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Buyer Beware On These Fantasy Football Stars in 2025

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Luke Easterling | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 7:57 PM ET

When making your top picks in fantasy football drafts, it's all about balancing potential production while minimizing risk.

Heading into the 2025 season, there are plenty of attractive options for fantasy managers to get huge numbers out of their early-round selections, but some of the biggest names in the league this year come with some serious concerns about their ability to live up to the hype this time around.

As you prepare for your last-minute drafts, here are a few household names who carry the "buyer beware" tag for this year's fantasy football campaign:

RB Christian McCaffrey, 49ers

When healthy, CMC has been a fantasy stud for pretty much his entire NFL career. But he's dealt with injuries multiple times, and this year, he's coming off a 2024 campaign that saw him miss the majority of the season with multiple issues.

Now at 29 years old, McCaffrey's durability concerns aren't going to get better anytime soon. At full strength, he's proven to be a dynamic weapon in Kyle Shanahan's offense in San Francisco, but none of that matters if he can't stay healthy.

McCaffrey is still coming off the board as a top-10 pick in most redraft leagues this year, but making him your top pick is taking a massive risk that he will be able to get through the entire season without missing more games.

WR Tyreek Hill, Dolphins

Despite playing all 17 games last season, Hill posted one of the worst statistical seasons of his NFL career, managing just 959 yards on 81 receptions, averaging just 11.8 yards per catch and hauling in just six touchdowns.

Hill has been a big-play machine throughout his career, but now at 31 years old, it's safe to wonder how much juice the speedster still has left in the tank. He also had offseason wrist surgery, and has been dealing with an oblique injury over the past month.

He's still being drafted as a top-15 receiver in PPR leagues right now, ahead of many talented receivers who are much younger, and don't have his injury concerns. If you're hoping he can return to the fantasy superstar he was in his prime, even without missing time with injury this season, that's an unnecessary gamble early in your fantasy draft.

RB Alvin Kamara, Saints

Another do-it-all running back who could single-handedly win you a league title just a couple of years ago, Kamara is beginning to show signs of the massive workload he's shouldered since entering the league.

You might be surprised to know that Kamara has never rushed for 1,000 yards in a season, though he's always made up for that with impressive receiving numbers and plenty of touchdowns. That said, Kamara just turned 30 years old this offseason, and he hasn't played a full season since his rookie year.

If the Saints expect him to be their offensive workhorse again this year, it could lead to some big numbers should he stay healthy along the way. But that's a massive "if" considering his age and the amount of wear-and-tear he's had over the years, making him a risky pick as a top-15 running back in PPR leagues.