6.7 AY/A. This has the smell of a game that will somehow result in a low-scoring affair. The Titans have been excellent defensively and may not need to pass the ball very often if their running backs can slice through Oakland's defense. He could wind up handing the ball off for four touchdowns. That should count for something, right? Who's with me?

 
 
Isaiah Crowell (RB, CLE) - They'll just run the ball more. He's looked great through two games! Crowell will carry the offense!! WRONG!!! I don't think even Browns fans are saying these things, but let's talk about the 48% of you who have Crowell starting this weekend on your fantasy team. You obviously think there's a chance he does something significant despite the fact Cody Kessler is starting at QB. Either that or your other RB were Jonathan Stewart, Ameer Abdullah and Arian Foster, to which I say: you reap what you sow. Crowell is technically in the top five rushing leaders right now, but let's remember that 85 of those 195 yards came on one play last week before the Ravens players suddenly woke up and realized they were in Cleveland. Plus, I have it from a higher authority that the Browns are destined to fail. Forever.

 
 
Odell Beckham Jr. (WR, NYG) - It's not that I think Josh Norman is the best player in the world, but he did his thing last week against Dez. Bryant got his yardage on plays where he was covered by someone else. This week, Norman will "definitely shadow" OBJ/ODB/ODJ/OBG/OPP on every play, unless he moves to the slot. That aside, Mr. Beckham has already seen a decline in his stats since the emergence of Sterling Shepard and return of Victor Cruz have stopped necessitating Eli Manning to throw it his way on literally every other play. Beckham will still break big plays frequently, but with a drop in targets, I wouldn't be surprised if he finishes outside the top 10 WR by year's end. Bold predictions aside, the junior Odell will have a hard time even walking, much less running routes, with Norman draped all over him like a wet towel left out in the rain all afternoon, dragging him around like an old trash bag full of even more wet towels. Count on it.

 
 
Jerick McKinnon (RB, MIN) - Full disclosure first - I added McKinnon in one league and made a failed claim for him in another. Sorry, but $100 is too rich for my blood. He is currently the back to own in Minnesota and probably the most popular RB waiver add of the week. Enter Matt Asiata. He is the man who will crush your hopes and dreams by plunging in for a one-yard TD on his first carry after McKinnon did all the leg work between the 20s. The last time AP was hurt, they employed something closer to a committee approach. Don't expect McKinnon to suddenly morph into Peterson 2.0 overnight. His career 4.9 Y/A is a great sign, but he only has 168 career carries. Plus, the Panthers run defense allowed the fourth-fewest yards last season of all NFL teams. A tough matchup with the threat of Asiata looming in the distance make McKinnon a flex play at best, not a replacement for AP. It's Asiata you want anyway. According to popular sentiment, he will probably end the season as the #1 fantasy running back in all the land.

 
 
LeSean McCoy (RB, BUF) - Sammy Watkins and his foot aren't getting any better, which is bad news for the offense all-around. If Watkins doesn't go, which seems entirely possible this week, it will be up to new offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn to find a running game that works. The Cardinals D might possibly be expecting that. Arizona has limited their first two opponents to 95.5 rush YPG, which doesn't bode well for Shady. At least the playcalling will be more interesting this time around.

 
 
A.J. Green (WR, CIN) - Cincy has to face the Broncos this week. That's it. Actually, that's not it. AJ also had to miss a whole day of practice because of some nonsense about his first child being born. You know that dude won't be sleeping for the next 18 years, amirite???  Don't worry AJ - there are ways around those things.

 
 
Mike Wallace (WR, BAL) - Pretty sure Wallace played us all by pretending to fail his conditioning test in the preseason, just so he could sprint downfield and surprise everyone on Sundays. Steve Smith and Breshad Perriman are technically on the field, but with both slow to recover from injury, Wallace has been depended on more than expected. We have your number now, Mikey. No more surprises. Plus, we've already established that any stats you rack up against Cleveland simply don't count. I bet the Dolphins are glad they gave him that huge contract now!

 
 
Greg Olsen (TE, CAR) - At this rate, it'll be a miracle if this game even gets played. Olsen has been his usual, reliable self this season with a 12-195-1 line in two games. The Vikings present a tough matchup, allowing just 4.9 fantasy PPG to the tight end so far. This should be a low-scoring affair, meaning Olsen will be mostly TD-dependent. As an aside, you know who else is TD-dependent? The Seattle Seahawks. Some people are more optimistic than others though. P.S. - sometimes you really can judge a book by its cover.