Your Top 5 players you are avoiding in this year's draft?

Question

Don't offer Michael Vick (in prison) or Joey Harrington (in the closet). We're looking for starters who are poison in this year's draft. Support your picks with some reasoning and/or rationale, e.g. "Willie Parker. I'll take Fred Taylor many rounds later as their roles will be identical."

Answer 1

McNabb- he's broken (all the time)

Reggie Bush- he should be considered one of the biggest bust ever

Javon Walker- since when do crippled players make money

any other Raider

Answer 2

Stephen Jackson- all the talent in the world but no one to help him use it. This isnt the team of the early 2000 years and it hinges on that offensive line. Will be taken way to early for the risk/ reward payoff.

Tory Holt- See above, and bulgar cant throw with no time.

Steve Smith-I love the guy and believe he is one of if not the best in the league but he doesnt throw to himself  and Delhomme looks finished.

Ronnie Brown- Again I love the guy, but it looks as if Kevin Jones may be joing that backfield. Too many carries to split, but keep n eye on this situation.

Donovan Mcnabb- He may not be the starter, or for that much in philly any longer. The eagles are in a transition phase and it wont be long before hes watching from the sidlines.

Answer 3

I'll offer some BIGGER names:

Larry Johnson-He's been wearing down every season...he had  a big injury last season and he average such a low YPC that he has to have 35-40 carries per game to be an elite RB. And I read that the KC coach is talking about taking away some of his carries. Not platooning of course, but look for him to average 30 and under carries. Also KC has minimum chance of making playoffs so if LJ so they coudl shut him down near end of season.

Donovan McNabb-He's never been as good as ppl say he should be and he's VERY injury prone has weak receiving corps and is aging. And philly's offense is all about Westbrook.

Willis Mcgahee-I just don't think he's that good of a runningback honestly. He put up a good famntasy season because he was easily the main point of the ravens offense, but look for the ravens to be more involved in the aerial game this year and i think Ray Rice will win the job by season's end.

Brandon Jacobs-I love Bradshaw, really liked him since he was in college and apparently the NYg organization is starting to love hima s well. They've talked about giving him more carries this season and Bradshaw clearly outplayed Jacobs during the playoffs.

Marvin harrison-I think he's done. Its been a great run but its Reggie wayne time in Indy plus Anthony Gonzalez is solid.

Answer 4

LOL...funny comment about Harrington.

I would stay away from: Fred Taylor (injury prone) Carson Palmer (I think he is overrated and will not do as well this year) Reggie Bush (totally overrated) and idk about Willie parker either. Rashard Mendenhall might surprise a lot of people this year, including Parker by taking away some of his TD's

Answer 5

Brandon Marshall, DUI, assault charges

Fred Taylor - Father Time

Warrick Dunn - Dinosaur

Donovan McNabb - Campbell's Soup

DeAngelo Williams - Fragile

Answer 6

1. Larry Johnson.  One great year does not make you a first-round RB.  I need him to show me he can succeed with that terrible O-line before I will draft him (that is, of course, unless he drops to the third round or something crazy like that).

2. Darren McFadden.  Fargas is good enough that best-case scenario for McFadden this year is a Willie Parker/Fred Taylor role like you mention in the question.

3. Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, and other Detroit WRs.  As if they didn't have enough problems before Kitna started to wind down.

4. Peyton Manning.  Harrison-less Manning is good enough for 4th round, after Romo, but not good enough for the first round.  Brees, Anderson, Roethlisberger are all better values this year.

5. Todd Heap.  Quarterback questions, injury questions, take your pick of reasons not to reach for Heap.

Answer 7

1) Ronnie Brown - it really depends upon when he's going, but he's going to be starting week 1 only 10 months from an ACL injury. Whens the last time someone came back from one of those within a year and had a good season? Plus in case you didn't notice, the Dolphins aren't very good. He's worth it if he falls for you, but there are probably at least 12-15 backs I'd prefer.

2) Vince Young.... what have the Titans done to help him improve from last year? Unless he's scoring a lot with his feet, expect more of the same awful play. People tend to reach and pick him because he's a big name. For me, he's the top of the bottom tier of QB's.

3) Larry Johnson - Too old, terrible line, terrible passing game, carries the ball too much and will more than likely get injured.... Jacobs is going later than him, and I think they'll have similar fantasy points, despite Jacobs sharing more time. I'd say the injury risk on each is identical.

4) Greg Jennings - Surprised? Look, he got his points on TD's, not by a combination of yardage and  TD's, which is what I look for in a WR. Most of his TD's came on big plays, which made him more or less hit or miss. He didn't even get a quarter of Brett's 4000+ passing yards last year, and do you expect Aaron Rodgers to do any better? I don't. I think he'll disappoint. I'd expect him to get 7-8 TD's and less yards. Donald Driver will outperform him and has been going later.

5) Steve Smith - his injury history scares me, and he is on a run-first team with a crowded receiving corp and a QB who's cannon was injured last season. He may do awesome, but I wouldn't trust him enough to waste as early of a pick as he's requiring this year. I'd rather take a risk on Andre Johnson, who goes around the same time, and I think will end up being a top 3 receiver (if he stays healthy). The safer picks would be Chad Johnson or Torry Holt who are going after him. Johnson's playing to get paid, and Holt, although old, has been guarenteeing fantasy owners 90ish catches, 11-1200 yards, and 7-10 TD's for quite a few years now. A healthy Rams team will offset a weak TD total from last year.

Answer 8

whatup Doc, here are a few guys i'm wary of:

Derek Anderson - will be overvalued and drafted higher than i'm willing to go. dude looking over his shoulder is making too much money to hold a clipboard for 2 full years, meaning Anderson's leash is unfairly tightened. you shouldn't have to worry about handcuffing your starting QB.

Michael Turner - no longer a change of pace, catch 'em off guard back, and is not a workhorse. with an untested QB, they're gonna make him throw to beat them, meaning Turner runs into walls, and not through them. i'd rather take a moderate talent on a decent team, a la Julius Jones. or LenDale White, who is on the field most of the game, and always at the goal line.

Bernard Berrian - ask Peerless Price about taking big money to be The Man, and not finding it as easy or as fun as he thought. even similar in type of QB they paired up with- not very good throwers. great guy from my alma mater, but don't see it happening in Minny. i'd rather take a gamble on Jerry Porter or Burleson. if i feel like staying tuned to Tavaris Jackson's development, i'll take Sidney Rice in the late rounds and let Berrian be somebody else's inconsistent #2.

Selvin Young - if you know who he plays for, you know why. once you take a Denver RB, you're a part of the soap opera all year. i'll let someone else lose sleep and waste roster spots.

Vernon Davis - hasn't Martz done enough to lose the "genius" tag yet? hasn't VD underperformed enough to make you forget about his "freakish athleticism" yet? hasn't Alex Smith made you wonder how you could expect points from any pass-catcher on the team? i'll take any of the next 5 guys ranked below him.

i agree with those who said Lee Evans, Reggie Bush, Harrison, and LJ. Vince Young isn't starter material, but nobody's really saying that he is- i'll pass on him as a backup too. i'm not as anti-McNabb as the ones above, probably because i see him as a good value, as he went in the 4th round of my keeper league draft last year.

Joey Harrington's still in the closet? i thought he came out...

Answer 9

I don't agree with all the McNabb hating going on.  Sure, he's injury prone, but when he is healthy he is still one of the best fanatsy QB when he plays, even with a poor supporting cast (just look at the numbers).  As long as you don't draft him EXPECTING to get a full season out of him, he's not a guy I'd intentionally avoid.

1)  Edgerrin James - the warning signs are all there; he turns 30 this season (a bad age for RB, just ask Shaun Alexander), the Cardinals don't have a great running line, this is a team designed with a passing offense, and Edge's production has declined since being in the desert; I'm going out of my way to avoid him in all leagues this year

2)  Willie Parker - I agree about your Fred Taylor comment, plus Mendenhall is starting to look more and more like the typical Pittburgh RB that they want

3)  Willis McGahee - that Baltimore O-line isn't what it used to be, plus I do think that McGahee isn't that talented in the first place

4)  Chad Johnson - in case you didn't notice, this isn't the same "Ocho Cinco" we're used to seeing; the Bengals' offense isn't as explosive anymore and will have a tougher time scoring this season

5)  Lee Evans - he's way too streaky to start on a weekly basis, plus with Marshawn Lynch, the Bills won't need to chuck it up as much to him

Others I've seen on this page that I'll try to avoid:  Ronnie Brown, Larry Johnson, Vince Young