While it’s important to know who to target as you prepare for your fantasy football drafts, it’s equally as important to know which fantasy football draft landmines you’re avoiding. Our analysts provide players they are avoiding in their fantasy football drafts. Here are a few players they consider overvalued or are otherwise avoiding this fantasy football draft season.
You can find all of their players to avoid here: Fitz | DBro | Erickson | Joe
Fantasy Football Draft Landmines to Avoid
Here are a few fantasy football draft landmines our analysts avoid.
Fitz’s Players to Avoid
Baker Mayfield (QB – TB)
He’s become a quality NFL quarterback, but Mayfield is being overvalued after his career year in 2024.
Mayfield had 41 touchdown passes last year. He had never thrown even 30 TD passes in any other season. Mayfield also ran for a career-high 378 rushing yards last year. He’d never had even 200 rushing yards in any previous season.
It’s easy to understand Mayfield’s appeal. The Buccaneers are loaded at wide receiver with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, and Jalen McMillan. The Bucs also have one of the better offensive lines in the league.
But after a season in which Mayfield established new career highs in pretty much every statistical category across the board, regression is in order.
Also, Mayfield is getting another new offensive coordinator after losing Dave Canales following the 2023 season and Liam Coen following the 2024 season. The Buccaneers’ new playcaller is 34-year-old Josh Grizzard, who’s never been an NFL offensive coordinator.
Mayfield’s ADP as of mid-June was QB7, 59th overall. That’s too steep a price. Last year was the time to invest in Baker Mayfield. Don’t chase last year’s fantasy points.
David Montgomery (RB – DET)
As with Jared Goff, I have concerns about how the departure of 2024 Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and the retirement of center Frank Ragnow will affect Montgomery.
There’s also the Jahmyr Gibbs factor.
Sure, the near-50/50 division of labor between Gibbs and Montgomery has worked well for Detroit the last two seasons. But Gibbs is a freak of nature. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry and 8.2 yards per target last year, and he scored a league-high 20 touchdowns. Perhaps the Lions would be better served by giving Gibbs a few more touches and Montgomery fewer.
One more thing. Gibbs has scored 25 touchdowns in 28 regular-season games over the last two seasons. The Lions ranked fifth in scoring in 2023 and first in 2024. If the Detroit offense hits a speed bump in 2025, Monty’s TD total could disappoint.
Check out all of Fitz’s fantasy football picks to avoid 
Joe’s Players to Avoid
Brandon Aiyuk (WR – SF)
Coming off a major knee surgery, Brandon Aiyuk may be slow to start the season, and every week counts in fantasy football. He also has plenty of competition for targets if Christian McCaffrey is healthy again — George Kittle, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall.
That potentially leaves Aiyuk in no man’s land. His weekly floor feels too low, and the ceiling could be lower as well, based on his questionable explosiveness returning from major surgery. Usually, I want at least a steady floor or an explosive upside. If someone can’t give me either, then what’s the point in drafting them?
Check out all of Joe’s fantasy football picks to avoid
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