Many of us, including myself, have been burned by the dreaded fantasy bust so I felt the need to air out my grievances on those players who make this phenomenon possible.

RB Larry Johnson (KC) – last year this guy was a complete fantasy stud but last year isn’t this year and Johnson made the transition from stud to dud. Last season Johnson ran for 1,789 yards on a whopping 416 carries behind a monstrous offensive line consisting of 11-time Pro Bowler Will Shields, Brian Waters and Jordan Black. Johnson seemed like a logical choice, fourth overall in most fantasy drafts, according to ESPN. Oh, how things can change. Shields retired and the Chiefs brought in Damion McIntosh from Miami who was knocked for several weeks with a knee injury while Black signed with Houston. Another warning sign was Johnson’s 416 carries, more than any other back in the league last season. The result was Johnson has ran for only 600 yards this year and has missed the last five games with an “ankle injury,” which seems to be much worse than the Chiefs make it seem. Johnson has been one of the most durable backs in the league the past three seeasons, but injuries will catch up to almost any player, especially one nearing the age of 30. Johnson shouldn’t be back the rest of the season with the Chiefs no where near playoff contention and for those owners who drafted him, I feel for you but you should have seen this one coming.

RB Shaun Alexander (SEA) – Being a Niners fan for most of my life may make me a bit biased in this case but the numbers don’t lie. Let’s go back to the ’05 Super Bowl season for the Seahawks. That team featured a very dominating offensive lineman by the name of Steve Hutchinson right next to another key piece for the Hawks, Six-Time Pro Bowler Walter Jones. Shaun Alexander rushed for a whopping 1,880 yards and broke the then current rushing touchdown record with 27 of his own. The next season Hutchinson migrated to MInnesota for $49 million dollars where he is already helping Adrian Peterson shatter all sorts of records and Alexander has been irrelevant for the past two years. He has ran for 896 yards last season and has ran for only 595 yards so far this season with a yards per carry(YPC) of only 3.3. Alexander has been hobbled by injuries the last two years with injuries, but once again any back approaching the age of 30(Alexander’s current age) can be a risky pick especially with Alexander’s workload the three seasons prior(326, 353, 370 carries respectively). Alexander may have seemed like a smart choice sixth overall in most fantasy drafts, but the numbers don’t lie and you should have done your research.

RB Laurence Maroney (NE) – Now this one I didn’t see coming. I was trying hard to draft Maroney but I’m thanking Team Kaufman for beating me to the punch. With Bill Belichick’s suddenly pass happy offense, Maroney has rushed for 529 yards on 126 carries for 2 touchdowns this year. The presence of Moss, Stallworth and Welker have really made this a boring season for Maroney (drafted 12th overall on average in fantasy) but who can blame Belichick for throwing so much when the team is three wins away from making history.

RB Rudi Johnson (CIN) – He certainly has hurt me this season with his overall poor play. Johnson started the season off fine with a strong game in Week 2 with 118 yards rushing but a hamstring injury has brought his production way down. Johnson hasn’t broken the 100 yard barrier since Week 2, and didn’t get his first touchdown of the year until Week 12. I am hoping Johnson comes out of his shell for my championship game this weekend against a porous San Francisco rush defense, but Johnson is so unpredictable, you never know what he might do. Johnson has all-in-all been a complete bust for his owners who drafted him on average in the 11th spot according to ESPN.

-SCNorcal