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For many fans of the NFL, fantasy football is an avenue to live the life of a general manager. Just like NFL general managers, fantasy football players often miss wildly on draft picks. No matter how certain you are that the player you’re drafting is going to win your league for you, there’s always a chance they’ll leave you full of regret. The 2024 NFL season is far from finished, but some athletes have already caused fantasy football managers a great deal of pain. Excluding players who have missed significant time due to injury, I’ve listed the top five fantasy football busts this year.
5. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills TE
The tight end position as a whole has seen a dip in numbers this season, and Dalton Kincaid has been no exception. Many people, myself included, saw Buffalo’s lack of receiving talent as an opportunity for Kincaid to step into a more prominent role. I even had Kincaid as one of my must draft players this season. Instead, his production has been lower this season than it was in his rookie year. Kincaid was drafted as TE5, but he currently ranks 12th among tight ends in PPR formats.
4. Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts WR
Last season, Michael Pittman Jr. solidified himself as a secondary wide receiver in fantasy football. With Anthony Richardson replacing Gardner Minshew at quarterback, it was safe to project an uptick in Pittman’s numbers. Instead, Pittman’s production has plummeted. Through nine games, the Colts receiver has just 366 yards and two touchdowns. Pittman was drafted as the WR23 in fantasy football. He’s currently the WR56 and is no longer worth a roster spot in most leagues.
3. Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins WR
Jaylen Waddle’s decline in production is hardly his fault, but the numbers are disappointing nonetheless. Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion left the Dolphins without the ability to push the ball down the field for multiple weeks, much to the dismay of Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill drafters. But while Hill’s numbers have improved with Tua in the lineup, Waddle’s have not. Even with Tua under center, Waddle is averaging less than ten points per game in PPR formats. For a player drafted 20th among receivers, those numbers are too low to stomach.
2. Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars RB
Travis Etienne is aboard the sinking ship that we call the Jacksonville Jaguars. Nobody is productive in this offense, but Etienne’s inefficiency is baffling. He’s been overtaken in the depth chart by Tank Bigsby, now seeing an average of around six carries over the last three games. Etienne was drafted as RB7, but currently ranks as RB40 in PPR formats. Inefficiency concerns date back to last season, but Etienne saw enough volume to maintain a high level of production. With his carries decreasing, Etienne is one of this year’s fantasy football busts.
1. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts QB
Before the NFL season, Anthony Richardson was hyped up as the next elite fantasy football quarterback. He was drafted as QB6, with some experts even projecting him to finish first in his position. Instead, Richardson currently ranks 30th among quarterbacks. Injuries play some part in his disappointing season, but the Colts’ passer is averaging only 11.1 points across his six appearances this year. That number is lower than late-round options like Jared Goff and Justin Herbert. Richardson seems to have reclaimed his starting role in Indianapolis, but he’s lost his spot on most fantasy football rosters.