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Wyatt's players to avoid in the first five rounds of 2026 fantasy football leagues. His early round fantasy draft avoids and busts, including Jonathan Taylor and more.
It’s everyone’s favorite time of year! College football is back; we’re in the heart of fantasy football draft season, and we’re so close to getting real NFL football back.
Of course, with all good things, someone has to come in and throw some cold water on everything, and this time it is unfortunately me. It doesn’t bring me joy to put these players on this list, but there are some red flags in their outlooks that cannot be overlooked.
Try not to shoot the messenger as we dive into five early-round players to avoid at their current ADP.
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Jonathan Taylor - RB, Indianapolis Colts
Underdog ADP: 7.7 (RB4)
From one of my favorite rookie prospects ever to unfortunately landing on this list, Jonathan Taylor has come full circle for me in fantasy football. The 27-year-old is coming off one of his best seasons and led the NFL in carries (323) last year.
JT top plays. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/RLOGqhIYev
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) January 26, 2026
Running backs who led the league in rushing have, on average, declined by 4.4 points per game or missed eight games the following season since 2020. Additionally, the last time Taylor led the league in carries, his average points per game dropped by 9.7 points, and he missed five games the following season.
Even with the high carry total, we saw Jekyll-and-Hyde performances last year. Taylor averaged 31.5 PPR points per game in games the Colts won, while dropping to 12.4 PPR points per game in games they lost, which works out to be the RB24 in PPR points per game. He was a borderline RB2 when the Colts lost in points per game.
Most sportsbooks are setting the Colts win total at over/under 7.5 games in 2026, which means they believe the Colts will flirt with having eight or nine losses this season. Not to mention, Daniel Jones will be nine months removed from his Achilles injury when the regular season starts.
History and the Colts' low win total suggest picking Taylor is a risky investment to make at his current cost.
Drake London - WR, Atlanta Falcons
Underdog ADP: 21.6 (WR8)
Drake London did not land on this list because of his talent; he is clearly a stud and a top-10 receiver in the NFL. Unfortunately for fantasy purposes, pure talent doesn't guarantee fantasy points, and his offense will be run by one of the shakiest quarterback rooms in the NFL.
Drake London one-hands it for the hat trick! 🔥
ATLvsNE on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/cK3oVvGdv2
— NFL (@NFL) November 2, 2025
Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. are in a quarterback battle to see who will be the Week 1 starter for the Atlanta Falcons. London investors should be heavily rooting for Penix to win the job.
He was the WR6 overall and averaged 19.7 PPR points per game when Penix was under center in 2025. However, after Penix’s injury, London played three games and averaged 8.3 PPR points in those contests.
He saw a massive drop-off in production when Kirk Cousins took over in Atlanta, and Tagovailoa offers a similar playstyle and arm talent at this point in his career.
In addition, HC Kevin Stefanski has seen his top receiver finish outside the top 30 in overall fantasy points (three) more than he has seen his top receiver finish inside the top 18 in overall fantasy points (two) during his tenure as the Browns coach.
Stefanski’s offensive scheme often uses heavy personnel and uses tight ends in the passing game.
A lot of factors outside London’s control are working against him this year for fantasy football, making it hard to pull the trigger on him early in the second round of fantasy drafts.
Luther Burden III - WR, Chicago Bears
Underdog ADP: 46 (WR22)
Everyone’s “guy” in the fantasy community lands on our list today, and before you log off the article, at least consider the red flags in Luther Burden III’s fantasy outlook this season.
What a way for Luther Burden III to score his first NFL TD 🙌
DALvsCHI on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/dN3cRIk7MR
— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025
Burden is being drafted as the WR22 based solely on projections ahead of guys like Mike Evans, Terry McLaurin, Davante Adams, and Jameson Williams. Players who have already produced in the past and have a solid fantasy outlook this season.
From Week 11 on, 50 percent of Burden’s fantasy production came in two games; he had five games under 12 PPR points and was the WR30 in points per game (11.9).
Rome Odunze had more receiving yards in both postseason games than Burden despite playing through a significant stress fracture in his foot.
ESPN’s Liz Loza noted that team WR1s who shared the field with a tight end averaging 15 or more points per game were all pushed outside the top 15 fantasy producers at the position, with Tyreek Hill as the lone exception over the last decade.
History tells us we cannot be on the Colston Loveland hype train and the Burden hype train this season.
On top of that, Burden also has to compete with Odunze for targets, who was well on his way to his own breakout season before his foot injury last season. Odunze was averaging eight targets a game, had five touchdowns, and averaged 15.5 PPR points per game during the first eight weeks of the season.
Fantasy managers are currently buying all of the risk based on only projections at Burden’s ADP. He will have to fully live up to those projections to return on his investment price. Plus, we haven't even mentioned he is currently battling a groin injury that's kept him out of camp recently.
TreVeyon Henderson - RB, New England Patriots
Underdog ADP: 60.4 (RB26)
Managers are living on the edge when selecting TreVeyon Henderson within the first five rounds of drafts. He’s a part-time player on the wrong side of a committee with Rhamondre Stevenson.
Fortunately for those managers, Henderson is explosive enough to be a fantasy contributor only on a few touches.
TREVEYON HENDERSON 65-YARD TD.
BUFvsNE on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/XricJljnG9
— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2025
According to NBC Sports Boston, Henderson had four rushes of 40 yards or more last season, which only trailed Jahmyr Gibbs (6). De'Von Achane, James Cook III, Derrick Henry, and Taylor tied Henderson with four carries, but they averaged one big-play run every 74 attempts, whereas Henderson averaged one every 45 attempts.
Even with all of those explosive plays, Henderson only finished as the RB21 in overall scoring, but 35 percent of his fantasy production came in the three weeks Stevenson was out with a toe injury.
Henderson's role also doesn't seem likely to change much in Year 2. Stevenson has remained involved in passing situations while Henderson continues to struggle in pass protection at camp, according to Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald.
Regardless of whether Henderson gets more involved on passing downs, the team traded for a top-tier receiver in A.J. Brown and acquired Romeo Doubs in free agency to bolster the passing game. There will be more of a push to get the ball to them through the air over Henderson.
Henderson will likely have to continue maximizing his touches in a part-time role to live up to his current ADP. If not, it could sink fantasy rosters this season.
Quinshon Judkins - RB, Cleveland Browns
Underdog ADP: 54.4 (RB24)
Vegas markets have the Cleveland Browns win total at 5.5, which does not project many favorable run scripts for Quinshon Judkins.
Judkins averaged 8.15 PPR points per game in the eight games he saw 17 or fewer carries last season. The Browns could be playing catch-up in most games this season, which will take carries away from him.
Judkins did not see much work in the passing game and averaged only 2.6 targets per game as a rookie. Despite being a good pass-catcher out of the backfield, the team used Dylan Simpson more often in passing situations.
We also have to remember Judkins is coming off a severe leg injury that consisted of a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula. He will be a little over eight months removed from his leg surgery when the season starts.
That combination doesn’t bode well for a back that is known for his power and explosiveness when running the ball. Return to play is completely different than return to performance; just ask Tony Pollard.
QUINSHON JUDKINS WITH A GROWN MAN TOUCHDOWN 😮💨
STIFF ARM 💪 pic.twitter.com/KGqtbCPRZ2
— ESPN (@espn) January 21, 2025
Pollard saw his yards per carry dip from 5.2 to 4.0, his longest carry drop from 57 to 31, and his fantasy points per game slip from 15.5 PPR points to 13.1 PPR points the following year after his fibula break, despite getting 59 more carries the following season.
"I would say it's a night and day difference,” Pollard told Cowboys reporter Michael Gehlken in late December the season after his leg injury. “You think you're good. You think you're all the way back until you're actually out there making plays, full speed, feeling it. Once you get a feel for it and get your feet under you, then you start to realize, 'Oh, so I may have lost a little right there.' But I'm picking it back up."
It took Pollard half a season to start feeling like himself again, and he was even playing in one of the league's best offenses that season. Judkins might struggle to return production on his RB23 ADP in a poor offensive ecosystem even before factoring in his leg injury a year ago.
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2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Jonathan Taylor, Drake London, Luther Burden III, TreVeyon Henderson, and Quinshon Judkins. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy football drafts.
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