Ravens' Lamar Jackson, Odell Beckham could be fantasy football busts in 2023
As fantasy football draft day approaches, fantasy managers should beware of players who are in danger of underachieving. Whether it's the risk of an injury or the potential for diminished performance, sometimes it's best to take a safer player over one with a potentially higher ceiling.
TOP 200: Overall player rankings for 2023 fantasy drafts
CHEAT SHEET: How the players stack up at each position in 2023 fantasy drafts
LISTS: All-sleeper team | All-breakout team | All-value team | Risk-reward team
Here are some of this season's biggest potential busts at each position. They should be avoided at their current average draft position and taken only at a deep discount. (ADPs from all August drafts, courtesy of NFFC)
QUARTERBACK
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (ADP: 39): He's an injury liability, playing in a new offensive scheme that's heavily run-dependent. In addition the AFC North is always a tough division. Jackson has been overvalued so far in drafts.
RUNNING BACK
Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders (ADP: 34): Still holding out, Jacobs could be traded before he reports to the team. His massive 2022 workload is also a recipe for injury breakdown.
WIDE RECEIVER
Odell Beckham Jr., Baltimore Ravens (ADP 119): Entering his age-31 season after two ACL tears and hasn't been consistently relevant since 2019.
TIGHT END
Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills (ADP: 127): Rookie tight ends rarely matter in fantasy, and Buffalo still has several other more potent weapons ahead of him.
KICKER
Evan McPherson, Cincinnati Bengals (ADP: 211): Cincy scores too many touchdowns to make McPherson a weekly fantasy starter.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Arizona Cardinals (ADP: 286): Finished last season as the No. 8 fantasy defense thanks to five TDs, but only had 36 sacks and 20 takeaways. Don't trust touchdown-reliant units.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasy football 2023: Ravens WR Odell Beckham leads All-Bust team
