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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Week 9 Busts? Players Who Could Disappoint

Khalil Herbert - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Who should you sit or bench for fantasy football Week 9 of the 2021 season? Tommy Adamopoulos identifies potential fantasy football busts and duds to consider avoiding.

It's time for Week 9 of the NFL season and the midway point of the fantasy season. After an uneventful trade deadline, this week has been rife with drama off the field with big names like Aaron Rodgers and Odell Beckham grabbing headlines. Let's turn our attention back to the gridiron and which players may disappoint for performance-based reasons.

It's more critical than ever to make the right lineup decisions and start the right players to put out your optimal lineups, as we are getting into the point in the season where managers could be digging themselves a hole too deep to climb out of.

Listed below are players who could be in for a disappointing performance relative to their overall expectations. No matter how bad of a matchup some of these players may have, fantasy managers may have a tough time leaving them on the bench but if you can afford it, you may want to do just that in Week 9.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

QB - Daniel Jones, New York Giants

Is Saquon Barkley going to play? Probably not. Who's going to be catching passes for the Giants? Who knows. Sterling Shepard is out, Dante Pettis is on IR, Kenny Golladay is perpetually hurt and questionable for this game, and Kadarius Toney is a headache. The never-ending game of musical chairs in the receiver room and lack of explosiveness at running back has wreaked havoc on the offense. Daniel Jones has passed for fewer than 250 yards in four straight games with a 3-4 TD-INT rate. Even in a smash spot against the Chiefs' reeling defense, he busted.

This week doesn't present a great matchup for the Giants, as the Raiders are fresh off their bye week. Their defense is much improved over last year and that has made them a top-12 defense vs opposing QBs. We often give Jones the benefit of the doubt because of his rushing ability but this isn't a great situation for him in that regard either. The Raiders allowed 86 rushing yards to Lamar Jackson in the season opener and 61 to Jalen Hurts in their last game but other than that they've allowed a total of 54 rushing yards to QBs in the other five games. There simply isn't enough upside to go with Jones until they have more playmakers back on the field simultaneously.

 

RB - Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears

Herbert was a sixth-round pick who began the year third on the depth chart with little chance of being a fantasy contributor. Over the last four weeks, he has been nothing short of a revelation for Chicago. He is averaging 86 yards on the ground despite only starting two of those games. He's also chipped in nine catches for 44 yards and one touchdown. David Montgomery has begun to practice but won't play in Week 9 and Damien Williams has missed practice, making it possible he sits out as well. That would seem to make Herbert a strong RB2 play but the matchup says differently.

I've warned against starting RBs against the Steelers in the past and this week continues that trend. They held Nick Chubb to 61 yards on 16 carries last week and have only allowed one 100-yard rusher all year (Alex Collins, oddly enough). Herbert will face a tough Pittsburgh front in a hostile environment in a game with a low 39.5 over/under where the Bears are six-point underdogs. His lone touchdown on the season underscores the main limitation with Herbert: the Bears don't score very much. Having a running quarterback doesn't help either. While I don't expect a complete bust performance in Week 9, it should be a down game for him and possibly his last hurrah before returning to a backup role.

 

RB - Mike Davis, Atlanta Falcons

Davis hasn't performed nearly to the level his quads would have us believe this season. His season-high for rushing yards in a game is 53 and his receiving high is 25 yards. He is averaging 3.8 yards per touch and has two touchdowns total. He could be considered a bust nearly every week at this point.

With Calvin Ridley out, the thinking for RB-desperate owners might go something like this: "They'll have to run the ball more and maybe use Cordarrelle Patterson as a receiver, so Davis will get more touches." That may prove true to some extent but it's not as if the Falcons will abruptly stop passing the ball at a high rate. Even with 20 carries, that shouldn't result in much production vs the Saints. They remain the best defense at limiting yards to running back with an average of 3.02 yards per carry. Desperate times call for desperate measures but I'd rather take a shot on Kenny Gainwell and get my heart broken again than to fool myself into thinking Davis will do something for my fantasy team when he hasn't all year.

 

WR - Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers

Your top fantasy receiver after Week 5 was Cooper Kupp, followed immediately by Mike Williams as the overall WR2. Since Week 6, he's fallen a bit... down to WR105. It's a small sample but it still illustrates how dramatically things have changed. Williams has been feast or famine so far with a pair of monster games, a pair of really good games, and three absolute stinkers.

image from RotoViz

The question is whether he is that matchup-dependent, if Justin Herbert is to blame, or if something else is going on. Some are starting to suspect that defenses are "figuring out" Herbert or that he's hitting a sophomore slump but it might be as simple as strength of schedule. Their first three opponents represented three of the worst pass defenses in the league, while the Raiders, Patriots, and Ravens are far tougher. If so, we should be worried about the passing game as they face the Eagles in Week 9.

Since facing Kansas City in Week 4, the Eagles are allowing 115.7 receiving yards a game to WRs. In particular, outside receivers are getting the clamp from Darius Slay and that means Williams in this case. The touchdown upside is always present but don't be surprised if this winds up as the fourth dud in the past five games.

 

WR - Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots

It's unclear why Meyers continues to linger among the WR3/Flex options when he just doesn't produce at that level. We already know he won't score a touchdown (I'm sure it'll happen one of these days) and he only has one game over 70 yards on the season. Target volume is usually the best metric to follow for receiver production but in this case, it isn't enough.

It has also been underreported that Mac Jones has been disappointing since nearly beating the Bucs in Week 4. His outburst against the hapless Jets has masked an otherwise drab stretch over the past month. Even if you include that game, Jones has only thrown five touchdowns and an average of 246 yards per game over the previous four contests. This is a run-first offense, especially in the red zone, which is why Meyers simply has no ceiling. In a matchup with Carolina's secondary that allows the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers and now has Stephon Gilmore on board, Meyers is a non-consideration.

 

TE - C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati Bengals

The ranks of the must-start tight ends keep thinning so we have to resort to warning away from streamers. Uzomah has been the worst kind of fantasy asset - one who only booms when it's not expected and doesn't benefit anyone. His two big games came in a victory over Jacksonville and a 41-17 blowout over Baltimore. In games where Cincy loses, he averages 15.5 yards per game. Four of his touchdowns on the season came in those two big games.

I'm not predicting that the Bengals lose to the Browns, although it's certainly possible, but this promises to be a close divisional contest and not one where Uzomah will have free reign to roam down the middle of the field. There are other TE streamers such as Tyler Conklin and Albert Okwuegbunam that have more upside.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Start/Sit Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Vinnie Pasquantino

Continues Dismal Start
Will Levis

Could Be Traded Soon
Josh Naylor

Drives In Run In Loss
Bryce Young

Wanted Panthers To Take Tetairoa McMillan
Travis Hunter

Jaguars Plan To Start Travis Hunter In The Receiver Room
Garrett Crochet

Dealt Second Loss
Detroit Lions

Lions Pick Up Aidan Hutchinson's Fifth-Year Option
Jameson Williams

Lions Exercise Jameson Williams' Fifth-Year Option
Rhett Lowder

To Throw A Bullpen Session On Saturday
Aidan Miller

Showing Well At Double-A Of Late
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
J.J. Wetherholt

Absent From Lineup All Week
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Jac Caglianone

Roams Right Field At Double-A On Thursday
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
Sebastian Walcott

Smacks Second Home Run Of 2025
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Kenley Jansen

Records His Sixth Save Of The Season
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Miguel Vargas

Homers Against The Twins On Thursday
Hunter Goodman

Delivers In Game 1 On Thursday With Two Hits
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Christopher Morel

Home Run Seals Victory For Rays
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Zach Neto

Hits Go-Ahead Home Run On Thursday
Yandy Díaz

Yandy Diaz Tallies Three Hits In Win Against Arizona
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Pete Fairbanks

Picks Up Fourth Save On Thursday
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Picks Up Save On Thursday
Corbin Burnes

Picks Up Eight Strikeouts In Thursday's Start
MacKenzie Gore

Strikes Out Eight In Loss On Thursday
Cade Povich

Picks Up Win On Thursday
Bobby Witt Jr.

Scores Three Runs, Steals A Base On Thursday
Alex Bregman

Homers In Loss To Seattle
Jameson Williams

Lions Didn't Entertain Trade Offers For Jameson Williams
Qadir Ismail

Raiders Sign Qadir Ismail
New York Giants

Giants Plan To Exercise Kayvon Thibodeaux's Fifth-Year Option
Russell Wilson

Will Be Giants Starting Quarterback
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Close Out The First Round With Josh Simmons
Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Trade Up One Spot In First Round To Select Jihaad Campbell
Buffalo Bills

Bills Address Secondary And Take Maxwell Hairston With 30th Overall Pick
NFL

Eagles, Chiefs Swap First-Round Picks
Washington Commanders

Josh Conerly Jr. Goes At No. 29 Overall To Commanders
Jaxson Dart

Giants Trade Up For Jaxson Dart At No. 25
Detroit Lions

Tyleik Williams Taken By Lions At No. 28 Overall
Baltimore Ravens

Ravens Go With Malaki Starks At No. 27 Overall In NFL Draft
Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Takes Donovan Jackson No. 24 Overall
NFL

Rams Trade The 26th Pick In The 2025 NFL Draft To The Falcons
Atlanta Falcons

Falcons Trade Back Into First Round To Draft James Pearce Jr. At No. 26 Overall
Matthew Golden

Selected No. 23 Overall By Green Bay
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Isaiah Stewart

Remains Out For Game 3
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Linus Ullmark

Attempts To Overcome Playoff Struggles Thursday
Anthony Cirelli

A Game-Time Call Thursday
Logan Thompson

Comes Up Big In Game 2
Connor McMichael

Strikes Twice In Wednesday's Win
Anze Kopitar

Tallies Four Points In Game 2 Victory
Adrian Kempe

Notches Two Goals, Two Assists In Wednesday's Win
Tyler Seguin

Gives Stars Series Lead With Overtime Winner
Tyler Herro

Scores Game-High 33 Points In Wednesday's Loss
Donovan Mitchell

Fires In 30 Points In Game 2 Win
Paolo Banchero

Notches 32 Points In Game 2 Loss
Jaylen Brown

Posts 36-Point Double-Double Wednesday
Jalen Green

Erupts For 38 Points In Game 2 Victory
Brandin Podziemski

Limited To 14 Minutes Wednesday
Jimmy Butler III

Set For MRI Thursday
Brandin Podziemski

Upgraded To Available
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Michael Porter Jr.

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Davion Mitchell

Moves Into Starting Lineup Wednesday
Brandin Podziemski

Picks Up Questionable Tag
Al Horford

Starts Game 2
Michael Porter Jr.

Practices On Wednesday
Jayson Tatum

Out On Wednesday
Isaiah Stewart

May Miss Another Game Thursday
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF