We already broke down the biggest fantasy football values hiding on Sleeper this summer. Now it is time to flip the script.
The same bias that lets proven veterans slide too far also inflates young, exciting players beyond what their redraft resume supports. Fantasy managers carry dynasty valuations into the wrong format. They pay premium prices for players who have not earned them yet.
Overvalued Fantasy Football Players to Avoid on Sleeper
Every average draft position (ADP) was pulled directly from Sleeper’s half-PPR 12-team redraft lobby, then cross-referenced against FantasyPros’ expert consensus rankings (ECR) to locate the widest valuation gaps. These are the players you are paying too much for.
Bucky Irving (RB – TB)
- FantasyPros ECR: 51
- Sleeper ADP: 26
- Gap: -25 Picks
Bucky Irving is one of the most overpriced picks on Sleeper. Drafters are treating him like a locked-in RB2, even though his role and health do not support that kind of investment.
At his fantasy football ADP (26 overall), you are paying premium draft capital for a player that experts rank 51st overall. This massive 25-pick gap reflects how much the market is chasing his rookie-year highlights instead of his current reality.
Irving’s sophomore season was a major step backward. Injuries piled up, efficiency collapsed and there were zero signs that he could handle a full workload.
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Which version of Bucky Irving will the #Bucs get?@BaileyJAdams22 has more:#GoBucshttps://t.co/rAEP8pWGio
— PewterReport ?????? (@PewterReport) June 17, 2026
Tampa Bay’s backfield only adds more risk. Kenneth Gainwell was signed to a meaningful contract and immediately threatens Irving’s passing-down work. Sean Tucker still profiles as the short-yardage and goal-line option. That leaves Irving stuck in a committee.
Irving’s 2025 efficiency collapse with just 3.4 yards per carry and limited explosive plays makes it even harder to project him as a true lead back. And he is coming off shoulder surgery and remains limited in offseason work. The workload Sleeper drafters are assuming is unrealistic.
Drafting Irving inside the top 30 means betting on perfect health, a full efficiency rebound and a workload that simply is not guaranteed. That is too much risk at a premium price. Let someone else chase the upside.
RJ Harvey (RB – DEN)
- FantasyPros ECR: 83
- Sleeper ADP: 48
- Gap: -35 Picks
RJ Harvey is a major overpay on Sleeper. Drafters are grabbing him around pick 48 as a high-end RB2 with huge PPR upside, but his 83 ECR is much closer to reality.
That 35-pick gap reflects a market that is buying upside over certainty. Football fans remember his explosive rookie stretch and 12 touchdowns after J.K. Dobbins got hurt, but that production came in a small, injury-inflated sample.
Broncos RB RJ Harvey underwent surgery this offseason to repair a torn labrum suffered in the AFC Championship Game.
(via @denverpost) pic.twitter.com/jq1y7Awcov
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) June 15, 2026
The underlying metrics paint a much different picture. Harvey is a dynamic receiver and big-play threat in space, but he averaged only 3.7 yards per carry and ranked near the bottom in yards after contact per attempt.
When Dobbins was healthy, Harvey was clearly the change-of-pace back. Dobbins projects to handle much of the early-down and goal-line work, and the Broncos added Jonah Coleman in the draft to handle short-yardage work.
This backfield was designed as a three-way split. On top of that, Harvey is still working back from shoulder surgery (torn labrum), which adds another layer of uncertainty entering training camp.
In redraft, a mid-fourth round price tag requires Harvey to outright seize the lead role or hope for another Dobbins injury. Neither is likely. Harvey has league-winning upside if everything breaks right. The problem is that you are paying for that outcome today.
At pick 48, you need a reliable weekly starter, not a back who likely opens the season sharing touches with Dobbins and Coleman. Let someone else chase the ceiling while you draft the safer workload.
TreVeyon Henderson (RB – NE)
- FantasyPros ECR: 59
- Sleeper ADP: 43
- Gap: -16 Picks
TreVeyon Henderson is getting pushed way too high on Sleeper. Drafters are chasing the highlight plays instead of the actual role. At an ADP in the low 40s, fantasy managers are treating him like a locked-in RB2 even though ECR has him nearly 20 points lower.
The gap exists because his rookie year flashes were thrilling, but they mostly came when Rhamondre Stevenson was off the field. This backfield is still very much a committee, and Henderson has not shown the consistency or the all-around polish needed to force a full takeover.
The real problem is the price. Henderson is being drafted like New England’s unquestioned lead back despite trailing Stevenson in missed tackles forced, yards after contact and pass-blocking reliability, which are the exact traits that keep backs on the field in every situation.
Henderson is still not a complete back, and the Patriots have every incentive to keep Stevenson heavily involved on early downs and at the goal line.
When you draft Henderson at pick 43, you are not paying for what he is right now. You are paying for the ceiling, and that is a dangerous bet in redraft. Could he break out? Absolutely. However, at this draft cost, you are absorbing all of the downside while passing on players with far safer workloads and proven production.
Malik Nabers (WR – NYG)
- FantasyPros ECR: 29
- Sleeper ADP: 21
- Gap: -8 Picks
Malik Nabers is one of the NFL’s elite young receivers. His Sleeper ADP bakes in a full, immediate return to dominance despite real uncertainty coming off a major knee injury. Nabers tore both his ACL and meniscus, missed nearly the entire season and required a second procedure during rehab.
.@AdamSchefter on Malik Nabers’ recovery timeline from his second knee surgery:
“The Giants have said all along that they’re hopeful he’s gonna be ready for week one” pic.twitter.com/qzg7XULn9M
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) June 1, 2026
The Giants are optimistic, but optimism is not the same as guaranteed Week 1 explosiveness. His ECR has him closer to the late third round because they are accounting for the very real possibility of a slow ramp-up, limited early-season snaps or inevitable setbacks. All of which matter more significantly in redraft than in dynasty.
Sleeper drafters are pricing Nabers as if his healthy return is automatic. At his current cost, you are drafting him near his best-case scenario while ignoring the likely downside tied to recovery and early-season usage. Nabers is priced too aggressively on Sleeper, and the ADP simply does not leave enough room for the injury risk you will be facing.
Oronde Gadsden II (TE – LAC)
- FantasyPros ECR: 138
- Sleeper ADP: 89
- Gap: -49 Picks
The list of overpriced players on Sleeper wraps up with the biggest gap of them all, and it’s not even close.
Oronde Gadsden II is heavily overvalued on Sleeper, with his draft cost inflated by rookie hype, as he is currently being selected four rounds ahead of his actual value in redraft leagues. He did flash receiving potential last season in his rookie campaign, but a disastrous showing as a blocker has led to a crowded Chargers tight end room, significantly capping his immediate ceiling.
Oronde Gadsden is a fantastic receiver, but his snaps are going to be capped in 2026 ???? pic.twitter.com/VlxxDlThYg
— Underdog Fantasy Football – Josh & Hayden (@UDFootballShow) June 10, 2026
The addition of David Njoku in Mike McDaniel’s scheme threatens Gadsden’s snap volume, making his current ADP a massive overeach in redraft.
Drafters are paying for a ceiling that is unlikely to be reached, ignoring his deficiencies as a blocker and the presence of more reliable options available in that draft range. His ECR is essentially telling you to wait another four rounds and let someone else pay the breakout tax.
Bottom Line
The same dynasty game plan that creates player values on Sleeper also creates traps.
Young, exciting players get pulled off the board by drafters projecting futures rather than pricing in present reality. In redraft, you are not investing in a career. You are building a winning roster for 17 weeks. Pay for what is proven, not what is possible.
Let the dynasty managers reach. That is where your real value is hiding. Let them draft for tomorrow while you build a champion for today.
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Dennis Sosic is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Dennis, check out his archive & follow him @THE_S0S8