The NFL season is right around the corner which means it's time to evaluate the fantasy football wide receiver busts for 2021. There are a plethora of receivers available this season that could be great plays this year, so avoiding any potential busts should be a top priority.
When it comes down to it, most of the receivers available within the first three rounds are safe bets to have monster years. It's round four and later where you should tread lightly. There are a handful of exciting names that could cost you dearly as wide receiver busts.
In fact, five receivers stand out amongst the rest who should be avoided, as they have the potential to underperform this season. With that said, here are five fantasy football wide receiver busts in 2021.
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5. Deebo Samuel
The San Francisco 49ers are set to make a bounce back after suffering from an injury-riddled season. Deebo Samuel was one of the unlucky receivers who was bitten by the injury bug and hopes to make an impact entering the third year of his career. However, there are a few red flags when it comes to the 49ers receiver.
First and foremost, it seems Samuel is still dealing with injuries. Whether they're lingering or new, it doesn't really matter. If he's hurt he's unavailable, which makes him more of a liability and a fantasy football bust. Additionally, when he is on the field, Samuel is easily the third option in the passing game. With Geroge Kittle coming back and Brandon Aiyuk emerging as a potential elite option, that doesn't leave much room for Deebo Samuel to excel. You're better off selecting someone else around his current ADP.
4. Ja'Marr Chase
Ja'Marr Chase is a rookie with all of the potential in the world after rejoining Joe Burrow with the Cincinnati Bengals. There are actually a lot of positives in regards to Chase, but even so, he could be a huge disappointment in his rookie year.
He enters a crowded wide receiver room in Cincinnati, hasn't played football since the 2019-20 season, and struggled throughout most of training camp and preseason. Ja'Marr Chase should become the Bengals top receiver in the future, but for now, expectations should be tempered. It's also rare for rookie receivers to play at an elite level and expecting him to produce similar numbers as Justin Jefferson just isn't realistic.
3. Kenny Golladay
The New York Giants could finish as one of the worst teams in football this year. Their offensive line is atrocious and the offense is dealing with a plethora of questionable injuries. Kenny Golladay barely played last season due to a hamstring injury and it might be a lingering situation.
Golladay is a great talent, it's just that there are too many red flags surrounding him right now. His talent can't be ignored, but Golladay is a major risk at his current ADP. Other receivers being taken within his range are safer plays, as they are in much better situations.
2. Tyler Lockett
It might come as a shock to see Tyler Lockett's name here, but there are reasons to believe he'll be one of the fantasy football wide receiver busts. The main reason being is that it's impossible to gauge when Lockett will be a valuable fantasy asset. He'll record 50 points one week, then turn around and score just four points the next. There is no consistency with Tyler Lockett, which makes him a huge risk to be your WR2.
On top of that, Pete Carroll has mentioned multiple times throughout this offseason how he wants the Seattle Seahawks to be a run-first team. That bodes well for Chris Carson and probably opens up more play-action opportunities. However, DK Metcalf is the top receiver in Seattle and will likely see most of the targets. If Lockett's ADP wasn't so high, he'd be a fantastic value. Instead, he's a risky selection as a fourth or fifth-round pick.
1. Mike Evans
Mike Evans has been incredibly consistent throughout his career as he's topped 1,000 yards receiving every year of his career. However, that's at risk now in 2021. Sure, he has Tom Brady throwing him the ball and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played like an elite offense last season. However, the wide receiver room is crowded and there is reason to believe Brady targets Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown more often.
Having said that, Evans is a deep ball threat who is also targeted in the red zone. Even so, that makes Mike Evans touchdown reliable, which is never a good situation for fantasy football. Evans is at risk to finish below 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career and could regress in touchdowns simultaneously. For that reason, he must be considered one of the wide receiver busts in 2021.
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