While it’s important to know who to target as you prepare for your fantasy football drafts, it’s equally as important to know which fantasy football draft landmines you’re avoiding. Our analysts provide players they are avoiding in their fantasy football drafts. Here are a few players they consider overvalued or are otherwise avoiding this fantasy football draft season.
You can find all of their players to avoid here: Fitz | DBro | Erickson | Joe
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Fantasy Football Draft Landmines to Avoid
Here are a few fantasy football draft landmines our analysts avoid.
Fitz’s Players to Avoid
Baker Mayfield (QB – TB)
He’s become a quality NFL quarterback, but Mayfield is being overvalued after his career year in 2024.
Mayfield had 41 touchdown passes last year. He had never thrown even 30 TD passes in any other season. Mayfield also ran for a career-high 378 rushing yards last year. He’d never had even 200 rushing yards in any previous season.
It’s easy to understand Mayfield’s appeal. The Buccaneers are loaded at wide receiver with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, and Jalen McMillan. The Bucs also have one of the better offensive lines in the league.
But after a season in which Mayfield established new career highs in pretty much every statistical category across the board, regression is in order.
Also, Mayfield is getting another new offensive coordinator after losing Dave Canales following the 2023 season and Liam Coen following the 2024 season. The Buccaneers’ new playcaller is 34-year-old Josh Grizzard, who’s never been an NFL offensive coordinator.
Mayfield’s ADP as of mid-June was QB7, 59th overall. That’s too steep a price. Last year was the time to invest in Baker Mayfield. Don’t chase last year’s fantasy points.
David Montgomery (RB – DET)
As with Jared Goff, I have concerns about how the departure of 2024 Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and the retirement of center Frank Ragnow will affect Montgomery.
There’s also the Jahmyr Gibbs factor.
Sure, the near-50/50 division of labor between Gibbs and Montgomery has worked well for Detroit the last two seasons. But Gibbs is a freak of nature. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry and 8.2 yards per target last year, and he scored a league-high 20 touchdowns. Perhaps the Lions would be better served by giving Gibbs a few more touches and Montgomery fewer.
One more thing. Gibbs has scored 25 touchdowns in 28 regular-season games over the last two seasons. The Lions ranked fifth in scoring in 2023 and first in 2024. If the Detroit offense hits a speed bump in 2025, Monty’s TD total could disappoint.
Check out all of Fitz’s fantasy football picks to avoid 
DBro’s Players to Avoid
Zay Flowers (WR – BAL)
Zay Flowers is a WR2 in ADP right now. I just have one question: Why? I love Flowers’ talent, but what is vaulting him into this fantasy tier? It’s not his production. Over the last two seasons, he has finished as the WR32 and WR31 in fantasy points per game. Those finishes have occurred with Flowers outplaying his volume as the WR33 and WR38 in expected fantasy points per game. Do we think Baltimore will pass more in 2025? Doubtful with their offensive coordinator, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry all returning to Baltimore for this season.
Last season, Baltimore ranked third in rushing rate and ninth in neutral rushing rate. I don’t see that changing this season. So, could it be touchdown expectations fueling the Flowers’ hope? Nope. He has ranked 28th and 59th in red-zone targets over the last two seasons among wide receivers. With Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews still on the team and the addition of DeAndre Hopkins in the offseason, we should have more worries about Flowers’ red-zone role decreasing than hope that it surges in 2025.
Flowers will remain a solid WR3, but I can’t expect him to vault into WR2 production. I can’t see it for 2025, and I won’t be paying for it in drafts.
Check out all of DBro’s fantasy football picks to avoid
Erickson’s Players to Avoid
Tyrone Tracy Jr. (RB – NYG)
Tyrone Tracy took over the Giants’ starting role in Week 5 but faltered late, finishing RB27 from Weeks 12-18 and grading as PFF’s 4th-worst rusher over that span. He failed to hit over 60 rushing yards in his final seven games, while his PPG fell
He split inside the 5-yard line carries with Devin Singletary and ran into ball security issues. Tracy tied for the 3rd-most fumbles among RBs (5 total) despite only 230 touches – a major red flag that opens the door for fourth-rounder rookie Cam Skattebo.
Skattebo was drafted at the start of Day 3 with strong receiving metrics (42 rec yds/game, 40% dominator rating) and profiles as the physical, all-purpose back that Tracy is not. Tracy’s lightning projects more like a compliment to Skattebo’s thunder.
That concerns me, given the Giants’ lackluster offense likely won’t be able to support a RB timeshare. And Skattebo is one Tracy fumble away from carving out a larger role in this backfield. And that’s not even considering Devin Singletary, who Brian Daboll has often gone back to because of the trust he has in the veteran.
Check out all of Erickson’s fantasy football picks to avoid
Joe’s Players to Avoid
Brandon Aiyuk (WR – SF)
Coming off a major knee surgery, Brandon Aiyuk may be slow to start the season, and every week counts in fantasy football. He also has plenty of competition for targets if Christian McCaffrey is healthy again — George Kittle, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall.
That potentially leaves Aiyuk in no man’s land. His weekly floor feels too low, and the ceiling could be lower as well, based on his questionable explosiveness returning from major surgery. Usually, I want at least a steady floor or an explosive upside. If someone can’t give me either, then what’s the point in drafting them?
Check out all of Joe’s fantasy football picks to avoid
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