Technically the halfway point of the season is after this weekend’s games, but fuck it, let’s get started on some midseason thoughts. For example, who are the busts who are busting our chances of winning it all? Here are the All-Bust First, Second and Third Team players.
QUARTERBACKS
FIRST-TEAM: ANTHONY RICHARDSON (DON)
After missing nearly all of his rookie campaign, this season felt like a do-over, but at this point, he should want to redo the do-over. The Colts QB has just four touchdowns to six interceptions and only 654 yards passing. He’s supposed to be a runner, but he’s only carried the ball 21 times. And now he’s hurt. He’s currently the 29th rated QB, two spots behind his backup (Flacco) who has played in only two games this year.
SECOND-TEAM: TUA TAGOVAILOA (CALDERON)
I don’t like putting players who got hurt during the year on this list, because A) who can predict injuries and B) at least by going out, it allows a team to replace them in the starting lineup, where a true bust keeps killing you over and over again. However, with Tua, the warning signs have always been there. The dude is a walking concession and it was only a matter of time before he had another one.
THIRD TEAM: PATRICK MAHOMES
Hard to believe we’re seeing his name on current MVP listings in the NFL. Sure, winning matters and if it wasn’t for him, the Chiefs would have like two wins, but his stats have not been pretty. Right now Mahomes isn’t even among the top-20 quarterbacks, thanks to having the same amount of turnovers (6) as touchdowns.
RUNNING BACKS
FIRST-TEAM: TRAVIS ETIENNE (COLBY)
Yes, he was only a 13th round keeper, but he was Colby’s starter and a big reason why he was coming off back-to-back titles. This season, he’s just awful. So far, he has yet to rush for 70 yards in a game and he has failed to score more than 180 in any game. With his current hamstring injury, I’m not even sure he’ll be the starter again this year. At least Colby got his handcuff, as oppose to…
FIRST-TEAM: CHRISTIAN McCAFFREY (COLBY)
Again, I don’t like putting injured players on this list, but he was injured before the season and Colby only has himself to blame for not landing his handcuff. Anyhow, the 49ers hid how bad the injury was (I drafted him first overall in one league) and CMC has yet to see the field. For Colby, it’s all about hanging on until he does come back. The fact that he has a good shot to be 3-4 after this week is a work of miracles. If Colby sticks around the playoff hunt and CMC returns later and plays like his old self, then all will be forgiven.
SECOND-TEAM: ZAMIR WHITE (MATT)
He’s hurt now, but let’s not pretend he was doing anything when healthy. In four games, White’s best performance was 50 yards. He has just 152 yards rushing, averaging 3.1 yards per rush. He has not sniffed the end zone, but he has two fumbles and at best will now just be splitting carries with Mattison, who isn’t much better.
SECOND-TEAM: RACHAAD WHITE (GRIFF)
The 14th round keeper who had over 1,500 total yards last year may not even be the second best back on his team right now. He’s topped 50 yards rushing in just one game, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry. Catching the ball used to be his thing, but he has just 17 on the season so far and he remains allergic to the end zone. He has zero touchdowns this season.
THIRD-TEAM: JAHMYR GIBBS (MICHAEL)
Gibbs isn’t actually that bad. His 5.3 yards per rush says so. Yet, he’s a first-round pick who is in a timeshare and right now, Montgomery, who was drafted three rounds later has more fantasy points because he gets the goal line carries. If Monty could get hurt, Gibbs would become the best back in football. Until then, there’s a pretty think ceiling on his chance to be great.
THIRD-TEAM: ROBIO MURRAY FOR CUTTING CHUBA HUBBARD
In general, I think I’m a good drafter. But I also suck at the wire. I rarely pick up studs and I have a bad habit of cutting and/or trading players who suddenly explode. This season, I drafted Hubbard late in the draft, watched him do nothing for two weeks and cut him. Jeff picked him up and he has dominated since, averaging 281 points per game in his last four.
WIDE RECEIVERS
FIRST-TEAM: AMON-RA ST. BROWN (ERIC)
Eric’s first-round pick has failed to produce first-round numbers. In fact, he’s on pace to have his worst year statistically since his rookie campaign in 2021. He only has 31 catches for 289 yards, as he has fallen behind Williams as the best pair of hands in Detroit. The only reason he’s not a bench player for Eric is because he has scored three touchdowns, which makes his stats not look as bad. Currently, he’s the 25th rate WR.
FIRST-TEAM: TYREEK HILL (JEFF)
Hill scored his typical 320 in week one, but since Tua got hurt, Hill has become a true bust. He has over 40 yards receiving in just one game since opening day and has topped 100 fantasy points only once. He’s now ranked #33 among all wideouts. The man needs Tua back now.
SECOND-TEAM: MARVIN HARRISON JR (ROB M)
Rookie receivers these days can be really good during that first year. This is because the modern day NFL has began to copy the college game, so there isn’t much of a learning curve. The problem is, it’s not always easy to predict which rookie wideout will be that guy. Harrison was the highest drafted, but he is far from dominating. In fact, he has two games where he has scored zero points. He does have 798 fantasy points, which isn’t tragic, but nearly half of that came in one game in week two.
SECOND-TEAM: MIKE EVANS (RICH B)
Evans, who survived to the 11th round in last year’s draft was taken in round two this time around, thanks to a third straight year producing over 1,100 yards and double-digit scores. Yet, this season, while he hasn’t been bad (he’s the 17th best wideout), he’s definitely taken a backseat to Chris Godwin, who is playing like an All-Robio receiver. While Evans is on pace to record double-digit scores again (he has five in six games), he is on pace to record less than 900 yards receiving.
THIRD-TEAM: BRANDON AIYUK (BOB)
Man, that long of a holdout and that much whining and why…so we could give sub-100 fantasy games in five of his first six contests? Bob kept the 49ers receiver in the fifth round and a category one keeper has to come up big. Well, Aiyuk is come up small. He has just one good game, with 8 catches for 147 yards in week five. In his other five games, he has just 15 catches for 204 yards and he has yet to score a TD this season. He is the 30th ranked wideout in fantasy.
THIRD-TEAM: GEORGE PICKENS (ROBIO)
I took him in the third-round, believing he would become a solid WR1 with Johnson out of Pittsburgh. I was wrong. Pickers has just one game over 100 yards. He has yet to score over 200 in fantasy and isn’t even on pace for 1,000 yards. He’s the 36th rated QB and I don’t think Russell Wilson is the solution.
TIGHT ENDS
FIRST-TEAM: MARK ANDREWS (RICH C)
Over the last two games, Andrews has started to come on, catching seven balls for 121 total yards and he even scored a TD. Yet, those first four game were as brutal as watching Calderon masturbate on Zoom. He was twice shutout and had just six catches for 65 yards. Awful for a fourth round pick.
SECOND-TEAM: TRAVIS KELCE (BOB)
Taylor’s boyfriend was the first TE taken, but he has definitely looked his age this year. The once dominate TE had just 8 catches for 69 yards and no scores through three games. However, like Andrews, Kelce’s numbers have started to improve. In his last two games, he has 16 catches for 159 yards, although he still hasn’t scored. Still, scoring 178 and 140 in his last two are a good sign.
THIRD-TEAM: DALTON KINCAID (ROBIO)
Sure he’s no Andrews, Kelce or Kittle, but with the Bills dumping Diggs, there should have been an opportunity for Kincaid to become a solid TE. He has not. His best game so far is just six catches for 51 yards and he has scored only one touchdown. He’s now on my bench.
PLACE KICKERS
FIRST-TEAM: JUSTIN TUCKER (MICHAEL)
The Ravens kicker was the first kicker taken, but he has not lived up to the billing. He’s currently the 12th best tight end, mainly because he kicks a lot of extra points (21-for-21), but he can’t hit a long one. He’s just 1-of-3 from 50 yards or more.
SECOND-TEAM: HARRISON BUTKER (GRIFF)
The man who wants your wife barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen has been alright, but not great. Like Tucker, he’s not able to hit the long one (going 2-of-4 from 50+), but unlike Tucker, who relies on a lot of extra points, the Chiefs kicker has only made 10 extra points this season.
THIRD-TEAM: JAKE ELLIOT (ERIC)
The Eagles kicker has only taken eight field goals this year and made only six, missing both attempts from 50+ yards. He also only has 10 extra point attempts.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
FIRST-TEAM: RAVENS (COLBY)
The Ravens were the first defense taken in the 10th round, but are currently the 21st rated DST. They blow a lot of leads late, giving up over 24 points per game. They lack turnovers, forcing just five on the year and have forced a turnover on downs just two times. They do have 19 sacks, which is tied for third most, but not good enough for the first DST taken in the draft.
SECOND-TEAM: COWBOYS (ROB M)
Proving that Mike Zimmer is an awful coach, the Cowboys went from having a solid top-five defense to one of the worst in the league. They have given up 28 points per game and 356 yards per contest. They have just 14 sacks and five turnovers in six games.
THIRD-TEAM: BROWNS (ERIC)
The Browns DST is currently ranked 14th, which isn’t tragic, but many believed this was the best D in football. Instead, they are giving up 333 yards per game and 24 points per contest. They have just one interception on the year and only five turnovers.