3 Wide Receivers to Avoid (2026 Fantasy Football)

When preparing for your fantasy football drafts, knowing which players to target and which to avoid is important. The amount of information available can be overwhelming, so a great way to condense the data and determine players to draft and others to leave for your leaguemates is to use our expert consensus fantasy football rankings compared to fantasy average draft position (ADP). In this way, you can identify players the experts are willing to reach for at ADP and others they are not drafting until much later than average. Let’s dive into a few notable wide receivers expert Andrew Erickson is avoiding in early fantasy drafts based on ADP.

2026 Fantasy Football Draft Advice: 3 Wide Receivers to Avoid

Andrew Erickson is avoiding these players in early fantasy drafts based on ADP.

Jameson Williams (WR – DET)

Jameson Williams finally delivered on his first-round pedigree in 2025, topping 1,000 receiving yards and finishing as a fantasy WR1 after a massive second-half surge. Much of that breakout coincided with Dan Campbell taking over play-calling duties and Sam LaPorta missing time, as Williams’ production dipped noticeably when the Lions tight end was active. The explosive upside remains obvious, but Williams still operated with just a 17% target share and carried one of the highest bust rates among top-20 fantasy WRs. With a new offensive coordinator and returning target competition entering 2026, Williams projects as a high-variance WR capable of week-winning performances, accompanied by super frustrating lows.

Brian Thomas Jr. (WR – JAC)

Brian Thomas Jr.‘s sophomore season was a major disappointment after the lofty expectations created by his explosive rookie campaign. Injuries constantly interrupted his momentum, while Jacksonville’s offense increasingly funneled targets toward players like Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, and Brenton Strange. The talent that made BTJ a breakout star still exists, but his connection with Trevor Lawrence never consistently clicked in Liam Coen’s system. Until Jacksonville proves willing to feature him more prominently again, Thomas profiles as more of a volatile upside WR3/4 than the ascending alpha many expected entering 2025.

Chris Godwin (WR – TB)

Chris Godwin‘s last two seasons have been derailed by injuries, and 2025 raised additional concerns about potential age-related decline entering his age-30 campaign. Even when healthy, Godwin struggled to command high-end volume or efficiency in Tampa Bay’s crowded receiving corps. Still, the veteran remains an important part of the Buccaneers offense and flashed signs of life late in the year with a strong Week 17 performance. If fully healthy entering 2026, Godwin could rebound into fantasy relevance, although his ceiling appears much lower than it was during his prime seasons.

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