Despite my best efforts to remove my emotion from my decision making process, I always find myself following my gut when it comes to certain players. I am human. Every year there is a handful of players I avoid in my fantasy football leagues, even staring in the face of analytics. This year is no different. I get it, I’m just some guy on the internet; my opinion may be as valuable to you as a box of matches in a forest fire. But regardless how you feel about my opinion, at the end of the day, sharing my thoughts on certain players may sway some readers who were on the fence. I’m all about bringing about the winds of change. Here in this article I will be listing players to avoid in fantasy drafts.
QB
Lamar Jackson – Drafted #51 Overall/QB4
Lamar Jackson is one of the leagues most electrifying quarterbacks. He is essentially a running back that can pass the ball. But no matter how talented he is, I can’t bring myself to draft him. It might be because he lost Hollywood Brown and must rely on unproven talent like Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, and James Proche. Or it might be because he had a partially torn ankle ligament that ended his season last year. Or it might even be because he scored 25 fewer touchdowns in 2021 than his 2019 MVP year. He has been on a downward trend ever since his MVP season, and I want no part of that.
Trey Lance – Drafted #99 Overall/QB13
Trey Lance came into the league as a raw but extremely athletic prospect at quarterback. He also has one of the league’s best pass catching duos. However, it took way longer than expected for Lance to beat Jimmy G with a bum shoulder for the starting job in San Francisco. It indicates that Lance’s development was further behind than initially thought. He even had to rework his throwing motion this offseason. He is tempting with his rushing prowess, but I will be happy to be wrong on this one and I will pass (pun intended).
RB
Derrick Henry – Drafted #5 Overall/RB4
This one is one of the more controversial players to avoid. Derrick Henry is a stud. He has been smashing his way to double digit touchdowns the last four years. Over that four year span, he rushed the ball 1,115 times. The usage came to a head in 2021 when the 28 year old Henry went down with a broken foot in week 8. He managed to come back for the postseason, but put up a very mediocre stat line at 20 attempts, 62 yards, 3.1 ypc, and a touchdown. He is a very large man who had a broken foot with a very high risk of reinjury. The high usage mixed with the foot injury and age has me skipping Henry this year.
Antonio Gibson – Drafted #33 Overall/RB19
Antonio Gibson is one of those players who has inched close to the cusp of fantasy greatness. He has the size, speed, and build to be an every down back in the NFL. He has shown explosiveness and pass catching ability. His main obstacles to greatness has been his own durability and the coaching staff’s decision making. He plays through his injuries so his toughness isn’t in question here; it’s just that his production suffers as a result. He unfortunately has not lived up to many fantasy players expectations. Because of this, combined with the fact that the Commanders spent a third round selection (the same round they selected Gibson in 2019) on Alabama’s Brian Robinson, I will be avoiding him.
Damien Harris – Drafted #49 Overall/RB24
Damien Harris is a player I am actively avoiding in 2022. He will be splitting carries with an emerging Rhamondre Stevenson. Harris’ 15 touchdowns in 2021 will most likely regress; he only scored two in 2020. He is also nonexistent in the passing game. You won’t find Harris on any of my teams this year.
Breece Hall – Drafted #52 Overall/RB26
This article breaks down precisely how I feel about Breece Hall; he is overvalued, he will have to split carries, and there are more proven options in better situations available around the spot he is being selected. The Zach Wilson led offense was ranked in the bottom third in nearly every category. In addition to these reasons, the Jets just lost their best offensive lineman in Mekai Becton for the year. This may be the lowest Hall may go in his entire career since he profiles to be a great NFL running back, but at the same time, he is on the Jets. Avoid this player.
Cordarrelle Patterson – Drafted #88 Overall/RB37
Cordarrelle Patterson finally lived up to his hype in 2021. The 31 year old former first round pick topped 1000 yard from scrimmage for the first time in his career while scoring 11 touchdowns. However, his success is an absolute anomaly. Only 25 running backs since 1932 has rushed for 1000+ yards in their 30s. Many on that list are Hall of Famers. The last to do so was Adrian Peterson in 2018. Patterson is a talented player, but he is not nearly the same caliber of player as the ones on that list. These reasons are why Patterson is one of the players to avoid.
WR
Deebo Samuel – Drafted #17 Overall/WR6
Deebo Samuel showed us what he is capable of in 2021 when he is able to stay healthy. Samuel had 77 receptions, 1770 yards from scrimmage, and 14 touchdowns. There is no doubt that Deebo is a talented player. My major hang up on him is his injury history and usage. He has injured his groin twice, had a pair of hamstring injuries, and had a Jones fracture in his foot so far in his three year career. Deebo plays hard and his body takes a beating as a result. He was also used more as a running back near the back half of the year, rushing for 365 yards and scoring eight touchdowns on the ground. I expect these numbers to regress with a healthy 49ers backfield in 2022.
AJ Brown – Drafted #27 Overall/WR10
AJ Brown is one of my favorite players in the NFL currently. He is also one of the players I am avoiding in my 2022 fantasy drafts. The oft injured wide receiver has just come off his worst statistical season in his three year career and got traded to the Eagles in the off season. The history of wide receivers switching teams and replicating their past success does not look good for Brown. Add in the fact that Jalen Hurts is one of the NFL’s worst passers and you have a recipe for a bust in AJ Brown. Next.
DeAndre Hopkins – Drafted #46/WR16
DeAndre Hopkins is also one of my favorite players in the NFL. The guy can catch almost any ball thrown his way. This year is different, however, since Hopkins will be suspended for six games in 2022. He is one of the most clear cut players to avoid this season. I see no point in adding a player to my roster that won’t produce any fantasy points for a large portion of the season. His price is way too high at #46 overall. He will also face competition in targets with the addition of Hollywood Brown in the off season. It is time retire Hopkins from my fantasy teams.
Michael Thomas – Drafted #53/WR20
Michael Thomas was a beast in 2019. He injured his ankle in 2020 and has been pretty nonexistent since. The Saints used up a lot of draft capital to acquire rookie WR Chris Olave in this years draft. The Saints have also since moved on from Drew Brees to Jameis Winston during Thomas’ absence from the team. Even if the 29 year old Thomas returns to the field healthy and ready in week 1, I expect his usage to drop dramatically.