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Top 5 Fantasy Football Busts So Far

By Matt Furtado/KHTK Sports 1140

The key to winning in fantasy football is to receive big points from your top few picks, and get consistent play from lower round picks.

But what happens when your go-to guys aren't performing to the standard you thought they would be?

Do you bench them? Maybe.

Do you drop them? Probably not.

All you can really do is hope they turn it around. Check out the top five players fantasy owners hope bounce back from their down season so far.

(All stats and fantasy points from CBS Sports Fantasy Football)

1. Adrian Peterson- 8 points, 0 touchdowns, 75 yards rushing

The star running back for the Minnesota Vikings was a top five pick in fantasy leagues this season, but the fantasy points he has provided so far has not been helpful. Granted, it's not necessarily his on the field play that has plagued fantasy owners. Peterson's off the field issues caused him to miss week two and is inactive for the foreseeable future. Any player drafted in the top 5 is expected to put up big numbers, and Peterson has not. If you are a Peterson owner, holding him on the bench until he is back on the field is the best thing you can do.

2. Jamaal Charles- 4 points, 0 touchdowns, 23 yards rushing

Charles was a top 3 pick in CBS Fantasy Leagues. His four points of production have fantasy owners questioning whether or not to bench the Kansas City Chiefs running back. Charles is listed as questionable for week three. The Chiefs are saying the injury isn't too bad, but it's not exactly what you want to hear about your top pick. Charles is a major part of the Chiefs offense so expect his season to turn around once he becomes healthy off of his ankle injury.

3. Seattle Defense/Special Teams- 14 points

Typically, defenses are picked in the later rounds of a fantasy draft, but picking the Seahawks in the earlier rounds was a hot choice this year. Their dominant defense from a year ago teased fantasy owners into spending an earlier pick. So fa, they are tied for 21st in the NFL in fantasy points for a defense with the Jacksonville Jaguars. THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS! Seattle does have an incredible defense, they just have not performed to fantasy owners' expectations up to this point. They are an automatic lock as a defense every week. Expect the defense to earn more fantasy points as the season goes on.

4. Eddie Lacy- 9 points, 0 touchdowns, 77 yards rushing

As opposed to the previous two running backs, Lacy has played two full games so far and is flat out not performing on the field. His 77 rush yards in two games is not the type of production you expect to see from a top 10 fantasy draft pick. The Green Bay Packers have a dynamic offense. As a rookie last season, Lacy was a big part of the Packers offensive game plan. The lack of a run game from the Packers has left fantasy owners questioning how long they should keep Lacy in the line up. The Packers will need Lacy to turn his run game up if they want to beat the high scoring Lions in Detroit.

5. Doug Martin- 0 points, 0 touchdowns, 9 yards

Martin wasn't projected to have the same type of season as the previously mentioned backs, but he was still a popular pick in the first 3 rounds of fantasy drafts. Not only has Martin played in just one of the team's three games, but in that one game, he only ran for nine yards. He has been one of the biggest fantasy busts over the last two seasons. He came out with a better than expected rookie season two years ago, but he hasn't done much since. If you are a Martin owner, consider holding him for a few more weeks on the bench, but don't be shocked if it gets to the point where you have to release him.

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