This article discusses the Top players to avoid in all positions. The assessment is based on the projected draft location versus the expected performance for 2010.
One of the keys to winning fantasy soccer leagues is the ability to recognize players who are overvalued and to ignore them. “Slumpers” are NFL players who tend to be designed in the top 3 in their position and produce such players arranged in two digit rounds. The key to winning your fantasy soccer league is to find players who will produce consistently. You might be able to compensate for one Slumper with Sleeper, but it’s better to only avoid dead weight, if you can see a sign of Downfall potential. There are times that are absent. A perfect example of this from 2009 is Matt Forte. Nobody expected a drop of 300 meters and 8 total TDs from his 2008 rookie season. The 2009 Michael Turner drop-off isn’t surprising because he brought 376 logs in 2008. Below are the players overvalued based on position.
2010 Fantasy Football Slumpers
QB: Matt Schaub (Houston) -As tempting as it is to put Brett Favre in this position, he hasn’t signed with the Vikings for 2010, even though it is as inevitable as the sun rises. So, he must be eliminated. Our choice for QB is Matt Schaub. He has advanced as high as the third round in many of our drafts. There are too many quality RBs and WRs available at this time in the draft. Schaub is too fragile to spend choosing him here. Somehow, he lasted all season in 2009, but it’s foolish to expect that again in 2010. Plus, his success is largely attributed to WR Andre Johnson. Johnson entered the 2010 season rather handcuffed that the Texans had not torn the contract at the moment and rewarded him with a large bonus and over WR cash. This situation tends to distract the player so that Schaub will suffer if Johnson’s head is fully in the game.
RB: Steven Jackson (St. Louis) – there are no players in the NFL that I admire from SJax. He is in the worst team in the league and he is the only player who makes the Rams come close to resembling a professional soccer team. However, he did not complain about his contract or the lack of talent that surrounded him. He just takes the ball and punishes the defense. However, continuing to walk to Front 8-Man took a toll. It will remain like that this year since the Rams are breaking in the rookie QB. While Jackson didn’t put up more than 1400 meters last year, he carried the ball 326 times, plus was caught 51 passes. It was a lot of action and he only found the final zone at 4 carry. The last time he approached many of these activities was 2006. In 2007, his yardage dropped by 33%, TDs by 62% and receptions by 42%. You can see the toll it took in 2009 as the last three games produced a total of 184 meters, 7 receptions and zero TDs. Jackson is still being drafted in the first round. You cannot risk your choice over running out of steam in your playoffs and not being able to sniff out the end zone.
The most overvalued fantasy football player
WR: Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona) -Fitz is probably the most talented wide receiver in the NFL. However, he will catch passes from one of the earliest midfielders in the League; Matt Leinart. Leinart was a full-time starter in 2006 and it was the worst season of Fitzgerald’s career (69/946/6). Last year, when Leinart started versus Tennessee, Fitz was targeted 5 times and caught very few 4 tickets for 34 meters and no TDs. With the threat of double running at Beanie Wells and the Hightower team, I expect the same number for 2006 for Fitzgerald, which is definitely not worthy of your first or second draft pick.
TE: Greg Olsen (Chicago) – Olsen enjoyed his best season as a professional last year; increase reception, yards and TDs (jump to 8). He has two problems working against him this year. First, the Bears hired Mike Martz. Martz is known to forget that the tight end is an actual offensive position. Many of his plays require fast reading and throwing. While Olsen is one of the most athletically tight ends in the League, even he needs time to get open. Another problem is that Chicago found that they actually have receivers on their list. Devin Hester and Johnny Knox turned around in extraordinary numbers last year compared to their expectations and will develop in Martz offenses this year. Even better, only when the League thinks the bears’ passing scheme is well maintained (See Cutler’s interceptions), together comes Devin Aromashodu. In aromashodu’s (how fun is it to say “Aromashodu” ?!) the last 4 games, he caught 22 tickets for 282 meters and 4 TDs. These three receivers remind Martz of the Trio he has in St. Louis. Can anyone name a tight Rams ending in the early 2000s?