Fantasy Football: Eight Biggest Busts We Wish We Never Drafted Early

No fantasy lineup ever looks as good as it does just before that first game.

Sure, someone grabbed a blue chip player like Calvin Johnson just ahead of you, or maybe you picked your tight end a round too soon, but you know there's nothing that can stop you from winning it all this year.

Then it all falls apart. Your first round pick blows his ACL, your second pick enters a lengthy contract dispute and that fourth round steal hits a slump that could help him earn comeback player of the year... in 2012.

Whether it's because of injury, incompetence or just being overrated, each fantasy owner has that player that just infuriates them and puts their fool-proof championship plan in the trash.

So here's this year's fantasy busts, and the players that stepped in to fill their roster spots.

Peyton Hillis, Running Back

First off, Peyton Hillis owners should have known better than to draft a north-south rusher who was an unknown until last year. At the very least, he shouldn't have been drafted in the first two rounds.

If that wasn't enough of a warning, Hillis also landed himself on the cover of Madden 2012.

Even taking that all into account though, no one could have predicted Hillis' meteoric fall from grace both in Cleveland and in football.

Whether it's been strep throat, a hamstring injury or maybe just some hurt feelings all around, Hillis has spent more time on the bench this year than on the field. Of the four games he's played, only his Week 2 matchup against Indianapolis comes close to the type of fantasy points owners found on the waiver wire last year.

Just like every year though, another solid running back or three show up to produce. This year, Oakland's Michael Bush has found his way onto 84 percent of fantasy rosters. Dallas's DeMarco Murray came on strong in Week 7 and hasn't stopped; 91 percent of fantasy owners now have him in the lineup, and he started for 80 percent of them.

That's another reason why Hillis' career looks to be quickly imploding. The shelf life on a running back's career is too short for the kind of antics he's produced in Cleveland this year.

Chris Johnson, Running Back

I completely understand Chris Johnson wanted to get paid; like I mentioned earlier, a running back's career is just too short to miss that big payout.

But couldn't Johnson have stayed in shape a little better while he waited?

Another first-round fantasy superstar, CJ2K will definitely miss the 2,000 yard mark again this season.

In fact, nine games into the season puts Johnson just shy of 500 yards rushing. And with teams like Atlanta and Houston still on the schedule, he'll be hard pressed to even break 1,000.

Johnson's sudden downturn put fantasy owners in a steep hole quickly. He's only broken the 10 point fantasy mark three times this season, though that could be improving. Last week's matchup against Carolina posted 23 points on the fantasy scoreboard, and are hopefully a sign of things to come.

Andre Johnson and Miles Austin, Wide Receivers

The stories for Andre Johnson and Miles Austin read so similar that they deserve to be on the same slide.

Both players came out strong for the first couple weeks, only to throw their owners for a spin due to injuries. Both players dropped off the map early in the season, with hamstring injuries.

Johnson should be making his way back to the Texans' starting lineup soon, but how he'll perform is anyone's guess. Austin rejoined his team on the field after only two weeks, but did little for fantasy owners since and returned to the inactive list again last Sunday.

Players like Victor Cruz and A.J. Green should have provided early relief for Johnson owners. As for recent acquisitions, look no further than Laurent Robinson, who posted 19 points in Dallas' blowout  against Buffalo.

Michael Vick, Quarterback

Fantasy owners and Eagles fans alike expected far more out of their team this year.

After the massive free agent upgrades and Michael Vick's metaphoric resurrection, the Eagles were Super Bowl darlings at the start of the season. Vick, meanwhile, broke into the top three among quarterbacks taken in fantasy drafts.

So for those fantasy owners like myself who picked Vick over players like Drew Brees and Tom Brady, you have my sympathy.

More often than not, Vick's stat lines do little to inspire confidence anywhere; his 11 touchdowns sit far below the average among elite quarterbacks, and his 14 combined turnovers don't help much either.

Vick's rushing yards remain a solid supplement, but he has yet to find the end zone on the ground this year. To contrast, in 2010 he score nine rushing touchdowns.

Fortunately, a number of solid performers appeared in the opening weeks for those savvy enough to pick them up. Cam Newton broadcast his availability on the waiver wire after his opening 422 yard performance against the Cardinals, and Ryan Fitzpatrick came out hot to start the season as well.

And unless you're in a quarterback-heavy league, second-string quarterbacks like Eli Manning and Matt Hasselbeck should be keeping their teams competitive headed into the final stretch.

Philip Rivers, Quarterback

There's something rotten in San Diego.

Fans perennially expect the Chargers to flop at the beginning of the season. Unlike most years, though, they pull themselves out of their funk and dominate after about Week 4.

That's certainly not the case in 2011, and Philip Rivers provides the best example. He's upside-down on his touchdown-to-interception ratio for the first time since becoming San Diego's starter in 2006. His 7.8 yards per attempt rank him ninth among starting quarterbacks.

The Chargers' offensive line play could be part of the issue. Opponents have sacked Rivers 25 times already this season and six of those came from Oakland last Thursday.

For fantasy owners, Rivers' production places him 11th in total fantasy points for the season, and likely on the bench for most teams.

Until the Chargers can shake their current funk, the only positive coming out of San Diego is Rivers' passing yards. Rivers averaged 343 yards per game the last three weeks.

Mike Williams, Wide Receiver

What happened to Tampa Bay's Mike Williams?

After an outstanding rookie performance, Williams hit the sophomore slump big time. Granted, this could easily be due to Josh Freeman's lack of production more than Williams', but that doesn't make it any easier for fantasy owners expecting 900 yards receiving and double-digits in touchdowns like 2010.

Much like with Andre Johnson and Miles Austin, a number of names on the waiver wire should have helped ease the pain of Williams' subpar season. Some injury vultures picked up Marques Colston after breaking his collarbone in Week 1.

Oakland's Denarius Moore could also be a solid pickup with Carson Palmer playing for the Raiders now. Moore burst onto the scene last week with two touchdowns and 123 yards receiving against San Diego last week. Expect Palmer to keep throwing the ball his way.

Jamaal Charles, Running Back

Nothing crushed fantasy football owners' hopes like Jamaal Charles' ACL tear only 12 carries into the season. After scoring eight touchdowns in each of his last two seasons and a 1467 rushing yard performance in 2010, Charles looked ready to solidify his position in the top three of fantasy drafts.

Instead, Charles watches impotently as Kansas City wins just enough games to lose out on Andrew Luck. Charles' injury forced the Chiefs to settle on fringe player Jackie Battle to take on the premier running back slot.

Battle's run decently at times, but is really more a substitute for veteran Thomas Jones, whose game didn't just drop off this year—it plummeted. The Chiefs player most similar to Charles is Dexter McCluster. McCluster possess nearly unmatched skill at making defenders miss tackles when operating in space.

And there's the main problem: Charles can find his way into space, while McCluster must have it made for him. That inability to create room for himself has crippled Kansas City's offense, though their pitiful offensive line play has done little to improve matters.

Fortunately for fantasy owners, it was much easier to replace Charles in a fantasy league than in the NFL. While the Chiefs continually flirt with utter disaster on the field, reserve and waiver wire players like Fred Jackson, Ben Tate and Daniel Thomas likely kept owners from hitting the skids in their leagues right off the bat.

With players like Michael Bush and DeMarco Murray making mid-season surges, owners could reasonably have run their own running back by committee with Charles out of the lineup.