Fantasy Football Busts Of 2012: Michael Vick, Greg Jennings and Maurice Jones-Drew Derailed By Injuries

Dec 23, 2012 02:54 PM EST
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick (7) is rushed by New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) during the second half of their NFL football game in New Orleans, Louisiana, November 5."

There are two types of fantasy busts out there. On one hand, there are the players who are drafted high and simply don't perform well, while on the other there are the ones that are drafted high, but get completely derailed by injuries. This is that kind of list.

All these players entered 2012 with a high amount of potential for fantasy owners looking for championships, but fell way short of their projections.

Scoring for this article is based on a Yahoo fantasy league with one point per reception, one point for every 30 passing yards, one point for 10 rushing yards, one point for 10 receiving yards and six points per touchdown.

Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles

Vick has been one of the most disappointing players in football this season and might be the biggest fantasy bust because of his position. If a team owner drafted him high, their entire season was likely derailed due to a wasted high pick.

This season Vick was limited to just nine games after dealing with concussion issues and has not played since Nov. 11 against the Dallas Cowboys. Although Vick is one of those players that were hurt, it's not the only reason he was a bust.

While he was healthy this season he was awful, turning the ball over 19 times while throwing just 11 touchdowns and 2,165 yards. He posted 140 fantasy points and was the sixth quarterback taken off the board on average in fantasy leagues.

Some of the other players drafted after Vick in Yahoo leagues include Matt, Ryan, Peyton Manning (wow), Robert Griffin II, Tony Romo and Matt Schaub. Owners who took Vick would gladly take any of those quarterbacks over him this season. Vick only scored 20-plus fantasy points twice all season and had just eight points in his final game against Dallas.

Vick looked like a great fantasy option heading into the year, but he has never been able to duplicate his electric first full season starting in Philadelphia, when he threw for 3,018 yards and 21 touchdowns with just six interceptions. He also rushed for 676 yards and another nine touchdowns, but has since scored only two on the ground in the past two seasons and has doubled his interception total.

LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are pretty bad this season, so it's not a surprise they would add another player to the list, but McCoy has been even more of a bust based on the exceptional season he put up last year when he rushed for 1,309 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.

McCoy has dealt with a concussion late in the season, but he has fallen short of last season's statistics by rushing for just 750 yards and two touchdowns while only posting 157 fantasy points. He was one of the highest ranked running backs on fantasy boards this year behind Ray Rice and Arian Foster and was selected fourth overall on average in Yahoo leagues.

Players like Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch and Trent Richardson were taken way later than McCoy and have put up far better numbers. Peterson is leading the league in rushing and is likely to break the 2,000-yard barrier, while Richardson has been excellent as a rookie, rushing for 897 yards and scoring 11 touchdowns.

McCoy had only one 20-plus point fantasy game this season, although he was consistent enough to not post any single-digit performances. He can help salvage his year with two good starts in the final two games, but it is likely that he will fall short of 1,000 yards for the season.

Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars

Jones-Drew is a player who was having an excellent season to start, but was just completely taken off the rails by injuries. He has played in only seven games this season and has posted just 73 points after being projected as a top 25 player.

This season he has rushed for only 414 yards and one touchdown after being drafted as the fifth running back on average in Yahoo leagues. Last season he rushed for 1,606 yards and eight touchdowns and will end a streak of three straight seasons with at least 1,300 yards rushing.

Jones-Drew notched double-digit fantasy points in his first four games, including 26 against the Colts after rushing for 177 yards and one touchdown. Following his fourth game though, Jones-Drew decreased in fantasy points each week and hasn't played since Oct. 21.

Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers

Jennings has been the top target for the Packers over the last five years, but has been sidelined by injuries all season, playing in only six games. He was ranked as the fifth-best receiver in fantasy before the season started and was drafted 23rd overall in most leagues.

This season Jennings has only made 21 receptions for 201 yards and one touchdown while posting just 40 fantasy points. He recently returned from the grin injury that has kept him sidelined and made four catches for 50 yards. Jennings has yet to post double-digit fantasy points this season and had a high of 8.33 in the 14-12 loss to Seattle in Week 3.

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