2011 Fantasy Football: Busts, Players to Avoid


There will be many more 2011 Fantasy Football Rankings and features in the summer, including tons of 2011 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts, Player Rankings, Sleepers and Busts. I’ll also have an extensive 2011 NFL Fantasy Football Preseason Stock Report. Follow me @walterfootball for updates.



2011 Fantasy Football – Busts, Players to Avoid (Updated July 25):

This is a list of players to avoid in your 2011 Fantasy Football Drafts. Some of these players have injury/age risks. Others are overvalued and will be drafted too early.

10. DeSean Jackson, WR, Eagles
DeSean Jackson suffered a monstrous hit in a Thursday night battle against the Texans. Ever since then, he ran nothing but go routes. He demolished the Cowboys the following Sunday, but subsequent teams caught on. Jackson’s final three games: seven catches, 131 yards, no touchdowns. And speaking of no touchdowns, Jackson found the end zone only once after Nov. 15.

Jackson is one of the most dynamic players in the NFL, but he’s way too brittle. Let someone else spend an early pick on him.

9. Marques Colston, WR, Saints
I currently have Marques Colston at No. 50 in my 2011 Fantasy Football Top 150 Cheat Sheet, so if I could get him in the fifth round, I wouldn’t have any problem with that. The issue is that Colston is being drafted earlier than this despite the fact that he’s coming off his fifth knee procedure in five years.

8. Peyton Hillis, RB, Browns
I owned Peyton Hillis in many of my leagues last year. While he got me to the playoffs in all of those leagues, he also cost me in the playoffs when he wore down and did nothing. Hillis cannot shoulder a heavy workload, yet he’s being drafted like he can. He’s going way too early in many fantasy mock drafts.



7. Michael Crabtree, WR, 49ers
Michael Crabtree has been busy this offseason. He’s spent half his summer vacation berating Alex Smith. When he hasn’t been doing that, he’s been taking care of his foot injury – the same foot that caused him to drop in the 2009 NFL Draft. Crabtree is a douche – an injured douche – and he and Smith just don’t have a very good rapport. Don’t bother with Crabtree. Until he adjusts his attitude, he won’t accomplish much in the NFL.

6. Daniel Thomas, RB, Dolphins
As of this writing, Mark Ingram’s ADP is 5.09. That’s fine because he figures to score a bunch of touchdowns in New Orleans’ offense. But what is Daniel Thomas going to do? Thomas won’t have nearly as many red-zone opportunities. And he’s not even guaranteed the starting gig; the Dolphins have discussed bringing a free agent in to complement Thomas, who has an insanely early ADP of 6.02.



5. Ryan Torain and Roy Helu, RBs, Redskins
A popular mid-round draft strategy this year is to obtain both Ryan Torain and Roy Helu.

“Muhahahaha!” these people laugh. “I’ve just guaranteed myself the starting running back of the Washington Redskins!”

Well, congratu-f***ing-lations. You’ve used two mid-round picks to obtain a pair of mediocre talents, one of whom figures to average 3.1 yards per carry for the worst offense in the NFL.

Don’t overthink things. Avoid these bums and focus on drafting better players.

4. Michael Turner, RB, Falcons
If you’ve been reading this Web site for a while, you’d be shocked if Michael Turner didn’t make this list. Turner’s ADP is insanely high at 2.02. He’s not even in my top 20 running backs. Check the 2011 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings to read why.



3. Knowshon Moreno, RB, Broncos
Knowshon Moreno’s ADP as of this writing is 4.09. Also as of this writing, the Broncos are considered the favorites to land DeAngelo Williams. Denver reportedly doesn’t see Moreno as an every-down runner, which makes you wonder why Josh McDaniels spent such an early draft pick on Moreno.

Even if the Broncos don’t sign Williams and keep Moreno as their starter, I still wouldn’t touch Moreno anywhere near the fourth round. He can’t stay healthy, his work ethic stinks, and he’s not going to score many touchdowns with Tim Tebow getting all of the work inside the 5-yard line.

2. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, Patriots
Scouring through Fantasy Football Calculator’s ADP list, I was SHOCKED to see BenJarvus Green-Ellis at 6.06. God doesn’t even know what the hell Bill Belichick is going to do with his billion running backs, so I just don’t understand how anyone can spend such an early pick on Green-Ellis. Let’s wait until the preseason – maybe we can figure out what Belichick plans on doing then.

1. Anquan Boldin, WR, Ravens
Anquan Boldin’s ADP is insanely high at 5.09. I don’t get it. Have people forgotten that he averaged 35.4 yards and scored two touchdowns in the final nine weeks of the 2011 season? And that doesn’t even include his brilliant performance at Pittsburgh in the second round of the playoffs: one catch, minus-2 yards.

Boldin’s done. He can’t separate anymore, and unlike his time in Arizona, he no longer has the luxury of having Larry Fitzgerald on the other side to draw attention away from the opposition. He’s currently No. 60 in my 2011 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver rankings.

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More 2011 Fantasy Football Articles:
2011 Fantasy Football: Home

2011 Fantasy Football Rankings:
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks - 9/8 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs - 9/8 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers - 9/8 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends - 9/8 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defenses - 9/1 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers - 6/26 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Downloadable Spreadsheets - 9/8 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Dynasty Rookie Rankings - 8/27 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Auction Values - 8/27 (Walt)

2011 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets:
2011 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 150 Traditional - 9/8 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 150 PPR - 9/8 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 150 Touchdown - 9/8 (Walt)

2011 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts:
2011 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Real League Draft - 8/31 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Fake Mock - 8/25 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Experts Draft - 8/25 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Forum 2-QB Mock - 7/21 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football: Mock Draft Scenarios - 7/17 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Auction: Mock PPR Auction - 7/14 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Forum PPR Mock - 7/7 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Forum Mock - 7/3 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Four-Man PPR Draft - 6/19 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Draft: Fox Sports - 5/5 (Walt)

2011 Fantasy Football Articles:
2011 Fantasy Football Injury Reports: Week 2 - 9/18 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Weekly Rankings: Week 2 - 9/18 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football: Week 2 Add/Drop - 9/13 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football: Training Camp Stock - 9/8 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football: Start Em, Sit Em - 9/6 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football: Preseason Stock - 9/3 (Walt)
2011 Preseason Recap and Fantasy Football Notes - 9/3 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football: Preseason Targets - 9/3 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football: Late-Round Sleepers - 9/1 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football: Round-by-Round Strategy - 9/1 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football: Value Comparison - 9/1
2011 Fantasy Football: Must-Have Players - 8/24 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football: Busts, Players to Avoid - 7/25 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Mailbag - 7/24 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Sleepers - 7/23 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football: Various League Strategy - 7/18 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football: Three-Dimensional Running Backs - 7/16 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football: ADP Analysis - 7/15 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football: First-Round Bust History - 7/10 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Mailbag - 7/9 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Mailbag - 7/4 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Analysis - 7/1 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Mailbag - 6/18 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Mailbag - 6/12 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football Mailbag - 6/5 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football: Stock Up (Draft) - 5/6 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football: Stock Down (Draft) - 5/6 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football: Buy Low - 4/8 (Walt)
2011 Fantasy Football: Defense Strategy - 4/8 (Walt)
Running Backs with Most Carries - 4/8 (Walt)





2024 NFL Mock Draft - March 26


NFL Power Rankings - Feb. 22


Fantasy Football Rankings - Feb. 19


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