Now that week #9 of the NFL season is over, it’s time to look at the daily fantasy football busts from over the weekend. These are the players that had big expectations set for them, and then drastically underperformed. We will also take a quick look at a few of the fantasy diamonds, as well. These players were the ones that had lower expectations, and then were big producers. Our hope is that by looking at these, we can help you find better fantasy opportunities over the remainder of the season.
The Letdowns
Tyrod Taylor, QB, Buffalo Bills
By all accounts, it looked like Taylor had a great game against the Miami Dolphins. He had the highest Sunday QB Rating of any quarterback with a 146.5. However, Taylor had very few yards with only 181, and just one touchdown. The reason his QB Rating was so high was because he went 11 for 12 on passing and put his team in position for a couple rushing touchdowns. The Bills played great, and Taylor was a big part of that. But by a fantasy metric, Taylor was a big disappointment. Next week, against the New York Jets, looks to be the same for him, unfortunately. They have a much stronger defense than Miami does, and Taylor will have just as tough of a time putting up passing yards.
A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Green had a fast start to the season, and then fizzled. This game could have been big for him, but he only put up 53 yards on 4 receptions. He was targeted 6 times, which gives him a completion rate of 67 percent, but to put up anything decent, he would have needed a few more targets. He had no touchdowns, and the Bengals went to 8-0. The Browns are a weak team, though. Green should have had much better numbers than this, as he’s put up against far better teams already this year.
The Guys that Stood Out
Marcus Mariota, QB, Tennessee Titans
Mariota had a big game. He threw for 371 yards, had 4 passing touchdowns, and 5 yards of rushing. He’s already had a couple big games in his rookie season, but this was one of his better. The big thing that helped him put up extra yards was going into overtime, and that’s not something that will happen every game. But it did this one, and to his benefit. He had no sacks against him and no interceptions, which also was a big help. The Titans had a big win against the New Orleans Saints, their second of the season. However, it showed what the Titans are capable of when Mariota is on fire.
Cole Beasley, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Beasley had 112 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns. He wasn’t the highest in yards by a long shot, but his 2 TDs boosted his fantasy value a ton. The Cowboys may have lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, but it certainly wasn’t because of his performance. The Eagles do have a pretty weak defense, though, and this did help Beasley put together a great night. It was completely dependent on backup QB Matt Cassel’s performance, though, and there are no guarantees here. It does show what he’s capable of if and when starter Tony Romo comes back later in the season.
Karlos Williams, RB, Buffalo Bills
One of the big reasons why the Bills did so well on Sunday was because of Karlos Williams. He had 110 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. It was a big night from a mid tier running back. On a night when the Bills struggled on their passing game, Williams came up big. It’s encouraging for the Bills as the last half of the season gets going forward. Because this was a one of a kind game from him, it’s smart to hold off on him in the future unless you can get a really good price on him. But, as daily fantasy sports sites adjust their prices to reflect this performance that might not be realistic.
Image belongs to.
