Subscribe
Follow Us
For a number of years now, the zero-RB strategy has been something many fantasy football managers implement. The idea behind it is to stay away from drafting running backs for at least the first four or five rounds. You fill up your receiver, tight end and quarterback slots. Then grab a whole bunch of running backs in hopes that you can find two RB2's. But it is far from fool-proof plan. Many times that strategy will blow up in their face. But this is not one of those seasons.
There have been a number of huge busts taken in the early rounds of fantasy football drafts. A large percentage of them are running backs. Even the ones that do not completely look like busts have still struggled to live up to their draft price. Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry, Austin Ekeler and Dalvin Cook owners likely used a first round pick on their RB1. They aren't busts, but their owners likely are not thrilled with their production. But it could have been worse. They could have drafted some of the players that have been complete busts.
5 Fantasy Football Busts through 4 Weeks of 2022 Season
5. Gabriel Davis – Buffalo Bills WR
Bills wide receiver Gabriel Davis was expected to take on a bigger role in the offense this season. But through four games, Davis has a total of eight catches for 138 yards and one touchdown. Granted, he did miss Week 2 with an ankle injury. But even the three games he did suit up, he's averaging less than five targets per game.
Gabe Davis (98% of snaps) has one catch for 13 yards.
Another week of lots of routes and little production
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) October 2, 2022
All fantasy football managers know that target share is a crucial statistic when evaluating a wideout. Outside of Stefon Diggs, no player on Buffalo has been receiving regular targets at the volume needed to be started every week. Making matters worse, the games that Davis has struggled against came versus the Rams, Dolphins and Ravens. Those three secondaries have allowed the 3rd, 5th and 1st most points to wide receivers in fantasy this year.
There is a little reason for optimism though. Isaiah McKenzie left due to a concussion last week in a win over the Ravens. It's unlikely he plays against Steelers this week. Jamison Crowder broke his ankle in Week 4. So, Davis could see an uptick in targets moving forward in an elite Bills offense. It will need to for Davis to live up to his early to mid-round pick.
4. Joe Mixon – Cincinnati Bengals RB
Those who drafted Joe Mixon in the first round of their fantasy football drafts are kicking themselves. There is literally nothing they can do about it, either. His value is almost as low as it is going to get. So, you can't trade him right now. You just have to ride it out and pray he turns it around.
Mixon thus far is second in the NFL in carries with 82 carries. Only Saquon Barkley has more. Yet, the Bengals tailback is 21st in rushing with 224 yards. That is the opposite of efficiency. The good news is that there is not much else in the Bengals backfield likely to take the workload away.
But if this is how bad he has looked through the first month, what is he going to do if you make the playoffs when Cincinnati plays the Buccaneers and Bills defenses?
3. Alvin Kamara – New Orleans Saints RB
Some fantasy football owners shied away from drafting Alvin Kamara. But they did so because of the possibility of him being suspended for his off-the-field altercation in Las Vegas. Not many expected him to stink up the joint on the field. But that's only if he plays.
Kamara has already missed two of the Saints first four games. He missed Week 2 and then was a surprise inactive for Sunday morning's early game in London. Kamara had been practicing all week, so people went to bed thinking he would be active. Unless they set their alarms really early, Kamara screwed a ton of fantasy football owners.
When you forgot there was a London game and Alvin Kamara was locked in to your fantasy lineup pic.twitter.com/OJhEJdtGK1
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 2, 2022
But even in the two games he has played, the veteran running back has 24 carries for 100 yards, total. Despite garnering 11 targets from Jameis Winston, he has only pulled down five of them for 19 receiving yards. Kamara is currently player 261 in total points. That's a far cry from his second-round draft stock.
Winston appears to have regressed. The Saints offense has been abysmal. You might want to shop Kamara.
Article Continues Below
2. DJ Moore – Carolina Panthers WR
I truly feel bad for both DJ Moore and his fantasy football owners. The talented receiver had eclipsed 1,100 yards three straight years following his rookie season in 2018. He was getting drafted typically in the third and fourth rounds of fantasy drafts. Only Christian McCaffrey appeared to be a player that would eat into his target share.
The Panthers were expected to be trailing in a lot of games, meaning they have to throw. That has come to fruition. But Moore has been ‘Bakered.' Just ask Odell Beckham Jr. and Browns fans what that means. Baker Mayfield is proving once again he is the killer of fantasy football teams.
Kyle Allen and Cam Newton supported Christian McCaffrey and DJ Moore as fantasy weapons.
Baker Mayfield is not.
Meanwhile, Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, and David Njoku are looking great in Cleveland. Odell Beckham bounced back last year with the Rams.
Maybe Baker is the problem.
— Dave Kluge (@DaveKluge) September 26, 2022
Moore has just 13 catches on 29 targets for 138 yards and a touchdown. That's an average of three catches for 34 yards per game. It's not likely to get better until Matt Rhule is relieved of his duties and Mayfield is benched. Neither of those things are likely to happen this season.
He should not be in starting lineups until something changes.
1. Jonathan Taylor – Indianapolis Colts RB
There is little doubt that Jonathan Taylor is the biggest bust in fantasy football this season. It's not that his production is the worst. Don't get me wrong, it hasn't been good. After a monstrous Week 1 where he scored 25 points, Taylor has just 20 points combined over the proceeding three weeks.
But the fact that he was the consensus number one player in every fantasy football draft is what puts him atop this list. He was taken first overall in almost every draft this fall.
How I sleep every night knowing I drafted Jonathan Taylor with the 1.1 pic.twitter.com/Z3gN59lcXo
— J.J.W (@almightyjunky) October 2, 2022
The Colts offense appears broken. Matt Ryan has been putrid, fumbling a league-high 10 times already. Michael Pittman Jr. has been bottled up as the only threat in the passing game. That's allowed defenses to focus on Taylor and the Colts ground game.
To make matters worse, Taylor suffered an ankle injury in their Week 4 loss to the Titans. He is wearing a walking boot and did not practice Tuesday. It's unlikely he suits up for Thursday's game against the Broncos.
An honorable mention and one that is truly a shame is Kyle Pitts. The Falcons tight end was supposed to have a massive breakout season. Instead, he has been practically invisible.
