It’s only May, but 2026 fantasy football drafts are already closing in. Hopefully you’re not doing most of your fantasy drafts until August, but if you are – or if you’re simply doing research early – I thought it’d be helpful to go over some potential fantasy football busts.
Fantasy busts aren’t something you want to encounter. To be a true bust, you both need to fail, and you had to have cost something valuable. Whether you’re drafting these guys in round one or round five, I think there are clear red flags that make them players to avoid in 2026.
This list is subject to change, but whether it’s injury, workload, competition, or environment, these fantasy football bust candidates are options I’ll gladly steer clear of this season.
Round 1 – Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers
C-Mac is a legend. Bite your tongue, I say to myself. But he’s also pushing 30 and coming off an insane year where, yes, he was the RB1, but he also touched the ball a mind-boggling 413 times.
That alone is enough reason to reconsider his value for 2026. But the obvious injury risk isn’t the only problem. The 49ers have been somewhat vocal about wanting to go out of their way to keep their top offensive weapon fresh for the long stretch.
Part of that process included spending a third round draft pick on Kaelon Black.
The team also signed Mike Evans in free agency and drafted some wide receiver help, which further bolsters an always vibrant passing attack. None of that is to say McCaffrey wouldn’t be a total boss if he stays healthy, but he needs to stay healthy AND retain a monstrous workload.
Those two things don’t exactly go together usually.
Another mild concern is a lack of efficiency out of McCaffrey as a true rusher last year. It is quite arguable he’s lost a step as he’s aged, and his 3.9 yards per carry average could be the best representation of that.
Christian McCaffrey’s role and talent make him a first round pick in 2026 fantasy football drafts and if he stays healthy he’ll very well vie for the RB1 spot once again. But a simple math equation suggests that might be a risky endeavor.
Round 2 – AJ Brown, WR, Eagles
It’s a very poorly kept secret that AJ Brown is not long for Philadelphia. The Eagles drafted Makai Lemon for a reason, and the writing on the wall has suggested for a while that it’s merely a matter of time until Brown gets dealt to the New England Patriots.
Even if it isn’t a trade involving the Pats, Brown is likely on his way out of town.
Brown was already starting to become a shaky investment this early in drafts, as he’s another year older and currently held back by a run-first offense. Brown turns 29 this summer, and you shouldn’t be surprised to learn that most WRs start to drop off right around that age.
He’s still a physical marvel and coming off a WR11 finish, but he’s also gotten banged up a bit over the last two years and is rapidly approaching the age of 30. He’s admittedly a much scarier buy in dynasty leagues, but the risk is real.
Age and system are his present issues, but the other problem is we simply don’t know for sure where he’s playing this year, nor what his fit at his next stop will look like. None of this is to say Brown isn’t still an elite fantasy receiver (he is), but these are a lot of question marks for a guy going in the second round of fantasy drafts.
Round 3 – Davante Adams, WR, Rams
I would imagine that Davante Adams’ ADP starts to dip as the months carry us through the summer. However, as I write this, he is going in the third round in fantasy football drafts, and that sets him up as a clear 2026 fantasy bust candidate.
Adams still can do a number of things well. His pass-catching, route-running, and red-zone chops are all pristine. He’s coming off an insane seasons where he scored 14 touchdowns for L.A. and finished as WR9.
The problem? That role isn’t very sustainable.
Adams is heading into his age-33 campaign, turns 34 in December, and simply doesn’t get the volume to offset the almost guaranteed decline in receiving scores.
Those 14 scores were the most Adams had hauled in since 2022 and he has to worry about Puke Nacua stealing a ton of pass-catching volume. In fact, it stands to reason that Nacua’s scoring volume is due for positive regression, while the Rams could opt to play it safer near the goal-line and turn to Kyren Williams and their solid stable of running backs.
Put simply; Adams is not going to score that many touchdowns again. He’s a year older, too, and his receiving volume isn’t on par with a WR9 finish. You’re drastically overpaying for him in round three.
Round 5 – DJ Moore, WR, Bills
I will admit I am fairly torn on Moore. On one hand, he had a falling out with the Bears and still produced some big moments. Plus, a change of scenery could do him some good, and being the top target of Josh Allen has it’s perks.
On the other hand, he’s now 29 years old and coming off a WR35 finish in what ended up being a pretty darn good Bears offense. Is it possible he’s just cooked and the Bills just paid to find out? Maybe.
More than that, however, I think we need to be worried about the fact that Buffalo has been a destination for wide receivers to go die. Stefon Diggs flamed out here, Keon Coleman ended up being a bust, and pretty much anyone thrown a prominent role in this offense seems to struggle.
That doesn’t have to be the case forever, but you’re not taking a mid or late-round shot on DJ Moore. You’re investing a fifth round draft pick when guys like Rome Odunze, Jameson Williams, Bucky Irving, and others offer some type of combination of youth, athleticism, and/or role that Moore can’t give us yet.
Could Moore be a hit with Josh Allen in 2026? Absolutely. But I’m not that excited to draft him in the fifth round right now.
Round 6 – Chuba Hubbard, RB, Panthers
In theory, Chuba Hubbard is a pretty good value in round six. The Panthers paid him not too long ago, his main competition (Rico Dowdle) is now in Pittsburgh, and Carolina didn’t bring anyone else into the running back room.
The problem? Hubbard wasn’t always passing the eye test last year and a certain somebody by the name of Jonathon Brooks could be waiting to overtake him in 2026.
First, there’s the issue of Hubbard simply not being elite. He averaged less than four yards per carry before exploding in 2024, and last year he was back to a 3.81 YPC grind. Was his 2024 breakout campaign a fluke, or was the guy from 2025 and 2023 the real Hubbard?
On top of that, we need to be mindful of Brooks, who the Panthers invested a second round pick in back in 2024. Brooks has been constantly hurt, but he sat out all of last year to fully get right.
If Brooks is back to full strength and Carolina is ready to bust the training wheels off, he could be the one we should be eager to select in fantasy drafts.
Is Hubber a good pick if efficiency and competition don’t derail him? Probably. But I’d rather wait and bet on Brooks, who costs far less and has you assuming much less risk.
- 2026 Fantasy Football Sleepers – Brooks and more could return elite value for you this year.
That does it for my top fantasy football busts for 2026. Everyone on this list definitely has a path to succeeding, but a big part of the fantasy draft process if figuring out which guys have one too many red flags.
I’ll be avoiding all of these guys at their current ADP. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t hop all over C-Mac in round two, but it does mean these guys feel a bit too risky at their current prices.
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