Players to Avoid in all Drafts
Justin Herbert (LAC)
Herberts draft value has fallen since a sub-par 2023 and the changeover to a more conservative Jim Harbaugh. He also lost Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler and Gerald Everett in the offseason, and with the chargers looking to use a run first based offense it will diminish Herberts Fantasy value in 2024 . Herbert, who averaged 18.1 points per game last season, could struggle to hit that mark in 2024. I won’t be drafting Herbert in any drafts this year.
Josh Jacobs (GB)
Josh Jacobs won’t be the bell cow he was in Vegas. The Packers signed Josh Jacobs to come in and take over for Aaron Jones who left for Minnesota in free agency. Jacobs was crazy good in 2022 and 2023. 2024 he was solid bu got injured in week 13. Packers coach Matt LaFleur has been an RB-by-committee guy ever since he took the helm in Green Bay. AJ Dillon is still a viable option to steal some goal line carries and short yardage snaps. The Packers also drafted Marshawn Lloyd this year and Lloyd will quickly be a major factor in this backfield. Given the miles on Jacob’s tires from the past several seasons, I am not going to draft Jacobs and take a swing on Lloyd late in drafts, banking on him taking over at some point because of injury or poor performance by Jacobs and/or Dillon.
Rhamondre Stevenson (NE)
With so many question marks in New England, I am steering away from Stevenson in all draft formats. He plays on an offense that will look totally new this season. I’m also concerned that the signing of Antonio Gibson will take Stevenson off the field in a lot of 3rd down situations. The Patriots are in a total rebuild right now and I generally don’t want to draft any players on those types of offenses. There may be a game here or there Stevenson pops off but nothing worth being a staple on your weekly starting roster. I’d rather draft guys like Zamir White, Zack Moss or Najee Harris who all are on more established offenses.
DJ Moore (CHI)
I am avoiding DJ Moore in all of my fantasy drafts this year. Moore seemed to get going last year but a lot has changed. For one, Justin Fields is replaced by an untested rookie QB in Caleb Williams. Also there are a lot of new weapons in Chicago this season. Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Udunze will take targets away from Moore starting week 1. De’Andre Swift at RB will also take some short passes away from Moore. I’m looking at drafting guys like Jaylen Waddle, Deebo Samuel, DK Metcalf and DeVonta Smith instead at that ADP.
Tee Higgins (CIN)
Tee Higgins has never really never stood up to his ADP. His best season to date was his 2nd year in which his fantasy points per game (15.7) landed him at WR12 on the year with his only season with a target share over 20%. Given the franchise tag and the 80th overall draft pick of WR Jermaine Burton kind of shows the Bengals hand in their future plans with Higgins. I’m not saying Higgins would be a complete waste, but will not be worth his ADP. The juice ain’t worth the squeeze. There are so many guys around his ADP that I am looking at like George Pickens who is a #1 WR on his team, Christian Kirk, Stefon Diggs, and Calvin Ridley. I’d rather skip Higgins and take the aforementioned Burton later in drafts.
Dalton Schultz (HOU)
The Texans may have signed Schultz to a new deal for three years and $36 million, but this came before they knew they could acquire wide receiver Diggs which they did via trade about a month later. Also, in the draft, they took Cade Stover whom Texans QB Stroud played with in college and traded for running back Joe Mixon who will certainly get more touches than past RB’s in Houston. Schultz had a respectable 59 catches for 635 yards and five scores, but those figures are sure to drop with the acquisition of Diggs, drafting Stover, adding Mixon and returning wide receiver Tank Dell who was injured the later part of 2023.
