There were high expectations for the players on today’s list of busts, each of whom had league winning upside on draft day. Unfortunately, each severely underperformed relative to the draft day price tag. Fantasy Football Advice took a poll from among 100 fantasy fiends, asking who their biggest draft busts of 2017 were. The results were interesting to say the least. This list does not include players who were injured.
5: Bilal Powell – RB – Jets
Round 5 – 51st Overall – RB20
Powell was a high risk draft pick to begin with as it’s never a good idea to grab a Running Back on a losing team (such a scenario suggests a lot of negative game scripts). One of the reasons the veteran still warranted a high draft pick was due to Powell’s high pass catching abilities: skills that garnered RB4 honors through the final 4 weeks of the 2016 season. Through that span the rusher was able to average 138 YPG and boasted 3 touchdowns. The disappointment came quick in 2017 when Powell had no more than 39 yards through the first three weeks. The workload was simply not there,even amongst a cast of oft injured RBs. Powell will return to a late round flier status in 2018, heading into the final year of his contract.
4: Martavis Bryant – WR – Steelers
Round 4 – 45th Overall – WR22
Admittedly Bryant was one of my favorite players heading into the draft. In 2015 he was the WR7 in PPG while playing, and had the price tag as a backend WR2. The Clemson product definitely had a lot of rust when returning to action: Big drops early in the season resulted in distrust and eventually a move down the depth chart in favor of rookie sensation JuJu Smith-Schuster (The Steelers have been great at drafting receivers and it looks like they hit on a stud once again with Smith-Schuster). Bryant on the other hand, locked up on a contract for the whole of 2018, will most certainly find a home on a new team (and hopefully a return to fantasy relevance).
3: Jay Ajayi – RB – Dolphins/ Eagles
Round 2 – 14th Overall -RB8
2017 meant disappointing results for Jay Ajayi after his breakout season in 2016. Last year the RB averaged 4.9 YPC with the Dolphins, but dropped to an abysmal 3.4 YPC this year. It’s not like he wasn’t given an opportunity to succeed: Ajai had 32 more touches than Alvin Kamara this season, but Kamara turned his touches into an RB3 finish. Ajayi on the other hand finished as an RB4 coming in at RB37, and the trade to Philly didn’t help his fantasy production while his efficiency flew through the roof, going from 3.4 YPC to 5.8 YPC and 4.8 YPR to 9.1 YPR. The volume never really returned to what it was in Miami but there is still a lot of sleeper appeal for Ajayi next season. The Eagles are loaded with talent at that position but if Ajayi can replicate that type of efficiency he will almost certainly see an increased workload in 2018.
2: Amari Cooper – WR – Raiders
Round 2 – 17th Overall – WR7
The Oakland Raiders team as a whole took a giant step back with even underrated receiver Michael Crabtree feeling the regression. Cooper by far was the biggest disappointment in Oakland after being drafted as a WR1 for most owners, compiling a “whopping” 146 receiving yards over his first half-dozen games, revealing the receiver’s. shortcomings had “caught” up. Focusing on decreasing drops should be the top priority this offseason for Cooper, as his 17.24% drop rate is unacceptable, and should it continue, the Receiver may find it tough to find a place on any roster. Regardless Cooper is extremely talented and finished strong over Weeks 15 & 16 totalling 181 yards and 2 touchdowns. I still suspect he will be drafted as a high end WR2 and that may not be a bad price.
1: Terrelle Pryor – WR – Redskins
Round 3 – 26th Overall – WR13
Okay, I understand I said this list didnt include injuries but Terrelle Pryor was an exception. TP11 wasn’t even starting when his injury occured. We do need to give the former quarterback some respect though. The amount of raw talent it takes to change positions in the NFL is insane. Pryor even eclipsed 1000 yards in his first year at the postion! A free agent aquisition to the Redskins had fantasy owners salivating knowing the upgrade at QB was immeasurable. Pryor came crashing down to earth fast in an offense based on crisp route running and timing. All of the shortcomings the Receiver was able to overcome with athleticism were on full display. Being out of position, dropping passes and even running the wrong routes landed Pryor on the bench. With no contract for 2018 it will be interesting to see which team takes a chance on the hopeful receiver. It could be a cheap option with a lot of upside for a team hurting for a big bodied WR.
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