Each week of the 2021 NFL season, I will be listing certain players as potential fantasy football busts for the upcoming week. No, this does not mean I believe these players are trash and should not be rostered.
The players I name in this article each week may have unfavorable matchups, situational changes that negatively impact their value, injury concerns, and other various reasons to avoid having them in your lineups for that specific week.
The adage “stick with your studs" only applies to a few elite fantasy options. You should not be married to all of your starters every week, but instead, pick and choose which players have the best matchups and highest potential of fantasy points each week. I know that can be a lot of work, but don’t worry, I have you covered!
This weekly fantasy football bust article, partnered with my weekly waiver wire article, will assist you in your sit/start decisions every single week for the 2021 season!
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2021 Fantasy Football Busts for Week 2 - Quarterback
Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings @ Arizona Cardinals
Kirk Cousins threw the ball 49 times in Week 1 and will have to rely on volume again against one of the league’s best offenses in Week 2. This is typically a great thing for fantasy football. However, the Cardinals’ defense is coming off an amazing performance, which included 6 sacks.
The Vikings’ offensive line did not look great against the Cincinnati Bengals, who sacked Cousins 3 times. They will have to work even harder to protect their quarterback if they have any chance of production against Arizona.
Cousins has the weapons to not completely collapse your fantasy team should you play him, but he has an uphill battle in Week 2 in Arizona. I suggest finding another option with a better matchup this week.
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
You may feel tempted to overlook Week 1 and anticipate a bounce-back week from Matt Ryan in Week 2. I will tell you, that is a very dangerous game to play. The entire Falcons offense looked awful against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Buccaneers’ defense presents an easier matchup.
I don’t expect Matt Ryan and the Falcons to look as bad as they did last week, but the cards are stacked against Atlanta finding their groove in a divisional matchup (away) against the defending Super Bowl champions.
Matt Ryan and the Falcons will need some time to settle into their new offense without the presence of Julio Jones. It’s unfair to expect Kyle Pitts to fill the void, especially this early in the season. So for now, I suggest fading Ryan until this offense shows some signs of real production.
More Week 2 Busts To Avoid:
- Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills
- Mac Jones, New England Patriots @ New York Jets
Find better Week 2 fantasy football players to start with our 2021 Fantasy Football Sleepers Predictions.
2021 Fantasy Football Busts for Week 2 - Running Back
Myles Gaskin, Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills
Myles Gaskin had just 9 rush attempts against the New England Patriots in Week 1. The final score of the game was just 17-16 in favor of the Dolphins. In such a low-scoring game, you’d expect more out of the running game, but the Dolphins just never seemed to get anything going on the ground. I like Gaskin as a fantasy asset season-long, but his outlook isn’t favorable to begin the 2021 season.
The Dolphins will now have another though divisional matchup against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. They were able to hold Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris to just 45 rush yards on 16 carries in Week 1. The Bills allowed the fewest fantasy points to the running back position last week and will look to limit Myles Gaskin in Week 2.
Keep Gaskin on the bench this week and throw him back into your lineups against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3.
James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Denver Broncos
If the Jaguars’ defense can’t hold a team like the Houston Texans to under 30 points, then there will be trouble for James Robinson and the Jaguars’ run game all year.
James Robinson will have to face the Denver Broncos in Week 2. Denver held Saquon Barkley to just 26 rush yards in Week 1 and gave up the second-fewest fantasy points to running backs. Granted, Barkley was in his first game since his injury, but the Broncos were still able to limit him to 2.6 yards-per-carry.
The season-ending injury to Travis Etienne gave hope to Robinson’s managers, but it’s looking like it has backfired as defenses will look to stop the run and dare Trevor Lawrence to throw the ball.
James Robinson’s schedule doesn’t get any easier and is certainly someone you should sit in Week 2. If the Jaguars’ run game can’t get going, you may want to wait until Robinson has his first decent game and immediately trade him.
More Week 2 Busts To Avoid:
- Sony Michel, Los Angeles Rams @ Indianapolis Colts
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs @ Baltimore Ravens
With the Jacksonville Jaguars playing from behind in Week 1, James Robinson’s outlook doesn’t look great heading into Week 2. (Image: USA TODAY)
2021 Fantasy Football Busts for Week 2 - Wide Receiver
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings @ Arizona Cardinals
This one hurts me to say. Justin Jefferson is my projected #3 wide receiver for the 2021 season, but if I think you should bench Kirk Cousins due to the matchup, things are not looking good for Jefferson as well.
He didn’t have a terrible week to start the season (5 receptions on 9 targets for 71 yards), but there are some concerns heading into Week 2. Cousins targeted Adam Thielen 10 times and had much more success with him in the red zone, as Thielen scored twice. Cousins also targeted K.J. Osborn the same amount of times as Jefferson.
Justin Jefferson will see top coverage all season, and if Cousins is feeling the pressure from good defenses, it could spell production issues for Jefferson.
The Arizona Cardinals just held A.J. Brown under 50 receiving yards and put plenty of pressure on Ryan Tannehill, sacking him a total of 6 times in Week 1! I’m concerned for the Vikings offense this week. If you have other viable options at wide receiver, you may want to seriously think about swapping out Justin Jefferson.
Jarvis Landry, Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Texans
This is one of those scenarios where the nice matchup in Week 2 could be misleading. The truth is, Jarvis Landry was only targeted 5 times against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1. If there were ever a time to throw a ton, it would have been against a high-powered offense.
The Browns rely heavily on their one-two punch running backs, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. I expect they will do so even more against the Texans this week.
Baker Mayfield certainly spread the ball around last week, which hurts Landry’s target share in an offense that is already designed to favor the run. Don’t let the fantasy points scored by Landry last week persuade you to keep him in your lineups for Week 2.
More Week 2 Busts To Avoid:
- Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos @ Jacksonville Jaguars
- DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills
Find better Week 2 fantasy football players on the waiver wire with our 2021 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Top Pickups.
2021 Fantasy Football Bust for Week 2 - Tight End
Austin Hooper, Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Texans
It appears to be another trap situation for your Browns receiving options against the Texans. The reasons I’m worried for Jarvis Landry in Week 2 are similar to the reasons you should bench Austin Hooper.
Unexpectedly, Baker Mayfield targeted David Njoku more and found success looking his way. I don’t anticipate the Browns to throw enough to give Hooper fantasy value, especially if Mayfield considers Njoku to be his top tight end to target.
Best to avoid all pass-catching options in Cleveland in Week 2 (with the exception of Odell Beckham Jr.).
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots @ New York Jets
Hunter Henry caught all 3 of his targets from Mac Jones last week. This could be a great sign, especially if a rookie quarterback wants reliable targets. The problem is, there are just too many other options for Jones to throw to in this offense.
The other Patriots’ tight end, Jonnu Smith, caught all 5 of his targets, basically one-upping Henry. Wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Jakobi Meyers combined for 11 receptions on 16 targets. They will likely be the top two targets again in Week 2 and moving forward.
In another tough divisional matchup, Mac Jones will look where he had the most success in Week 1. Unfortunately for Hunter Henry, he’s lower in the pecking order.
More Week 2 Busts To Avoid:
- Blake Jarwin, Dallas Cowboys @ Los Angeles Chargers
2021 Fantasy Football Bust for Week 2 - Defensive Team
Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills
The Dolphins’ defense may have had a decent week against the New England Patriots, but don’t let that fool you. The Patriots had a rookie quarterback in his very first game. The Patriots’ offense also made some mistakes regarding ball security.
The Dolphins’ Week 2 opponent, the Buffalo Bills offense, did not look themselves against one of the league’s best defenses, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Week 2 screams bounce-back for the Bills offense, and they will look to take out their frustrations on a divisional opponent.
Do not allow the Dolphins’ success in Week 1 to cloud your judgment. Find another defense to play this week.
More Week 2 Busts To Avoid:
- Seattle Seahawks DST vs. Tennessee Titans
- Carolina Panthers DST vs. New Orleans Saints
