BSports - Latest Sports News & Updates

What constitutes whether a player is a "bust" varies, and it's kind of a loaded term in fantasy football circles, but the most common definition is no more complicated than players drastically not living up to consensus expectations among drafters. An example would be if the player in question is a massive risk strictly because of injury concerns while everything else aligns with their draft stock. Navigating them is just part and parcel with playing fantasy football, but that doesn't mean we can't take preventative measures to mitigate the likelihood of having them tank our season.

2025 Fantasy Football Busts and Overvalued Players to Avoid on Draft Day originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Foremost, avoidance at all costs isn't realistic. Every player warranting fantasy attention can fall to a place in drafts that tips the scales from being too risky to a viable selection.

An example would be if the player in question is a massive risk strictly because of injury concerns while everything else aligns with their draft stock. We all know those types of players, like Christian McCaffrey, whose elite talent makes the risk a worthwhile gamble. Even if this superstar were to miss a few games, his owners will feel justified in their decision to invest, and CMC will be a stud when he's out there.

For one reason or another -- ranging from injury, demotion, poor play, and overly inflated forecasts -- busts are inevitable. Navigating them is just part and parcel with playing fantasy football, but that doesn't mean we can't take preventative measures to mitigate the likelihood of having them tank our season.

2025 Fantasy Football Busts and Overvalued Picks

Fantasy Quarterback Busts

QB Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

The 37-year-old Stafford is dealing with an aggravated disc in his back and was idle for weeks heading into preseason action. The addition of WR Davante Adams to replace the perennially injured Cooper Kupp as Puka Nacua's sidekick had fantasy owners willing to invest a late-round pick in 2025 fantasy football drafts. Legitimate injury concerns exist outside of his current ailment as Stafford hasn't generated fantasy-relevant production in three straight years. Take a chance on a similarly drafted QB with far more potential for a breakout.

QB Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

QB11 overall in ADP, Purdy comes with as much risk as upside. The Niners will be without wide receiver Deebo Samuel after shipping off to Washington, and Brandon Aiyuk is working his way back from a torn ACL. Purdy still has the likes of George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey, but neither has been immune to missing time and are both getting up there in football years. Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall are the presumed top receivers until Aiyuk regains form, assuming he does, and this offensive line isn't what it used to be. Purdy makes for a much better midrange QB2 than the starter he's being drafted as this offseason.

Fantasy Football RB Busts

RB James Conner, Arizona Cardinals

Conner has yet to play a full schedule with eight NFL seasons under his belt. The 30-year-old powerback is coming off the most touches of any two-year stretch of his career, and his style of play opens him up to elevated injury risk. Sophomore rusher Trey Benson is expected to see a larger share this year, too, and if you're going to select the consistent Conner around his RB19 PPR placement, at least hedge your bet by handcuffing them. Be aware that's a lost RB2 investment if Conner's wheels coming off altogether.

RB Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams

Another Ram on this list, Williams has watched LA select a midround running back in consecutive drafts. Blake Corum's rookie season didn't threaten Williams at any point in 2025. Jarquez Hunter joins the mix this year, and his versatility could carve into the veteran's utilization. Williams registered a whopping 350 touches in '24, a workload that should raise your eyebrows, especially for a 194-pounder who missed 12 games with separate Grade 3 ankle sprains over the previous two seasons. It will be a downright surprising if the recently extended Williams doesn't miss at least a handful of games. He's dynamite when healthy, but the risk-to-investment ratio is glaring for his RB11 ADP.

Fantasy Football WR Busts

WR Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins

Few people would turn down a chance to play the Cheetah when he's at his best, but last year was alarming, and this offseason included two wrist surgeries as well as off-the-field drama. Even if he can stay healthy and out of trouble, everything hinges on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is one awkward landing away from a potentially career-ending concussion. Hill, at 31 years old and coming off a down season, is going as PPR WR12. There's legit bust potential here, and much like the earlier McCaffrey illustration, anyone willing to invest in Hill must be comfy balancing the assumed risk with his undeniable upside.

WR Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns

Quarterback Joe Flacco as the Week 1 starter is a win for Jeudy looking to build on last year's breakout effort, but don't get too excited. Flacco is a 40-year-old playing behind a suspect offensive line and had no role in Jeudy's 2024 ascension. What happens to the aerial game if Flacco gets hurt or Cleveland moves on to Kenny Pickett or a rookie in either Shedeur Sanders and/or Dillon Gabriel? Furthermore, there's no trustworthy receiver to take pressure off Jeudy, and TE David Njoku isn't a scary enough to command consistent doubles. That said, we haven't even addressed how it took the former Denver Broncos first-rounder five years to break out. Jeudy is a risky WR3 going at No. 32 among his positional mates.

WR Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons

The 27-year-old Mooney missed all but the first day of training camp with a shoulder injury, though he appears to be on track for Week 1. An injury this early, costing him valuable time with QB Michael Penix Jr. is unsettling. An encore of his 65-998-5 line in 16 games a year ago isn't worth chasing, and he played only two outings with Penix in the lineup. The small sample size produced 5-82-0 and 2-37-0 on 11 total targets. Mooney isn't exactly a hefty fantasy investment as a WR4 in PPR after finishing 32nd at the position last year, so consider this a warning for casual gamers who may be fixated on his 2024 rebound performance being a sign of bigger things to come. We've seen the best Mooney has to offer.

Fantasy Football TE Busts

TE Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears

The gifted pass catcher has to acclimate to the pros and build chemistry with his quarterback on a shorter timeline than most rookies after his late arrival to camp following shoulder surgery. Loveland will fight for targets with DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, and D'Andre Swift. Additionally, new head coach Ben Johnson's offense could take time to find its bearings with a sophomore QB at the helm. Baltimore's Isaiah Likely was the only backup tight end last year to finish inside the top 20 PPR points scored, and Loveland's ADP is an optimistic TE11. Even with a leapfrog over Kmet as the top positional target, he still has an uphill climb. The Michigan first-rounder's time will come, but banking on him finishing high enough to justify that draft placement is a gamble. Expect a much stronger second half of the season for Loveland.

TE Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens

Including a player who may not be ready for Week 1 seems like low-hanging fruit, but Likely has other problems creating skepticism about his value. His dependency on finding the end zone -- six TDs over just 42 catches in 2024 -- makes for an inconsistent profile for gamers in weekly matchup formats. Likely remains the reserve option to Lamar Jackson favorite Mark Andrews, although he's next man up with an injury to the eight-year vet. Presuming Andrews remains healthy, Likely has to contend with Zay Flowers' expected maturation and the addition of WR DeAndre Hopkins in a run-heavy offense. He'll have his moments, but Likely's erratic nature could be the difference between a win and loss many weeks if you're drafting him to start.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.

Category: General Sports