Fantasy Football’s Biggest Busts From Week 2
We all know by now who the NFL’s Week 2 studs were, but let’s talk a little about who didn’t show to play this week. There are quite a few of elite names that are going to show up on this list, as the normal fantasy superstars didn’t really get business done as usual in Week 2.
Let’s take a closer look at the Top 10 players who were the biggest fantasy disappointments in Week 2;
1. Chris Johnson RB, Tennessee Titans
I’d hate to beat a dead horse here, but where on Earth is CJ2K? Remember that guy who ran for 2,000 yards two years ago and earned himself the coolest nickname in the NFL? I don’t. After gobbling up all of 4 yards in Week1, Johnson put up another stinker in Week 2. In San Diego, Johnson gained 17 yards on the ground to give him a whopping total of 21 rushing yards on the season. In Week 2 , he didn’t even manage to work himself into the passing game, as he posted only 2 receptions for 11 yards. CJ2 (I left the K off purposely) should be considered for a bench position if he duds again in Week 3.
2. Jamaal Charles RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Jamaal Charles looks to be falling out of that fantasy “elite” category. Charles gained 1, yes O-N-E yard on the ground on Sunday. The Chiefs have trailed the entire game, but Jamaal Charles only carried the ball four times, and only caught two passes for 12 yards. We expected much more out the Kansas City back, and we will give him a few more weeks to prove he’s a starter. Peyton Hillis has not seen any real fantasy production neither, signaling that Kansas City is not looking to the running backs a whole lot to start the season.
3. Larry Fitzgerald WR, Arizona Cardinals
Was Larry Fitzgerald present at Gillette Stadium on Sunday? The Arizona Cardinals pulled off a monstrous upset against the New England Patriots, but Fitzgerald didn’t have too much to do with it. Fitzgerald finished with just one reception for a measly 4 yards. Could the days of counting on Fitz as your No.1 fantasy receiver be over? I wouldn’t say that. Let’s pay close attention to Fitzgerald in the coming weeks.
4. Andre Johnson WR, Houston Texans
Andre Johnson put up 3 catches for 21 yards on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. I really am not looking too far into this one, folks. In Week 1, Andre Johnson was a beast, and will most likely usually give you that production. The Texans had this game well under control for most of it, and Matt Schaub comfortably spread the ball around to his offense. The need for Andre Johnson to go grab 10 balls for 120 yards never really felt necessary. Just an off week for Andre Johnson.
5. DeMarco Murray RB, Dallas Cowboys
This one is a reach because Murray wasn’t great in Week 2, but he wasn’t atrocious neither. I guess this was my personal add to this list because I have such huge expectations for DeMarco Murray this year. Murray posted 12 carries for 44 yards rushing and 4 receptions for 31 yards. Not a terrible game by any means, but still disappointing for a No.1 back on your fantasy squad. A down week for Murray, but I expect him to return to Dallas this Sunday and put up big numbers against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
6. Jay Cutler QB, Chicago Bears
Whoa. I’d hate to be a Jay Cutler owner in Week 2 because you were probably spending most of your time wondering when he will break out of the negatives in the points column. The Green Bay Packers were on a serious mission not to let down the Lambeau faithful two times in a row to start the season. They gave Cutler nothing as he forced in terrible throw after terrible throw. Cutler was 11 for 27 for 126 yards, a touchdown, and four interceptions. Fantasy owners can’t wait to forget starting him in Week 2.
7. Darren McFadden RB, Oakland Raiders
This one really surprised me in Week 2. After his 13 reception performance in Week 1, it seemed that the Oakland Raiders called so many plays for RUN DMC that it would be almost impossible for him to dud in Week 2. Well, he did just that. McFadden had nothing on the ground, posting 11 carries for 22 yards. He added 2 catches for 19 yards, but this is not even close to his weekly projection. He was one of my locks for Week 2, but I was wrong. McFadden faces another tough task against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3.
8. Brandon Marshall, WR Chicago Bears
In Week 1, it was like watching a highlight reel from a few years back when Cutler was in a Denver uniform and Brandon Marshall was posting 100 catch seasons. Week 2 had no similarity to that. If you already read my analysis on Cutler, you probably would have imagined Brandon Marshall popping up somewhere on this list. By catching just two balls for 24 yards, Marshall earns himself a spot on this list. However, I think once Week 3 rolls around, Brandon Marshall will be nothing close to “disappointing”.
9. Tom Brady QB, New England Patriots
Wait a minute. Tom Brady? Were the Patriots not at home this week hosting the Arizona Cardinals? Did I miss something? Tom Brady wasn’t horrible on Sunday, but he wasn’t Tom Brady neither. Brady completed 28 of 46 for 316 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He finished with a passer rating of 79.6. Considering the Pats were at home against Arizona, I put Brady on the Week 2 disappointing list. We expected the Patriots to run away with this one by halftime but Brady looked a bit uncomfortable after losing tight end Aaron Hernandez early.
10. Dez Bryant WR, Dallas Cowboys
For the record, I had Dez Bryant finishing as a Top 5 fantasy receiver in 2012. With just seven receptions through Week 2, I’m starting to feel like I could be wrong on this one. On Sunday, Bryant hauled in 3 catches for just 17 yards. Given the fact that the Seahawks secondary in pretty solid, I will take a little pressure off this one. I’m a Dez believer and I will continue to wait for him to dominate in 2012. He has a favorable matchup at home against the Bucs, who were completely torched by Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz.
Analysis
In Week 2, I expect Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson to really kick it into high gear again. Remember, some of these guys had some tough matchups like Jay Cutler (on the road at Green Bay), and Dez Bryant (on the road at Seattle). Andre Johnson is the only player on this list to play for a Week 2 winner, besides Larry Fitzgerald. Most of these players were behind early, and struggled to manifest any real fantasy production. Brady was very quiet most the day, but turned it up late in the game to muster up some decent points. All in all, it’s just another NFL week where some superstars don’t turn out the numbers we all expect them to. And who would of thought the visiting Arizona Cardinals would knock off Tom Brady and Co. at home? Well, as the old saying goes, anything can happen on any given Sunday.
See you in Week 3!
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