The NFL season is just around the corner, and everyone is preparing to draft their favorite fantasy football wide receivers. The excitement is palpable. Of course, those drafting will always want to know which wide receivers to avoid in fantasy. They will want to avoid drafting fantasy football busts.
Clutchpoints provided an exclusive two-round fantasy football mock draft to help make those decisions. However, many of the players listed here will not go in the first two rounds. In fact, there will not be a single first-round or second-round draft pick here. Regardless, these five players have done well in the past, but their positions on the team are not guaranteed.
Here are five fantasy football wide receivers who might still do well. Yet, there is more of a likelihood that they will lose the most targets in 2025.
DeVonta Smith is among the wide receivers losing targets
If you drafted DeVonta Smith last season, you were not happy. After starting the season hot, he fizzled out. Smith had a combined 28 targets over his first three games. Then, he had a Week 4 clunker when he only had four targets. Things got to the worst point in time, as Smith had just two targets in Week 6 against the New York Giants. While all this was happening, Smith was also dealing with a hamstring injury, which limited him.
Smith would go back to his seven targets after the Giants game. However, he would have another clunker, garnering three targets against the Dallas Cowboys. Smith averaged 6.85 targets, which was down, thanks in part to the addition of running back Saquon Barkley. Because the Eagles started running the ball with him more and dumping off targets, Smith lost a few. There is a chance it could get worse this season. While teammate A.J. Brown is on the top-15 wide receiver list, Smith is nowhere to be found.
Jaylen Waddle could be on the fantasy football busts list
Jaylen Waddle has –114 odds to hit over 925 yards in 2025, according to FanDuel. Somehow, he only finished with 744 yards. Waddle held himself accountable for last season's bad performance. But that doesn't mean he will do well this season.
Waddle averaged 5.5 targets last season and had three games where he only saw two targets. Currently, the Fins are going through a stretch where they are attempting to stay in contention. Amidst the drama with Tyreek Hill, the emergence of running back DeVon Achane, and the emergence of tight end Jonnu Smith could threaten Waddle's targets. Also, Tua Tagovailoa has struggled with health issues, which impacts Waddle. That's another thing to worry about when drafting the talented wide receiver.
Chris Olave might suffer from bad quarterback play
Chris Olave is still the top receiver in New Orleans. However, he might still be one of the wide receivers losing targets, simply because of his quarterback. After averaging 5.5 targets last season with an aging Derek Carr, it will get a lot worse this season. Considering that the Saints will likely start Tyler Shough, there is no telling how the 26-year-old rookie will do.
Because of that, Olave should be one of the wide receivers to avoid in fantasy. Alvin Kamara might be the only “safe bet,” and even he is not the best option at running back.
Chris Godwin could lose targets to others
Chris Godwin has always been an above-average receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In fact, he was having an exceptional season until he dislocated his ankle in Week 7. Now, there is more competition. In addition to having potential Hall of Famer Mike Evans on the other side, Godwin also has to compete with Emeka Egbuka. Jaelen McMillan is also around, and he scored eight touchdowns last season.
The Bucs also have a strong running back named Bucky Irving, who could also draw some targets from Baker Mayfield. Plus, there is a chance the offense suffers a small dropoff after Liam Coen's departure for Jacksonville.
Dontayvion Wicks is a fantasy football receiver to avoid
Any fantasy football player should be very wary of Green Bay Packers receivers in general. For one thing, Dontayvion Wicks led Packers receivers with 4.47 targets. It's only going to get worse with the drafting of Matthew Golden. This was already a crowded Packers wide receivers room, and any hope of Wicks breaking out is now out the window.
If a fantasy player wants to draft someone from the green and yellow, Josh Jacobs at running back would be a good option. However, Wicks seems like a perfect candidate to regress to the mean, and his future does not look good when it comes to fantasy football.
