Daily fantasy football is back in full swing, and as always, there were a few big busts when it came to players that a lot was expected of. These included a few big name players, and a few that should have been top performers that just didn’t see things click for them. The good news is that there were also a few nice diamonds in the rough. These are the players that had been under the radar all offseason, and then surprised those that hadn’t noticed that they were actually capable of much more. Here are our Week #1 busts and diamonds.
Week #1 Busts
The biggest bust of week #1 has to be Andrew Luck. He was the second highest rank player in the entire NFL going into Sunday, and underperformed in an epic way. In addition to losing a game that should have been won against the Buffalo Bills, Luck only threw two touchdowns during his 243 yards. He earned a QB Rating for this game of 63.6, a dismal number by any standard. He also had two interceptions, which certainly did nothing to impress.
Another bust took place with Tampa Bay’s Vincent Jackson. Jackson is not a top rated wide receiver, but he is certainly capable of far more than what he did this weekend. He was targeted 12 times by rookie QB Jameis Winston, but only had 4 completions. His yards per reception was decent at 12.8, but he just wasn’t strong enough to be a worthwhile choice, even at his price. It doesn’t look like next week will be any better for him either as the Buccaneers face off against the New Orleans Saints.
Seattle’s new running back, Fred Jackson, was a big bust this weekend, too. Jackson only ran the ball three times for 13 yards against the St. Louis Rams. He did have one reception for 16 yards, but this wasn’t enough to boost his fantasy value at all. Jackson is capable of much more than this, and Seattle’s struggles against St. Louis spells danger for later in the season, especially because a veteran QB like Russell Wilson should have been able to count on Jackson for more.
No week #1 bust list would be complete without mentioning Peyton Manning. Manning is a great QB, but he did not demonstrate that on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. He did what he needed to do to win for the Denver Broncos, but a large part of that success rests on the even more dismal performance posted by Ravens QB, Joe Flacco. Not only was Manning inaccurate, but he didn’t look like he was in very good shape. Some experts commented that he had lost arm strength. The way he looked in week #1 coupled with his 59.9 QB Rating for the game both seem’ to imply that it will still be a few more weeks before he is worth starting in your daily fantasy football league, especially if his price stays high as it was going into this game.
Week #1 Diamonds
Tyrod Taylor, the QB for the Buffalo Bills, turned a lot of heads after his victory against the Indianapolis Colts. He had one passing touchdown, threw for 195 yards, and had 14 completions on 19 attempts for a completion rate of 73.7 percent. This was Taylor’s first game with Buffalo, and it’s pretty clear that he is working well so far here. Things are likely to be different next week though, as the Bills take on the New England Patriots.
A surprise gem came from the Miami Dolphins special teams and defense. The defense held the Washington Redskins to just 10 points, and special teams pun t returner Jarvis Landry brought a kick in for a 69 yard TD early in the 4th Quarter. The Dolphins won 17-10, and put them in contention in the early conversations about who will win the AFC East.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith was another little diamond to have on your fantasy roster. He wasn’t an expensive pick, but he threw three touchdowns and had 243 yards. He went 22 for 33 in his completions, and ranked as one of the better QB performances on Sunday. Smith isn’t really on many radars as a top point producer, but after this game, maybe he should start being considered in your weekly drafts.
Photo credit goes to.
