Which players should managers actively avoid? Which situations are those that I would encourage others to stray away from, if possible, in favor of those that may be more beneficial in the long term? Here are several wideouts I’m lower on than most for 2025 fantasy football drafts.
- Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2025 Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football Dynasty Rankings
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Fantasy Football Wide Receivers to Avoid
Chris Godwin (WR – TB)
Chris Godwin was already a “fade” candidate for many analysts, but I still feel like managers are clinging onto name recognition in an attempt to avoid the obvious — his time in the sun is now over. A mid-range WR2 for the past several seasons, Godwin is recovering from a frustrating 2024 season in which he failed to record 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since 2020.
The injury bug reared its ugly head yet again for Godwin, becoming the main culprit for his fall from grace, as he suffered a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula in Week 7. This marked the fifth time in the past six seasons he missed at least two weeks with various maladies, and clearly Tampa Bay decided that enough was enough.
The Bucs spent the 19th overall draft selection to bring in Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka, whose skillset largely mirrors Godwin’s. Primarily known as a slot receiver who can play outside if necessary, Egbuka is essentially Godwin 2.0 — a quicker, younger version who will command a large target share right out of the gate.
Throw in the healthy return of tight end Cade Otton to the mix, and Godwin’s status as a staple for fantasy rosters is in severe jeopardy. Godwin is still the WR33 per our latest average draft position (ADP) figures, and the expert consensus rankings are (somehow) even higher on him (WR29). Call me a skeptic and a pessimist.
Deebo Samuel (WR – WSH)
You’re hopefully starting to see a common thread here of players that had a difficult 2024, being placed into an even more tricky spot for 2025. Deebo Samuel finished as the WR44 in fantasy last season, catching just 51 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdown catches across 15 games. Never known for being a beacon of health, Samuel struggled with a calf strain, pneumonia, a hamstring and rib issues in 2025 — all that was missing was the partridge in a pear tree.
Known for generating the bulk of his fantasy points from yards after the catch (YAC) as a receiver (and supplementing his totals with a modest amount of rushing attempts each year), Samuel failed to be nearly as explosive as in years past, generating his lowest totals since 2020, when he barely played seven games. Even with injuries to Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall that should have forced him into a more integral role, Samuel took a backseat to San Francisco’s running game instead, and seemed a tertiary option to George Kittle and Jauan Jennings.
Seeking greener pastures, Samuel campaigned for a trade and was ultimately granted his request, being dealt to Washington in the offseason. Outside of Terry McLaurin, the Commanders have few proven threats at wideout on the team, and are banking that Samuel has plenty left in the tank heading into his age-30 season.
Borrowing some statistics from my FantasyPros cohort, Derek Brown, Washington ranked sixth in screen passes attempted last year, with the bulk of those attempts going to veterans Austin Ekeler and Zach Ertz. Ideally, the team would script several short-pass plays into the game script weekly for Samuel, hoping he could break plenty of tackles for chunk yardage to generate first downs on offense.
Is this something we’re really going to bank on? I say no. Relying on someone to generate “something out of nothing” is a fool’s errand, especially when it comes to the price point that Samuel remains in drafts. Being selected as a low-end WR3 in standard formats is fine for some, but I’m willing to pass on his services for other players within his tier.
Jameson Williams (WR – DET)
I’ve never been a proponent of prioritizing big-play threats who capitalize upon broken coverages or speed from a fantasy perspective, so I’m doubly out on Jameson Williams.
When he takes the field, is he likely the fastest player on it, who has a chance to blow past cornerbacks and safeties? Yes.
Does that mean he will see enough targets to be relevant in a half-PPR or full PPR format (which currently dominates the fantasy landscape)? No.
Do I anticipate a better season in 2025 for Williams, with Detroit absent its former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson? No.
Is quarterback Jared Goff‘s 6.9% touchdown rate from 2024 sustainable? No.
Should the Lions prioritize targets to tight end Sam LaPorta or feed their running backs, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, carries instead of targets to Williams, to move the ball downfield? Yes.
Williams’ current position as the WR26 in PPR formats is a massive overpay, and I can’t envision a scenario where he becomes a target-hog, akin to teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown. Throw in my optimism that the Lions will become uber-reliant upon their running game, and I’m out on Williams at his current price.
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