5 Wide Receiver Busts to Avoid (2026 Fantasy Football)

The NFL season is nearly here, and it’s time to start figuring out where to plant your fantasy football flag one way or the other. When we speak of a player being either more or less viable than a contemporary, we are talking about draft expense, and outlook. Today will focus on some overvalued wide receivers that we feel will not live up to preseason projections going into the 2026-2027 campaign.

Fantasy Football WR Busts to Avoid

Rashee Rice (WR – KC) | (Bye 5)

We start things off with one of the most obvious selections. Aside from the off-the-field problems, Rashee Rice simply hasn’t been the most reliable option for Kansas City, or for fantasy purposes. Rice played eight games last season, and that’s just not going to help you in a fantasy league. A player averaging close to 20 points a game sounds great. However, if you don’t have him for the first or last half of the season, it’s not really a benefit.

Rice is being drafted before the likes of Ladd McConkey, Tetairoa McMillan, Emeka Egbuks, and Jameson Williams — all players that were on the field for at least 16 games last season. You’re probably better off drafting Xavier Worthy at the end of your drafts, and leaving someone else choose to grab Rashee Rice inside the top 20 receivers.

Drake London (WR – ATL) | (Bye 11)

The Falcons take the field next Sunday, and the team hasn’t made a decision yet on who will be the starting QB. It’s kind of embarrassing at this point. It would be one thing if this was one magnificent work of gamesmanship. It’s not though. This makes Drake London’s situation an absolute nightmare, and that’s not the type of outlook that builds confidence in regards to receptions, yards or touchdowns.

Neither Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. are particularly strong options to begin with. Could undrafted free agent Jack Strand also be in the mix now? Who’s to say, honestly? What we can say is that we will be leaving London for another owner to deal with. London is one of the earliest players going off the board that is heavily overvalued based on his ADP and predictions. London is being drafted amongst the top-10 receivers and a top-25 player overall. It’s very difficult to envision the talented receiver returning that type of production with all the uncertainty surrounding the starting quarterback.

Malik Nabers (WR – NYG) | (Bye 8)

Malik Nabers is coming back from a torn ACL, and who knows if that will carry any lingering affects given the severity of the injury. As of now the Giants are saying they are planning to take a cautious approach in regards to Nabers playing Week 1. One positive sign is that the young receiver avoided being placed on the PUP list. So, he should be on the field in the first few weeks, if not Week 1. Having said the young receiver being drafted as a WR1, and we can’t subscribe to that.

First and foremost, it’s not a great situation at all. Certainly not one you want to take a gamble on in hopes things pan out in your favor, especially in larger leagues. The Giants also acquired Isaiah Likely in free agency, and he could certainly see a decent share of targets this season. Nabers is being drafted before players that gives us much less hesitancy, such as Tee Higgins, DeVonta Smith, and Zay Flowers. We will be boring and take the floor from these players rather than the upside and “could be” of what Nabers may have to offer.

Davante Adams (WR – LAR) | (Bye 11)

Davante Adams put up 14 touchdowns in 14 games played. The odds of someone accumulating 1:1 production is entirely unlikely. To repeat that marvelous feat, is even more difficult. Adams is more or less being drafted for the stats he recorded last season, and that’s not a good enough argument to overlook the other alerts that are contrary to the preseason predictions.

Adams is now 33 year of age, and has regressed on receptions and targets for the last two seasons. 2024-2025 was the first season the veteran failed to reach 1,000 yards (789). Adams finished ninth amongst all wide-receivers last season with 60 receptions, and not even 800 yards. We simply don’t think it’s possible for Adams to lead the league in touchdowns again, while missing three games.

Mike Evans (WR – SF) | (Bye 8)

As a fan of Mike Evans, this is a tough pill to swallow. However, Evans is now in his 13th season, and at age 33, the veteran receiver’s time as a WR1 fantasy option may be coming to an end. Evans steps into a 49ers wide receiver situation that was completely different when he signed with the team in the offseason. San Francisco had no prospects beyond the possibility of Ricky Pearsall being ready to make an impact this season. Since then, Pearsall is out for the year, Kittle somehow may take the field as early as Week 1 after tearing his Achilles in January, Deebo is back with the team, and rookie De’Zhaun Stribling appears to be a strong candidate to lead the team in receptions.

Evans could serve as more or less of a deadly red zone option whom the Niners will look to utilize in the end zone based on his size and pass-catching ability. San Francisco finally has a plethora of options to throw the ball to, including CMC, who led the team in receptions last season. There’s just not enough offense to go around to support Evans being an elite fantasy option this season.