Biggest Fantasy Football Draft Busts: Round 1-3

With many fantasy football drafts right around the corner, it would make sense for us to issue a warning to fantasy managers thinking about drafting certain players. The first few rounds of the draft are where teams get their star pieces that will likely determine how far their team goes throughout the season. Therefore, teams looking to contend need to make sure they don’t draft certain players that could spell doom for them before the season even gets going. So who are likely candidates that could be fantasy busts for each round?

Round 1: AJ Brown (ADP: 10th)

The Eagles have a lot of question marks and AJ Brown will suffer because of it. This offseason the Eagles acquired Saquon Barkley and with the combination of Jalen Hurts’ ability to run the ball, this Eagles offense may be even more run-heavy. Additionally, Devontae Smith is a great option opposite of AJ Brown on this Eagles offense who will get less defensive attention. Brown was incredibly inconsistent last season toward the end of the year as he only got over 13 points once over the back half of the season. At a first-round price, AJ Brown certainly has a high chance of not meeting the expectations of fantasy managers drafting him there.

Round 2: Puka Nucua (ADP: 16th)

Puka Nucua had an insanely productive season last year during his rookie season. However, we can’t forget that Cooper Kupp missed 6 games last season which is where Puka thrived. When both receivers are on the field for the Rams, Cooper Kupp should still be treated as the first option. Most second options on prolific offenses go much later in fantasy drafts like Jaylen Waddle with an ADP of 54. By drafting Puka in this position, managers will be taking him at his ceiling as it is very unlikely he will have a statistically better performance than he did last year.

Round 3: Michael Pittman Jr. (ADP 29th)

The Colts' offense this year is going to be centered around the offensive line, Jonathan Taylor, and the rushing ability of Anthony Richardson. For most of last year, Pittman was able to get a lot of targets because Gardner Minshew’s style better fits the style that makes Pittman more fantasy-relevant. However, with Richardson back on the team, the offense will be more focused on the battle of the trenches. At this spot, I’d rather have a receiver whose team’s identity is built on passing the ball like Mike Evans or DK Metcalf.