There will be many more 2011 Fantasy Football Rankings and features in the late spring and summer, including tons of 2011 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts and Player Rankings. I’ll also have an extensive 2011 NFL Fantasy Football Preseason Stock Report.
2011 Fantasy Football – Busts (June X):
This is a list of 2011 fantasy football busts – overrated players who won’t perform up to expectations.
Matt Cassel, QB, Chiefs. Bye: 6. Fantasy owners in your league will overdraft Matt Cassel because of his 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2010. The Chiefs had an unbelievably easy schedule last year. When Cassel was finally confornted with a tough opponent, he predictably struggled, going 9-of-18 for 70 yards and three interceptions against the Ravens.
Charlie Weis is gone, which is a huge blow for Cassel. He’s really going to regress in 2011.
Jamaal Charles, RB, Chiefs. Bye: 6. Jamaal Charles is a stud. It’s just a shame that his head coach doesn’t know it.
Charles totaled 1,467 rushing yards, 468 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2010. Unfortunately, his production will decline just a bit next season because Charlie Weis is gone. Weis did a great job of masking Matt Cassel’s deficiencies, but we all saw the real Cassel in Kansas City’s playoff loss. With Cassel presumably struggling and the egotistical Todd Haley calling the shots, Charles will find it difficult to match his 2010 numbers.
Peyton Hillis, RB, Browns. Bye: 5. I loved Peyton Hillis as a late-round sleeper last year. Now, I absolutely hate him. He’s going to be severely overdrafted in your fantasy league this summer.
Hillis definitely had some great moments in 2010, but he wore down the stretch, averaging 3.2 yards per carry or fewer in four of his final seven games. Also, Montario Hardesty will be back, so he’ll take some of the workload away from Hillis. And finally, don’t forget about the Madden Curse. It’s real, people.
Michael Turner, RB, Falcons. Bye: 8. Michael Turner led the NFL in carries last season. If you didn’t know, running backs who have topped the league in carries usually struggled the following year.
Does this mean you should completely avoid Turner in your fantasy drafts? I would. Turner wore down as the 2010 season wore on, failing to average more than four yards per carry in any of his final six games. Turner has shouldered a ton of work the past three years, and I just wouldn’t count on him staying healthy. Add in the fact that the Falcons figure to lose some offensive linemen in free agency, and Turner is just someone you want to stay away from.
Cedric Benson, RB, Bengals. Bye: 7. I wrote this last year: “Cedric Benson is a lazy bum who plays only for contracts and signing bonuses. If Cincinnati gives him a new deal, forget about it; don’t even draft him.”
Well, the Bengals have announced that they’re making Benson a priority in free agency. Stay away.
Ryan Grant, RB, Packers. Bye: 8. 
It’s still early, but I can’t believe how high Ryan Grant is going in 2011 fantasy football mock drafts. As of this writing, Fantasy Football Calculator has Grant’s ADP at 5.06, which is insane. James Starks could easily be the featured back, and I figure there will be some sort of committee. There’s just much more value with Starks at 9.10 than there is with Grant in the middle of Round 5.
DeSean Jackson, WR, Eagles. Bye: 7. 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.
Dwayne Bowe, WR, Chiefs. Bye: 6. Dwayne Bowe’s touchdown totals throughout his career: 5, 7, 4, 15. See an outlier? There is no way Bowe is going to come close to matching that mark of 15.
I’m down on all Kansas City players. The Chiefs had an unbelievably easy schedule last year, taking advantage of multiple teams when they were at their very worst. Things will regress back to the norm for Kansas City, especially with Charle Weis heading down to Florida.
Steve Smith, WR, Panthers. Bye: 9. Steve Smith had his worst season as a pro since his rookie campaign last year, catching just 46 balls for 554 yards and two touchdowns. Smith looked worn-down and slow, but he played through two separate leg injuries. Still though, Smith turned 32 this offseason, and may be playing with a new team in 2011. Non-elite receivers usually struggle when changing venues (see Boldin, Anquan), and Smith is definitely not anywhere near elite anymore. If Smith stays in Carolina, he’ll have to deal with either a raw rookie in Cam Newton or his arch enemy, Jimmy Clausen.
Santana Moss, WR, TBA. Bye: TBA. Almost everyone on the Redskins struggled last year, but Santana Moss managed to haul in 93 receptions for 1,115 yards and six touchdowns. Moss is a free agent, so there’s a chance he’ll sign on with a team that has a good quarterback. If that happens, I believe he’ll be overvalued. Non-elite receivers don’t have a good track record after switching teams (see Anquan Boldin), and Moss turns 32 in June.
Anquan Boldin, WR, Ravens. Bye: 5. Anquan Boldin disappointed his fantasy owners last year, catching 64 balls for 837 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s bound to improve in his second season with the team, right? I don’t think so. Boldin, 31 in October, really looked slow and sluggish. He averaged just 33.7 yards per game in the final nine weeks of 2010. Don’t bother with him.
Mike Sims-Walker, WR, TBA. Bye: TBA. As I’ve mentioned multiple times, I hate non-elite receivers who switch teams. Mike Sims-Walker makes for a nice end zone target, but I’m not expecting him to do much in 2011.
Chad Ochocinco, WR, TBA. Bye: TBA. There’s some talk that Chad Ochocinco could be with the Falcons or Jets next year. Whichever team signs him will undoubtedly suck. Ochocinco, 33, has nothing left. It doesn’t help that he refuses to concentrate on football, instead focusing on $10 reality TV shows and making a fool out of himself in bull-riding events.
Steve Breaston, WR, Cardinals. Bye: 6. Steve Breaston has major knee issues. If the Cardinals retain him, he’ll lose targets to the emerging Andre Roberts. If Breaston signs with another team, he’ll undoubtedly struggle, given that non-elite receivers usually have a tough transition when changing franchises.
Plaxico Burress, WR, TBA. Bye: TBA. People are drafting Plaxico Burress, and I’m not sure why. Burress has been out of football for two years, and he’ll be celebrating his 34th birthday in August. There are better sleepers out there.
Randy Moss, WR, TBA. Bye: TBA. I refuse to believe the Jets, or any NFL team for that matter, is dumb enough to sign Randy Moss. He’s done. Signing Jake Reed or Cris Carter would be just as effective.
Marcedes Lewis, TE, Jaguars. Bye: 9. After years of disappointment, Marcedes Lewis finally put it all together in 2010. He caught 58 passes for 700 yards and 10 touchdowns. Unfortunately for Lewis, the Jaguars are going to be a mess this season. Gene Smith doesn’t care about winning right now, so there is going to be a lot of doubt in the locker room.
Tony Gonzalez, TE, Falcons. Bye: 8. Tony Gonzalez is done. His yards-per-catch average dipped below 10 for the first time in his career last year, as he looked slow and sluggish as the season progressed. He still has some value because he’ll get end zone looks, but don’t count on him unless you’re in a touchdown-only league.
Brent Celek, TE, Eagles. Bye: 7. Brent Celek had an awful 2010 campaign. It seemed like he dropped a dozen passes each week, and he finished with just 42 receptions for 511 yards and four touchdowns. It wasn’t just Celek though; he saw his targets drop from 106 in 2009 to 73 in 2010. Philadelphia’s new quarterback just didn’t look in his direction.
Greg Olsen, TE, Bears. Bye: 8. Greg Olsen was a somewhat serviceable tight end last season because he caught five touchdown passes, but his meager 41 receptions were expected because Mike Martz does not like to utilize tight ends in his offense. Avoid Olsen until he starts playing for a tight end-friendly offensive coordinator.
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)
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2024 NFL Mock Draft - April 23
NFL Power Rankings - Feb. 22
Fantasy Football Rankings - Feb. 19
NFL Picks - Feb. 12
