Never Again: 6 Fantasy Busts Not Worth Another Chance
Every year there are players who fantasy managers struggle with when it comes to draft day. These are players who managers want to believe in either because of their obvious talent or history of production but who have recently failed to live up to expectations and have entered bust territory or have never left it. Although it’s difficult to give up on these players, the time comes when the best decision is to look elsewhere and let someone else deal with the potential headache. Here are six players who were a fantasy bust in 2023 that I am not willing to give a chance in 2024.
Aaron Rodgers, QB, New York Jets
It may seem unfair to call Rodgers a bust since he missed most of last season after tearing his Achilles after four snaps, but with expectations high coming into his first season with the Jets it’s a reasonable assessment. With Rodgers on track to be ready for week 1, it may be tempting to assume he will regain his high-end fantasy ability, but I have my doubts. Rodgers is 40 years old, coming off a serious injury, and hasn’t been truly elite for 2-3 seasons. It’s also likely that the Jets will want to limit (as much as it is possible in football) any risk of re-injury. This will lead to Rodgers getting the ball out quickly and an offense that relies more on Breece Hall and the run game than we have seen in previous Rodgers-lead offenses. Rodgers is a decent choice as a backup QB if you’re inclined to go that route, but I’d rather target other potential contributors at RB or WR.
Jerry Jeudy, WR, Cleveland Browns
Jerry Jeudy has had a disappointing career since entering the league, but for some reason, the fantasy community can’t seem to quit him. Now with a large contract on a new team, it seems likely that managers will find new levels of hope that “this is the year.” But I’m here to tell you that’s a mistake. Jeudy came into the league with lofty expectations due to his quick feet and great route running. Unfortunately, those haven’t translated very well to real or fantasy football. While his skill has flashed at times, Jeudy has failed to find any sort of consistent production and has had trouble staying healthy. He has also never been a 1,000-yard receiver, has only hit the 100-target threshold twice, and has just 11 TDs in his entire career. So if you want a wide receiver who struggles to stay healthy, earn targets, convert receptions, gain receiving yards, or find the end zone, then, by all means, draft Jeudy. Otherwise, you may want to look elsewhere.
Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens
With an ADP of WR77, no one is drafting Bateman to be a starter, but with Bateman signing a two-year extension this past April some managers may be tempted to give him another chance as a depth piece on their bench. But Bateman has been woefully underwhelming up to this point. In his short career, Bateman has never managed to play an entire season and has never had a season with fifty targets. With yardage totals of 515, 285, and 367 and just four career touchdowns, there is not a lot to inspire confidence. Add to that the fact that he plays on a run-heavy team as well as competing for targets with the more talented Zay Flowers and target-hog Mark Andrews and I just don’t see a path to fantasy relevance. Instead, take a chance on talented rookies like Ricky Pearsall, Roman Wilson, or Jermaine Burton, all of whom are going in a similar range.
Miles Sanders, RB, Carolina Panthers
Miles Sanders’ career has taken a disappointing turn in a very short time. Sanders had a breakout season in 2022 with the Philadelphia Eagles when he ran for 1,269 yards and scored 11 times. But in 2023 Sanders signed with the Panthers and although the expectations were high he was only able to manage 432 yards and one score. He also got out-carried and out-played by teammate Chuba Hubbard. A sad outcome for a once-dynamic player. To make matters worse for Sanders the Panthers chose to use their second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Texas running back Jonathan Brooks, making them the only team to select a running back before the third round. Brooks is recovering from a torn ACL, but the reports surrounding him seem positive and it sounds like he may not miss much, if any, time. This could make Sanders the No. 3 RB on the Panthers, killing any fantasy relevance he may have had.
Austin Ekeler, RB, Washington Commanders
With his move to the Commanders, Ekeler is going from a featured role with a heavy workload to at best a 1A/1B role with Brian Robinson and at worst a pass-catching complementary role. Even if that wasn’t the case I’m not sure I’d have much confidence in Ekeler this season. Ekeler’s production has declined over the past few years with an average of 2.99 or fewer yards after contact per attempt in back-to-back seasons. Ekeler is also coming off a 2023 season where he had career lows in yards per carry (3.5) and yards per touch (4.6) and finished as the RB28. He is also 29 years old and besides losing early down work and goal-line touches to Robinson he will also be competing for touches with 2nd-year RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. and the dynamic, dual-threat rookie QB Jayden Daniels. I’d much rather take a chance on Zack Moss, Jonathan Brooks, or Tony Pollard all of whom are coming off draft boards around the same time as Ekeler.
Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles
Goedert, once a reliable and productive fantasy option, has seen that reliability and production take a hit recently. Over the last two years, he’s missed eight games due to injuries. Goedert’s yardage totals have also declined each of the last three years from 830 to 702 to 592, and in 2023 he only managed 9.7 fantasy points per game. His 2024 ADP has been adjusted to reflect some of this but he is still being drafted as a starter and I simply don’t see the path for him. Goedert was already competing for targets with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but this off-season the Eagles signed a fantastic pass-catching running back in Saquon Barkley and drafted WRs Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith. Much of Goedert’s value comes from his receptions (he has had 55+ receptions each of the last three years) but if he loses opportunities (which is likely) and he doesn’t make up for it with yardage and/or TDs then he will be a huge disappointment.
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