Fantasy Football: Overrated Players

Houston TE Owen Daniels

These are the fantasy players or positions from each of the 32 NFL teams that we are going to either avoid altogether, or for the most part, make them a late, late pick in our drafts.

Arizona
Todd Heap, TE
The tight end class is one of the deepest it’s ever been, and Heap is on the back end of it. He still has momentary flashes of greatness, but we would rather play for the upside at this position. 
WAIT UNTIL: 19th RD

Atlanta
John Abraham, DL
The addition of Ray Edwards as the other bookend on the Falcons’ line and Kroy Biermann being in the rotation means, Abraham, the 12-year veteran, may not get enough snaps to warrant being a top IDP defensive lineman.
WAIT UNTIL: 20th RD

Baltimore
Ed Dickson, TE
No Derrick Mason. No Todd Heap. And the Ravens sign Vonta Leach to clear the way for more ground and pound (or at least dump offs) with Ray Rice. It’s probably a year too early for Dickson to be thrown into the fold as the team’s starting TE, and he may perform as such.
WAIT UNTIL: 19th RD

Buffalo
TIGHT ENDS
Chan Gailey seemingly has no use for the position. Not counting Tony Gonzalez's 10-score, 1,058-yard season in 1998, a player he inherited during his prime, the tight end position has combined for 1,884 yards and 21 TDs over eight seasons and five different teams under Gailey's tutelage. That averages out to three scores and 269 yards per season. The tight ends combined for 187 yards and one score last season.
WAIT UNTIL: NEVER

Carolina
THE PASSING GAME 
In keeper leagues, rookie quarterback Cam Newton and rising star David Gettis have plenty of value. But in 2011, look for DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to be the only dependable Panther fantasy options. 
WAIT UNTIL: 20th RD

Chicago
Marion Barber, RB 
Barber has played the “big back” role before and did not do much with it in Dallas. Yes, he will steal a few TDs around the goal line because Forté has trouble knocking it in, but that’s about all you can expect: a mini TD vulture. 
WAIT UNTIL: NEVER

Cincinnati
BENGALS DEFENSE/ST
Cincinnati went from the 12th-rated fantasy defense to the 27th in one year. The Bengals registered zero kick return TDs, tied for 27th in sacks and then used their top two picks at WR and QB. 
WAIT UNTIL: NEVER

Cleveland
RECEIVERS 
Brian Robiskie’s had trouble adjusting to NFL schemes, and Mohamed Massaquoi has underachieved since high school. Rookie Greg Little has plenty of upside, but he’s still catching passes from Colt McCoy. 
WAIT UNTIL: 20th RD

Dallas
BACKUP TIGHT END 
Jason Witten hasn’t missed a start since 2006, and in the last four seasons, the backups have combined for 957 yards and eight scores. Witten does that in a season. Martellus Bennett is not worth a look. 
WAIT UNTIL: NEVER

Denver
TIGHT ENDS 
John Fox is a run-first head coach, and the tight end was never a staple of his offenses in his nine years in Carolina. The position eclipsed 700 yards only once and never went past six TDs in a season. 
WAIT UNTIL: NEVER

Detroit
Nate Burleson, WR 
With Titus Young joining the fantasy ranks, and Jahvid Best, Brandon Pettigrew and Calvin Johnson combining to command high target totals, Burleson’s time on fantasy rosters may be ending. 
WAIT UNTIL: 19th RD

Green Bay
Donald Driver, WR
With Jordy Nelson and James Jones stepping up, Jermichael Finley returning and Randall Cobb joining the offense, the 36-year-old Driver’s value is greatly diminished after his worst season in Green Bay since 2001. 
WAIT UNTIL: 17th RD

Houston
Owen Daniels, TE 
Simply put: Daniels has failed to stay healthy the last two seasons, missing 13 games over that span. In what may be the deepest year ever for tight ends, Daniels is only worth a mid-to-late-round flier as a backup. 
WAIT UNTIL: 11th RD

Indianapolis
Austin Collie, WR 
When healthy, Collie has proven to be a fantastic fantasy option. Yet, his role is still working the middle of the field, and one more concussion could end his career. Select at your own risk. 
WAIT UNTIL: 8th RD

Jacksonville
David Garrard, QB 
His 53-to-38 TD-to-INT ratio over the last three years prompted the Jags to select Blaine Gabbert in the first round. Garrard averaged under 200 yards passing per game in 2010. 
WAIT UNTIL: 19th RD 

Kansas City
Matt Cassel, QB 
Cassel tossed 27 passing scores last year but is a longshot to repeat that total. Coordinator Charlie Weis is gone, and doubts remain about Cassel's ability to be an elite quarterback.
WAIT UNTIL: 16th RD

Miami
Anthony Fasano, TE
Despite career highs in targets (60), catches (39) and yards (528) last season, where does he fit in this season? He has rookie Charles Clay to compete with, as well as Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess and Reggie Bush in the passing game.
WAIT UNTIL: NEVER

Minnesota
QUARTERBACKS
Whether it is Donovan McNabb or rookie Christian Ponder, no Vikings passer is worth drafting. The offense still runs through Adrian Peterson, and the offensive line might have trouble protecting the passer.
WAIT UNTIL: 19th RD

New England
Danny Woodhead, RB/WR 
The cult hero of Foxboro will be hard-pressed to repeat his 2010 production with two elite tight ends, Wes Welker, two rookie RBs and BenJarvus Green-Ellis heavily involved in the offense. 
WAIT UNTIL: 12th RD

New Orleans
Chris Ivory, RB 
With the Saints drafting Mark Ingram, who will likely step into the starting role, Pierre Thomas returning from injury and the acquisition of Darren Sproles, it doesn’t seem like there will be enough touches for Ivory to be relevant 
WAIT UNTIL: NEVER

New York Giants
Osi Umenyiora, DL
He reports after camp has started, then goes straight to surgery on his knee and with two weeks left until the season starts we hear he "may" be available for Week 1. Then it's reported he could miss the first three weeks. The problem here is that in IDP leagues, elite DLs are hard to find. So this is a tough call on Osi. You could still draft him where you normally would, figure out how to support yourself the first three weeks and then again in Week 7 (the Giants' bye) or you could avoid the situation altogether. We advise finding someone else with more upside than the multiple knee-surgeried Umenyiora.
WAIT UNTIL: 20th RD

New York Jets
Darrelle Revis, DB
Quarterbacks avoid Revis, and so will we. The NFL’s best cornerback went from the No. 33-ranked DB in IDP leagues in 2009 to No. 172 in this scoring format in 2010. With QBs shying away from him, Revis is not able to produce numbers worthy of being on your roster.
WAIT UNTIL: NEVER

Oakland
Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR 
Oakland could field a good fantasy offense in 2011, but Heyward-Bey won’t be a big part of it. Jason Campbell will look to Jacoby Ford, Louis Murphy and the tight end TBD as his primary pass-catchers. 
WAIT UNTIL: NEVER

Philadelphia
Brent Celek, TE 
The Eagles’ offense under Michael Vick rarely features the tight end. One year removed from a stellar 2009 season, Celek saw 34 fewer targets in 2010. 
WAIT UNTIL: 20th RD

Pittsburgh
Hines Ward, WR 
Despite being one of the best all-around players of this generation, Ward is clearly in decline after his worst season in a decade. Look for Emmanuel Sanders to start stealing his targets. 
WAIT UNTIL: 16th RD

San Diego
Patrick Crayton, WR 
After scoring at least four TDs in four straight seasons with the Cowboys, Crayton managed only one score (on just 28 catches) in his first season on a talented, and for most of the season a Vincent Jackson-less San Diego offense. 
WAIT UNTIL: 20th RD

Seattle
Justin Forsett, RB 
He was given the chance to carry the load in 2010 (36 carries in Weeks 3 and 4) and failed to secure the job, prompting a trade for Marshawn Lynch. Pete Carroll will ride his new workhorse in 2011. 
WAIT UNTIL: 13th RD

San Francisco
Alex Smith, QB 
Not even Jim Harbaugh’s Midas touch will be good enough to land Smith on any fantasy roster. He has never topped 3,000 yards or 20 TDs in a season, and he has more career INTs (53) than TDs (51). 
WAIT UNTIL: 18th RD

St. Louis
WIDE RECEIVERS 
There’s a lot of quality talent there for Sam Bradford, but it’s a total crapshoot as to who will be the featured receiver. Danny Amendola is the safest bet but the least talented. 
WAIT UNTIL: 13th RD

Tampa Bay
Arrelious Benn, WR 
Benn has plenty of talent in his 6'1", 220-pound frame, but he caught only 25 passes in 15 games last season. A reconstructed knee will put his breakout campaign on hold for a year. And Dez Briscoe's performance in camp might make the Bucs' coaches think they don't have to rush Benn back ASAP.
WAIT UNTIL: 14th RD

Tennessee
WIDE RECEIVERS
Unrealized potential, lack of talent, off-the-field transgressions and a questionable quarterback situation make Tennessee’s receivers a tough sell for anyone looking for help in 2011. 
WAIT UNTIL: 9th RD

Washington
ANYONE ON OFFENSE
The QB situation is dire; Santana Moss’ value has plummeted without Donovan McNabb; and the stable of running backs is uninspiring and inconsistent. 
WAIT UNTIL: 8th RD

More Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets and Rankings:
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Top 280
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Top 240 w/ IDPs
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defense/Special Teams