Now that week #8 of the NFL season has come and gone, it’s time to list our official daily fantasy busts and diamonds of the week. Just so you know, a bust is a player that most people expected to perform really well, and then fizzled. A diamond is a player that didn’t have high expectations, but then surprised the critics by having a standout game. We try to list a few of the highlights in these categories each week so that you can take look at the reasons why they might have had an exceptional (or lousy) game, and better spot similar situations in the future. As always, we’ll start with busts.
The Downers
Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Dalton has been one of the best QBs in the NFL this season, and he still ranks at or near the top of most lists. However, this week was a horrible performance by him. He threw only 231 yards, and had just 1 touchdown. On top of that, he had 2 interceptions and was sacked 3 times. The Bengals went from a 6-0 team to a 7-0 team despite all of this, which says a lot about the quality of his team. That’s good news for those of us that keep drafting him. When a quarterback has a strong team backing him, he’s more likely to have a good fantasy showing. So there’s a very good chance that this performance was a fluke.
Le’Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Bell has a ton of potential, but it hasn’t been showing through much this year. This weekend, he ran just 45 yards total. He did have 2 receptions for 13 yards, which helped his fantasy worth a bit, but there were no touchdowns. His inability to score has been impacting his fantasy value a lot. Until he starts pulling his weight, he’s probably best to avoid on your fantasy team. Just keep an eye on him because he can have great games when he’s at his best.
On the Upside
Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints
Saints fans are all breathing a sigh of relief this week. The Saints quarterback, Drew Brees, has finally had the big game that they’ve been waiting for. He threw for 505 yards and had 7 touchdowns. There were no sacks and one interception. Brees has been battling an injury most of the year, but looked unstoppable against the New York Giants. The game was a lot closer than it could have been, but only because New York QB Eli Manning also had a big game. This game is a good indication of what Brees is capable of when healthy against a mediocre defense, and it’s something that he’s fully able to replicate. He’s a great pick when against a moderate to weak defense and you can get a good price on him.
Todd Gurley, RB, St. Louis Rams
Gurley had a great fantasy week last week, and an even more impressive one this weekend. He ran for 133 yards, had a rushing touchdown, had 3 receptions on 3 targets, and had 13 passing yards. It was a great game for him, especially if you got a league bonus for him going up over 100 yards. The only problem with Gurley’s performance is that most of his yards came on a single run of 71 yards. If this had been, say, a 10 yard run, he would have had a mediocre performance. He’s been a diamond the last two weeks, but this week’s showing is on shaky ground and not something that you should be counting on him repeating every week.
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants
The Giants may have lost to the Saints, but this wasn’t because of Beckham. He had 130 yards passing and 3 touchdowns. It was the game that Beckham fans have known was coming for a while, but it took much longer into the season than everyone thought it would. It’s about time, because he’s a talented young player. Hopefully the Giants are over their slump and Beckham will start being a top contributor like he’s capable of being.
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