It’s time to transition from our list of top sleepers to our list of the most overrated players in fantasy this season. To be extremely clear, this doesn’t mean that a player is bad or non-deserving of a pick. It simply means the player is being drafted way too high for the amount of production you will receive.
1. Russell Wilson – Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson had a dream off season, aside from the recurring Super Bowl Int videos. Wilson has a new lady (Ciara), a huge new contract and a shiny new weapon in Jimmy Graham. This is all great but it doesn’t automatically make him a Top 3 QB in this year’s draft, which is where many publications are ranking him. I think Wilson will be a solid Top 10 Fantasy option but that offense and that team in still about running the football and defense. Graham will be an added red-zone threat but it won’t catapult Wilson ahead of Brady, Big Ben, Manning and Brees in my book.
2. Cam Newton – Carolina Panthers
Many were looking for Cam to be a Top 5 option at QB this season but his o-line remains shaky and his best WR Kelvin Benjamin is out for the year. Cam won’t be able to rush for a TD in every game which means your fantasy team will struggle if he’s your 1st or 2nd round pick. Now Cam sliding to the 4th for all of these reason would be a steal and can hold down your QB position while your other stars rack up the points.
3. Matthew Stafford – Detroit Lions
Every year we look at Stafford and wonder how he isn’t a top 5 FF guy in that pass happy offense. It’s time to start looking at Stafford for what he has become, a yards machine that will have high turnover numbers when Calvin Johnson isn’t there to bail him out. It’d be great if the Lions can put together a running attack to open up some play action passes on offense. That’d allow Stafford to hit other targets for YAC and get Eric Ebron into the fold at TE. If that happens Stafford could justify his 4th/5th round slot.
4. Jay Cutler – Chicago Bears
I’m officially off of the Jay Cutler bandwagon. For years I’ve picked him in the 7th or 8th round to be my starting QB and professed it as a steal or a stroke of genius. In those years I ended up benching him due to injuries or high turnover rate and entering the playoffs with whatever QB was hot off the waiver wire that week. This season Cutler will be without Brandon Marshall (traded to the Jets) and rookie 1st round pick Kevin White (injury) to start the season. That’s not a set of circumstances that creams improvement to me.
5. Carson Palmer – Arizona Cardinals
Carson Palmer is expected to return from yet another knee injury and carry the Cardinals offense to new heights; to say that I’m skeptical would be an understatement. Palmer has an aging Larry Fitzgerald, an underwhelming Michael Floyd and a bottom 5 running back stable. The Cardinals should be improved on the offensive line but they’ve done very little to get young & dynamic playmakers around the QB position. I see Carson and AZ taking a step back this season.