These Five Quarterbacks Could Be Fantasy Busts in 2023

There’s plenty of excitement around Lamar Jackson, but his numbers could be down if he runs less.

Bust. It’s the dirtiest four-letter word in fantasy football.

Fantasy managers who drafted players such as Russell Wilson, Jonathan Taylor and Deebo Samuel last season know the term (and its consequences) all too well. Selecting a bust, especially in the early rounds of your draft, can be devastating to your chances of fielding a true fantasy league postseason contender.

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To me, the term “bust” includes players who either don’t live up to their draft position or were selected to play prominent roles and fail in the stat sheets. Middle- to late-round picks, unless you select them to be starters (mostly quarterbacks or tight ends), don’t fit the description. After all, late-rounders are easily replaced.

With that in mind, here are five quarterbacks to avoid with your valuable draft capital:

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Lamar Jackson, Ravens

Folks, I’m not saying Jackson is going to be a complete bust. But hear me out. He has missed 10 games over the last two years due to injuries, and now he’s going to run less under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken. If that’s the case, we could be looking at a 30-plus point decline right off the top. Maybe his passing stats will increase, but running less won’t be good for Jackson’s overall value.

Aaron Rodgers, Jets

I like to look at trends, and the Jets have a bad one when it comes to quarterbacks. They haven’t had a 4,000-yard passer since Joe Namath … in 1967! Even the great Brett Favre failed in his one season with the Men in Green. That’s not to suggest Rodgers is destined to fall into this trend, but I’d beware about projecting him to post big totals like he did in his more recent MVP campaigns.

Kyler Murray, Cardinals

Murray averaged more than 18 fantasy points per game last season, but things have changed since he last was on the field. He tore his ACL in his 11th start of 2022, so he could run less this season. The Cardinals also dropped his top target, DeAndre Hopkins, and Murray has the toughest schedule among quarterbacks. I’d avoid Murray until the later rounds as a No. 2 option (at best).

Matthew Stafford, Rams

Stafford was one of the top quarterbacks in fantasy football just two seasons ago, but life comes at you fast in the NFL. He missed most of last year due to injuries, and Stafford wasn’t good even when he was on the field. The Rams still have a lot of questions on the offensive line, and Stafford’s list of reliable weapons in the passing game now begins and ends with wideout Cooper Kupp.

Jared Goff, Lions

Did you know that Goff was the 10th-best quarterback in fantasy football last year? Crazy, right? Here’s the problem. He was a star at home and a dud on the road. In fact, he averaged 24.2 points per game at Ford Field and just 11.5 away from the Motor City. If that trend continues, Goff will be tough to trust as anything but a sort of committee quarterback and only useful in home contests.