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Fantasy: 10 busts to avoid in your draft

Wesley Hitt / Getty Images Sport / Getty

There's nothing fantasy owners love more than discovering the next breakout star, but it's equally important to identify the players who could sink your team's title hopes.

At the beginning of each season, you must re-evaluate what you believe to be true about players, teams, and the league itself. Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. Every player eventually reaches their decline phase, even nine-time Pro Bowl quarterbacks. Highly touted draft picks don't always deliver on their potential, especially in their first year. And free agents who found new homes may also find that the grass isn't greener, though the money might be.

Below, we run down the bust candidates most likely to disappoint and bring an early end to your fantasy season.

Average draft position (ADP) data courtesy of FantasyFootballCalculator and based on 12-team leagues with standard scoring.

Drew Brees, QB, Saints

The 36-year-old still has some good years left, but 5,000-yard seasons are no longer a fair expectation. The Saints upgraded their offensive line and backfield, while trading away two of their top receiving options. The goal is a more balanced attack, meaning fewer passing attempts than we've been accustomed to in New Orleans. Brees isn't going to implode, but with some unproven weapons, it's unclear who he will rely on. It's likely his yards will drop this season, just as his touchdown totals have the past three years.

Bust potential: ☠☠☠
ADP: Late 5th round

LeSean McCoy, RB, Bills

Fantasy owners can look past the local euphoria in Buffalo to see the warning signs for McCoy. His former team, the Eagles, fielded one of the league's best offensive lines and their attack produced a multitude of scoring opportunities. The Bills' offensive line is a work-in-progress at best, while their mess of a quarterback situation will make trips to the red zone a rarity. The lack of a competent passing game will have defenses keying in on McCoy, and his propensity to dance at the line of scrimmage could really hurt an offense that may need to grind out yards.

Bust potential: ☠☠☠☠
ADP: Late 1st round

Alfred Morris, RB, Redskins

Morris has been a steady, but extremely unsatisfying fantasy player since his breakout rookie campaign in 2012. His total yards and yards per carry averages have decreased each year and he had just one 100-yard outing last season. Morris provides very little as a receiver out of the backfield, an area where he will likely lose snaps to rookie Matt Jones. If someone in your league believes the arrival of offensive line coach Bill Callahan will solve all those issues, let them draft Morris.

Bust potential: ☠☠☠
ADP: Mid-3rd round

Carlos Hyde, RB, 49ers

The gold rush in San Francisco has ended and now comes the aftermath. Losses on the offensive line and the defensive front seven will make it difficult for the 49ers to win on a weekly basis. That could be a problem for Hyde's numbers, since veteran Reggie Bush is expected to see work on passing downs. Hyde should see the bulk of the early down carries, but may find himself on the bench when the team falls behind. It's not an ideal scenario for a second-year back who has yet to prove himself to fantasy owners.

Bust potential: ☠☠☠☠☠
ADP: Early 4th round

Joique Bell, RB, Lions

After a breakout campaign, Bell is in danger of becoming an overrated veteran heading into 2015 drafts. The Lions used a second-round pick on Ameer Abdullah, a player who has impressed everyone who has a set of eyes in Detroit. Bell is trying to overcome knee and Achilles injuries to get back on the field and defend his starting job. At this point, his best hope is likely a split backfield, while his worst case is watching Adbullah light up the league.

Bust potential: ☠☠☠☠
ADP: Late 6th round

Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Panthers

Update: Benjamin will miss the 2015 season with a torn ACL.

Benjamin was a useful fantasy starter in his rookie season, in part due to a lack of options in the Panthers' passing game. Despite being tied for sixth in the league with 145 targets, Benjamin wasn't very efficient, hauling in just 73 of those passes while dropping 11. Some of that volume could be distributed elsewhere in 2015, after the team traded up to draft Devin Funchess in the second round. Benjamin may also see his touchdown total regress, since over half of his nine scores last year came in garbage time.

Bust potential: ☠☠☠
ADP: Late 3rd round

Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Broncos

Sanders is another example of how much fantasy can change in a year. Entering 2014, he was undervalued as the newest piece in the Broncos' aerial assault, but delivered a career-year with 101 receptions, 1,404 yards, and nine touchdowns. Heading into his second year in Denver, Sanders has been very honest about his expectations, saying that he's unlikely to post the same type of numbers in the new run-first system under head coach Gary Kubiak. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, Sanders is right.

Bust potential: ☠☠☠☠
ADP: Late 3rd round

Jeremy Maclin, WR, Chiefs

Everyone knows the Chiefs' receivers failed to catch a single touchdown last season, but even more troubling is that the last time a Chiefs wideout finished the year as the team's leading receiver was 2012. Jamaal Charles and Travis Kelce took home the honors the last two seasons. That's the kind of situation Maclin is walking into. The former Eagle is an undeniable upgrade at the position, but he's also reliant on a quarterback who plays it safe at every turn. Don't be fooled into paying for Maclin's past production.

Bust potential: ☠☠☠☠
ADP: Mid-6th round

Kevin White, WR, Bears

Update: White will start the year on the PUP list and may miss the entire 2015 season after undergoing shin surgery.

It's been a tough start for the second receiver selected in this year's draft. White has dealt with shin splints, which have caused him to miss valuable reps in training camp. There are even rumors he may be out for the entire preseason, though it's a little early to make that call. New Bears head coach John Fox has never needed much of an excuse to leave his rookies on the bench, so White's facing an uphill battle for playing time. If he does see the field, he'll most likely be the third or fourth option in the offense.

Bust potential: ☠☠☠☠☠
ADP: Mid-8th round

Julius Thomas, TE, Jaguars

Thomas said goodbye to Peyton Manning and joined forces with Blake Bortles and the Jaguars. It's certainly possible Bortles could take a step forward, but unless the second-year quarterback makes a significant leap, Thomas will be spending far less time in the red zone this season. Not exactly the best news for a tight end who relies on touchdowns.

Bust potential: ☠☠☠☠
ADP: Mid-7th round

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