Defensive Back Busts

A bust is a player who can lead you to a losing season. And the earlier you have to pick a bust, the more damage he can do to your team.

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To be clear, we define busts as players who we think will perform worse than most expect and be overvalued at their average draft position.

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Our staff recently gathered to offer up their busts for this season. Here they are.

Defensive Back Busts from Gary Davenport

Antoine Winfield Jr, Tampa Bay

Winfield was fantasy's highest-scoring defensive back last season, and he'll be the first player at his position selected in most IDP drafts (piling up over 120 total stops, six sacks, six forced fumbles, and three interceptions will do that). But 2023 was also the first season since Winfield's rookie year that he didn't miss at least three games. His previous career-high in tackles was 94. And Winfield had just five forced fumbles over his first three years combined. The defensive back position in IDP leagues is two things: deep and unpredictable. The Godfather has always advocated waiting to draft defensive backs and then targeting upside options late. The 2024 campaign is no different.

Kamren Curl, LA Rams

Curl was solid for IDP managers last year, racking up a career-best 115 total tackles for the Washington Commanders and finishing the year in DB2 territory. That season got Curl $6 million in guarantees from the Rams, but a second consecutive 100-stop season might be difficult to pull off. Los Angeles has been using Curl as more of a deep safety in camp, while Johnny Johnson III is playing closer to the line of scrimmage in his second stint with the team. That could change as we move closer to Week 1, but if it doesn't, it won't do Curl's IDP value any favors.

DaRon Bland, Dallas

Bland was fantasy football's highest-scoring cornerback in 2023 by a fairly wide margin. But there's a ton of variance annually at that position, and the few corners who maintain some level of IDP consistency generally do so with tackle production. Bland's 69 total stops last year was a decent number, but it was the nine interceptions and NFL-record five pick-sixes that propelled Bland to the top spot. That just isn't going to happen again. As a matter of fact, it's not especially likely that Bland will match his five interceptions as a rookie. With Trevon Diggs returning from an ACL tear, it's entirely possible that opponents will attack him—and if Bland's target numbers drop considerably, his IDP production could follow.