Week 9 Fantasy Busts? Players To Consider Avoiding

November 3, 2019

Keith Hernandez analyzes NFL players to consider sitting or benching for Week 9. These are his top potential fantasy football lineup busts to avoid starting.

In most fantasy leagues, there are just five weeks left before the playoffs begin. Time is running out. Let's take a look at the top fantasy scorers (standard scoring) at each position thus far... Deshaun Watson leads all QBs with 229.8 fantasy points at 28.7 points per game. Do-it-all back Christian McCaffrey is the highest-scoring running back (167.8 points). Michael Thomas (110.6 points) leads all receivers, while tight end Austin Hooper (89.1 points) leads the thin tight end position. If you have one or more of these players on your fantasy squad, you should be a shoe-in for the postseason.

On the flip side, Baker Mayfield (119.8 points) headlines one of the biggest busts at his position after everyone hyped Cleveland's offense over the summer. Because of injuries, both Saquon Barkley -- the first overall pick in most leagues -- and Alvin Kamara have underwhelmed. Odell Beckham Jr. (56.3) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (62.3) have been the biggest busts at receiver. O.J. Howard was supposed to break out at tight end, but he's done nothing of the sort and ranks 38th at the position with 17.6 fantasy points. If you drafted any of these guys, it's been a long year for you.

Below are 10 potential busts for Week 9 of the 2019 fantasy football season.

Potential Quarterback Busts for Week 9

Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay Packers @ Chargers

Since his bust against the Cowboys on Oct. 6 (he was on this list that week), Rodgers has been lights-out in three games, going 72-for-103 for 1,017 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception for a passer rating of 129.8. He also has a touchdown on the ground and is averaging 11.38 yards per attempt, all while missing No. 1 receiver Davante Adams (toe).

He's been a surgeon in spreading the ball around to all of his receivers, but all three of his touchdown passes in Week 8 went to running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams. Getting Adams back this week would certainly boost Rodgers' upside, but the Bolts would likely stick Casey Hayward on him all game. LA has been more than adequate in limiting opposing QBs to 18.4 fantasy points per game.

Lamar Jackson - Baltimore Ravens Vs. Patriots

Jackson ranks third at his position in fantasy points (202.1) through eight weeks, and his floor remains high because of his rushing prowess; he's gone over 100 yards rushing three times this year, including in back-to-back weeks. He's expected to get top wideout Marquise "Hollywood" Brown back from injury as well.

However, aside from his five-touchdown season opener, Jackson hasn't topped 300 yards passing and hasn't thrown a touchdown since Oct. 6 against the Steelers. He completed a season-low nine passes for just 143 yards in Week 7 before the team's bye. Positive game script has contributed to this, but Jackson will be facing an excellent defense on Sunday night. The Pats allow the second-fewest fantasy points per game (11.5) to QBs and have given up just two passing TDs and one rushing score to signal-callers all year.

Others: Baker Mayfield (@ Broncos), Daniel Jones (Vs. Cowboys)

Potential Running Back Busts for Week 9

Chris Carson - Seattle Seahawks Vs. Buccaneers

Seattle's bell-cow back has been one of the safest running back plays this year thanks to his 159 rushing attempts -- second only to Leonard Fournette. Carson has just three rushing scores on the year, but he's had 20-plus carries in the last five weeks, which has included three 100-yard contests and two of his scores. The fewest touches he's had in a game was 16 against the Saints.

Like the New Orleans game, Week 9 against Tampa could turn into a shootout, which would be bad news for Carson since he's not as involved in the passing game. The Bucs improved defensive line also allows the fourth fewest fantasy points per game (12.1) to opposing running backs.

James Conner - Pittsburgh Steelers Vs. Colts

Don't let Conner's 145-yard rushing performance against the Dolphins on Monday night blind you from the fact that he's been a letdown this year with Ben Roethlisberger (elbow) injured. He salvaged his fantasy stat lines the previous two weeks with three total touchdowns, but the Terminator hadn't gone over 55 yards rushing in any game before Week 8.

He also suffered a shoulder injury on Monday that could keep him out of practice all week. He could easily disappoint coming off a big outing if he's playing at less than 100 percent against a Colts Defense that has allowed 308 yards on the ground and just one rushing touchdown in their last four games.

David Montgomery - Chicago Bears @ Eagles

The rookie had his best game as a pro in Week 8 against the Chargers (27-135-1) and his stock is on the rise heading into the second half, but you should temper your expectations this weekend against a Philly defensive front that allows the fifth fewest fantasy points per game (14.6) to running backs. Montgomery continues to lose valuable targets in the passing game to Tarik Cohen, too.

Others: Mark Ingram (Vs. Patriots), Marlon Mack (@ Steelers), LeSean McCoy (Vs. Vikings)

Potential Wide Receiver Busts for Week 9

Marquise Brown - Baltimore Ravens Vs. Patriots

The 22-year-old rookie burst onto the scene in Week 1 with 147 yards and two touchdowns. The very next week he had a season-high 13 targets, eight catches and an impressive 86 yards. On limited targets, however, he's predictably cooled off since then and has missed the last two weeks due to injury.

Brown has 44 yards on seven catches in his last two games and has played just 41.6% of the team's offensive snaps. He's expected to return on Sunday night, but the youngster will draw shadow coverage from Stephon Gilmore, perhaps the best shutdown corner in the league this year. Brown has the speed to take the top off a defense, but his limited involvement and tough matchup make him one to fade in his return.

Jarvis Landry - Cleveland Browns @ Broncos

Landry has been extremely mediocre outside of his eight-catch, 167-yard performance on Sept. 29 against the Ravens and has yet to find the end zone this year. He's the clear No. 2 behind OBJ and has been held hostage due to the struggles of his QB. It remains to be seen how the Broncos play it, but there's a good chance that Chris Harris Jr. shadows Landry in the slot. Harris has been shutting down opposing wideouts this year and just kept T.Y. Hilton quiet in Week 8.

Golden Tate - New York Giants Vs. Cowboys (Monday Night)

The 30 targets, 20 receptions and 267 yards that Tate has piled up the last three weeks come with an asterisk -- Sterling Shepard (concussion) has been sidelined. The 31-year-old will still be a nice safety blanket underneath for Daniel Jones, but Shepard's impending return will inevitably lower Tate's ceiling. That could come this week against a Dallas defense that has allowed the fifth fewest fantasy points per game (16.6) to wideouts.

Others: Terry McLaurin (@ Bills), Alshon Jeffery (Vs. Bears), Courtland Sutton (Vs. Browns)

Potential Tight End Busts for Week 9

Jason Witten - Dallas Cowboys @ Giants

Holding down tight ends has been about the only thing the Giants Defense has done well this year, limiting them to 4.9 fantasy points per game. Witten scored the first two weeks of the season but hasn't visited paydirt since, and he has had more than four targets in a game just once. Dallas won't need his services to beat the G-Men handily on the road.

Jimmy Graham - Green Bay Packers @ Chargers

Another aging and fading tight end, Graham is basically the same player as Witten nowadays. If he doesn't score a touchdown, he's basically a fantasy bust. The Chargers have allowed the third fewest fantasy points per game (3.4) to tight ends the last five weeks. And with Davante Adams (toe) on track to return in Week 9, Graham's targets could suffer even more.

Others: Mark Andrews (Vs. Patriots), Dallas Goedert (Vs. Bengals)

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