Fantasy Football

We have all over-drafted a player a year too late, a year too early, under the wrong circumstances and sometimes we were just lacking the appropriate information. These are five players to avoid drafting unless you can get them at a cheap price. For instance, one of the people on this list is Chad Johnson. Now, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take him in the fifth round if he is available, but relative to where he is likely going to be drafted, there will always be much better, reliable options, at the receiver position or elsewhere.

1) Greg Jennings
Obviously the change at quarterback factors into this, but we also feel that as good as Jennings was last year, he might reclaim his backseat to Donald Driver this season. With a new quarterback like Rodgers, he is going to feel much more comfortable throwing to a set receiver like Driver than throwing over the top to a player like Jennings. Earliest to draft him: 5th round.

2) Anquan Boldin
Obviously a remarkable talent, produces in every way imaginable. But between the contract disputes that he seems to be developing Shawn Kemp levels of insecurity over, and uncertainty at quarterback (as in, who to start and if either of them will be sufficient), we are reluctant to take him anywhere before the fifth round.

3) Chad Johnson
Let’s see, he’s unstable, pissed at the front office and possibly his coach, demanding, dissatisfied and constantly fighting nagging injuries. While he is still a remarkable talent, it hurts his game that Palmer never seems to throw to the left side of the field since his knee injury and when Chad Johnson isn’t happy, no one is. Offenses with firepower that we are scared to death of taking most of their players from (though there are exceptions) are the Cardinals, Bengals & Rams. Earliest we could take him: 4th round. Speaking of which…

Unless your league scores for creative end zone celebrations, its best to steer clear of Ocho Cinco in the first few rounds.

4) Torry Holt
Simply put, we want nothing to do with this Rams team. Given, Bulger and everyone around him could rebound back to their once vaunted status, and Holt could benefit from that, but we are skeptical. They do benefit from playing in that downy soft NFC West division, but that isn’t enough incentive to draft such a commodity in one of the first three rounds, of which he is sure to go. Early fifth is as high as we can imagine going for Holt.

5) Lee Evans
It seems like a popular sentiment to proclaim this the year Lee Evans earns his keep, the problem is we can’t figure out why. The Bills still have the same uncertainty at quarterback, the running game is still marginal, and he still plays in frigid fucking Buffalo (so you know the passing game will be reigned in for those home December games). The only difference we’re aware of is the addition of James Hardy. Whom we like above all other rookie receivers, but hardly think he’s going to be deterring the defense away from Mr. Evans. Not right away, at least. Honestly, seventh, maybe sixth round is the best we could do for him.

6-10:
6) Reggie Brown: After watching the Eagles hang their hopes on him for the past two seasons, and watching him fall short in every critical moment, we don’t want him in the 100th round.
7) Any Seahawk receiver: Can anyone tell me who the primary target is on this team? Is it Deon Branch? Nate Burleson? The numbers from last season would tell you it is Bobby Engram, but does a repeat performance in 2008 seem likely?
Any Oakland receiver: Spearheaded by Ronald Curry. It makes you wonder why they didn’t draft Calvin Johnson over the assured bust that is JaMarcus Russell, considering it was the same year that they traded Moss to New England for a can of sardines.
9) Marvin Harrison: Between his health, off-the-field problems, growing irrelevance and the uncertainty around Manning’s injury, there is more reason to stay away from him than OJ at this point.
10) Roy Williams: He might go lower than you’d expect based on his pitiful 2007 season, but be very wary of him. He had five touchdowns last season and I believe four of them were in the first three weeks of the season. Buy low, and very low at that.

We are looking forward to this post blowing up in our face. Tune in for our running back rankings tomorrow.