Tired of making the same draft-day mistakes in your fantasy football leagues? Our team of Featured Pros is here to help you avoid that trap in 2025. In this expert-driven article, our collection of top-ranked analysts has come together to highlight the players they’re completely out on for the upcoming fantasy football season. Whether it’s due to injury concerns, age, declining performance, or inflated ADPs, these are the players our experts will never draft again, starting in 2025. Before you build your big board, make sure you know which names to cross off your list for good.
- Cheat Sheets: DBro | Erickson | Fitz
- Fantasy Football Draft Kit
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- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Players Fantasy Football Experts Will Never Draft Again
Wide Receivers
Which one WR burned you so badly that you can’t fathom taking him at or near his half-PPR ADP?
George Pickens (WR – DAL)
“Many had high hopes, including myself, for George Pickens last year after the Pittsburgh Steelers traded away Diontae Johnson, making him their only fantasy-relevant wide receiver, drafting him ahead of his WR26 and 61.7 overall ADP. Unfortunately, he was a massive bust, ending the season as the WR42, averaging 9.6 half-point PPR fantasy points per game, a lower average than Quentin Johnston‘s (9.8). Therefore, Pickens’ current ADP (WR29 and 66.8 overall) is ridiculous. He went from the only viable option for the Steelers’ passing game to the No. 2 guy with the Cowboys. Over the past three years, Dallas’ No. 2 wide receiver has averaged five targets per game. While many are projecting him to have a career season, don’t be surprised if Pickens averages no more than two targets per game more than Jake Ferguson. I won’t draft him anywhere near his current ADP.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)
Davante Adams (WR – LAR)
“I know 1000 yards and eight touchdowns seems like a solid season, but it was honestly pretty disappointing from Davante Adams last year if you rostered him. There were glimpses into the old Davante, but then there were moments when he looked like he had lost a step. Over his last seven seasons, he’s averaged 158 targets per season. He’s moving to an offense where he’s the 2nd option and no Aaron Rodgers to force feed him the ball instead of a younger, more talented wide receiver at this point in their careers. He’s going ahead of #1 WRs on their own teams, and you’re counting on his performance to bounce back, his health, and Stafford’s health. I’ll gamble elsewhere at ADP.”
– Brandon ‘B_Don’ Myers (Razzball)
D.K. Metcalf (WR – PIT)
“At first, after his move to Pittsburgh, I was all in on D.K. Metcalf for 2025, but the deeper I dug into his 2024 numbers this offseason, I’m out. As the clear number one for the Steelers’ passing attack, I understand the reasons why people want to draft him, but his per-route metrics from last year, along with residing in a run-first offense, have me leery of his WR2 price tag. Last year, he was 78th in separation, 89th in route win rate, and 64th in first downs per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). Yes, he did rank 36th in target share, 35th in yards per route run, and 20th in receiving yards per game, so it’s not all doom and gloom surrounding Metcalf. There are reasons to believe in a bounceback here, but I can’t pay up for this profile as a WR2 in drafts.”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)
Jerry Jeudy (WR – CLE)
“Jerry Jeudy must have talked to Jonnu Smith about how to tick me off. Literally, every year since their rookie seasons, I have had Jeudy and Smith listed in my sleeper articles. And every year, just like clockwork, they didn’t live up to my hopes and expectations. I finally gave up on both of them last year, so naturally they had their breakout seasons- ugh! Sometimes you’re just snakebit when it comes to certain players. Captain Ahab had his white whale; Mark Ringo has Jerry Jeudy and Jonnu Smith. Ahoy, fantasy mateys, haha!”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)
Tyreek Hill (WR – MIA)
“The Tyreek Hill situation was bad last year, to no fault of his own. Tua Tagovailoa got hurt, and when he returned, the Dolphins resorted to a dink-and-dunk offense that did not see him get the consistent looks he once did. Last season saw Hill record his fewest receiving yards since 2019, and his joint-worst touchdown mark since 2016, his rookie season. Also, factor in the general unpredictability of a player who seemingly wanted to burn every bridge he had in Miami after the end of the season last year; it could become messy. Coming in as the player overall 28 and WR12, it is simply way too rich for my blood.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
Cooper Kupp (WR – LAR)
“I’m not sure if there’s a price where I could draft Cooper Kupp. The 32-year-old signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the Seahawks this offseason after being released by the Rams, who opted to pay Davante Adams rather than keep Kupp around. Injuries have derailed his career since 2022 – including an ankle issue that limited him to 12 games in 2024 – and he averaged just 2.5 catches and 36 yards per game over his final seven contests last season. While Kupp helps fill the veteran void in a post-DK Metcalf/Tyler Lockett Seahawks WR room, he’s unlikely to thrive in Klint Kubiak’s run-heavy offense led by Sam Darnold. At this point, Kupp is a name-brand flyer with a low floor and limited ceiling. His best days are behind him.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)
A.J. Brown (WR – PHI)
“A.J. Brown is a popular WR1 for many teams. I have drafted him for years because of his natural talent, connection with Hurts, and ability to run over defensive players due to his massive body. BUT…last year he finished WR18, finishing only 6 of his 13 games as a WR1 for fantasy teams. As a player being drafted last year in the late first, early second round, he left a giant hole in line-ups with weeks of WR60, WR35, WR38, and WR46, leading teams into the playoffs with a single WR1 performance from weeks 9-14. Those stat lines burned teams trying to make playoff runs, and they are likely to continue this year with Saquon Barkley still being the centerpiece of the Eagles’ offense. With all those factors, AJ Brown is a player that I am avoiding as I prepare for 2025.”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)
“The answer for me is simply A.J. Brown. The case I make isn’t one of him being a bust or even underproducing; it’s one of letting me down when I need it most. Throughout my fantasy lifetime, any week in which I faced a must-win, Brown was either out with an injury or put up a total dud to sink me. He may put up 25-point boom weeks on a semi-regular basis, but when I need him most, I know he will let me down. So I won’t have him on my roster again unless it’s at a massive discount, which he never is.”
– Aaron St Denis (Fantasy Sports Advice Network)
Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR – ARI)
“Marvin Harrison Jr. I loved him as a prospect and still think he has a chance to become a top-drawer receiver, but his rookie-year usage was maddening. MHJ was badly miscast as a vertical receiver, with a 13.4-yard average depth of target in 2024. (For the sake of comparison, Ja’Marr Chase had an aDOT of 8.7 yards last season, and Justin Jefferson‘s was 10.9 yards.) Cardinals QB Kyler Murray hasn’t been effective throwing to the middle of the field, possibly because he stands 5-foot-10. Harrison ran three-quarters of his routes on the perimeter despite high success rates on routes over the middle. I’m not confident enough that Harrison’s usage will improve to draft him anywhere near his WR18 ADP. ”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
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