Of course, the first article of 2023 has to begin with these words: happy new year! May this be the best year ever! The fantasy season is now complete for most everyone. As that is the case, it is never too early to look back on what was the 2022 season. After all, there is no offseason in fantasy football, especially in dynasty leagues. Having said that, this biggest fantasy football disappointing players edition looks at those that let fantasy managers down in 2022.

Another describing word that could be used when discussing these players is declining. When a player is disappointing and declining at the same time, that certainly is not a good combination. Clearly, managers owning these players in dynasty leagues will have to do some real soul searching. Once finished, they will then have to decide what to do about them, sooner rather than later. To that end, let’s take a look at those disappointing players and the recommended course of action going forward.

NOTE:

Of course, the entire fantasy football world is on hold with the events of last night in Cincinatti. We at Belly Up Sports joins all in lifting up Bills safety Damar Hamlin in prayer for complete physical healing.

Biggest Disappointing 2022 Quarterbacks

Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

The selection here should surprise no one. Has there been a player who has declined farther or faster than Russell Wilson? If there is such a player, please present him to me. Wilson threw for a touchdown and scoring two others on the ground against Kansas City. Even so, that cannot come anywhere close to redeeming the lost season he has had in the Mile High City. If Wilson were playing the Chiefs every week, he would be having a monster season.

As we all know, however, he can’t play Kansas City every week. As such, the year has been a monumental disaster for Wilson and Denver. His yards passing are the lowest he has had in a full season since he was a rookie. His 13 touchdown passes are by far the fewest of his career. Further. his completion percentage is as the bottom of the barrel. Wilson’s ten interceptions are almost as many as he threw in the 2018 and 2019 seasons combined (12).

Of course, we are all aware of the depths that Wilson’s statistics have fallen to this season. Even worse, however, is he has fractured the locker room. Wilson has also been involved in some high-tension encounters with teammates on the sidelines. He was the central figure in getting a first-year head coach canned before he could even complete the season. There is the also the small matter of him embarrassing everyone with the Wilson name throughout the land.

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At the end of the day, Wilson’s stock has fallen so low that it would be virtually impossible to trade him for any value in a dynasty league. If a manager thinks that Wilson has some redeemable quality, a low-ball offer might be accepted. Even in the brightest of scenarios, that seems unlikely.

Those owning Wilson are most likely stuck with him and have to hope he turns things around under a new head coach. He turned 34 this season, so don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen.

Dishonorable Mention:

Clearly, it has been a tough season all around for the Los Angeles Rams. They went from Super Bowl champions to a five-win season. Central to that decent was the injuries suffered by Matthew Stafford. Because of them, Stafford will only appear in nine games in 2022, missing the final seven.

Even when he was on the field, one aspect of Stafford’s game that did translate from 2021 to this year is the interception. Stafford began the season with five interceptions in his first two games and finished with eight. That is after leading the league with 17 in 2021.

It doesn’t help that Stafford is now 34. Additionally, he has 14 years of NFL pounding his body has to deal with. He has been sacked a brutal 444 times in his career. Plus, we can’t forget that Stafford has competition in town now in the person of Baker Mayfield.

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Only in two quarterback dynasty leagues does Stafford have any value at the moment, and that is minimal at best. In every other fantasy scenario, Stafford can be cut from the roster, if it hasn’t happened already.

Biggest Disappointing 2022 Running Back

Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

When it comes to running backs, few have fallen off a cliff as quickly and completely as Alvin Kamara did this season. From games five through eight, Kamara was virtually unstoppable. He combined for 194 yards against Seattle, 124 against Cincinatti, 105 against Arizona and 158 against Las Vegas. Additionally, he scored three touchdowns against the Raiders and finished with an eye-popping 42 fantasy points.

Unfortunately for him and his managers, the bottom fell out after that. Kamara only finished with double digits in fantasy points once in the next five weeks. Later in the season, Kamara did show some signs of life. After the Saints’ bye week, he finished with 12 and 18 fantasy points. However, even while rushing for 74 yards against Philadelphia Sunday, Kamara finished with only eight points. For those counting at home, that is 76 fantasy points in his last eight games, a 9.5 average.

At this point, his rushing yards (791) are his fewest since his rookie season. His yards per reception (8.7) is his lowest since the 2018 season. His touchdown totals have gone from 21 to nine to just four this year. He also currently ranks as the number 18 running back on the season. Without question, those totals are not what managers were expecting from a player that was taken in the first round of most, if not all, fantasy drafts before the season began.

Reaction:

As Kamara is only 27, the recommended course of action on this fantasy football disappointing players edition is to maintain calm. By that, I mean keep him on the roster. It figures that the team will be much healthier and will get better quarterback play next season. His numbers should return to what we have come to expect in 2023.

Dishonorable Mention:

When it comes to tough seasons by a running back, there aren’t many better candidates to discuss than Kareem Hunt. Even for a player who could be had later in fantasy drafts this season, Hunt was a crushing disappointment. He made everyone think he was in for a special year in game one against the Panthers when he scored two touchdowns. The drop was swift after that game, however, and the decent never stopped the remainder of 2022.

Hunt only scored two more touchdowns the rest of the year. He never topped 58 yards rushing nor 30 yards receiving in any game the rest of the way. His yards per rush (3.8) and yards per reception (6.1) are the lowest of his career. The numbers that prove the totality of disappointment for Hunt, though, are in his lack of fantasy production. He never topped eight fantasy points in his last eight games and finished with three of fewer five times.

Reaction:

When it comes to redraft leagues in 2023, Hunt shouldn’t be on the radar, except for in the latest of rounds. In dynasty, managers will have to decide whether it is time to cut bait and send him to the wire. More than likely, that is a drastic move, as Hunt is only 27. At the very least, Hunt is headed for a bench role in all dynasty formats next year.

Biggest Disappointing 2022 Wide Receiver

Robert Woods, Tennessee Titans

At the beginning of the season, there was hope surrounding Robert Woods. He relocated to Tennessee after a down, injury plagued season in Los Angeles. Many thought the move would rejuvenate his career. After 17 weeks, it is clear that not only is his career not on the upswing, but there is plenty of doubt regarding Woods going forward.

With one game remaining, Woods has appeared in 16 games, with 14 of them starts. The stats firmly show Woods is far removed from the 90-catch receiver he was in 2019 and 2020. After Thursday’s game, Woods has 49 catches for 487 yards and two touchdowns. Woods played in seven fewer games in 2021, but his numbers are worse this season. He only has four more catches, less yards (556-487) and fewer touchdowns (4-2) in 2022. Without question, it is not a pretty picture in real life or fantasy.

Most worrisome, however, is the fact that Woods will be 31 in the 2023 season. With the injuries that he has had in recent years, Woods hardly looks like he will get better with age. Add in the fact that Tennessee’s quarterback position is murky at best, the arrow is pointing way down for Woods.

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He showed some life with a touchdown against Dallas, but that is too little, too late. If Woods does the same against Jacksonville in the last game of the season, perhaps he will have some dynasty value to someone, making a trade possible. That seems extremely unlikely at this point, however. Even if Woods does show some rejuvenation, it is the wisest course of action to find a suitable roster replacement for next season.

Dishonorable Mention:

When it comes to disappointments at wide receiver, especially during the fantasy playoffs, Adam Thielen goes to the head of the list. During the regular season, Thielen disappeared in games just as often as he was seen. There were seven games in which he scored less than ten fantasy points and seven games in which he scored in double figures. Further, there were eight games in which he had three or fewer receptions and five games in which he had 40 or fewer receiving yards.

Even more incriminating, Thielen only had two touchdowns in his first ten games. Minnesota has one of the most high-powered offenses in the league this season, making Thielen’s disappearance all the more baffling. In weeks 14 and 15, however, Thielen seemed to reemerge, as he scored touchdowns in back-to-back games. Those TDs resulted in 19 and 13 fantasy points. Most of his managers thought Thielen had regained his touch and he would help lead their teams to playoff success.

Not even close, as it turned out. Thielen could only be found on a missing person poster the last two games. He finished with a single reception in both and gained just 22 yards off of them. Not surprisingly, Thielen’s fantasy output was in the outhouse. He had just three points to show for his two-game total. No question of it, that lack of production brought many a fantasy team to its knees.

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In the final analysis, Thielen will be 33 next season and doesn’t have much fantasy appeal. After all, here is a player who hasn’t had more than 74 catches in the last four years. His yards per reception (10.4) is his lowest ever, with 2021 just beating it at 10.8. Receivers can play longer typically than running backs. However, everything in Thielen’s resume is trending down. Thielen has only late round value in redraft and has only bench role appeal in dynasty in 2023.

Biggest Disappointing 2022 Tight End

Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders

Certainly, no fault of his own, but Darren Waller has to rank as a disappointment in 2022. As usual, Waller was one of the first tight ends off the board in fantasy drafts. Managers picked him, even after only playing in 11 games in 2021. Many were excited to see what the Raiders and Waller could do offensively coming into the season. Unfortunately, because of injuries and inconsistent play elsewhere, no answers are forthcoming in 2022.

When looking at Waller’s season, fantasy managers would have been thrilled if he had played in 11 games. Of course, that wasn’t the case as Waller has played in only eight games to this point. Adding to the misery is the fact he didn’t have a single reception in game five against Kansas City. In the first four games, Waller had 16 receptions for 175 yards and a single touchdown. After the zero against the Chiefs, Waller missed the next eight games.

Finally, Waller returned and played the last three games for the Raiders. His volume was low, with only ten catches for 178 yards. Even with that total, Waller scored two touchdowns. Waller was able to save some of his fantasy managers in the postseason with 13, nine and 16 fantasy points. Great for him, but the question is if those who drafted him even made the playoffs to enjoy his late contributions.

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What to make of Waller going forward is as big a mystery as any player in fantasy. He has now had two straight injury plagued years. Even more discouraging, Waller has managed to play more than 12 games just twice in his seven-year career. Worst of all, he will be 31 in 2023 and currently ranks 30th among tight ends.

Obviously, much of that is because of the missed time, but a player ranked that low at this position needs special scrutiny. There is also the prospect of not knowing who the quarterback will be for Las Vegas in 2023. Adding all that up, the recommendation on this fantasy football disappointing players edition is to hold any judgments on Waller for the time being, in redraft or dynasty leagues.

Dishonorable Mention:

While the other players listed on this fantasy football disappointing players are all veterans, there is one youngster that MUST be discussed. That player is Kyle Pitts. He has been in the league for two years now and hasn’t lived up to his billing either season. After catching just one touchdown pass in 2021, much more was expected from Pitts in 2022. He did lift his TD total, but only from one to two. Even so, that wasn’t the only bad news for Pitts managers this year.

In fact, he had only two games to write home about all season: week three against Seattle and week eight against Carolina. The rest of the season was a complete wash for Pitts. He had six games in which he scored four or fewer fantasy points. Further, he had four games in which he failed to gain 20 receiving yards. Of course, the final agony is that Pitts will finish the season on the injured list and hasn’t played since week 11.

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Simply stated: that’s not nearly what fantasy managers were looking for when they selected him in the third round of many drafts this year. For those that have him in dynasty leagues, Pitts is stuck on the roster and all that can be done is hope for better in 2023.

Of course, that is unless you can find someone willing to trade for him, which is not advised. The return won’t equal the draft day price paid. The tight end position is such that only a smidge of improvement from Pitts would place him in the upper portions of fantasy. Ride as the wave, even though it has yet to appear, and hope you don’t wind up hitting any rocks along the way.

The Final Word

Thank you for joining me for this fantasy football disappointing players edition! As always, I welcome any and all suggestions, comments and input from my readers. Let’s discuss! Follow me on twitter @kevin62wilsea. Please feel free to share this article. Tune in for the Belly Up Fantasy Live Preview Show every Sunday morning at 11 AM EST on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or BellyUpTV. Be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy for all the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL happenings and the latest sports news! 

                                                                                                             

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