While you will seemingly find an article hyping just about everyone, it’s just as important to know which fantasy football players to avoid in 2020. Taking guys off your big board now can ensure you don’t end up panic drafting them once the big day comes. Here is a look at who you should not only fade, but avoid entirely this season.
*APDs come from FanatsyPros and Fantasy Football Calculator
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7 fantasy football players to avoid in 2020
1) Aaron Rodgers
Green Bay Packers
Current ADP: 8th to 10th round – QB 9/10
If you know your football, then you aren’t drafting Aaron Rodgers. But if you are drawn to big names, then Rodgers may still be tempting. He finished as QB10 last season with the Green Bay Packers opting to focus more on running the football.
The team then spent this offseason doing nothing to improve the offense while simultaneously trying to piss off Rodgers. The thing about ARod is that his value has been mostly tied to touchdowns. He’s hovered around 4,000 yards per season most of his career, but his peak fantasy years were due in large part to gawdy touchdown numbers as well as some rushing yards.
With so many potential quarterback sleepers out there in the later rounds, there is no need to burn a pick in the ninth on Rodgers.
2) D.K. Metcalf
Seattle Seahawks
Current ADP: 5th to 6th round – WR 19/20
D.K. Metcalf is an interesting player, but he is going way too early given the fact the Seahawks are talking about adding another wide receiver. There continues to be smoke around Josh Gordon and Antonio Brown possibly landing in Seattle, which would be bad news for Metcalf.
The situation isn’t all bad. Seattle lined up in a three wide receiver set for 73 percent of their plays last season which means Metcalf isn’t coming off the field. The bad news is that he won’t likely see more than the 100 targets he got last season with Brown around or Gordon in the mix for a full season. Plus, Greg Olsen and Will Dissly are going to get some work too. Ultimately, there is no clear path for Metcalf improving on his WR30 finish from 2019.
3) Evan Engram
New York Giants
Current ADP: ADP: 6th round to 8th round – TE6/9
As you know, we at The Touchback love the TE0 draft strategy, but also see the logic in drafting one of the high-end tight ends in the first few rounds. But guys like Evan Engram often end up as trap picks. Sure, Engram could easily be a top-five tight end if he stays healthy. But the floor is dangerously low and there are much better players to be found in the sixth, seventh and eighth round. Just avoid the risk here.
Want to learn more about the TE0 draft strategy? Checkout our video on YouTube!
4) Kenyan Drake
Arizona Cardinals
Current ADP: 2nd round – RB 12/14
Of all the fantasy football players to avoid in 2020, Kenyan Drake is being drafted the earliest. Does no one remember the Drake story from last season? Everyone thought he was a steal in the fifth/sixth round because he was guaranteed volume in Miami and had a few good games the previous season. Well, it’s happening again, only this time Drake is in Arizona and he helped a lot of managers in the fantasy football playoffs last year.
However, those were two of the only three games in which he scored more than eight fantasy points in (we’re not including week 17). That’s a massive concern. Especially when you consider the Browns allowed the third most rushing yards in 2019 and the Seahawks gave up the 11th most last season. Was Drake’s performance a sign of things to come or simply good games against bad defenses? Don’t throw away a second round pick to find out.
5 & 6) Ke’Shawn Vaughn or Ronald Jones II
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Current ADP: 7th to 10th round – RB 30/45
Everyone and their brother’s mother are trying to sell you on one of these two running backs. Do yourself a favor and don’t draft either Ke’Shawn Vaughn or Ronald Jones II. We’ve already gone over why both Buccaneers running backs probably won’t deliver in 2020 and it has a lot to do with the head coach.
7) Cam Newton
New England Patriots
Current ADP: N/A – N/A
The impact of Cam Newton’s move to New England hasn’t quite registered in the fantasy football community, but we still believe he is one of the fantasy football players to avoid in 2020. I’ve been in mock drafts where he has gone as high of the sixth round and as low as the 12th so it’s impossible to know what his value really is. However, we do know a few things about the Patriots offense that should sound some alarm bells.
Really, it all boils down to what the hell happened to the Patriots at the end of 2019. Given the hype around Tom Brady, most people don’t seem to think he was the issue. That means it was a lack of talent around him that caused the offense to stutter. And yet, nothing has really been done to improve Newton’s new supporting cast. The wide receivers don’t excite and the running backs are the human embodiment of a shoulder shrug. Rookie tight ends rarely produce in the NFL, and the Patriots have two of them. The odds aren’t in favor of Newton producing QB1 numbers in 2020.
