8 Fantasy Football Busts: Wide Receivers (2025)

As you prepare for your fantasy football drafts, avoiding early-round mistakes is just as important as hitting on league-winning picks. That’s why we’ve gathered insights from our collection of Featured Pros experts to help you sidestep potential landmines at two of the most critical positions: running back and wide receiver. In this article, our experts identify their top early wide receivers fantasy football busts, players who may be overvalued based on current ADP and could fail to deliver the return you’re expecting. Before you lock in your first few picks, make sure you’re not drafting someone who could sink your season.

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Fantasy Football Busts to Avoid: Wide Receivers

What wide receivers in our consensus top 24 should fantasy football managers fear the most as potential busts?

Tyreek Hill (WR – MIA)

“Tyreek Hill (WR14 in the rankings and 30th overall) was a top-five pick in most redraft leagues last season. Unfortunately, he was a fantasy bust, ending the year as the WR21, averaging 10.5 half-point PPR fantasy points per game, a lower average than Adam Thielen’s (11.6). Furthermore, his six receiving touchdowns matched his career low from his rookie season. More importantly, Hill saw 2.1 fewer targets and 6.5 fewer fantasy points per game when Tua Tagovailoa didn’t play or left early with an injury. The veteran is on the wrong side of 30, has dealt with injuries the past few years, has an injury-prone quarterback, and is the subject of trade talks. Garrett Wilson (WR17) and Davante Adams (WR18) are lower in the rankings. Yet, I would rather draft both over Hill.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)

“Tyreek Hill. The worst-case scenario is … well, it’s pretty close to how the 2024 season played out. When Tua Tagovailoa missed time with a concussion, the Miami offense ran aground. When Tua came back, he tended to throw shorter passes, targeting De’Von Achane and Jonnu Smith more frequently, and Hill and Jaylen Waddle less frequently. Hill dealt with a wrist injury, and his efficiency numbers plummeted across the board. (His 1.75 yards per route run were a career low.) Hill is 31, his quarterback is fragile, and the Miami offensive line is in rough shape. It’s possible the Cheetah has a bounce-back season, but there are too many potential hazards here for me to bet on him.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)

“Tyreek Hill enters 2025 as one of the riskiest early-round picks in fantasy football. He finished last season as WR33 in points per game, with just two 100-yard games alongside a healthy Tua Tagovailoa (11 games as WR18 in PPG) – a far cry from the elite production fantasy managers drafted him for. His efficiency cratered, with yards per route run dropping to 1.75 – less than half his 2023 mark – all while battling a wrist injury. Now 31, Hill is approaching the dreaded age cliff for speed-reliant receivers, and a late-season sideline outburst only adds to the concerns about his role/stability in Miami. The game-breaking upside might still be there, but the red flags around health, chemistry, and declining performance make Hill a logical bust candidate that should be avoided.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)

“Tyreek Hill (WR14) is another potential bust candidate among the top 24 wide receivers for 2025 Half PPR leagues. His 2024 performance in Miami was hampered by inconsistent quarterback play, and at age 31, his elite speed has started to show signs of decline. Miami’s offensive struggles and potential reliance on a run-heavy scheme could further limit his target volume. Fantasy managers should be cautious, as his high ranking may not match his 2025 production. Tyreek Hill’s bust risk is compounded by Miami’s unsettled quarterback situation, which could continue to hinder his ability to produce consistent fantasy points in 2025. His reliance on deep targets makes him vulnerable to defensive schemes focused on limiting big plays, potentially capping his upside. Additionally, any further decline in his athleticism could erode his status as a top-tier fantasy asset.”
– Aaron St Denis (Fantasy Sports Advice Network)

“Tyreek Hill is a high-risk fantasy pick in 2025 due to declining production, injury concerns, and age-related regression. After back-to-back 1,700-yard seasons, he struggled in 2024, finishing as WR18 with 218.2 PPR points, posting 959 receiving yards and six touchdowns, his lowest total since 2019. A wrist injury impacted his consistency, and Miami’s offense also regressed, ranking 22nd in points per game, further limiting his fantasy upside. At 31 years old, Hill is no longer the same dominant force, and his ability to consistently deliver WR1 performances is uncertain. While he may still have big weeks, fantasy managers should expect volatility rather than reliable elite production.”
– Lawrence Iacona (Gridiron Experts)

“Tyreek Hill’s top 15 wide receiver price tag makes no sense, considering what we saw from Hill last year. With Tua Tagovailoa back, in Weeks 8-16, Hill was the WR24 in fantasy points per game while ranking 39th in yards per route run and 34th in target share (per Fantasy Points Data). Hill is a low-end WR2 in the best-case scenario for 2025. His current ranking screams BUST for this season. ”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)

Ladd McConkey (WR – LAC)

“Ladd McConkey’s 2025 ADP positions him as a high-end WR2, often drafted in the third or fourth round, banking on a sophomore season of progression after a solid 2024. In 2024, he recorded 1,149 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns, averaging 15.1 PPR points per game (WR16), but his production heavily relied on a 74.5% catch rate in a pass-heavy (52.4%) Chargers offense. His slight frame (6’0″, 186 lbs) and 2.1 yards per route run suggest struggles against physical cornerbacks, potentially capping his upside in contested-catch situations. Additionally, the Chargers’ shift towards a more run-heavy scheme under Jim Harbaugh in 2025, with the addition of running backs Najee Harris and first-round draft pick Omarion Hampton, may reduce passing opportunities, making McConkey a risky pick at his current ADP.”
– Brandon Murchison (RotoBaller)

Davante Adams (WR – LAR)

“Talent isn’t up for debate with Davante Adams, but his production last year was largely tied to volume. He consistently required 11 to 13 targets per game. That’s not going to happen with the Rams, where Puka Nacua is clearly the primary WR. Stafford is a clear upgrade for him, but he’ll need to be extremely efficient to be consistent.”
– Mauricio Gutierrez (Estadio Fantasy)

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – SEA)

“In seventeen games last season, Jaxon Smith-Njigba had over one hundred yards only three times and scored six TDs. Njigba just doesn’t have the speed or burst to generate big plays. He’s a slot WR, which is great in PPR leagues, but not as valuable in Half PPR settings. And while it’s true D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are no longer in Seattle, the Seahawks’ new starting QB, Sam Darnold, still gives Ringo reason for pause when it comes to Smith-Njigba’s fantasy outlook. Darnold laid an egg last year in the playoffs for the Vikings, and that was in the weather-controlled dome of State Farm Stadium. Smith-Njigba’s current lofty consensus ranking at WR 12 is way too risky for fantasy football’s king salmon, Mark Ringo.”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)

Malik Nabers (WR – NYG)

“Malik Nabers enters his second season with undeniable talent, but the situation in New York remains highly unstable. The Giants’ quarterback room (featuring a declining Russell Wilson, turnover-prone Jameis Winston, and untested rookie Jaxson Dart) offers no clear path to consistent, high-level passing production. Nabers will also contend with the NFL’s toughest projected strength of schedule and one of the league’s worst offensive lines, ranked 27th in pass-block win rate in 2024. That combination limits both his target quality and downfield opportunities. Despite his upside, Nabers is more likely to be limited by his environment than to make a major leap in Year 2.”
– Avery Thrasher (The Branded Sports)

Zay Flowers (WR – BAL)

“Even after two respectable seasons (WR29, then WR24), drafting Zay Flowers at WR22 means you’re expecting him to hit his absolute ceiling. Any wide receiver that I take in the top 24 should have some path to a top 3 finish at the position, but that simply doesn’t exist with Zay Flowers. The Ravens’ passing volume is anemic, ranking 31st in pass attempts in back-to-back years, and even with a 25% target share, that only translated to four touchdowns last season. Given his diminutive 5’9″ frame and with Derrick Henry still in the backfield, those precious red-zone opportunities are only going to shrink, making him more dependent on efficiency without a touchdown safety net. He’s a risky mid-tier WR2, banking heavily on a touchdown surge that just doesn’t seem likely given his size and the Ravens’ pass volume in 2025.”
– James Emrick-Wilson (Armchair Scouting)

Terry McLaurin (WR – WAS)

” The Washington Commanders added Deebo Samuel and strengthened their offensive line this offseason after averaging the sixth-best PPG last season. Last season, Terry McLaurin saw 117 targets, had 82 receptions, 13 touchdowns, and 1,096 receiving yards. He averaged 15.5 FPPG last season, which ranked 15th. McLaurin is another player I was in on last year that I’m not as comfortable with selecting this season because of his low target and high touchdown numbers. I think he can still be a solid fantasy asset, but he will be volatile week-to-week, and he probably won’t score as many touchdowns.”
– Nick Penticoff (Fantasy Football Astronauts)

Garrett Wilson (WR – NYJ)

“Garrett Wilson – The Jets’ new QB, Justin Fields, led DJ Moore to the best season of his career in Chicago, but has been anything but consistent throwing the football. Wilson doesn’t have a ton of talent in the receiver room in New York to draw the attention of defenses away from him, and just how much are the Jets going to throw? Wilson has broken 1,000 receiving yards in each of his three seasons, but hasn’t been known as a big-play threat. I don’t see Wilson making up for the lack of expected production in my projections with a double-digit receiving touchdown season, so I’m staying away from him as a top-24 wideout.”
– Lee Wehry (FantasyPros)