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5 fantasy wide receivers who could bust in 2017

NEW ORLEANS, LA - SEPTEMBER 11: Brandin Cooks #10 of the New Orleans Saints catches the ball for a touchdown over Reggie Nelson #27 of the Oakland Raiders and D.J. Hayden #25 during the first half of a game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 11, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Picking five potential busts at the running back position was a breeze. I thought the same could be said for wide receivers, but I was wrong.

Sure, I could tell you that Nelson Agholor will be a bust, but considering he was PFF’s lowest-graded wide receiver two years running, that would be cheating.

On tax day, I’m all about honesty. I don’t want a scary person in a suit knocking on my door.

So I dug. And here are five fantasy relevant wide receivers who are potential busts for the 2017 season.

All ADP data comes from FantasyFootballCalculator.com

Brandin Cooks, New England Patriots (Overall ADP: 28, 12th WR)

The Patriots traded for Cooks and the fantasy world erupted. Half of the industry worried about Cooks’ drop in opportunities after the move, and half thought he would be the next Randy Moss. I’m in the middle. Last season, Drew Brees averaged 42.06 attempts per game, while Tom Brady averaged 36. In terms of team points, New Orleans was second in the league with 469 points scored during the 2016 season, while the Patriots were third with 441. Cooks will go from one high-scoring offense to the next, but the balance between the passing and running game is a slight change. However, Cooks is not Moss. Cooks is very fast, but he’s only 5-foot-10. Moss was just as fast, but 6-foot-4. Also, Moss didn’t have to compete for targets with Rob Gronkowski. The only time the two of them shared the field was during Gronkowski’s rookie season, and Moss was only played four games as a Patriot that year. Signs do not point to Cooks being a total bust, but his ADP is incredibly high when you consider the red flags.

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