Avoid Drafting These 3 Players in 2025 Fantasy Football

Forbes

2 days ago

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 27: Ladd McConkey #15 of the Los Angeles Chargers runs after the ... More catch in the third quarter of a game against the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium on October 27, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by)
Making sure you draft the biggest sleepers in fantasy football is always a good way to win your league. However, one of the most important things you can do is avoid landmines.
You don't have to hit a home run on every pick you make, but avoiding certain players can give you a massive advantage. Below, we'll be breaking down three players you should avoid for 2025 fantasy football.
Based on the current FantasyPros ADP (PPR format), they're being valued way too high. For that reason, I'll be avoiding these three players in my 2025 fantasy football drafts.
James Cook is being valued as the RB14 on FantasyPros, which isn't ridiculously high. That said, when you look at the players behind him, this makes Cook a player you should pass on.
Cook has outperformed this ranking, finishing as the RB8 last year and the RB12 the year prior. That said, there are a number of issues outside of just the contract dispute.
In 2024, Cook had 16 rushing touchdowns, which is one of the most volatile stats you can look at. For reference, Cook had four total touchdowns on the ground in 2022 and 2023. Even though the Bills offense is great, expect that number to come down drastically.
On top of that, Cook lost some of his involvement as a receiver. In 2023, Cook was still able to finish as the RB12 because he had 54 targets and 44 receptions. Those numbers would drop down to 38 targets and 32 receptions in 2024.
If Cook sees a drop off in touchdowns, which is very likely, and his involvement as a receiver continues to fall, he's going to finish much closer to the low-end RB2 range.
There's going to be a lot of people who disagree with this take, and that's okay. Ladd McConkey is a good player, and I'd be happy to have him on my team if he falls down draft boards.
However, the WR11 price tag on FantasyPros is just too rich. On the surface, McConkey looks like a safe projection to outscore this rank. As a rookie, McConkey was the WR13 as he caught 82 passes (112 targets) for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns.
That said, one thing that people fail to realize is McConkey is already 23 years old. In comparison to another sophomore, Malik Nabers is only 21 years old. While McConkey is going to improve, he doesn't have as much room to grow as other second-year players.
On top of that, the Los Angeles Chargers brought in more target competition in the form of Tre Harris. The Chargers selected Harris 55th overall (round two), but that's not even my biggest concern.
With J.K. Dobbins as the Chargers lead back, the Chargers were still 13th in rushing attempts per game (26.7). Now that the run game has seen a drastic improvement expect the passing volume to drastically decline for the Chargers.
Not only did the Chargers sign Najee Harris, but they spent a first-round pick on Omarion Hampton in the NFL Draft. Even though McConkey might improve as a talent, the situation is far from ideal.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 10: Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers reacts during an ... More NFL Football game against the Tennessee Titans at SoFi Stadium on November 10, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by)
To round out this list, we have another Chargers player. The same idea of talent versus situation applies to Justin Herbert.
Although Herbert is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL, the volume isn't enough to make him a good fantasy option. Especially with the Chargers run game seeing such a big upgrade, the passing volume should go down, which will hurt Herbert and McConkey.
Although Herbert finished as the QB11 last year, that's tied for his highest mark in the last three years. Justin Fields, Jordan Love, C.J. Stroud, and Drake Maye are being drafted behind Herbert, but all of them should have a much easier path to getting rushing or passing volume.