Fantasy Football Preview: 10 Players To Avoid In PPR Leagues
You need to alter your draft strategy based on what format of league you're in
If you are in a PPR fantasy football league, whether for the first time or once again, then you simply cannot draft the same as you would in a standard league.
Players that would be high-round picks will remain as such, but as you fill out the deeper parts of your roster, you have to pay more mind to a player’s target share.
We came up with a list of a few folks who aren’t as beneficial in a PPR league. That’s not to say they are undraftable, but you’ll more likely be looking for a splash performance from them every week instead of a more consistent accumulation of points.
Kenny Golladay, WR, New York Giants
It doesn’t help that Golladay is coming off a down season with the Detroit Lions, but he’s also about to be WR1 for a Giants team that has its warts on offense. Golladay can be productive but he’ll have to prove he’s truly elite since he’ll be matched with each team’s top defensive back.
Will Fuller, WR, Miami Dolphins
Fuller always has been a big-play receiver, which has made him a major boom-or-bust guy. Couple that with an unproven quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa and that is a potentially bad combination.
Brandin Cooks, WR, Houston Texans
Cooks generally can be a valuable fantasy contributor, but the Texans’ strength is in the backfield, and with a truly uncertain quarterback situation, he could see a downtick in production.
Damien Harris, RB, New England Patriots
You’re always taking your life into your own hands drafting a Patriots running back. New England really likes using James White as a pass-catcher, and while Harris figures to be heavily involved in the Patriots offense, it will be largely on the ground.
Leonard Fournette, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Fournette can be somewhat useful in the passing game but he’s always been more of a ground-and-pound back, and the addition of Giovani Bernard should take some targets from Tom Brady away from Fournette.
A.J. Dillon, RB, Green Bay Packers
The departure of Jamaal Williams will open up some opportunities, but it’s unlikely that Dillon, who never has been known for his receiving ability, will be a beneficiary.
Gus Edwards, RB, Baltimore Ravens
For one, the Ravens love running the ball. More importantly, they’ve pretty much never used Edwards as a pass-catcher, and that likely won’t change anytime soon.
Rob Gronkowski, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Gronkowski will be useful in the red zone, but it seems like gone are the days of the future Hall of Famer getting a healthy dose of receiving opportunities elsewhere on the field, particularly during the regular season.
Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia Eagles
It seems he’s really fallen out of favor with the Eagles, who appear all-in on Dallas Goedert. Ertz had great chemistry with Carson Wentz, who now is in Indianapolis, and Goedert showed promise with Jalen Hurts. Ertz might be nothing more than a late-round flier nowadays.
Robert Tonyan, TE, Green Bay Packers
He had a productive 2020 season but he doesn’t really see the ball a whole lot. Make no mistake, Tonyan is productive when he’s involved as a pass-catcher, but because of how rarely he gets the ball, there probably are better options at tight end at the point in the draft you’d pick Tonyan.
