Fantasy Footbal Busts of 2008 by Position

Each year football fans around the country gather for that solemn event in late August. Hours of research, analysis, and preparation go into this event that seems to come and go in seconds. No matter how much time and preparation, sometimes draft picks in the first few rounds become "busts". How do you classify a bust? Is a guy who misses more than half the season due to injury a bust? What about the guy that was finally caught by Father Time and just produced less than he had in past years? Maybe it's the guy that guaranteed 2,000 yards rushing and ends up with only 700. For our purposes, we will report the biggest injury bust and the biggest production bust at each position.

Quarterback

Injury

Winner - The evident choice for this position is Tom Brady (NE). Brady was hurt in the first game of the year and put on the IR shortly after. Brady was a top 10 choice in most leagues this year and many teams who used their first round choice on him paid the price.

Runner up -- Many people had Carson Palmer (Cin) as a Top 5 QB, but injuries have limited him so much that he has only played in four games this season.

Dishonorable mention - John Kitna (Det), Matt Hasslebeck (Sea), Brodie Croyle (KC), and Alex Smith (SF).

Production

Winner - This was a close race among several players, but based on his status as a top 10 quarterback and his complete lack of production this season makes Derek Anderson (Cle) a draft bust in the eyes of many.

Runner up - Third Year Quarterbacks have had a rough year. Tavaris Jackson (Min), Vince Young (Ten), and Matt Leinart (Ari) all began training camp as the number one quarterback for their respective teams. All three have been demoted to backup and will probably not see the field this year, except in cleanup duty. One major exception to the third year quarterback is Jay Cutler, who is not a bust by any means.

Dishonorable mention - Marc Bulger (Stl)and JT O'Sullivan (SF)

Biggest QB Bust - Tom Brady - NE - As a top 10 pick, you need to produce; and due to injury he wasn't able to produce.

Running Backs

Injury

Winner - Willis McGahee (Bal) has been injured for much of the season. He was a top 10 running back on many draft boards and yet when he did play, he was very up or very down. While he has had some big games, he has also had a number where he only had a couple of yards on a couple of carries or worse yet, laid a goose egg for his fantasy owners. This is not the kind of production you would expect from a top 10 back.

Runner up - Willie Parker (Pit) has been injured so many times this season that you can't count on him week to week. He has played well when he is in, but for the most part, he has been a bust.

Dishonorable mention - Darren McFadden (Oak), Selvin Young (Den), Steven Jackson (Stl), Laurence Maroney (NE), Brian Westbrook (Phi), Joseph Addai (Ind), LaDanian Tomlinson (SD)

Production

Winner - Ryan Grant (GB) has been very unproductive this season. Many people had him ranked as a top 10 running back, but his lack of production so far this season has hurt any team that used an early pick on him.

Runner up - Edgerrin James (Ari) started the season as the lone back for the Cardinals. However as the season wore on, Edge wore out and rookie Tim Hightower took carries from him until Edge was moved to third string and Hightower was named the starter.

Dishonorable mention -Larry Johnson (KC), Fred Taylor (Jac)

Biggest RB Bust - Willis McGahee - Bal - Even though he has had a couple of really good days, he has even more where he handed his owners a goose egg.

Wide Reciever

Injury

Winner - Marques Colston (NO) was a top 10 receiver going into most drafts. He was projected to catch most of the passes for New Orleans' pass happy offense. However, he was injured in the first game of the season, missed about 6 weeks and didn't catch his first touchdown until week 12.

Runner up - Seattle Wide Receivers have had a really rough year. Seattle has been decimated by injuries and at one point they started their 6^th and 7^th string receivers in a game. In another game, their backup quarterback started as a receiver. Everyone on Seattle's receiving core feared for their safety as they took the field. It didn't help that starting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has missed a few weeks with injuries as well.

Dishonorable mention - Javon Walker (Oak)

Production

Winner - Randy Moss (NE) was a first round pick in many leagues because of his record setting performance last year. When Tom Brady went down in the first game, Moss faded from the spotlight and until a three touchdown effort in week 12, he was practically invisible.

Runner up - Braylon Edwards (Cle) is still on pace to drop more passes this season than he catches.

Dishonorable mention -Chad Ocho Cinco (Cin), Tory Holt (Stl), Roy Williams (Dal)

Biggest WR Bust - Randy Moss - NE - was considered a first round draft choice by many, but with the loss of Tom Brady and the time it took for he and Matt Cassel to click, he was not worthy of that high initial ranking.

Tight End

Injury

Winner - Jeremy Shockey (NO) thought a new team with a pass happy offense would be the boost his career needed. Rumor has it that his new teammates like him even less than his old ones.

Runner up - Kellen Winslow, Jr. (Cle) has missed a number of games and the anemic Cleveland offense hasn't done much for him when he was there.

Dishonorable mention - Dallas Clark (Ind)

Production

Winner - Vernon Davis (SF) was supposed to thrive in Mike Martz's offense. Instead he has been unproductive and not worthy of his early season top 10 rating among tight ends.

Runner up - Alge Crumpler (Ten) was expected to produce even better than he did in Atlanta with the up and coming Titans. Instead, people wonder if he has even showed up for a game yet for the Titans who seem to lean on Bo Scaife as a receiving threat.

Dishonorable mention - Todd Heap (Bal)

Biggest TE Bust - Jeremy Shockey - NO - Taking a receiving tight end and putting him in a predominantly passing offense is supposed to boost his stats, but he has yet to impress anyone in New Orleans.

Kicker

Injury

Winner - Lawrence Tynes (NYG) was expected to kick for the Giants this season before becoming injured.

Runner up - Mike Nugent (NYJ) has only scored two points this season for the Jets.

Dishonorable mention -Martin Gramatica (NO)

Production

Winner - Shane Graham (Cin) has suffered because of Cincinnati's awful offense this year. The once high scoring Bengals who won by outscoring their opponents (since their defense was terrible) have been grounded this year and with them, Graham has struggled to put up points.

Runner up - Nick Folk (Dal) missed Tony Romo as bad as anyone. During his absence, Folk had two games where he scored only 2 points each.

Dishonorable mention - Adam Vinatieri (Ind)

Biggest K Bust - Shane Graham - Cin - The Bengals were a high scoring offense the last few years and Graham has been a good performer, but this season he has yet to have much effect on the final score of any of Cincinnati's games.

Defense/Special Teams

Injury

Winner - Indianapolis has lost Bob Sanders, arguably their defensive MVP, for a number of games this year and when he is out, the opposition runs all over the Colts. Their defensive front was decimated by injuries and because of that, the Colts have been vulnerable all season.

Runner up - San Diego lost their most valuable player on defense when Shaun Merriman hung it up for the year. They have been less then impressive and are rated 32^nd against the pass.

Dishonorable mention - Denver

Production

Winner - Chicago has been unimpressive on defense this year and Devin Hester seems to have forgotten how to return.

Runner up - Minnesota was a favorite for a Super Bowl run this year if they could get by Dallas. Instead, they probably need to win their division just to make the post season. Their defense has been strong, but hasn't posted big numbers yet this year. They are vulnerable to the pass and only mediocre against the run.

Dishonorable mention - Tampa Bay

Biggest Defense Bust - Chicago - The Bears had a great defense the past couple of years and with Devin Hester returning kicks you could count on an extra six every other week or so. People were putting Chicago as a 3^rd or 4^th round pick in some 12 team leagues, but this Defense is not worth even close to that.

Every position in fantasy football has its busts and breakouts, however some positions are more vital than others, so here are the top 5 busts from 2008:

1) Tom Brady - New England Patriots

2) Willis McGahee - Baltimore Ravens

3) Randy Moss - New England Patriots

4) Ryan Grant - Green Bay Packers

5) Carson Palmer - Cincinnati Bengals

Fantasy football is as much a game of luck as skill. Sometimes you can see a bust coming, but other times it catches you by surprise. If you were one of the unlucky fantasy owners who selected one of the busts, better luck next year. Guys like this are the cause of many good owners who have done their research missing their league playoffs.