Philadelphia Eagles (523 games)
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) scores a touchdown past Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Chris Harris (25) during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Every 2026 fantasy football draft has traps, and the wide receiver busts worry me the most. We all like to think we know ball; we know the NFL. Most of us overestimate our abilities, so at the very least I try to consume a lot of information and a lot of different opinions. Unfortunately, it all eventually turns into consensus mush.
Consensus fantasy football WR rankings can lock in prices that ignore injury, target competition or offensive fit. These seven wide receivers sit well below their consensus rank on my board, and I’ve ordered by average draft position. Each carries a specific reason the price is wrong. Avoid them at their current cost, or wait for the value to catch up.
More fantasy football busts: Quarterbacks | Running Backs
Malik Nabers: Fantasy football bust at his ADP
Malik Nabers has wide receiver bust potential in 2026.
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers could miss a lot of time and need a few weeks to get back to full speed for fantasy football managers.
Malik Nabers is going off boards as the 13th wide receiver, ranked WR16 on consensus, but he sits at WR19 on my board.
Nabers played just one quarter with Jaxson Dart before the Week 4 injury. Dart averaged 28.2 pass attempts per game as a rookie, tied for 27th in the NFL. Dr. Jesse Morse projects Nabers to miss four to five weeks.
Add a couple games or more for Nabers to get up to speed, and fantasy football drafters are spending too much draft capital on a half-season’s worth of value. Missing games plus a low-volume passer equals second-round regret.
DeVonta Smith: Offense can barely support WR
DeVonta Smith is being drafted as the 16th wide receiver, WR13 on consensus, but I have him at WR17. Smith ranked 27th in separation and 28th in route win rate among 109 qualified receivers in 2025 per Fantasy Points Data. He also caught four touchdowns on 113 targets, a 3.5 percent rate that trailed A.J. Brown, Dallas Goedert and Saquon Barkley.
Sean Mannion replaces Kevin Patullo as offensive coordinator, but a run-first identity anchored by Saquon Barkley likely stays. Volume ceiling caps Smith at borderline WR2.
Emeka Egbuka: Fantasy football bust risk
Is Emeka Egbuka on your wide receiver busts list?
Tampa Bay Bucs’ Emeka Egbuka carries a lot of WR bust risk in an offense with two pass-catching running backs.
Emeka Egbuka sits at WR18 in fantasy football ADP, WR21 on consensus, but I have him at WR23. New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson pinned Egbuka to the Z receiver role in 2026 after he moved around the formation as a rookie.
Chris Godwin returns healthy in the slot, and third-round rookie Ted Hurst III profiles as the X. Once Godwin came back in Week 15 last year, Egbuka’s snap share dropped to 59.3 percent over three games. His 24% targets per route run ranked 18th, solid but not close to the hot start he showed last year.
DJ Moore: Is it possible to be too efficient?
DJ Moore carries a WR26 ADP that matches his consensus rank, but I have him at WR33. The Buffalo Bills wideout posted a career-worst 50-682-6 line in 2025 with 1.26 yards per route run. Buffalo has dispersed targets since trading Stefon Diggs, and Khalil Shakir has led the team in targets in each of the past two seasons.
Yahoo’s projection for Moore lands at 100 targets, well below his career average of 127. A 29-year-old off his worst year should not carry a fifth-round price. I believe Josh Allen will spread the ball around too much to give Moore the opportunity to shine for fantasy managers. That brand of efficiency is great on the field, not so great for our game.
Carnell Tate: Rookie WR bust in Tennessee
Carnell Tate could be a wide receiver bust in fantasy football leagues in 2026.
Tennessee Titans first-round draft pick wide receiver Carnell Tate, 4th overall pick, stands for a portrait at Vanderbilt Health Football Center Friday, April 24, 2026.
Carnell Tate is going as the 30th wide receiver in fantasy football drafts, matching his consensus rank, but I have him at WR41. Hayden Winks compared Tate’s rookie projection to those of Tetairoa McMillan, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Drake London, who finished as WR24, WR24, WR30 and WR41 as rookies, respectively.
Tate ran a 4.53 forty at the combine, 27th among 34 wide receivers. Wan’Dale Robinson also arrived as a target-hog slot free agent. Analysts project Tate for an 18 to 22 percent target share. That is not the setup for a top-30 WR return on value.
Jordyn Tyson: Not enough offense to support two WRs
Jordyn Tyson has a WR33 ADP and WR41 on consensus, but I have him at WR49. The Saints ranked 27th in dropback EPA per play last season despite a top-10 pass-play rate. Tyler Shough totaled 1,997 passing yards, nine touchdowns and four picks across nine starts.
Once Rashid Shaheed was traded at the deadline, no wideout outside of Chris Olave topped an 18 percent target share. Tyson also arrived at camp with a hamstring issue, a repeat of the injury that ended his 2025 college season. Injury history plus a WR2 role in a poor passing game is a bad combination.
Makai Lemon: Fading in 2026 fantasy football drafts
Makai Lemon projects a rookie wide receiver bust
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon (9) runs drills during rookie minicamp at NovaCare Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Makai Lemon carries a WR43 ADP, WR45 on consensus, but I have him at WR50. The Philadelphia Eagles rookie posted a 3.04 yards per route run mark in college with a 1.6 percent drop rate, and the team traded up to No. 20 overall to get him.
The problem is landing spot. Philadelphia threw 497 passes last year, DeVonta Smith commands 22.7 percent of targets and Dallas Goedert eats red-zone work. A slot rookie in the league’s most run-heavy pass game is a flex option at best.
Matt De Lima brings 15+ years of elite sports media experience to the table. From covering the gridiron to the hardwood, this Virginia Tech graduate has established himself as a versatile editor and writer for heavy hitters like Sports Illustrated and DraftKings. A twice-nominated FSWA finalist, Matt combines a digital-first philosophy with an eagle eye for breaking news, consistently delivering the engaging coverage today’s audience demands across the NFL, NBA, MLB, and beyond.
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