Like many people around the globe, I'm gearing up for multiple fantasy football drafts in the near future, and I want to make sure I get the most value that I can out of each draft pick. As such, I'm cautious of NFL players who carry big names but who are likely to disappoint me during the fantasy football season.
I put together a list of three potentially disappointing quarterbacks, if you'd care to read it. Now here are a few running backs who could lead you to beat your head against the wall for drafting them too high--or for drafting them at all.
Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers
Gore is currently being selected in the 7th round of Yahoo! fantasy football drafts as the No. 19 RB chosen. Both of those numbers are too high.
A number of things work against Gore carrying fantasy football teams to glory, as he has in recent years past. Two of those things working against him are named Brandon Jacobs and LaMichael James. Another is the heavy workload that Gore has shouldered over the years, which is starting to take a toll on his body. Yet another is the Jim Harbaugh offense that results in Gore catching almost no passes out of the backfield, which is huge in PPR leagues and nearly as big in standard leagues, since he accumulates virtually no receiving yards.
Gore almost single-handedly murdered my fantasy football team down the stretch last season, turning in stats that were nowhere near worth what I paid for him.
I won't make that mistake again. Gore isn't even among my Top 20 running backs, and I don't recommend that he be among yours, either. Using a 7th-rounder on him and depending on him as your starting RB is fantasy football suicide.
Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons
Like Gore, Turner is worn out. Atlanta squeezed every drop of him that they could by giving him ridiculous workloads over the past few years, and now he's used up. The Falcons running backs coach already admits that Turner's workload will be reduced this year.
Evidently, Yahoo! fantasy football managers haven't gotten the memo that Atlanta is moving to a pass-oriented offense because people are drafting Turner in the late 4th round as the No. 15 running back overall. This is a great year to have Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, and Roddy White. It's an awful year to use a 4th-round pick on Turner.
That pass-first offense doesn't include passes to Turner out of the backfield. He caught a grand total of 17 passes last year and scored no receiving touchdowns. Looking just at his rushing stats, he topped 100 yards just six times while being held under 80 yards nine times. He scored two touchdowns in a game three times, scored one touchdown five times, and was held scoreless 8 times.
Is that worth your 4th-round draft pick? It's not worth mine.
Turner is barely in my Top 25 list of running backs. I'd rather wait two rounds and get Doug Martin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, instead.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cincinnati Bengals
The Law Firm is currently being selected in Yahoo! fantasy football leagues with a 9th-round pick, ahead of Beanie Wells, Roy Helu, Shonn Greene, DeAngelo Williams, C.J. Spiller, James Starks, and Ben Tate. I'd rather have any of those seven guys than Green-Ellis.
The move from the high-powered New England Patriots offense to the Bengals offense cannot be overstated. Add to it that Green-Ellis isn't even guaranteed to be the starter. At best, he'll be in a committee with Bernard Scott, who, in my opinion, is far more talented than Green-Ellis.
The Bengals offense also doesn't incorporate the running back as a receiver. Last season, Cedric Benson caught just 15 passes all season long, scoring on none of them. It's not like Green-Ellis is a pass-catcher, anyway. He only caught 9 passes last year with New England.
An average talent splitting time with another running back and not catching any passes does not warrant a 9th-round pick in my book.
The author has played fantasy football in more leagues and for more years than he can remember, winning a number of league championships along the way. He is a Featured Contributor in Sports with the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and you can follow him on Twitter at @RedZoneWriting and on Facebook.
