Fantasy Football 2025 Wide Receiver Busts to Avoid

Great running backs can still take over NFL games and carry fantasy rosters to championships. In football's pass-first era, however, wide receivers are increasingly becoming the focal point.
This is especially true in point-per-reception (PPR) fantasy leagues, which have become more of a standard than, well, standard scoring leagues. In PPR formats, it's incredibly difficult to field a championship-caliber team without at least one great receiver.
Of course, this also means that it has become increasingly important to avoid busts at the receiver position. With that in mind, let's examine three wide receivers who may fail to play up to their current average draft position (ADP).

Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

To be fair, a subset of fantasy enthusiasts is already likely to avoid Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. He burned managers last year by following up his 1,799-yard season with a 959-yard campaign. While Tua Tagovailoa's injuries played a role in Hill's decline, it can be hard to trust a player who has busted your season.

Some managers, however, are expecting Hill to bounce back this season, as evidenced by an ADP of 12.6. While Hill isn't trending as the early first-round pick he was a year ago, he's still being valued as a legitimate WR1.

The problem is that Tagovailoa's injuries only account for part of Hill's 2024 problems. The 31-year-old wasn't as efficient and saw his yards-per-catch average drop from 15.1 to 11.8.

On top of that, Hill is currently dealing with an undisclosed injury that will become a massive concern if it lingers. Add in the fact that Hill's production will hinge on Tagovailoa's health, and Hill feels like a major risk to avoid at his current ADP.

Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has the tools to be a true No. 1 receiver in the NFL, and he's filled that role at times in fantasy. Last year, he averaged six receptions, 75.9 yards, and 0.83 touchdowns per game.
Unsurprisingly, Higgins is being valued just a tick below Hill, with an ADP of 13.0.
However, there are two potential issues with valuing Higgins this highly. The first is that while he has a great quarterback in Joe Burrow, he's not going to be Burrow's top target whenever Ja'Marr Chase is healthy. The other problem is that Higgins has a noteworthy history of soft-tissue injuries and has missed five games in each of the last two seasons.
Yes, Higgins is usually productive when he's on the field, but availability matters in fantasy.
Plus, there's no guarantee that Cincinnati will be quite as pass-happy as it was a year ago. Ideally, the Bengals will see some improvements to their defense and ground game, which could drop Higgins' production closer to his career averages (4.7 catches, 65.6 yards, 0.48 TDs per game).

Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice appeared to be in the midst of a breakout campaign in 2024 when he suffered a season-ending knee injury. Though he was only healthy for four games, he averaged six catches, 72 yards, and a half touchdown in those contests.

With an ADP of 21.6, it would seem that many managers expected Rice to pick up where he left off. However, there are a few potential problems with that expectation.

The first is that Rice still faces a potential suspension for violation of the league's personal conduct policy—stemming from his role in a 2024 multi-car crash.

"Honestly, it's still in the works," Rice said, per ESPN's Nate Taylor. "My legal team is handling that."

Secondly, Rice is returning from a significant injury and is reportedly dealing with a groin issue.

Lastly, Rice simply may not be the primary target he was for the first month of last season. Xavier Worthy saw an increased role as the season wore on, and the Chiefs didn't have Marquise Brown until late in the year. Both could steal targets from Rice, along with rookie Jalen Royals and a revitalized Travis Kelce.

*ADP via FantasyPros as of 8/7