Top 5 Fantasy Football Busts In 2008
Fantasy Football Bust #1.
LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers
For several years, LaDainian Tomlinson has been a fantasy football :”stud” with 20+ touchdowns scored and anywhere from 1,400 yards rushing and 500 or more receiving and usually 2-3 touchdown passes. in 2008, LT has been a fantasy football dud. With right at 1,100 total yards through 11 games, Tomlinson is still in the middle of the pack for fantasy football production among running backs. However, no one expects middle of the pack results as a return on a high first round pick, which it is safe to say LT was picked high in the first round of virtually every fantasy football league. In my league, LT was the first pick, and if I had had the first pick I would have probably done the same thing. With145.9 points on the season, LaDainian Tomlinson ranks 32nd overall, 12th among running backs, behind players like Marshawn Lynch of Buffalo. Some day, LT will have a bust in Canton, Ohio’s Pro Football Hall Of Fame. In 2008, LT is a fantasy football bust.
Fantasy Football Bust #2
Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles
Ever since Brian Westbrook came onto the NFL scene, i’ve always been wary of drafting Westbrook. While a dynamic player and fantasy football stud, when healthy, Westbrook has missed games in every season since entering the NFL, with injuries often of the “gametime decision:” variety. Thus, fantasy football owners have to guess whether Westbrook will suit up or not. In 2008, true to form, Brian Westbrook missed a couple of games, but overall, when he has played Westbrook has not performed to his usual standards in 2008. He was drafted #5 in the first round in my league, but has not justified that status with an overall points ranking of #44 with less than 800 total yards and 8 touchdowns. Since the Eagles usually pass in short yardage situations and on the goal line, Westbrook is a decoy or on the bench way too often, not his fault I know, but Westbrook still ranks as a fantasy football bust considering his draft position.
Fantasy Football Bust #3
Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts
With only 94.8 points in my fantasy football league’s point system, which is the standard of 1 point for every 10 rushing or receiving yards and 6 points for touchdowns, Joseph Addai has less than 600 total yards and 6 touchdowns. That’s terrible for the 6th pick of the 1st round in my league. Addai ranks #76 overall, trailing guys like Derrick Ward and Tim Hightower in fantasy football production.
Fantasy Football Bust #4
Steven Jackson, St Louis Rams
While Steven Jackson has been idled off and on by a bruised thigh, I believe it is, he was well enough to run all over the Dallas Cowboys in the Rams first win of the season. However, Jackson’s overall fantasy point total of 100.4 sucks swampwater for the 8th pick of the first round. At #70 in overall points, Jackson ranks slighly higher than Addai, but was drafted 2 spots below Addai, so Jackson is only #4 on the list of fantasy football busts in 2008. With the Rams reverting back to their early season woes, don’t look for Jackson to rush back from the injury.
Fantasy Football Bust #5
Ryan Grant, Green Bay Packers
With only 1 more touchdown than fumbles lost in the 2008 season (3 TDs, 2 fumbles lost) Ryan Grant has failed to live up to the promise he showed in the 2nd half of last season. At #69 in overall points, behind the aforementioned Derrick Ward and Tim Hightower, it makes one wonder if the Giants knew something last season when they had an excess of running backs and traded Grant ot the Packers rather than Derrick Ward or Ahmad Bradshaw. That means, Ryan Grant was 4th string on the N.Y. Giants before being traded. In a recent Packers game, Tony Siragusa noted that Grant lacks elusiveness. In any event, being the starting running back for a contending team and having only only 3 touchdowns through 11 games = bust in fantasy football for the last pick in the 1st round in my league. I doubt if Grant was a first rounder in many leagues, his average draft position was probably in the 2nd round, but that’s still too high for the #69 player in overall scoring.
This is not to say that these players are not good football players or good men, and there is still time for a couple of them to get it together and start performing up to their previous standards. However, as up ’til the time of this article, they have been the Top 5 fantasy football busts in 2008.
