Many owners struggle when they get to the later portions of their fantasy football drafts. The average owner does not always have the time to study up on who is the third running back in Baltimore or the full WR depth in San Francisco as they prepare for their fantasy football draft. So often drafters will turn to old reliable names they know from years past or someone who was mentioned in passing on social media or elsewhere. Other alluring possible picks just aren’t worth the headaches they provide. They often end up wasting a pick on these type of guys. Here is an early primer on some NFC players that may appear on depth charts or in your draft queue, but will simply end up on your waiver wire quickly as you realize rapidly you just should have not picked them in the first place.
Wasted Picks for 2019 Fantasy Football Drafts
Atlanta: I am done with waiting for Austin Hooper to break out. It is apparent he will never be more than an occasionally effective fantasy contributor. The overall numbers look adequate, but he is totally unreliable on a week to week basis, even for a fantasy TE. He’s more of a DFS play to produce a good line just a few times a year. But he is just a backup TE for fantasy purposes, and you very often do not have to roster those types in your fantasy football draft.
Carolina: I would not use a draft pick on Greg Olsen this year. It is admirable that he wants to continue his career, but there is a very good chance his body will continue to betray him. Ian Thomas showed some flashes of promise late last year and should emerge as the starter this season.
Chicago: Taylor Gabriel is the kind of name some fantasy owners reach for when they are late in their drafts and are just looking for a name they may recognize on their cheat sheet. Gabriel is nothing more than an unreliable occasional downfield playmaker who has only scored three times in the past two seasons.
Dallas: There are a few names to steer clear of in your fantasy football drafts here. Randall Cobb will likely end up being the team’s third WR, and his best days already appear to be behind him. Allen Hurns already showed us much of nothing last season. Jason Witten returns, but after a year off and as an ancient replica of who he once used to be.
Detroit: Please stop chasing the ghost of 2015 Theo Riddick in your PPR fantasy football draft. He only delivers mediocre stat lines on a weekly basis and he failed to crack 400 receiving yards or score a TD last season. He only topped 50 receiving yards in a game once last season.
Green Bay: Unless Geronimo Allison gets hurt, there is no reason to roster Marques Valdes-Scantling. He flashed briefly as a rookie, but ultimately showed he was not capable of handling a larger role in the passing game when he had the opportunity. Aaron Rodgers often seemed to ignore him too, as we have already read about possible strife between the young WR and his QB. He may settle in as a good third receiver for the Packers, but he won’t contribute enough fantasy-wise to be useful.
New Orleans: There was a time not too long ago when some fantasy analysts were touting Cameron Meredith as a possible impact newcomer for New Orleans. Well, that time has quickly come and gone. Meredith teased us for a short spell in Chicago, but he is now destined to be buried on the WR depth chart with the Saints, even with some less than dependable options ahead of him.
Philadelphia: There are a few names here that you can cross off your cheat sheet even before your draft starts. The Eagles acquired Jordan Howard and drafted Miles Sanders to reset their backfield. Those moves have rendered Josh Adams and Corey Clement as useless. It has already been reported that J.J. Arcega-Whiteside could be used sparingly as a rookie. DeSean Jackson is overrated and unreliable. He will be boom or bust in his return to Philadelphia, with way more bust than boom. He won’t excite the fans too frequently.
Tampa Bay: Cameron Brate did catch six TD passes last year, so he is still getting his looks near the goal line. But his reception and yardage totals were close to non-existent and as O.J. Howard will continue to rise as Brate continues to be an afterthought in the Buccaneers offense. He is no longer an option for owners hoping for the occasional TD.
Washington: Dwayne Haskins does not have any weaponry or the support of a solid running game to produce much of anything from fantasy perspectives in his rookie year. Josh Doctson is already a certified bust and playing with a rookie QB means he should be off your draft lists as well.
Scott Engel is an inaugural member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association’s Hall of Fame and a four-time award winner. He was one of the driving content forces in the rise of RotoExperts.com and was the lead host on the RotoExperts in the Morning for six years on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio. He was also instrumental in the launch of the FNTSY Sports Network. Scott was the first-ever Senior Writer and Managing Editor at CBS SportsLine and won a company Hall of Fame Award. He was also an Associate Editor and Fantasy analyst for ESPN.com. He has been the featured Fantasy Writer on Seahawks.com since 2012 and his work has been syndicated to the Associated Press, NFL.com, New York Daily News, New York Post, Yahoo Sports, Bloomberg Sports, Sports Illustrated and many others. He is a credentialed media member who won an FSWA award in 2016 for his Insider Fantasy Reporting. Known as “The King”, Scott is on Twitter @scottTheKing
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