Fantasy Football Friday: 10 Players to AVOID in Your Draft

Matt Hylen
Jul 18
4 min read

by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen 7/18/2025 FansOnlySportz

Zak's Top-5

1. Jayden Daniels (QB3, ADP 30)

My worst take of last year was that Jayden Daniels was going to need some time to transition to the NFL. His improvability and coaching paved the way for him to have a breakout season, but with a year of tape for teams to study I am a FIRM BELIEVER that Daniels fantasy draft stock should be closer to #10.

2. Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR8, ADP 13)

The Lions pass game has been elite for a few seasons now but suffered some major losses this offseason that should really hurt AR's season. Losing the best OC in the league and the pass game coordinator that have been with Amon-Ra since his rookie season, look for this star receiver and the whole team to have a down year.

3. Ashton Jeanty (RB2, ADP 12)

The best Running Back to enter the league should follow in the footsteps of recent high draftees such as Bijan and Jahmyr but he won't his first year. In Pete Carroll's first season in Vegas, the offense wont be dynamic enough or have a good enough O-line to earn this ranking. Jeanty will be good this season and great beyond it, but look for a low-100 yard season and maybe an end-of-year ranking around RB 10.

4. Puka Nacua (WR4, ADP 8)

Puka has been a good slot option and benefited in the Rams system under McVay but in my opinion, will spend his first full season as WR2 this year. Davante Adams should really take the league by storm this year but won't necessarily take the best corners especially right away. Look for Puka to have a slow start and I'm guessing end the year as low as WR15 possibly.

5. Drake London (WR10, ADP 18)

My final player to avoid is going to be Drake London. A new offense around Michael Penix scares me, especially with Bijan Robinson being the main focus. London will be getting every teams #1 cornerback as well next season and will have to be very TD-dependent to come anywhere close to his ADP-18 mark.

___________________________________

Matt's Top-5

1. Tee Higgins (WR10, ADP 27)

Higgins is too much of a risk to be drafted as high as he is being projected. Higgins, having only played one full season in his career, has been injured for 20% of the possible games he could have played in during his career, with injuries ranging from his hamstring to his ribs (both of which are at high risk of being re-injured). Combine this with being a clear number two receiver and reliant on big play production, and you've got a guy whom I would avoid in the early rounds of Fantasy Drafts.

2. Garrett Wilson (WR18, ADP 39)

C/O to Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images via nwahomepage.com

Wilson, though possessing extreme talent, has been a victim of the black hole that is the New York Jets his entire career. He was the WR23 in 2023, and though he did finish as the WR9 last season, do not let that fool you. There were plenty of receivers who were hurt (Puka Nacua, Tyreek Hill, Nico Collins, etc.), which helped his stock a bit more. With shaky quarterback play on a team that never seems to figure things out, avoid Garrett Wilson in the early rounds of your fantasy drafts.

3. DK Metcalf (WR21, ADP 45)

DK Metcalf may be a flashy and fun receiver to watch in real life, but he is almost never a reliable fantasy option. He is too reliant on big plays, and his touchdown production is very limited, as the last time he had double-digit touchdowns was back in 2021 (5 TDs in 2022). Metcalf is also on a new team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, whose system does not implement big-play kind of receivers (Exhibit A being George Pickens). I believe he is overrated in most aspects and should be avoided altogether in fantasy drafts, especially in the early part of the middle rounds.

4. Patrick Mahomes (QB6, ADP 60)

Similar to DK Metcalf, I think the name of the player carries the lack of fantasy production a little too far. Patrick Mahomes had the worst statistical year of his career (QB10 in fantasy), yet Kansas City went 15-1 in 2024. With Mahomes not needing to do much in order for his team to win in real life, this might cause your fantasy team to lose a lot of games. Though Mahomes may be the best quarterback in football, he certainly is not in fantasy football. With his top receiver in legal trouble and top overall target way past his prime, again, do not let the name fool you, and avoid drafting him in 2025.

5. De'Von Achane (RB9, ADP 20)

C/O to Megan Briggs/Getty Images via newsweek.com

I may end up regretting this one, but I just do not like how high De'Von Achane is being projected. Yes, he has elite receiving upside, but I think people are overrating his ability to run between the tackles. It’s also a possibility that someone takes over for Achane in short-yardage plays. According to PFF, Achane ran the ball five times when the Dolphins needed one yard to score. The Dolphins' running back lost three yards on those runs and only scored one time. He also had 14 runs within five yards of scoring and only scored three times. This, along with his small stature (which puts him at a higher risk of injury), is why there are better options in the early rounds.

___________________________________