Every veteran fantasy manager has been burned by at least one player at some point — perhaps more than once. Or maybe you’re convinced that a particular player has gone over a cliff and is no longer worth rostering. Some fantasy managers have sworn never to draft a particular player again.

Our featured analysts are here to tell you which players they’ll never draft again.

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Running Backs to Never Draft Again

1. Which one RB burned you so badly that you can’t fathom taking him at or near his half-PPR ADP?

Derrick Henry (TEN)
“I will not be taking Derrick Henry at RB3 this season. My concerns over his health following the Jones fracture last season, which has proved to impact future seasons of RBs before, combined with his efficiency falling in metrics like elusive rating and rushing yards over expected, lead me to think that not only is a top-three finish unlikely, but there is a chance that he falls out of the top 10 RBs entirely. Add in the departure of A.J. Brown, and my opinion plummets further, as this will place even more attention on Henry.”
– Sam Wagman (BallBlast)

Antonio Gibson (WAS)
“Washington Commanders RB Antonio Gibson has played fine in his first two NFL years, exceeding the 1,000 total yardage mark and scoring at least 10 TDs both seasons. But he’s done so in a frustrating manner, with several low-impact games among his weekly performances. With the team adding rookie RB Brian Robinson in the draft and remaining wed to JD Mckissic on passing downs, Gibson’s numbers don’t figure to improve this year.”
– Neema Hodjat (Real GM)

Ezekiel Elliott (DAL)
“Yes, Ezekiel Elliott finished as RB15 in fantasy points per game last year, but I was also an ardent Elliott truther, advocating for him in the middle of the first round last year. Yeah, I won’t be filing that under award-winning takes anytime soon. Watching Elliott lumber through last season was tough, even knowing he was gutting it out through injury. Relying on a running back with high mileage who trudged his way to 37th in yards created per touch and 45th in breakaway run rate is a bet I won’t be making this year.”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)

“Ezekiel Elliott‘s production the last two years wasn’t horrible, but it’s a far cry from the numbers he put up in his first four seasons, and anyone who invested in Zeke in 2020 or 2021 (including me) is surely feeling squeamish about the prospect of spending a third-round pick on him in this year’s drafts. After averaging 18.9 half-PPR fantasy points per game over his first four seasons, Elliott has averaged 13.4 over the last two. He’s gone from 4.62 yards per carry over his first four years to 4.12 YPC over the last two years. The decline in pass-catching efficiency is even more stark. From 2016 to 2019, Zeke averaged 8.6 yards per catch and 6.7 yards per target. In 2020 and 2021, he averaged 6.3 yards per catch and 4.6 yards per target. Elliot played through a partially torn ACL last season, but only a Pollyanna could look at Zeke’s career arc and not be concerned about his future. I’ll let someone else bet on Zeke recapturing the magic that’s been missing since 2019.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)

Christian McCaffrey (CAR)
“I refuse to take Christian McCaffrey at 1 or 2 overall, which is where he’s going in ECR. If I have the entire board, I can’t see taking that risk anymore. I understand his upside is the best player in fantasy, but what about the downside of drafting a player that high and having him not contribute for a significant portion of the season? Doesn’t that matter too? I’d be intrigued at a discount, but not when the whole board is mine for the taking.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)

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Wide Receivers to Never Draft Again

2. Which one WR burned you so badly that you can’t fathom taking him at or near his half-PPR ADP?

Amari Cooper (CLE)
“I am wary of believing Amari Cooper worthy of being drafted at his current WR26 ADP. The loss of Deshaun Watson for potentially the entire season weighs on this entire offense, but particularly on Cooper, who was hit-or-miss on a weekly basis over last season (seven games with 10 or fewer fantasy points in 2021). His yards per route run has also dipped since 2019, with him posting the 38th-best mark in 2020 and 2021. With Jacoby Brissett presumably at the helm, I am not confident Cooper gets enough production to earn this ranking, and his ceiling is nearly nonexistent.”
– Sam Wagman (BallBlast)

“Amari Cooper was less than inspiring last year with his WR25 in fantasy points per game finish. Cooper’s per-route efficiency has begun to wane, as he ranked 60th in route win rate last year (per Playerprofiler.com). Cooper, who has never been an elite target earner, now finds himself on a run-first offense with quarterback questions, so the likelihood he can carve out a massive target share is slim. I won’t be drafting the former hype hero. ”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)

A.J. Brown (PHI)
Watching AJ Brown on the football field, you see a wide receiver oozing with talent. But on the stat sheet, you are left wanting more each season. Over his three NFL seasons, Brown has never caught more than 70 balls or crossed the 1,100-yard receiving mark, with only one season with double-digit TDs. Brown’s ADP reflects his potential more so than his production. Adjusting to Jalen Hurts as his new quarterback won’t help Brown unlock a career year … at least not this season. ”
– Neema Hodjat (Real GM)

Courtland Sutton (DEN)
“The enthusiasm for Courtland Sutton has turned into a mania. ADP says he’s typically going WR23, 54th overall, but the price has been much steeper in my recent drafts. Here’s what scares the pants off me: When Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy sustained a high-ankle sprain in Week 1 of 2021 and missed the next six games, Sutton put up 37-525-2 over that stretch while averaging 9.2 targets a game. When Jeudy returned in Week 8, Sutton’s target share went up in a puff of smoke. He averaged just 3.6 targets over Denver’s final 11 games and was the WR92 from Week 8 on, behind Jakeem Grant, Tyler Johnson and Cam Sims. Yes, the Broncos’ QB situation was bad last year, and Russell Wilson provides a big upgrade. But I can’t spend a third-round pick on a receiver who completely evaporated for two months last season and might not be the top WR on his own team.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)

DeAndre Hopkins (ARI)
“DeAndre Hopkins‘ injury-plagued 2021 was very discouraging. Add in his age, mileage and missing six games already due to suspension, and I simply can’t make an investment in him this season. There’s no guarantee that he returns and plays a full slate of healthy games. Too many people are drafting him thinking that a healthy 11 games is a forgone conclusion. It’s not.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)

Thanks to the experts for sharing their advice! For more of their insight, be sure to follow each pundit on Twitter (click their names above) and visit their respective sites.

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If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant, which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.