RELATED: See 4 ADP Steals at WR
In this passing era of the NFL, wide receivers are the backbone of a fantasy football team, especially in formats that start three wide receivers plus a flex. But, just because a player is the No. 1 receiver for his respective NFL team doesn't necessarily mean he's a true No. 1 wide receiver who will command target volume or consistently win fantasy weeks. Here are a few best ball traps to avoid at the wide receiver position for the 2026 season.
Tetairoa McMillan (Underdog ADP: WR14, 33.2 overall)
At a glance, Tetairoa McMillan's current ADP as the WR14 doesn't seem too outlandish. After all, he was the WR22 in 0.5 PPR points per game (PPG) as a rookie last year, so there's nowhere to go but up, right? Well, not necessarily. McMillan performed admirably as a rookie, enough to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, even. That said, much of his production was predicated on volume rather than efficiency.
In 2025, McMillan ranked 12th among wide receivers in routes run, 13th in target share, 6th in air yards share, and 4th in deep target share. In short, the Panthers utilized him heavily as their No. 1 receiver, both overall as well as downfield. However, the rookie ranked just 27th in yards per route run (YPRR), 27th in yards after the catch, and 21st in first downs per route run.
As an offense, Carolina ranked 26th in expected points added (EPA) per play and 25th in passing EPA per play. And that was with the Panthers facing a fairly easy strength of schedule. Laughably enough, they won their division with an 8-9 record, so Carolina will now face a first-place schedule in 2026. This includes facing defenses such as the Seahawks and Broncos, not to mention tough defenses in the NFC and AFC North, based on the schedule rotation.
If volume and middling efficiency against beatable opponents in 2025 led to a WR22 fantasy finish, how will McMillan fare against much tougher defenses? I actually rather like McMillan's skill set as a fit for a Temu Mike Evans role in Dave Canales' offense. On the other hand, I simply have very little faith in Bryce Young capably running the offense and increasing the efficiency of the passing game when he does get the ball to McMillan.
Last season, Young ranked 29th in adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A). He also ranked below average in red zone and clean-pocket catchable pass rate, and 29th in both blitzed and pressured catchable pass rate. Even in Canales' scheme, Young has been inconsistent with his accuracy regardless of pressure. The one area where he excelled was deep passes, ranking eighth in deep-ball completion rate and third in deep-ball catchable pass rate. The problem is that Young ranked only 23rd in deep-ball attempts, so the volume wasn't there for these downfield throws.
Winning the NFC South was a curse in disguise for the Panthers. Slated to face a tough strength of schedule in 2026, expect regression for Carolina, which in turn could lead to more struggles for McMillan. Given that, I'm not sure the target volume will be enough to sustain high-end WR2 fantasy production, which is how he's being drafted. His usage is especially disadvantageous for best ball scoring, as McMillan had just three games last year with over 15 0.5 PPR points. McMillan's reliance on volume gives him a decent weekly floor for managed leagues, but unless we project Young to take a step forward, it's unlikely McMillan will produce many spike weeks. He's better suited as a back-end volume-based WR2, similar to how he finished last season, and is unlikely to live up to his WR14 ADP.
