Fantasy Football 2021: 10 Potential Busts To Avoid Drafting

In fantasy football, your first five draft picks or so often will determine whether or not your team is a legitimate playoff contender.

Even one muffed selection over that span can spell problems, leading you to scramble and lean on the waiver wire on a weekly basis. In hopes of avoiding these issues for the most part, here are 10 players we recommend you steer clear from in the early and middle rounds of your draft.

Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints
Few wide receiver-quarterback combinations showcased better chemistry over the past few seasons than Thomas and Drew Brees. But the three-time Pro Bowl selection now has a new starting quarterback in New Orleans, either the unproven dual-threat in Taysom Hill or the oft-erratic Jameis Winston. We’d be surprised if Thomas lights it up this season.

Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
Jacobs now shares a backfield with Kenyan Drake, who’s a legitimate threat on both the ground and in the passing game. The 2019 first-rounder is the clear RB1 in Vegas, but we would not be shocked if Drake receives plenty of touches and targets on a weekly basis. Not to mention, the Raiders offensive line is among the weakest in football.

Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
Hurts burst onto the scene late last season and showed promise as a potential fantasy dynamo. But he’s not a particularly sharp passer, and the Eagles might be hesitant to utilize their new starting quarterback as a runner. We’re not expecting Hurts to be a dumpster fire, we just believe there are plenty of better signal-caller options out there.

T.J. Hockenson, TE, Detroit Lions
Fantasy hype for Hockenson should be high this year after he ranked fifth in fantasy tight end points last season. But the Lions downgraded at quarterback over the offseason, shifting from Matthew Stafford to Jared Goff. We’re expecting Hockenson’s stats to suffer as a result of the change under center and the implementation of a first-year head coach.

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Kenny Golladay, WR, New York Giants
Golladay, when healthy, established himself as one of the league’s better deep threats in recent seasons. We imagine he’ll post a mild debut season in the Meadowlands, however, as Daniel Jones has plenty of mouths to feed, and Saquon Barkley has returned from injury.

Chase Edmonds, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Edmonds has been a sneaky-productive fantasy back since his rookie season in 2018. He showed off his strength as a pass-catcher in the 2020 campaign, hauling in 53 catches with four touchdowns. But a motivated James Conner should be looking to re-establish himself in the desert, and the Cards’ offense still revolves around Kyler Murray and his big-play weapons out wide.

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Lawrence has all the tools you look for in a franchise quarterback. He’ll probably be great some day, but not until the Jaguars surround him with better weapons. We’re banking on the 2021 No. 1 overall pick to encounter growing pains, as he tries to lead a Jacksonville team that leaves much to be desired from a talent perspective.

Julio Jones, WR, Tennessee Titans
Jones, for whatever reason, doesn’t occupy the end zone as much as an elite wide receiver should. The seven-time Pro Bowl selection only has scored more than six touchdowns in a season once dating back to 2016. This trend probably won’t be curbed in Tennessee, where the offense goes through all-world back Derrick Henry.

Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons
Ryan long has been a steady fantasy quarterback, but those days might be over. He’s lost his longtime favorite target and will be operating under a new system implemented by a new head coach. The veteran quarterback also is dealing with mediocre line protection in Atlanta.

Will Fuller, WR, Miami Dolphins
Fuller can be a game-changer when healthy but the former Houston Texan isn’t exactly the poster child for availability. Between Fuller’s penchant for being injured and Tua Tagovailoa still developing as a passer, we’d look elsewhere while building your WR depth.