Wide receiver is a deep position with viable fantasy football options from the start of drafts through the final round. Having said that, there are also landmines to avoid at the position throughout drafts. The following four wide receivers are either poor values at their average draft position (ADP) on Underdog or outright bad picks.
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Fantasy Football Wide Receivers to Avoid
Rashee Rice (WR – KC) | Underdog ADP: 30.8
Rashee Rice isn’t a genuinely elite wide receiver. He’s a bit of a gimmick player. According to the Fantasy Points data suite, among 126 wide receivers with at least 150 routes in the regular season last year, Rice was 15th in yards per route run (2.30 YPRR). However, Rice was 123rd in average depth of target (4.9-yard aDOT) and tied for 80th in yards per target (7.42).
Rice is basically used as a yards-after-the-catch option, helping offset the lack of dynamism at running back. The Chiefs need an infusion of talent at running back and wide receiver. According to our mock draft consensus, the Chiefs are projected to pick wide receiver Makai Lemon with the ninth pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They could also be in the market for Carnell Tate or Jeremiyah Love, and either addition could cut into Rice’s volume.
Furthermore, after coming on like gangbusters after his six-game suspension, posting 19.7, 21, and 16.6 half-PPR points in three games before Kansas City’s Week 10 bye last season, Rice’s production was more volatile and less impressive.
From Week 11 through Rice’s final game in Week 15, he was 15th in half-PPR points per game (13.3). However, Rice was only the WR38 in half-PPR points (6.8) in Week 11, tied for the WR45 (5.4) in Week 14 and was the WR36 (8.6) in Week 15. Thus, he was a WR3 or worse in three of his final five games last season.
Rice would be an overpriced asset based on his on-field performance alone. Yet, Rice also faces a lawsuit in Texas filed by his ex-girlfriend, accusing him of assault from 2023 to 2025. Rice is already on probation for his high-speed accident from March 2024. He was seen celebrating with his family at a bar before the accident, and he selfishly and immediately left the scene of the accident he caused. Teams were also aware of an unreported alleged incident at SMU that involved Rice during the pre-draft process in 2023.
Rice doesn’t need to face legal punishment for his latest accusation to receive a suspension from the NFL. According to the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy, “violations involving assault, battery, domestic violence or sexual assault will result in a baseline six-game suspension without pay, with more if aggravating factors are present, such as the use of a weapon or a crime against a child. A second offense will result in a banishment from the NFL.”
Given Rice’s history, he could face more than a baseline six-game suspension. Will he be suspended? I’m not sure. Drew Davenport, a practicing defense attorney, posted two threads on Twitter discussing Rice’s situation.
Rashee Rice is being sued in Dallas County Courts for more than $1 Million dollars from allegations of domestic abuse involving his ex-girlfriend Dacoda Jones.
Here’s what I found in the complaint and my surprising conclusion about his 2026 prospects.#FFLegalUpdate
1/
— Drew Davenport (@DrewDavenportFF) February 18, 2026
I wanted to make a couple more comments on the Rashee Rice situation because I’ve had a few similar questions since my breakdown yesterday. I’ll do it all here and avoid a long thread, but I think this update is important.#FFLegalUpdate
1 – Why wouldn’t the NFL pay attention… pic.twitter.com/GdGXs2qXI2
— Drew Davenport (@DrewDavenportFF) February 20, 2026
The Chiefs already needed to add to their receiving corps, and they’d be utterly foolish to sit on their hands while the league investigates Rice’s current situation. Even if Rice avoids a suspension, which isn’t a given, he’ll likely have more target competition in 2026. He’s a lousy investment at his ADP.
Xavier Worthy (WR – KC) | Underdog ADP: 97.1
A big part of the reason why the Chiefs should be in the market for a wide receiver is that Xavier Worthy isn’t an impact player. Worthy’s apologists are excusing his lackluster sophomore campaign by blaming it on playing through a shoulder injury sustained from friendly fire by Travis Kelce in Week 1.
However, Worthy’s measurables are smurf-like in a game of car crashes. If Worthy must be 100% to play at a useful level, he might leave gamers annoyed. Among 126 wideouts with at least 150 routes in the 2025 regular season, Worthy recorded the following receiving stats in 14 games, with rankings in parentheses:
- 66.8% route participation rate (61st)
- 26.9% air yards share (42nd)
- 14.8% target share (57th)
- 0.19 targets per route run (tied for 57th)
- 18% first-read rate (tied for 58th)
- 42 receptions (tied for 51st)
- 38 receiving yards per game (55th)
- 1.40 YPRR (71st)
- 7.39 yards per target (tied for 82nd)
- 1 receiving touchdown (tied for 86th)
- 3 end-zone targets (tied for 71st)
- 6.4 half-PPR points per game (tied for 58th)
- 10.7 expected half-PPR points per game (43rd)
Worthy added 11 rush attempts for 87 scoreless yards, but that doesn’t move the needle. Worthy has 1,457 receiving yards and 10 career receiving touchdowns on 956 routes in 34 career games. Therefore, he’s averaged 42.9 receiving yards per game with 1.52 YPRR in his career. Worthy’s career 1.52 YPRR would have ranked 60th among 126 wideouts with at least 150 routes in 2025.
Worthy has been much closer to a gimmick player in the Mecole Hardman mold than a game-changing talent through two seasons. A top-100 pick for Worthy requires wishcasting. Worthy belongs in the Matthew Golden (123.3 ADP), Jayden Higgins (125.1 ADP) and KC Concepcion (125.8 ADP) range, not where he’s selected now.
Tyreek Hill (WR – FA) | Underdog ADP: 146.0
Tyreek Hill suffered a gruesome knee injury in Week 4 last season, and the Dolphins have cut him. He’s a free agent on the wrong side of 30, turning 31 on March 1st.
The veteran wideout also has baggage, dating back to domestic assault and battery by strangulation charges against his then-pregnant girlfriend in college. That was just the start of things. Hill was also accused of child abuse, but the prosecution was declined.
Hill allegedly struck a marina employee in 2023, but both parties resolved their differences. An OnlyFans model brought a civil lawsuit against Hill for an incident on June 28th, 2023, alleging assault, battery and negligence for fracturing her right leg. Hill’s ex-wife, Keeta Vaccaro, also alleged abuse by Hill during their 17-month marriage, with the first alleged incident reportedly occurring in January 2024.
Simply saying teams must account for Hill’s off-field behavior before deciding to sign him doesn’t paint a clear picture of the full scope of his off-field actions. Teams will remove players from their draft boards based on off-field behavior.
Presumably, some teams won’t even entertain signing Hill, irrespective of concerns about the severity of a knee injury for a soon-to-be 31-year-old wide receiver, whose game is predicated on speed, acceleration and change of direction.
The severity of Hill’s knee injury is alarming. Hill said on his stream that he needs surgery for his LCL. Doctor of Physical Therapy Jeff Mueller analyzed the injury after Hill’s revelation of needing another knee surgery.
Tyreek Hill cont –
He said on his stream (below) that he needs 1 more surgery for the LCL.
It’s pretty rare that they would leave the LCL alone initially if torn, as it would remain too unstable following the ACLR.My guesses here:
othey didn’t think LCL needed to be repaired… https://t.co/F76d2gKlX0— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) February 16, 2026
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Hill had a career-low 2.9 yards after the catch per reception in four games last year after setting a career-low 3.5 yards after the catch per reception in 2024. Hill could be a complete zero in best ball this year. The risk isn’t worth his ADP. Hill would need to fall into the 200s to be a worthwhile gamble, as the players selected in that range have blemishes as well.
Travis Hunter (WR – JAX) | Underdog ADP: 150.1
Travis Hunter primarily played wide receiver in an injury-shortened rookie season after winning the Heisman Trophy in 2024 for his remarkable work as a two-way player at Colorado, where he played cornerback and wide receiver.
Hunter had a 72.4% route participation rate for Jacksonville last year. He also had the following unremarkable numbers:
- 17.8% air yards share
- 8.4-yard aDOT
- 17.0% target share
- 0.21 targets per route run (TPRR)
- 18% first-read rate
- 28 receptions (4.0 per game)
- 298 receiving yards (42.6 per game)
- 1.41 YPRR
- 1 receiving touchdown
- 3 end-zone targets
- 0 receiving touchdowns on end-zone targets
The Jaguars traded for and extended Jakobi Meyers. Parker Washington emerged as the club’s most effective wide receiver. Brian Thomas Jr. is still on the team. All three were better than Hunter as measured by receiving yards per game, yards per route run, yards per target and first downs per route run.
Hunter will reportedly play full-time on defense this year, where the Jaguars have a greater need. Jacksonville could reverse course during the offseason. They could also have voiced that plan to avoid undercutting Thomas’ trade value. Regardless, a part-time receiving role isn’t worth a pick in Hunter’s ADP range, especially after he had a mediocre rookie season while primarily playing offense.
Hunter has paths to playing more offense in 2026 than the Jaguars currently plan for him. For instance, the team could trade Thomas. One of Thomas, Meyers or Washington could suffer an injury. Hunter could struggle enough on defense that the organization pivots to playing him at wide receiver more.
Still, parlaying on improvement from Hunter as a receiver and more playing time at the position than he’s projected for is a lousy wager at his ADP. As is the case with Hill, Hunter would be a reasonable dice roll in the 200s, since that range of the draft is littered with players who won’t help best ball teams. Hunter is a player to avoid unless he falls that far, though.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
