The NFL season is just around the corner which means it's time to evaluate the top fantasy football quarterback busts of 2021. When it comes to the quarterback position, it can be a huge advantage to have an elite option, especially if they are a dual-threat quarterback.
Even so, streaming the position is a perfectly suitable strategy as well, especially in 1QB leagues. You can find solid FLEX options off the waiver wire, exploiting weekly matchups in your favor. However, there are a handful of quarterbacks being selected that might be a bit of a risk this season, making them fantasy football busts.
When it comes down to it, five players could be quarterback busts. They either aren't worth their current ADP or have too many red flags surrounding them. With that said, here are five potential fantasy football quarterback busts.
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5. Baker Mayfield
There is a lot of hype around Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns. In fact, Mayfield played like a solid QB1 in the final stretch of the 2020 season. He has the weapons at his disposal and an offensive line that protects him better than most. Even so, Mayfield has a history of underperforming in fantasy football.
He gets the job done for the Browns in real life, but his stats just don't translate to the fantasy realm. Additionally, Cleveland has a stout running game as they rely on Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt more often than not. Additionally, the Browns defense is stacked this year which should allow Cleveland to maintain their run-first approach. Baker Mayfield is more of a streaming option who shouldn't be selected in your fantasy drafts.
4. Trevor Lawrence
Rookies either struggle or they take the league by storm. Trevor Lawrence is on the fence right now to either be great or be a huge disappointment in his first year. The Jacksonville Jaguars are hopeful that Lawrence will make an instant impact, but there is reason to believe he's one of the fantasy football busts.
The Jaguars have a poor roster, particularly the defense. Offensively, Jacksonville has some nice weapons who could be solid fantasy assets. Although that's true, we've seen Lawrence struggle a bit throughout training camp and the preseason. There are also reports of Jaguars players not being happy with new head coach Urban Meyer, which could negatively impact Trevor Lawrence's development. Let someone else in your league select Lawrence and take a late-round wide receiver instead.
3. Joe Burrow
Joe Burow is attempting to bounce back from a serious knee injury and everything seems fine so far. The Cincinnati Bengals have an exciting offense this year and could be throwing the ball frequently, as they're likely to be losing most of their games. With a plethora of talented receivers at his disposal, there are reasons to believe that Joe Burrow is a legit fantasy football option.
Everything looks great, except there is one major flaw that makes Burrow one of the quarterback busts. The Cincinnati Bengals did very little to upgrade the offensive line this offseason. In fact, the Bengals likely have one of the worst offensive lines in the league right now. Burrow will have to get rid of the ball quickly to avoid getting sacked, but he's likely to be running for his life throughout the year. Cincinnati opted to not protect their franchise quarterback even though he suffered a season-ending injury during his rookie campaign. It'd be smart to avoid Burrow until the Bengals address the issues on the offensive line.
2. Jalen Hurts
Another player with a ton of hype around him is Jalen Hurts. He played in the final stretch of games for the Philadelphia Eagles, filling in for Carson Wentz. Hurts looked fantastic and served as a league-winning acquisition for many. He's also a dual-threat quarterback and will rack up the points through the air and the ground, which is why he's viewed as a solid fantasy option this year.
Although all the signs point to Hurts being a fantasy football darling, some red flags are going unnoticed. He has minimal experience and there's a chance that his streak of success was a fluke. Additionally, the Eagles' pass options aren't elite, as they're a young group still adjusting to the professional level. Lastly, the Eagles' offensive line is one of the worst in the league at protecting the quarterback, putting Hurts at risk every time he drops back. Jalen Hurts is a big risk, big reward type of quarterback this year. If you want a safer option, look to select Ryan Tannehill or Tom Brady who have similar ADPs.
1. Russell Wilson
Many view Russell Wilson as a safe option, however, there is reason to believe he's one of the fantasy football quarterback busts. Last year, Wilson served as a top fantasy asset in the Seattle Seahawks offense. Well, for the first half of the season at least. Head coach Pete Carroll is adamant that the Seahawks will be a run-first team, which takes the ball out of Wilson's hands.
This was one of the reasons why Wilson hit the rumor mill so hard in the offseason. Seattle has all of the talent in the world to be an elite offense, but their coach's stubbornness could get in the way yet again. Wilson will likely be a good fantasy quarterback, but not great. He's too much of a risk at his current ADP. Instead, if you're looking for a quarterback in Wilson's range, take Aaron Rodgers, who has been a consistent gunslinger throughout his career.
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