Each and every fantasy football season, a grip of highly-drafted players end up disappointing millions of fantasy owners (a few names from last year: Darren McFadden, Ryan Mathews, Chris Johnson, etc.).

Sometimes Fantasy Football Busts are hard to predict, as players can have all the talent in the world, yet they can face injury, offensive collapse, bad coaching support, and more… sometimes these things are out of our control; it’s part of the game!

Well, while it’s impossible to predict some player downfalls, or freak injuries, we can at least identify “high-risk” fantasy football candidates, and using their ADP Rank, determine if the risk is worth the current market value.

Essentially, every player, and I mean every player, is worth drafting if the price is right. Meaning, a bust today could be a bargain tomorrow. The key to every single draft selection you make, or trade for that matter, is drawing that “do-don’t” line the best that you can.

Below are a list of “Potential Bust Candidates” heading into 2013; however, instead of just telling you to avoid these players at all costs, I will attempt to draw “that line” in the sand so that each player’s value is truly defined and known.

2013 Bust Candidates

LeSean McCoy

What a tough player to rank heading into the 2013 fantasy football season! After suffering a brutal concussion in Week 11 of the 2012 NFL season, McCoy went on to miss four games due to the head injury. His recovery was extremely slow-moving during his four-week absence, as he experienced headaches, dizziness, fatigue, sensitivity to both light and noise, and from those Weeks 12-15, there was considerable chatter on NFL news wires suggesting that McCoy was done for the season. He wasn’t, though, and he came back strong in Weeks 16 and 17, totaling over 100 yards in both contests. He even pulled in 9 receptions in that Week 16 effort. Recapping things, McCoy returned to action late in the year, bounced-back to form in those two post-injury outings, showed no signs of lingering head issues, and is only turning 25 come July… so, what is there to doubt about the runner heading into 2013 and beyond? Two words: Jahvid Best.

Ok, so I’m going to reiterated what I said above before I continue… tagging someone as a “potential bust” does not, by my definition, mean that the player in question is a player to avoid at all costs… every player has an acceptable “get” or “draft” value, and every player has a “let someone else grab ‘em” value. So, why do I bring up Jahvid Best when speaking about reasons to doubt McCoy in 2013? Well, like McCoy, Best suffered a HUGE concussion back in 2011, one he still has yet to recover from. I know what you’re thinking… one concussion was more severe than the other, right? Or, maybe you’re saying to yourself, it’s too hard to compare such things. Well, clearly there is some truth to that, but one has to look back to Best’s college days to pinpoint the concussion that he suffered that more so mirrors the one McCoy encountered last fantasy season.

You see, Best suffered his McCoy-like concussion during the second quarter of Cal’s November 7, 2009 match-up against Oregon State. While rushing for a touchdown, Best hurdled a defender into the end zone, was pushed in mid-air and landed on the back of his head causing his helmet to come off. After a 13-minute stop in play, Best was taken off the field on a stretcher and transported to the Highland General Hospital in Oakland (this was his second concussion within two weeks, the first being mild). Best missed the remainder of his college season, and he entered the 2010 NFL Draft. Best’s concussion, and let’s call it a “brutal” concussion, had many NFL scouts worried entering the 2010 NFL Draft, and there were many fantasy circles avoiding Best as well. You most likely know the rest of the story, but to refresh your memory, Best suffered a second brutal concussion in October of 2011, one that, as said above, has had him on the shelf ever since.

Before you scream it out loud, again I realize that comparing head injuries, and all of the unsaid variables, is not an exact, or accurate, science, especially when we’re talking about different kinds of head impacts, prior concussions, time frames, and more; however,

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