Odell Beckham’s catch is still lingering in the minds of many

Every off-season, we have the need to put football in our lives, so we begin to speculate what certain players might do in the upcoming season. Naturally, this leads to some names being over-mentioned before pads have even been put on. Fast forward to the present and everyone has a player like Latavius Murray on their radar whether he belongs there or not.

Some of the hype is warranted, but there’s definitely a need to pump your brakes on a few players that are flying high right now. To help with knowing who these guys are, we asked our featured experts which players are over-hyped and who are deserving of the chatter.

Draft Wizard: Mock in minutes vs. the most accurate experts

Recap of the Picks

Q1. Name one player who is currently over-hyped and tell us why he’ll disappoint fantasy owners this season.

Odell Beckham Jr. (WR – NYG)
“There’s only one answer to this question: Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. Fantasy football drafts are all about risk management. The names in the first round today took years to reach that point. They established themselves over many seasons of consistent dominance. Now, Beckham is suddenly the man? He’s the No. 1 pick for some people? No. Just no. I’ll gladly take the L if I’m wrong, but I need more than 12 games before I’m anointing this guy. He’s my bust of the year pick.”
– Matt De Lima (ScoutFantasy)

“There’s no doubt OBJ produced among the most prolific rookie seasons in NFL history. His 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns on 91 receptions came in only 12 games, but with a nagging sore hamstring, Victor Cruz set to return and defenses having extensive NFL game tape on OBJ, don’t be surprised if there’s a dropoff in production. That’s not to say Beckham isn’t going to post elite WR1 numbers, but let’s pump the brakes on predictions for records in receiving yards and touchdowns.”
– Gene Wang (The Washington Post)

Duke Johnson (RB – CLE)
“Let’s pump the brakes on RB Duke Johnson. The Browns have already told us that they view their rookie as a Gio Bernard type. Think versatile, pass-catching back — but not a feature runner. Cleveland already has 2 candidates for the lead role in 2nd-year RBs Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West. Those guys are both better bets to lead the 2015 backfield in carries. Look for Johnson to mix in for 8-10 touches per game, which will make him tough to rely on in fantasy lineups.”
– Jared Smola (Draft Sharks)

LeSean McCoy (RB – BUF)
“Nothing about McCoy’s situation makes me feel good. I believe his 700 touches combined over the last two years has worn him down physically and mentally. Chip Kelly tends to be ahead of the curve. I believe that we will see a slower, less durable Shady in Buffalo and I want no part of it.”
– Aaron Maples (Top Tier Football)

Martavis Bryant (WR – PIT)
“Every year we project a wide receiver that can be the next best thing. Last last year it was Michael Floyd and in 2013 it was Tavon Austin, with each having a reasonable case. This year, Martavis Bryant is being drafted as 25th wide receiver. In order for him to meet that value, he will need to produce a line of roughly 125 targets, 70 receptions, 1,000 yards and 8 touchdowns. While this is not impossible, it would be an unprecedented jump. The closest comparable to Martavis’ 2014 production is Marc Boerigter, who in 11 games where he registered a target, finished 2002 with 38 targets, 20 receptions, 420 yards and 8 touchdowns.”
– Kevin O’Brien (The Fake Football)

Q2. On the flip side, who is a player deservedly receiving hype that fantasy owners should buy into.

Joseph Randle (RB- DAL)
Everybody knows how great the Cowboys offensive line is. Defenses will be forced to focus on Dez Bryant every week. Randle can play all three downs, catch passes and should have no problems succeeding in a very productive offense. Plus, their defense will force them to score a lot of points. Randle will continue to skyrocket up draft boards as we draw closer to Week 1.
– Matt De Lima (ScoutFantasy)

Marshawn Lynch (RB – SEA)
“Beast Mode remains the centerpiece of an offense that got more potent with the addition of TE Jimmy Graham. Lynch has averaged 300-plus touches in each of his last four seasons and combined to score 46 touchdowns. That he’s become more involved in the passing game in recent seasons means Lynch stays on the field even more, elevating his fantasy value to a top five RB even with some concerns along the offensive line.”
– Gene Wang (The Washington Post)

Frank Gore (RB – IND)
“Buy hard on RB Frank Gore. Yeah, I know he’s 32. I know that very few 32-year-old RBs have been fantasy assets. But Gore has already proven to be an exception to the rule by posting top-24 finishes at 30 and 31. Now he joins a Colts offense that’s made Ahmad Bradshaw, Dan Herron and Donald freakin’ Brown fantasy factors over the past 2 years. Gore has RB1 upside in Indianapolis. Feel good about getting him anywhere in Round 3.”
– Jared Smola (Draft Sharks)

Justin Forsett (RB – BAL)
“I expect Forsett to be a top-8 back with potential for top-5. Last year he showed that he is durable and talented. He is the lead back in an offense that needs him to run well to be successful.”
– Aaron Maples (Top Tier Football)

Odell Beckham Jr. (WR – NYG)
“Beckham captured the NFL and its fan base with his spectacular catch and incredible production in 2014. His ADP is WR5 for 2015 and the crazy part is that this is conservative. In 2014, with only 12 games played, Beckham finished as the seventh best receiver. Emmanuel Sanders finished as the fifth ranked receiver with 301.8 points. Projecting Beckham to 16 games based on his 12 game production would be 393 points. His ADP has a 23% regression built into it.”
– Kevin O’Brien (The Fake Football)

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Thank you to the experts for their picks. Be sure to follow them on Twitter for more great advice.