I’m going to keep this intro quick, as we have almost 60 fantasy football players to get to. You probably already know the key definitions: A bust is a player who underperforms a high fantasy football average draft position (ADP); a league-winner is someone who provides massive production relative to their (usually low) price. Let’s get right into the top candidates for every single NFL team.
- Fantasy Football Research & Advice
- Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- 2026 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer
Fantasy Football Busts & League-Winners
Arizona Cardinals
Bust: Trey McBride (TE — ARI)
Trey McBride is a mega-talent. But an absurd portion of his position-leading 14.9 half-PPR points per game last season came in complete garbage time. If the Cardinals are less terrible under new head coach Mike LaFleur — or even just a different, more conservative flavor of terrible — McBride could be more boom-or-bust than fantasy managers drafting him in the early third round would hope.
League-Winner: Jacoby Brissett (QB — ARI)
On the other hand, what if the Cardinals simply pick up where they left off last season? That would be great for Trey McBride, but even better for Jacoby Brissett. Brissett was a genuinely excellent fantasy option for two-thirds of last season, averaging nearly 20 fantasy points per game after taking over for Kyler Murray in Week 6.
Carson Beck is a potential threat, especially if the Cardinals keep losing (which was key to Brissett’s production last season). But no one should be surprised if a third-round rookie quarterback in a weak draft class is simply not good enough to see an NFL field. If he holds Arizona’s QB1 job all season, the veteran Brissett could be huge for Superflex and best ball rosters.
Atlanta Falcons
Bust: Drake London (WR — ATL)
This was a tough pick, as the Falcons’ roster is split into a few elite fantasy options and a bunch of dart throws. A target-dominant wideout with essentially no competition, Drake London isn’t likely to be a complete bust. But with Tua Tagovailoa and/or Michael Penix Jr. under center, we shouldn’t overlook the possibility that Atlanta’s offense completely implodes, turning London from a solid WR1 into a volatile WR2.
League-Winner: Zachariah Branch (WR — ATL)
This one is obvious. Zachariah Branch is a Day 2 rookie with a wide-open path to being his team’s No. 2 WR, and his ADP is well outside of the top 150 picks. That alone absolutely screams potential league-winner, even if the details of his situation and prospect profile are a bit iffier.
Baltimore Ravens
Bust: Derrick Henry (RB — BAL)
Where Zachariah Branch‘s profile screams “potential league-winner” from a bird’s-eye view, Derrick Henry‘s is absolutely hollering “bust” candidate. The Ravens’ No. 1 RB is 32, doesn’t catch passes and relies on outlier-level volume and efficiency to be a fantasy stud.
Of course, when we zoom in, we see that Henry is a future Hall of Famer who has been successfully stiff-arming both Father Time and regression-projecting fantasy analysts for his entire career. Still, even King Henry will hit the age cliff eventually, and it could be ugly when he does.
League-Winner: Zay Flowers (WR — BAL)
Admittedly, Zay Flowers is a bit of an unconventional league-winner candidate, as he has a very healthy ADP inside the first three rounds. But there’s a chance even that price looks like a bargain by the end of the season.
Flowers ranked sixth among all wideouts in receiving yards last season and is consistently near the top of every efficiency leaderboard. If he gets some positive touchdown regression or the Ravens’ offense takes a step forward under new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, the fourth-year wideout could be a legit fantasy WR1. If both happen, he will win leagues.
Buffalo Bills
Bust: DJ Moore (WR — BUF)
The case for DJ Moore is a compelling one: He’s always been a talented wideout with a fantasy-friendly game, and now he’s Josh Allen‘s undisputed top target. However, he’s also 29 and trending in the wrong way in terms of efficiency. The upside justifies his ADP, but there’s plenty of downside, too.
League-Winner: Dalton Kincaid (TE — BUF)
I’m realizing, at this point in the article, that I’ll need to speed things up to not reach a truly absurd word count. So here’s the quick pitch: Dalton Kincaid‘s 3.19 yards per route run led qualified tight ends by a massive margin in 2025. If he can maintain anything close to that efficiency in a full-time role, he’ll blow away his TE12 ADP.
Carolina Panthers
Bust: Chuba Hubbard (RB — CAR)
Last year, Chuba Hubbard lost his job to journeyman Rico Dowdle. Finally healthy, 2024 second-round pick Jonathon Brooks could well follow in Dowdle’s footsteps. Even if Hubbard remains the lead back, he would be relatively useless for fantasy as the 1A to Brooks’ 1B on a likely mediocre Panthers offense.
League-Winner: Jonathon Brooks (RB — CAR)
Jonathon Brooks‘ current RB36 ADP on Underdog is very steep for someone with nearly as many ACL tears (two) as NFL games (three) two years into his career. But especially given the lack of late-round running back upside this season, it’s hard to argue that he is a league-winning candidate. After all, he enters his age-23 season and was an exciting prospect with both athleticism and receiving ability.
Chicago Bears
Bust: Colston Loveland (TE — CHI)
You could make an argument for any of the Bears’ three young pass-catchers (Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, Rome Odunze) in both of these categories. They all have massive upside, but it’s essentially impossible for all three to live up to their current ADPs. Given I’m on the record as being skeptical of Loveland in particular, I’ll single him out for this category.
League-Winner: Caleb Williams (QB — CHI)
Instead of picking the winner among the three young pass-catchers, why don’t we just draft the quarterback throwing them the ball? If Ben Johnson‘s dark magic is enough for Luther Burden III, Coltston Loveland and Rome Odunze to all put up numbers, we will see a historic season from the 2024 first overall pick.
Cincinnati Bengals
Bust: Chase Brown (RB — CIN)
It’s difficult to find a metric that paints Chase Brown as more than a solid running back from a talent perspective. Instead, his path to fantasy stardom relies on dominating backfield touches in the league’s best offense.
Luckily for Brown, his only competition is once again Samaje Perine and Tahj Brooks, so he’ll probably just keep rolling. Still, any running back whose value relies on a “who else is going to touch the ball?” argument comes with non-negligible bust risk.
League-Winner: Samaje Perine (RB — CIN)
Samaje Perine is a pure handcuff, who will only be fantasy-viable (let alone a league-winner) if Brown misses time. Normally, I wouldn’t feature him in this spot. But the rest of the Bengals’ fantasy options are genuine studs or complete dart throws, so here we are. Although he provides zero juice at this point in his career, Perine has the size and passing-down ability to consolidate volume if Brown is sidelined.
Cleveland Browns
Bust: Harold Fannin Jr. (TE — CLE)
I loved Harold Fannin Jr. as a prospect, and I loved his rookie season success. But that success came thanks to a high target share on a dysfunctional offense with zero other target-earners. With more competition for highly drafted rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, it wouldn’t be shocking if Fannin regresses into a touchdown-or-bust tight end — and there likely won’t be many touchdowns to go around in Cleveland this season.
League-Winner: KC Concepcion (WR — CLE)
Speaking of those highly drafted rookie wideouts, KC Concepcion has a very fantasy-friendly analytical profile to go with his first-round draft capital. The Browns’ offensive environment obviously isn’t great, but he still has plenty of paths to massively outperform his WR52 ADP.
Dallas Cowboys
Bust: Javonte Williams (RB — DAL)
Last season, Javonte Williams was a genuine league-winner, performing at an RB1 level despite a late-round ADP. This year, he’s a classic Dead Zone RB, being drafted highly based on projected volume. Williams is not priced as highly as Dead Zone RBs of the past, so he’s not a must-avoid, but don’t forget that we went into last season genuinely unsure if he was better than Miles Sanders.
League-Winner: Jaydon Blue (RB — DAL)
If Javonte Williams does lose some of the workhorse volume he had last season, Jaydon Blue is the most exciting potential beneficiary. The former fifth-round pick was essentially a non-factor as a rookie, but he is an explosive athlete and reportedly has made strides off the field to be ready for 2026.
Denver Broncos
Bust: RJ Harvey (RB — DEN)
Prior to J.K. Dobbins‘ injury last season, RJ Harvey averaged an uninspiring 8.7 half-PPR points per game. With or without Dobbins, he was one of the league’s least efficient rushers, averaging a putrid 0.64 yards below expected per carry. The Broncos brought back Dobbins this offseason, presumably planning to reinsert him as their No. 1 RB. So why is Harvey being drafted ahead of Dobbins?
League-Winner: RJ Harvey (RB — DEN)
Yup, you read that right. RJ Harvey has bust potential, but there is a reason his ADP is high. We’re talking about an explosive athlete who excelled in the passing game and racked up 12 touchdowns as a rookie. Yes, Dobbins is back, but he has literally never stayed healthy for a full NFL season. Even if the veteran stays healthy, a step forward in terms of rushing efficiency could see Harvey take over this backfield en route to a league-winning season.
Detroit Lions
Bust: Jameson Williams (WR — DET)
In the 10 games he played with a healthy Sam LaPorta, Jameson Williams averaged just 9.4 half-PPR points per game, which would have ranked as the WR34 on the season. His target share in those contests was an uninspiring 15.6%. If the rest of the Lions’ pass-catchers remain healthy, Williams could easily be a very frustrating boom-or-bust option for managers who selected him as a borderline WR2.
League-Winner: Jahmyr Gibbs (RB — DET)
This take is far from revolutionary, as Jahmyr Gibbs is the consensus 1.01 in just about every fantasy format. But, with David Montgomery finally out of his way, Gibbs has the potential to put up the kind of historic season that would be league-winning at any price. He was the overall RB4 last season despite ranking 18th in running back rush share, right between Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren.
Green Bay Packers
Bust: Josh Jacobs (RB — GB)
Again, I’m not breaking new ground here. Josh Jacobs is getting up there in age, and he wasn’t particularly efficient last season. Add in the additional risk factor of his offseason legal troubles, and no one should be shocked if he goes down as one of the season’s biggest busts. On the bright side, this is all baked into Jacobs’ ADP, so he’s by no means undraftable.
League-Winner: Christian Watson (WR — GB)
Christian Watson ranked eighth in yards per route run among receivers with at least 200 routes in 2025. With Romeo Doubs out of the picture, Watson should be locked into an every-down role in Green Bay’s offense. His path to a genuine WR1 season is clear, and we can get him at a discount thanks to his (admittedly well-earned) reputation as an injury-prone player.
Houston Texans
Bust: Jayden Higgins (WR — HOU)
The obvious answer here would be David Montgomery, yet another veteran back being highly drafted based on projectable volume. But Montgomery’s price isn’t too bad, and I’m sick of picking on running backs.
The Texans’ only other highly drafted piece is Nico Collins, who is awesome. So, although his ADP is a bit low to be a traditional bust, I’ll point out that Jayden Higgins is being drafted awfully high for someone who did very little as a rookie and is part of a very crowded depth chart.
League-Winner: Nobody
We’re 2,000 words deep and only a third of the way into this article. I just can’t muster any enthusiasm for “What if C.J. Stroud is actually good again?” or “What if Tank Dell is elite coming off a devastating knee injury?” This doesn’t mean the Texans are all bad picks, but I don’t see any of them being someone you need in 2026.
Indianapolis Colts
Bust: Alec Pierce (WR — IND)
On the one hand, Alec Pierce is currently being drafted well below his 2025 production. On the other hand, that production was heavily based on deep-ball success. Pierce’s 19.4-yard average depth of target (aDOT) was over six full yards higher than the next-closest 1,000-yard receiver (the aforementioned Jameson Williams). Anyone with a unique profile like that always comes with added risk, and Pierce is no exception.
League-Winner: Josh Downs (WR — IND)
I have long been a doubter of Josh Downs for one reason: He has historically never played outside of 3-WR sets. His per-route efficiency has been excellent, but it’s essentially impossible to be a reliable fantasy option if you only play in 3-WR sets. With Michael Pittman Jr. out of the picture, there’s legitimate hope that Downs will be a full-time wideout. If that happens, he should finally turn his route-running potential into a great fantasy season.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Bust: Brian Thomas Jr. (WR — JAC)
One of the biggest questions of the fantasy football offseason is how usage will shake out among Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers and Travis Hunter. I don’t claim to have the answer to that question, but Thomas sticks out as the obvious bust candidate in this group.
Thomas has the highest ADP of the bunch, and he was the least productive (excluding Hunter) the last time we saw him on the field. Even if he bounces back, he may be more helpful for real life than fantasy as the X receiver in Liam Coen’s offense.
League-Winner: Bhayshul Tuten (RB — JAC)
Yes, of course, it’s Bhayshul Tuten. A hyperathletic second-year back with three-down potential on a potentially elite offense with a career practice-squad guy as his only competition? Tuten is obviously being highly drafted compared to his floor, but he’s arguably the most obvious league-winning candidate in the entire league.
Kansas City Chiefs
Bust: Rashee Rice (WR — KC)
Rashee Rice has not been an elite fantasy producer when he is on the field. But that production has been heavily scheme-based, as the Chiefs have used designed touches for Rice as an extension of their run game.
With Eric Bieniemy back as the team’s offensive coordinator and a new stud running back in Kenneth Walker III, there’s a chance Rice loses a lot of that layup work this season. And he’s not an elite enough talent to justify a WR1 price tag without it. This doesn’t even mention Rice’s added bust risk after coming off an injury and constantly generating off-the-field issues.
League-Winner: Patrick Mahomes (QB — KC)
Although he hasn’t been as dominant of late, Patrick Mahomes has a long track record of being a genuinely elite fantasy quarterback. Even last season, when the Chiefs’ offense was flawed, at best, he tied for QB2 in points per game. And he’s planning to play in Week 1. Taking the injury discount to get the best quarterback of the generation at QB11 is a no-brainer.
Las Vegas Raiders
Bust: Nobody
The only two Raiders being drafted high enough to be potential busts are Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty. Both certainly could bust (they arguably both did last season), but I’m not scared enough to label either as a bust candidate.
League-Winner: Brock Bowers (TE — LV)
On the other hand, I am excited about Brock Bowers‘ league-winning upside, even at his second-round ADP. Given the Raiders’ complete lack of wide receiver talent, the generational tight end prospect should see a monstrous target share on an offense that could be much improved with Klint Kubiak and Fernando Mendoza in town. It will take a historic season for Bowers to win leagues at his price, but that’s within his range of outcomes.
Los Angeles Chargers
Bust: Quentin Johnston (WR — LAC)
At this time last season, Quentin Johnston was more of a punchline than a real fantasy option, considered one of the biggest first-round busts of the last few years. His 2025 was definitely a step in the right direction, but he didn’t exactly set the world on fire. Managers drafting Johnston as a WR3 will be in for a rude awakening if he looks more like he did in his first two seasons in 2026.
League-Winner: Justin Herbert (QB — LAC)
With Mike McDaniel in town, there’s reason to be excited about pretty much every Charger (even including the aforementioned Quentin Johnston). And just like with the Bears, the easy pick in an exciting offense is the player who touches the ball every play. If McDaniel can turn Tua Tagovailoa into a top-10 fantasy option, the sky’s the limit for Justin Herbert in this offense.
Los Angeles Rams
Bust: Blake Corum (RB — LAR)
Fantasy managers consistently overvalue the archetype of “handcuff who might have some standalone value,” and Blake Corum is a clear example of this trend. His role expanded last season, but he was still clearly behind Kyren Williams and averaged a useless seven half-PPR points per game. Barring an injury to Williams, there’s essentially no chance Corum comes through at his RB33 ADP.
League-Winner: Terrance Ferguson (TE — LAR)
I’ve already gone in depth on Ferguson’s upside this season, but here’s the short version: The Rams are going to use their tight ends a ton, and he is the most exciting playmaker in their (very crowded) tight end room. If he can take over in a more traditional lead tight end role in his second season, Ferguson could easily provide TE1 production at essentially no cost.
Miami Dolphins
Bust: De’Von Achane (RB — MIA)
This one is obvious. Devon Achane‘s talent is undeniable, but there’s a chance he won’t be able to get anything going on a Miami team that has a real shot at going 0-17. It doesn’t help that he is switching from checkdown-happy Tua Tagovailoa to scramble-happy Malik Willis.
League-Winner: Malik Willis (QB — MIA)
In 2025, Malik Willis averaged 1.11 fantasy points per dropback. Among quarterbacks with as many dropbacks, fantasy demigod Josh Allen ranked second, at 0.69. Yes, that was on an absurdly small sample, and yes, Willis’ supporting cast is awful. It doesn’t matter. Outside of the top 20 quarterbacks in ADP, despite his elite dual-threat upside, Willis is by far the biggest potential hit for a late-round quarterback strategy in 2026.
Minnesota Vikings
Bust: Nobody
I simply don’t see any Viking as particularly likely to bust compared to their ADP. Justin Jefferson is a top-tier talent coming at a discount relative to previous years. Kyler Murray has dual-threat upside and is being drafted as a mid-range QB2.
Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason and the rest are all fairly priced (aka cheap). Perhaps I’m putting too much faith in Kevin O’Connell’s ability to turn things around with Murray taking over for J.J. McCarthy, but the fantasy market is still skeptical enough that there’s no obvious bust risk here.
League-Winner: Kyler Murray (QB — MIN)
This is at least my fourth time touting Kyler Murray this offseason, so I’ll keep it brief. Murray has a track record of fantasy production, including some genuinely elite seasons. Now he’s in arguably the best situation of his career. His QB17 ADP is an easy smash.
New England Patriots
Bust: TreVeyon Henderson (RB — NE)
This one’s easy. TreVeyon Henderson was an afterthought during the Patriots’ Super Bowl run, not even a 1B to Rhamondre Stevenson‘s 1A. Despite this, his current ADP is not just ahead of his veteran teammate — it’s inside the top 24 at the position. There may be valid upside-based reasons for this ADP, but Henderson’s bust risk at this price is undeniable.
League-Winner: Nobody
I like some Patriots this season, especially A.J. Brown and Drake Maye. But it’s hard to see either being a genuine league-winner at WR7 and QB5 in ADP, respectively. Henderson arguably deserves the double nod I gave to his fellow second-year back RJ Harvey, as he does have league-winning potential, but I’m not sold that it’s more than a very small part of his range of outcomes. Everyone else on this offense isn’t exactly exciting, so this spot stays blank.
New Orleans Saints
Bust: Travis Etienne Jr. (RB — NO)
At this time last year, we weren’t sure if Travis Etienne Jr. was good enough to beat out Tank Bigsby for the Jaguars’ No. 1 RB role. Obviously, that situation worked out well for Etienne. But he’s still far from an unimpeachable, elite talent.
Etienne’s situation in New Orleans is exciting, but there are some red flags there, too. Alvin Kamara is still on the roster, and Tyler Shough carries genuine pumpkin risk heading into his second season. There are multiple ways Etienne can disappoint managers at his high-end RB2 ADP.
League-Winner: Jordyn Tyson (WR — NO)
Jordyn Tyson was arguably the best fantasy prospect in this year’s wide receiver draft class. Then he landed in Kellen Moore’s exciting, fast-paced offense as the eighth overall pick. Chris Olave‘s presence means he isn’t likely to post a truly season-defining rookie performance, but consistent WR2 production would still be a massive win at his current ADP.
New York Giants
Bust: Malik Nabers (WR — NYG)
Malik Nabers‘ recovery from a brutal knee injury that ended his sophomore season has been a parade of red flags. He could miss time at the start of the season, and there’s no guarantee he will be fully effective even when he does return to the field. Spending a premium pick on an already-injured player is a recipe for a bust that looks obvious in hindsight.
League-Winner: Malik Nabers (WR — NYG)
On the other hand, Malik Nabers is a potential elite young receiver currently being drafted as the WR17. And there’s still a very real chance he plays in Week 1. Even if he takes a bit of time to get up to speed, a 100% healthy Nabers drafted in the middle rounds could definitely carry fantasy teams to championships.
New York Jets
Bust: Breece Hall (RB — NYJ)
Here’s a crazy thought: What if the Jets are bad? Geno Smith, who is supposed to be the offense’s savior, was arguably the worst quarterback in the league last season. Meanwhile, Breece Hall was the RB20 in half-PPR points per game. Aaron Glenn is talking about using a three-headed monster of him, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. Hall has talent, but he has proven he can’t overcome a terrible situation, which this very well could be.
League-Winner: Adonai Mitchell (WR — NYJ)
Adonai Mitchell ranked 14th in targets per route in 2025, just ahead of Justin Jefferson and Nico Collins. He’s still only 23 years old and just a couple of years removed from being a second-round pick. If Geno Smith can actually turn this offense around, Mitchell can emerge as a viable weekly option. Maybe “league-winner” is a stretch in that case, but he would certainly be a massive hit given his super-late ADP.
Philadelphia Eagles
Bust: Saquon Barkley (RB — PHI)
Saquon Barkley was the RB14 in points per game in 2025, but he is being drafted as the RB7. He doesn’t catch many passes, and he doesn’t score goal-line touchdowns thanks to the tush push. For him to be a bust, all he has to do is exactly what he did last year.
League-Winner: Jalen Hurts (QB — PHI)
Losing A.J. Brown certainly hurts (no pun intended), but the Eagles still have plenty of weapons. More importantly, they have a new offensive coordinator in Sean Mannion. It’s impossible to overstate how badly designed Philadelphia’s offense was last year, and Jalen Hurts still finished as a solid QB1. We know that he has elite fantasy potential as long as the tush push remains legal. If he hits that potential again in 2026 from his QB7 ADP, Hurts will be on a ton of fantasy championship rosters.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Bust: DK Metcalf (WR — PIT)
DK Metcalf‘s ADP isn’t too high at WR37, so he’s not likely to be a massive bust. However, that does put him 10 spots ahead of fellow Pittsburgh wideout Michael Pittman Jr. And are we sure Metcalf is the Steelers’ No. 1 WR over Pittman? E
SPN’s Mike Clay has the latter projected for more targets this season, which makes sense given their respective target-earning histories. Pittman’s underneath-centric game is also a better fit for what’s left of Aaron Rodgers. Metcalf didn’t light the world on fire with no competition last season, so he’s risky with it in 2026.
League-Winner: None
It’s hard to imagine a team with less fantasy upside than the Steelers. I considered Jaylen Warren, but is this really the year he finally breaks out at 27, splitting work with Rico Dowdle? No Steeler has an ADP inside the top 70 picks on Underdog, and it’s for good reason.
San Francisco 49ers
Bust: Mike Evans (WR — SF)
Mike Evans will be 33 by the time the season starts. He is coming off a down, injury-riddled season. And he has moved homes this offseason, joining a new team with plenty of other weapons. The future Hall of Famer could certainly make it work, but all these factors are a neon sign that reads bust.
League-Winner: Christian McCaffrey (RB — SF)
Christian McCaffrey was terrible last year, arguably the least efficient high-volume rusher in the league. He also finished as the RB1 in half-PPR formats, 1.5 points per game clear of Jonathan Taylor in second.
It will take a historic season for McCaffrey to be a league winner at his late first-round ADP. But if anyone is capable of a historic fantasy season, it’s McCaffrey, especially if he finds just a drop or two of the juice he lacked last season.
Seattle Seahawks
Bust: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR — SEA)
In 2025, the Seahawks built their entire passing offense around Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He easily led the league in both target share (33%) and air yards share (49%). That 33% target share wasn’t just the highest of the season; it was the highest in the league since at least 2021 (as far back as the Fantasy Points database goes). Seattle ranked 30th in the league in pass rate, so regression on this front — which is almost inevitable — could leave Smith-Njigba hard-pressed to live up to his lofty ADP.
League-Winner: Jadarian Price (RB — SEA)
There are many reasons to be concerned about Jadarian Price. He was arguably overdrafted by the Seahawks with the 32nd overall pick. Seattle has used a committee in recent years, and Price is reportedly seeing fewer first-team reps than George Holani at the start of training camp.
But at the end of the day, Price is a first-round rookie running back on the reigning Super Bowl champs, and his biggest competition is someone coming off an ACL tear and a former undrafted free agent (UDFA) with 25 career carries. If he hits his ceiling at his RB26 ADP, Price will win leagues.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bust: Bucky Irving (RB — TB)
I made the extended case for Bucky Irving as a bust earlier this offseason. Since then, his price has fallen, but the same concerns remain. His role could be squeezed on both sides by Sean Tucker and Kenneth Gainwell, and the injury that finished his 2025 season is still annoyingly relevant. These factors give him undeniable bust risk, even as his ADP falls.
League-Winner: Emeka Egbuka (WR — TB)
Emeka Egbuka‘s path to becoming a league winner is straightforward. Chris Godwin is washed, and Jalen McMillan was never actually that good. That leaves him as the Buccaneers’ undisputed No. 1 WR, and he picks up where he started last season — racking up touchdowns and fantasy points. This time, Egbuka doesn’t get hurt, and he finishes as a legit WR1 in a classic second-year breakout.
Tennessee Titans
Bust: Carnell Tate (WR — TEN)
Yes, Carnell Tate is an exciting prospect, but he’s also a rookie playing on what was one of the league’s worst offenses last season. Tennessee also quietly has a lot of other mouths to feed in Wan’Dale Robinson, Calvin Ridley and any of Gunnar Helm/Chimere Dike/Elic Ayomanor, who could build on promising rookie years. Tate is not prohibitively expensive, but he’s the highest-drafted player on the Titans, and he comes with plenty of risk.
League-Winner: Carnell Tate (WR — TEN)
When in doubt, a rookie who was just selected fourth overall is probably a good bet to be a league winner. If Carnell Tate hits his ceiling, those other mouths to feed won’t matter, as he will clearly be the Titans’ best offensive player. Combine that with Cam Ward taking a step forward, and we have a recipe for Tate being a weekly WR1 by the end of the year.
Washington Commanders
Bust: Nobody
This is another one where nobody is expensive enough to really stand out as a bust. I was way out on Terry McLaurin last season, but his price is more realistic this season — it’s hard to see him truly busting given the Commanders’ lack of other pass-catchers. Jayden Daniels is the only other option with a top-100 ADP, and his dual-threat ability gives him an incredibly high floor (barring injury).
League-Winner: Rachaad White (RB — WAS)
Rachaad White has consistently been a below-average NFL rusher. But the Commanders don’t exactly have other elite options in Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Kaytron Allen. And, unlike his backfield competition, White is a serviceable (arguably downright good) passing-down back.
Chances are, this is an ugly committee all season. But if one back is going to consolidate work, it will probably be White. If he does that and the offense is above average with a healthy Daniels, the veteran back will smash his ADP.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn
Ted Chmyz is a fantasy football contributor for FantasyPros.com. Find him on Twitter and Bluesky @Tchmyz for more fantasy content or to ask questions.