Week 6 has come and gone, which means we’re a third of the way through the 2025 NFL season. It’s a good moment to reflect on some major fantasy football letdowns we’ve seen so far.
Finding an unnoticed player who thrives for your team can be exhilarating. On the flip side, when your star players fall flat, it can be unbelievably frustrating, especially when they’re underperforming on a Sunday afternoon. A game is, after all, just a game.
Below is a comparative analysis of some significant fantasy football flops throughout history. We’ll reference half PPR rankings but leave out big names like Joe Burrow and CeeDee Lamb, who have been sidelined due to injuries.
Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Current Fantasy Ranking: QB24
Current stat line: 68.3%, 962 passing yards, 6 passing TDs, 3 INTs, 173 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD.
I mean, is it really that bad? He missed a game due to a foot injury. His backups have shown they can handle the position. There’s some speculation about whether Murray should return or not, especially after Jacoby Brissett’s performance in the Cardinals’ recent 31-27 loss to the Colts.
Murray’s team is projected to finish last in the NFC West for the third time in four years. With an average of just 16.2 points per game, he seems unfazed by being labeled as a potential top-10 quarterback. He often ranks below 20th in various games, showing poor metrics like total EPA and a high sack rate. Moreover, he has hardly been able to send the ball down the field, with only two passes going over 20 yards and averaging a low 6.0 yards per attempt.
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon quickly dismissed the idea that Murray would return this Sunday. Clearly, he hasn’t significantly impacted either the team or fantasy players, contributing to doubts about his future as the franchise quarterback.
Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Current fantasy ranking: RB31
Current stat line: 202 rushing yards (2.7 YPA), 1 rushing TD, 20 receptions, 102 receiving yards.
Cincinnati’s performance has dipped since Joe Burrow’s injury, and Brown hasn’t filled the gap at all during this decline. He hasn’t been able to replicate his earlier success, and his yards per carry this season is among the lowest for running backs with a significant number of carries. It’s just been a tough slog.
Samaje Perine has been getting more snaps lately, raising questions about Brown’s future role. Perhaps it’s time to consider a shift in strategy for the team, if they haven’t already.
RJ Harvey, RB, Denver Broncos
Current fantasy ranking: RB37
Current stat line: 154 rushing yards (4.7 YPA), 16 receptions, 108 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD.
Harvey started his rookie season with plenty of hype, but maybe that was a bit premature. After a solid 70-yard game in Week 1, he hasn’t found a way to repeat such success.
He is currently the backup to veteran JK Dobbins, appearing in less than half of the games. While there’s still a chance he can put up decent fantasy numbers, he’s definitely not living up to the RB2 expectations that many had for him earlier this season.
Isaiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Current fantasy ranking: RB42
Current stat line: 214 rushing yards (4.2 YPA), 10 receptions, 46 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD.
As the Chiefs’ offense begins to gain momentum, Pacheco looks—well, just average really.
Many viewed him as an RB2 or high-flex pick, yet he hasn’t significantly contributed on the field or caught many passes from the backfield. He often shares carries with Kareem Hunt, with only one game where he exceeded 50 rushing yards. And with his total EPA being one of the lowest among running backs, it’s been a struggle for him.
If you have Pacheco alongside other productive players, he might be useful, but if you relied on him as a top pick, good luck navigating that.
Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans
Current fantasy ranking: WR25
Current stat line: 22 receptions (14.2 Y/R), 312 receiving yards, 3 receiving TDs.
“Sure, but Collins is a top-25 fantasy wideout with decent numbers,” you might say. And that’s a fair point! He averages around 12 fantasy points per game and leads the Texans in receptions, with only one outing under 50 yards this season.
Collins has performed well, but not to the level expected for someone drafted as a number one receiver. Comparatively, Ja’Marr Chase, who’s currently the No. 6 fantasy wideout, finds a way to average 15.1 points per game despite challenging quarterback situations. Thankfully, the Texans seem to be resolving some issues following an 0-3 start, leaving some hope for Collins to amplify his stats moving forward.
Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Current fantasy ranking: WR24
Current stat line: 24 receptions (13.9 Y/R), 334 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD, 1 rushing TD.
Like Collins, Thomas has generally been a weekly starter in fantasy, though his numbers put him outside the top-10 picks. His early season struggles were primarily due to drops, and he led the league in that category for a time. A critical drop in a recent game against the Seahawks forced the team to give the ball back, contributing to their defeat.
However, he had his best game last week, catching eight targets for 90 yards and his first touchdown of the season. If he can resolve his drop issues and get more comfortable with the offensive scheme, he could return to the form he demonstrated during last year’s rookie breakout.
AJ Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Current fantasy ranking: WR40
Current stat line: 25 receptions (11.0 Y/R), 274 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD.
Oh man, the Eagles offense has really struggled, and Brown has become one of the biggest disappointments this season. An average of just 11 yards per reception on 25 catches doesn’t quite reflect the talent of an All-Pro player, and he’s clearly feeling the strain of the passing game. Trade rumors have begun to circulate, and while it might seem odd to let go of such a skilled player, it’s worth remembering that this is how he was originally acquired.
The executives who placed him among the top players will have to deal with the sunk cost fallacy, but it remains a frustrating situation for everyone involved.
Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Current fantasy ranking: WR44
Current stat line: 18 receptions (12.2 Y/R), 220 receiving yards, 2 receiving TDs.
It feels a bit rough to place Higgins in this category. He hasn’t had a hand in Burrow’s injury nor has he played alongside anything but backup quarterbacks recently. Still, when it comes to fantasy points, that empathy doesn’t really amount to much.
While he has made contributions to the offense post-injury, he hasn’t matched the expectations of a borderline WR1 in fantasy. In fact, his worst outing was against the Vikings, with just one catch. There are glimmers of hope, though; he caught eight passes in a recent loss, which could signal improvement with better quarterback play.
TJ Hockenson, TE, Minnesota Vikings
Current fantasy ranking: TE22
Current stat line: 19 receptions (8.1 Y/R), 153 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD.
Hockenson came into the season healthy for the first time in a while, and many expected him to return to his top-10 tight end form. So far, he hasn’t stood out in any significant way.
Although he has been solid for the Vikings, his 8.1 yards per reception is painfully low, as he hasn’t made meaningful contributions to the offense. This issue seems partly linked to the performance of the quarterbacks throwing to him, and it doesn’t look promising for drastic improvement.
Evan Engram, TE, Denver Broncos
Current fantasy ranking: TE25
Current stat line: 17 receptions (8.1 Y/R), 137 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD.
People thought, “Hey, Engram has joined the Broncos. Coach Payton is going to feature him!” But the reality hasn’t matched that excitement.
Engram’s statistics mirror Hockenson’s, and he hasn’t managed to exceed 50 yards in any game this season. His recent performance of five catches for 42 yards shows some potential, but if he hasn’t turned around by now, fantasy managers should look for alternatives, pronto, if they haven’t done so already.
