Our Featured Pros have identified some early fantasy football bust candidates they are avoiding in 2026. Here are some of the biggest names on the board that could sink your fantasy football teams if drafted at ADP.
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Early Fantasy Football Bust Candidates Experts Avoid
What RB in our consensus top 24 should fantasy managers fear the most as a bust candidate?
Bucky Irving (RB – TB)
“After an injury-riddled 2025, managers will be asking for Bucky Irving to come back in 2026 and hit the ground running. However, are we sure that is going to happen? Tampa added to their RB room in the offseason by bringing in Kenneth Gainwell, and they have the returning Sean Tucker, who could steal pass-catching and red-zone work from Irving, respectively. Plus, fantasy managers still don’t really know what Bucky Irving is. Is he closer to the guy in 2024 who averaged 5.4 yards per attempt and had over 1,100 rushing yards, or is he closer to the player who averaged 3.4 yards per attempt with only 588 rushing yards in 10 games a year ago? There are more questions than answers with Irving, and at the cost of selecting him as a top-20 option, fantasy managers should pass.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
“Bucky Irving had a sophomore season to forget. He was limited to 10 games due to injury (also still recovering from a shoulder injury) and ran wildly inefficiently. He posted the 4th-lowest rushing success rate, finishing third-worst in YPC (3.4). The second-year RB scored one rushing TD in 2025. Even with Rachaad White gone in free agency, Todd Bowles’ other favorite RB, Sean Tucker, might continue to rear his ugly head again near the goal line in 2026. New OC Zac Robinson notoriously used Tyler Allegier in the red zone with the Atlanta Falcons over Bijan Robinson. Not to mention, Kenneth Gainwell will also be vying for targets/opportunities after signing with TB this offseason. In multiple stops over the past several seasons, Gainwell has forced his way onto the field. The Bucs coaching staff is already talking about a hot-hand approach and a three-headed backfield, with Bucky as 1A and Gainwell as 1B. Irving has bust potential without a lock on the Bucs’ high-value backfield touches, and this has caused fear; his price has dropped from RB15 in the ECR earlier this offseason to the RB19-RB23 (current ECR and various 2026 ADP sources). Keep tabs on Irving’s 2026 stock, as there could be a buy-back opportunity given that Buccaneer’s RB probably wasn’t the same guy returning from injury as the first four weeks of the season; he was extremely productive, averaging 15.6 PPG. But after his return, he just had 10.2 PPG playing in a broken/injured Bucs’ offense.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)
“Bucky Irving has the makings of a 2026 fantasy bust campaign. Tampa Bay already showed us they don’t fully trust him in the highest-value areas of the field, with Sean Tucker handling 11 carries inside the 5-yard line while Irving had zero in 2025, and now Kenneth Gainwell arrives after posting the 5th-most receiving yards among RBs last season. Pair that with the Buccaneers offense falling from 5th to 20th in EPA/play and Irving’s efficiency metrics completely cratering in 2025, and there are suddenly a lot more ways for this season to disappoint than fantasy managers want to admit. Even if the volume sticks around, this has all the signs of an “empty calories” fantasy role.”
– James Emrick-Wilson (The Armchair Sports Corner)
“Bucky Irving is a great young talent with amazing potential, but in the upcoming season, owners who draft him should have a contingency plan in case he fails to reach that potential. Irving is currently recovering from shoulder surgery with no timetable to return. Tampa Bay also signed Kenneth Gainwell during the off-season, and he will take many of the pass-catching opportunities from Irving in the upcoming year. Bucky Irving could very well come into the season and return to rookie form, but there is also a possibility that he comes in and performs well below his mid-RB2 ranking.”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)
De’Von Achane (RB – MIA)
“I don’t know if De’Von Achane is a bust, but maybe a potential disappointment? The Dolphins’ offense is a major work-in-progress. They’re in the middle of a total rebuild. Their new starting QB is Malik Willis. Maybe Willis will work out, but I’m not optimistic. In addition, Willis will be working behind a shaky offensive line. There are a lot of moving parts in Miami, and I think that could spell trouble for the Dolphins’ offense and Achane.”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)
Quinshon Judkins (RB – CLE)
“We typically don’t snub running backs who could average 18 or more touches a game, but it’s probably best to dodge Quinshon Judkins in 2026 drafts, even though he’s in that bucket. Judkins averaged 18.3 touches a game for the Browns as a rookie, even though he missed training camp, the preseason, and Week 1 due to legal issues resulting from an arrest for battery. He ran for 75 or more yards in six of his 14 games and scored seven touchdowns. But Judkins dislocated his right ankle and fractured his fibula in Week 16. On top of coming off a major injury, Judkins will be playing in a Browns offense expected to be among the most toothless in the league, and he’ll be running behind a completely remade offensive line that might take time to gel. A mid-fifth-round ADP for Judkins isn’t appalling, but I much prefer the WRs available in that range (Mike Evans, Christian Watson, Rome Odunze, et al.).”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
Josh Jacobs (RB – GB)
“Josh Jacobs is currently RB14 in the ECR. Nagging injuries saw his usage drop last year to 234 carries and his yards per attempt to 4. His yards after contact dipped from 2.4 to 2.0, and his broken tackles dropped from 35 to 16. He missed the fantasy football playoffs in 2023. He finished RB12,RB18, and RB20 in 2024 in the playoffs. Then in 2025, he started the fantasy playoffs hot with 23.20 points, then fizzled out with 3.8 and 1.3 points due to injury.”
– David Heilman (Dynasty Trade Calculator)
Jeremiyah Love (RB – ARI)
“I’ve been avoiding Jeremiyah Love, and it has nothing to do with him. Arizona paid Tyler Allgeier in the offseason, still has James Connor (though I wouldn’t be surprised to see him moved), and is projected to be one of the worst teams in football this year behind an offensive line that ranks middle of the pack, a defense that can’t stop anyone (read: more passing), and a QB position that could cycle through 3 or more guys when all is said and done. Over the last 3 years, Arizona has consistently been one of the league’s worst red-zone attempts and scoring offenses, and that’s likely to continue. The Dynasty outlook for Love is fantastic as this team is clearly rebuilding, but I’m avoiding him in redraft and best ball for now.”
– Avery Thrasher (The Branded Sports)
“It won’t be a popular pick, but Jeremiyah Love is seeming more and more like a possible bust this year. The situation is absolutely frightening if the team keeps all four of its current running backs. Even if they move James Conner, GM Monti Ossenfort used a Day 2 pick on Trey Benson and spent $8 million in guaranteed money on Tyler Allgeier. That’s simply too many mouths to feed for a team off a season with just 279 running back carries, 1,169 rushing yards, and the lowest Vegas win total in the league.”
– Michael Tomlin (Fantasy Six Pack)
Ashton Jeanty (RB – LV)
“How can anyone rank Ashton Jeanty a Top 10 RB, let alone No. 7? Just because the Las Vegas Raiders got a new coach, a new QB, and a new center, that does not mean all of a sudden Jeanty will be an RB1 every week. The Raiders’ offense is still not explosive with Kirk Cousins. They will be punting often and playing from behind. Jeanty killed all of his Fantasy Owners last year, how quickly everyone forgot all the painful RB4 performances he put up nearly every week as a Rookie. There is no reason to draft Ashton Jeanty as a Top 10 RB. BEAST DOME ranked Jeanty lower than every site last preseason.”
– Muntradamus (Beast Dome)
What WR in our consensus top 24 should fantasy managers fear the most as a bust candidate?
Malik Nabers (WR – NYG)
“Malik Nabers remains an elite talent, but his 2026 outlook is heavily tied to recovery from a complicated ACL injury that wiped out nearly all of his sophomore season. Before going down, Nabers was producing like a fantasy WR1 in the Giants’ offense. The concern isn’t ability; it’s availability, especially after requiring a second procedure during rehab. Nabers still offers league-winning upside once fully healthy, but fantasy managers should build in the expectation of missed time (very likely to start the year on the PUP) and a slower early-season ramp-up. Returning to the field of play and returning to elite production aren’t the same. Draft price needs to come down outside the top-12 WRs.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)
“Malik Nabers is coming off of two surgeries to repair his torn ACL. There is zero chance he’ll be 100% at any part of the 2026 season. The word on the street is that the Giants are worried he won’t be ready for week one. They didn’t sign WRs Darnell Mooney and JuJu Smith-Schuster because they like their sense of humor. Respectfully, many of my peers in the fantasy industry are having a difficult time grasping just how brutal an injury this is because they never had to rehab from it. I have, and I’m telling you there is no way Nabers should be anywhere close to a top 20 WR in 2026, at least in my humble opinion. Bust.”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)
“The actions of the New York Giants by signing not one, not two, but three aging and dusty veteran wide receivers do not spell good news for Malik Nabers. I truly hope he has a healthy recovery, but reports aren’t trending in that direction. He needed an unexpected, unplanned second surgery recently to address scar tissue and stiffness in his knee, and the Giants are only hopeful that he’ll be ready in Week 1; but even then, how ready will he be? Given this news, his slogging run to first base, and the recent WR additions, as dusty as they may be, it will not surprise me if he starts the season on the PUP. He’s currently ranked as the No. 12 WR in consensus rankings (I expect that to drop further), but there’s no way he’s paying off that value. I won’t be touching him until I see some amazing camp highlights, if they come at all.”
– Avery Thrasher (The Branded Sports)
“Malik Nabers has the makings of a 2026 fantasy bust campaign relative to cost, and it has almost nothing to do with talent. Nabers is a legitimate alpha WR with overall WR1 upside, but fantasy managers may be underestimating the risk tied to the knee injury and recovery timeline. There’s already real concern he could begin the season on the PUP list, which would sideline him for at least the first four games and immediately put fantasy teams in a hole at his current ADP. Even if he returns early, lower-body injuries for explosive, movement-based receivers can linger well beyond the initial recovery window, making this one of the riskier early-round bets in fantasy football.”
– James Emrick-Wilson (The Armchair Sports Corner)
“Malik Nabers took the league by storm in his rookie season, amassing 1200 yards and 7 touchdowns! An ACL injury derailed last season, and at the time of this writing, there is no timetable for his return. That should have owners worried in a day when players return from ACL injuries fairly quickly. This week, the Giants signed JuJu Smith-Schuster, Odell Beckham Jr., and Braxton Berrios, which should concern owners who are planning to draft Nabers at his current WR12 ranking and lead to speculation that he could be out longer than expected.”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)
George Pickens (WR – DAL)
“I will stay away from the injury/legal concerns of Rashee Rice & Malik Nabers and turn an unpopularly skeptical eye towards George Pickens. He had a career year in 2025, but roughly 30% of his season-long targets & receptions came in a 4-game stretch (~23% of the total games) without CeeDee Lamb. That same stretch saw Pickens record 5 of his 9 total TDs. There will be some regression there with Lamb back in as the WR1. Pickens, too, has been highly volatile throughout his career, which has to be a factor as the Cowboys did not extend him this offseason. Now we must also factor in the Dallas defensive improvements, as they go from an all-time bad defense to a potentially decent one. This improvement should be enough to keep Dallas out of weekly shoot-outs, which also lowers Pickens’ ceiling. I still think he is a clear top-24 play, but there is much more risk with his profile than with anyone else in the top-10.”
– Joseph Harlow (Fantasy In Frames)
DeVonta Smith (WR – PHI)
“Now that DeVonta Smith is the WR1 in Philadelphia following the long-awaited A.J. Brown trade, the question now becomes, can he live up to the billing. Some will say that Smith does not exactly profile as a typical alpha WR1, and those concerns are fair. There is also no denying the production Smith has posted throughout his first five seasons in Philly; now it is all about whether he can do it as the top option whilst fighting off competition in his own offense (Lemon, Barkley, Goedert). The concerns zeroed in on Smith are related to hype, and that hype can push him into a stratosphere that may become unreachable. If Smith can settle in as a top-15ish receiver, that is fine. If he goes any higher than that, managers who draft him at that cost are asking for disappointment.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
Davante Adams (WR – LAR)
“Davante Adams has had a marvelous career, but he’s 33, he plays with target magnet Puka Nacua, and a huge percentage of Adams’ 2025 production came from touchdowns. Adams led the league with 14 TD catches last season. He scored a touchdown on 23.3% of his catches and 12.3% of his targets — unsustainable percentages. Adams averaged 4.3 catches and 56.4 receiving yards per game — his lowest totals in those two categories since his second year in the league in 2015. Rams QB Matthew Stafford averaged 35.1 pass attempts per game last season, and he might not need to throw as often this year now that the Rams have added superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett and some high-quality cornerbacks, which will help them smother opponents defensively and lead to run-friendly game scripts. I’d rather draft any of the four receivers directly behind Adams in ECR: Terry McLaurin, Emeka Egbuka, Jaylen Waddle or Luther Burden.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
Garrett Wilson (WR – NYJ)
“Garrett Wilson scares me due to the situation, not talent. He is the clear-cut No. 1, and his team should be trailing; he should be able to have a high floor. But the reality is that the Jets have shown us that they are getting ready for 2027. Garrett Wilson is the most talented player on their team; they have zero motivation to take any risks on him. He could be a player who misses the end of the season as they go into full tank mode. He gets a slight upgrade at Quarterback, but Geno is not moving the needle that much. There is also a chance they see what they have in Klubnik halfway through the season. Drafting Garrett Wilson as your WR2 or, god forbid, your WR1, makes me pretty nervous right now.”
– David Heilman (Dynasty Trade Calculator)
“Garrett Wilson does not lack in the talent department, but he does lack a quality QB department. Outside of Aaron Rodgers and Tim Boyle, Wilson has averaged less than WR3 performances with every QB he has had in his Jets career. To save the day for the Jets is another trash can, Geno Smith. Geno is washed and over the hill; the guy will make throws with such a low IQ that it will make you think you could make smarter decisions than Geno. Garrett Wilson is being drafted as the No. 17 WR. He will not play like a WR1 every week, and most weeks he will play like a WR3, 60 yards and zero TDs.”
– Muntradamus (Beast Dome)
Rashee Rice (WR – KC)
“In Rashee Rice’s three-year career, he has scored just 341.7 half-PPR Fantasy Points. That’s just 2.2 points more than Ja’Marr Chase in 2024 and 25.3 points less than Cooper Kupp in 2021. Rice’s quarterback Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL less than six months ago. Rashee Rice has only played in 28 out of a possible 51 career games and is rehabbing from off-season knee surgery. He is doing this rehab in prison. Yet, people are still ranking him as a WR1 despite the extreme nature of his red flags.”
– Michael Tomlin (Fantasy Six Pack)
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