One of the most exciting parts about fantasy football is that it is unpredictable. Just like the NFL, there would hardly be any fun if the superior team won every single time. The same is true in fantasy football, and the reasons are often quite different from why NFL teams struggle to win games.
The best way to gain an edge in fantasy football is to learn how to assess an individual player's situation. Some struggling players will turn things around, while others are already doomed. It often isn't incredibly easy to tell, but you can find a good enough answer if you do enough digging.
But which disappointing players need to be avoided at all costs?
Below we will explore a handful of concerning fantasy football players who have struggled early during the 2025 NFL season.
What exactly should we expect from Travis Hunter in fantasy football?
Travis Hunter is the most mysterious player in fantasy football right now.
NFL fans were fascinated to see how a true two-way player could function in the league. Especially if he planned to start on both sides of the ball.
There are a few reasons why this hasn't translated into tons of fantasy points so far this season.
First, we have to acknowledge that Hunter's defensive snaps a bad thing for fantasy football in almost every format. Standard leagues do not award points for individual defensive player (IDP) production in favor of team defenses and special teams (D/STs). That means that a theoretical pick-six by Hunter will benefit whoever has the Jaguars D/ST in their lineup, not Hunter himself.
Furthermore, those additional snaps expose Hunter to additional opportunities where he could be injured. So it's all risk, no reward.
But at least he plays wide receiver too.
Unfortunately, Jacksonville's passing game has been a mess early in the season.
This is not just a Hunter issue, as even Brian Thomas Jr. has struggled mightily through three weeks. Regardless of who or what is to blame, it is a problem for Hunter in fantasy football.
The rookie only managed 10 receptions for 76 yards through three games.
Sadly, Hunter is unstartable at this point. That could quickly change if the Jaguars fix whatever is wrong, but you shouldn't gamble that it will happen right away.
Bench Travis Hunter.
Is the Raiders' offense good enough for Ashton Jeanty yet?
There are a few reasons to be concerned about Jeanty for fantasy early in his professional career.
One factor is that Las Vegas is openly thinking about load management with Jeanty.
“You would love for Ashton Jeanty to play every play… You have to be conscious of, over the course of 17 games, if somebody is carrying the ball 30 times a game, they only have so many carries in a season,” Kelly said, per Raiders reporter Nick Walters. “If you're using them early, it'll hurt you late.”
While it is good that Vegas is keeping Jeanty's health a priority, that can become an issue in fantasy football.
Situations like these spread production across multiple players. That leaves Jeanty with fewer opportunities to score fantasy points.
The other big factor here is that Las Vegas just does not have a great offensive line yet. Or supporting talent around Jeanty outside of Brock Bowers.
One stat perfectly sums up the Jeanty situation right now. He has 144 rushing yards through three games, with 145 yards after contact. This means that Jeanty is often getting hit in the backfield and is forced to make people miss just to gain yards.
The silver lining is this does show that Jeanty is the player we thought he would be coming into the NFL. But he is clearly not an elite fantasy football player yet because of his situation.
Unfortunately, this situation is unlikely to dramatically improve during the 2025 season.
Jeanty is still a good running back, but the reality of his production is much lower than his preseason ADP.
Bengals' offense is in shambles without Joe Burrow.
We need to do our best not to overreact to Cincinnati's devastating Week 3 loss against Minnesota.
But it is also time to be honest about the risks associated with Bengals players in fantasy football now that Burrow is injured.
Let's start with something simple, Cincinnati's running game. It sucks.
Chase Brown has been a huge disappointment in 2025, both for fantasy football and otherwise. He has 93 rushing yards and a touchdown on a whopping 47 attempts, good for just two yards per carry.
Stay away from Brown until further notice.
Meanwhile, Jake Browning did not look great against the Vikings. He's proven that he can play okay in the past, but there was no chance he would overcome Sunday's rash of first-half turnovers.
It is inadvisable to start Browning in any format that is not 2QB or superflex, and even then it is questionable.
But the real question is: are Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins still viable with Browning under center?
For Chase that is a tough call. Chase's best game of the season (14 receptions for 165 yards and touchdown) in Week 2 came with Browning at quarterback.
There's some reason to believe that Chase could remain viable for fantasy football, but he's a risky start until he can prove it. I lean towards trusting the talent and starting Chase, especially because he was almost certainly your first-round pick.
As for Higgins, the situation is a bit worse.
If you can responsibly bench Higgins, I would recommend stashing him until we get some clarity on Cincinnati's offense moving forward.
The Bengals play on Monday Night Football in Week 4. That makes it an easy decision to avoid all Bengals players (minus Ja'Marr Chase) this week.
Then reevaluate for Week 5 against a Lions defense that is a surprisingly favorable matchup in fantasy football.
