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With the NFL season starting next week, fantasy football drafts are running rampant across the world. The goal, of course, is to build the most competitive team possible to reach that top of the mountain … winning a fantasy football league championship.
A big part of that is avoiding players who don’t live up to expectations based on their ADP, also known as average draft position. Of course, I have my own list of players who I’m a bit wary of in drafts, but I wanted to get you, the fantasy fanatic, to weigh in on the topic.
As a result, I posed this question on X: “Give me a player you’re avoiding in fantasy drafts based on his current ADP.” I thought it would be a fun exercise in popular opinion.
Well, after more than a quarter of a million views and nearly 200 responses, this “tweet” is now something we can all use to get an idea of who fantasy managers are most concerned about in drafts. Many of these names are huge in the fantasy world, including a number who are currently coming off the board in the first round (and most are in the top 24).
So, without further ado, here’s a look at the players you’re most worried about in drafts.
1. De'Vone Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
Achane was one of the best running backs in fantasy football on a points-per-game basis last season. Still, fantasy managers have more concern about Achane than anyone based on the responses. On ESPN, Achane is coming off the board at 35.0, but he’s at 22.6 over the last two weeks on the NFFC website. The concerns about Achane ranged from Raheem Mostert’s presence to durability (or lack thereof) and the addition of Jaylen Wright.
2. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona Cardinals
I absolutely love Harrison Jr., but apparently, he’s not so loved in the fantasy world. The one main issue with him is simple: he’s a rookie, and a lot of fantasy managers don’t think that a rookie should be picked so highly … he’s at 24.7 on ESPN and 14.6 on the NFFC. I’m not on board with this mindset, as we’ve seen rookie wideouts explode in recent years, but that the talented Ohio State product still comes with a lot of risk for fantasy drafters.
3. Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
I “love the Drake” this season, but you have your concerns. The main argument against him is that he’s never been a top-notch player, but he’s being drafted as if he has a chance to be elite this year. While London is a more reasonable 34.3 based on ESPN ADP, he’s currently the WR10 in high-stakes leagues. Maybe you’re not sold on Kirk Cousins, or maybe you just don’t see London as an alpha, but fantasy fanatics are voicing their concerns.
4. Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
I’m not surprised to see Williams on this list, especially since Rams coach Sean McVay said he will return punts this season. Most true featured backs don’t play on special teams, and the team added rookie Blake Corum in the NFL draft. Still, Williams is coming off the board, on average, in the second round. I’ve only taken Williams in one draft to this point, and I’m on board with your concerns about the Rams runner. Draft him with caution.
T-5. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
Gibbs being among the top 10 players that you want to avoid is a slight surprise. With that said, he isn’t a true featured runner in Detroit due to the presence of David Montgomery, who scored 13 touchdowns a season ago. So, I understand why you would hesitate. Still, it’s notable that the high-stakes community is taking Gibbs, on average, as the RB5 with only Christian McCaffrey, Breece Hall, Bijan Robinson and Jonathan Taylor ahead of him.
T-5. Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans
Collins is coming off a breakout season in Houston, finishing 12th in fantasy points among wide receivers. That could have pushed him into the projected top 10 this season, but that went away when the Texans acquired Stefon Diggs. With another rooster in the hen house, managers are worried about Collins’ target share. That’s understandable, and even more so when you add Tank Dell to the mix. In Round 3, many will pass on Collins in drafts.
T-7. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
Jefferson might be the best pure wide receiver in the league, but the quarterback situation in Minnesota has many fantasy fans spooked. With Cousins in Atlanta, the superstar wide receiver will now be catching passes from journeyman quarterback Sam Darnold. I would still argue that Jefferson is worth a top eight pick, as he averaged almost 19 points in the games he played with Nick Mullens last season, but that’s too rich for some folks.
T-7. Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Nacua is coming off a truly magical season, which in and of itself makes me a bit weary of taking him among the elite fantasy wideouts. What’s more, Cooper Kupp is healthy and is moving up draft boards. In fact, his ADP in the last two weeks on the NFFC site has moved up to the point where he’s just 10 spots behind Nacua. Personally, I’d rather have someone like Garrett Wilson or even Harrison Jr. (despite his concerns) in fantasy drafts.
T-7. Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Barkley is going from a lousy Giants offense and offensive line to Philadelphia, where he’ll play in an explosive offense with a strong line. The concern seems to be about his red zone looks, as Jalen Hurts rushed for 15 touchdowns (many via the “Tush Push”) last season. This doesn’t concern the high-stakes crowd, however, as Barkley is still being picked as the RB6 in the early stages of Round 2. I’m on board with that, too. However, that doesn’t seem to be the popular opinion. Who knows, maybe lots of Giants fans weighed in!
10. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
McCaffrey was the best player in fantasy football last season, and it wasn’t close. So, why are many managers afraid of him? Well, he’s played just one full season since 2021. CMC is also part of a four-year trend where the No. 1 overall fantasy pick has gotten hurt and failed to meet expectations. He’s also on the cover of the Madden video game for those of you who are superstitious. I’d still take CMC No. 1, but I’m crossing my fingers when I hit “draft.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Top 10 Players Fantasy Football Managers Are Avoiding in 2024 Drafts.
