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Fantasy Basketball Busts 2026-27: Players to Avoid in Drafts (Embiid, Zion Red Flags)

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chelena Goldman | Last updated Mar 31, 2026 5:09 PM ET

Ignoring red flags can cost you in the long run, and that goes double for fantasy managers adding busts to their rosters.

Sure, the following players have a high draft ADP and have been known to boost rosters into the playoffs. But chronic injuries, load management, and age-related decline have turned them from fantasy assets into liabilities.

Our way-too-early guide highlights the biggest fantasy basketball draft busts. Here’s who to avoid so you don’t have to learn the hard way

Top Draft Busts to Face in 2026-27

Joel Embiid: Chronic Injury King

When Embiid is healthy, he’s as dominant as they come. The keyword there being “healthy.”

Chronic injuries, especially when it comes to his knees, keep the center out of the 76ers' lineup for extended periods of time. (He played just 19 games in the 2024-25 season, and might not hit 40 games in 2026.) Load management is also an issue for the 32-year-old, which creates roster volatility on a weekly basis.

All in all, Embiid’s high draft cost doesn’t realistically match his availability.

Zion Williamson: Durability Nightmare

Zion Williamson’s recurring injuries and shutdown risk make him unreliable despite elite per-game production.© Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Fantasy managers can be rewarded by drafting Zion. However, those rewards have been fewer and farther between thanks to a plethora of ailments throughout his career. It doesn’t help that he plays for a tanking Pelicans team, which makes him more prone to being shut down late in the season.

Don’t let the monster numbers he drops per game fool you. Williamson isn’t a reliable starter, especially at his high ADP.

LaMelo Ball: Ankle Issues Wildcard

Ball has ranked highly in the NBA with over 7.0 assists per game, and he is a high-volume three-point shooter to boot. Unfortunately, he also averages just 48 games per season because of recurring ankle problems.

The Hornets guard can put up highlight reel-worthy performances when he’s on the court, but his ankle makes him a high-stakes gamble. Managers should fade Ball in standard leagues where availability wins titles.

Anthony Davis: Frontier Unknown

Wear and tear have aged the first overall pick from 2012, and he seems to spend more time watching from the bench than being the multi-cat threat he once was. Davis, who turned 33 in March, played just 20 games for the Mavericks this season before being traded to the Wizards. He has yet to make his debut for Washington, and it’s unclear how he will fit on this new team.

Davis’ history of missed games makes him too big a bust risk for his elite ADP.

Giannis Antetokounmpo: Future Uncertain

This may seem like a tricky one because Antetokounmpo was fairly durable even with knee and calf injuries peppering his career. But new red flags have popped up for him in 2025, and injuries have limited him to just 36 games. The constant trade chatter, even after the deadline passed last month, doesn’t help either.

Antetokounmpo appears to still have some upside, but his uncertain future also makes him a bust risk.

Fantasy Strategies for Managers

Since the current season hasn’t quite concluded yet, managers still have plenty of time to suss out risky fantasy assets. Owners should also keep an eye on summer league and preseason games before making any big decisions.

For those looking to the future: The best advice is to entirely fade these red-flag-wavers, or take them at a huge discount. Instead, fill those roster spots with sleepers you can get at a discounted price. (Hey, we just did an article on that.)

Conclusion: Spot The Red Flags

No fantasy manager likes it when a big-name player with a high ADP doesn’t live up to the expectations and ruins the season. Spot the red flags now, avoid the high-risk names, and build your fantasy roster around young, durable talent. Draft a healthy, winning roster today, and you could be looking at a future title run.