This is the third article in a series finding the most overpriced players in RT Sports fantasy football leagues. In both the first article and the second article, we found some absurdly overpriced players compared to FantasyPros’ expert consensus rankings (ECR).
That comparison also revealed a larger trend: Compared to ECR, managers on RT Sports love running backs. This isn’t unique — most fantasy sites draft running backs above their consensus rankings in the early rounds. However, RT Sports takes this trend to a whole other level.
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This idea of comparing one fantasy site’s average draft position (ADP) to ADP across other platforms is what inspires this article. Instead of comparing RT Sports’ ADP to ECR, I will compare RT Sports’ ADP to consensus PPR ADP (with RT’s data removed). This will show us which players are being overdrafted on RT compared to the rest of the fantasy football market. Without further ado, here are those players…
Overvalued Fantasy Football Players to Avoid on RT Sports
Chase Brown (RB – CIN) | RT Sports ADP: 16.3/Consensus ADP: 27
I see where RT Sports drafters are coming from with this one. Chase Brown finished 2024 on an absolute tear, averaging 20.6 PPR points from Week 9 onward. Of course, that sample only starts in Week 9 because that is when Zack Moss first became unavailable due to a neck injury. In his absence, Brown saw essentially every touch in the Bengals’ backfield.
Brown’s level of backfield dominance is not going to continue into 2025. However, early indications suggest it may not be reduced by much. In the Bengals’ two preseason games so far, he has played 21 of the 26 snaps with the team’s starters. The five remaining snaps were taken by Samaje Perine in clear passing situations. Brown wasn’t very productive and was even occasionally replaced by blocking tight ends in the backfield in those situations anyway.
For these reasons, I’m OK with RT Sports drafters selecting Brown as the RB9, a solid gap from his RB12 consensus ADP. What I can’t get on board with is taking him at 16.3 overall, especially once we consider some of the players available at other positions. Drake London, A.J. Brown and every single tight end and quarterback have ADPs at least four spots lower than Brown on RT Sports.
At the very least, I recommend smashing the button on Brown or Brock Bowers ahead of Brown. If you like London, Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, that’s also probably a smart call — they are all easily ahead of Brown in both consensus ADP and ECR.
Jerome Ford (RB – CLE) | RT Sports ADP: 113/Consensus ADP: 176
This is an interesting one, as the situation in the Cleveland backfield is very much in flux. It was recently announced that Quinshon Judkins, whom the Browns selected early in the second round of this year’s draft, will not be charged for the alleged domestic violence incident he was arrested for in July. However, he has not yet signed a contract to officially join Cleveland’s roster and reportedly may not until after the NFL finishes its investigation (and who knows how long that will take).
Still, these situations can change fast. There’s a chance Judkins is back on the field and has asserted himself as the Browns’ lead back by Week 1. In that case, Jerome Ford is massively overpriced as a contingent option in one of the league’s worst offenses.
If Judkins doesn’t return, this ADP for Ford gets a lot more palatable. He will still have to compete with another rookie in Dylan Sampson, but he reportedly has the edge in that battle for now and played well enough last year to think he may be able to hold a lead role all season. It’s hard to call a lead running back outside the top 100 picks overvalued.
Still, selecting Ford comes with a whole host of question marks. The Browns will be starting Joe Flacco in Week 1, but they’ll likely want to see what each of their younger quarterbacks has to offer by the end of the season. The same applies to running backs, so Ford will likely find himself, at best, sharing time with a rookie, whether it’s Judkins or Sampson, by the end of the season. A part-time role on an offense with likely terrible quarterback play in the fantasy playoffs isn’t too appealing.
Ford’s real value and price are both unsettled, so there’s a chance he pays off even this elevated RT Sports ADP. But, especially if you are planning on doing multiple drafts, I recommend avoiding him at this uniquely high price and instead selecting him on other platforms where he is much cheaper.
Calvin Ridley (WR – TEN) | RT Sports ADP: 59.9/Consensus ADP: 66
I could have made this entire article about running backs — the top 17 players with the most elevated ADPs on RT Sports, compared to consensus, are all running backs. Instead, let’s take a look at Calvin Ridley. The six-pick gap between his two ADPs may not seem like much, but it’s a clear outlier in RT Sports’ deflated wide receiver landscape. Ridley is the WR30 in consensus ADP; he is the WR24, a legit WR2, in RT Sports drafts.
Ridley finished 2024 as the WR28 overall and WR39 in PPR points per game. With first-overall pick Cam Ward offering a potentially massive quarterback upgrade, drafting him above those rankings does make sense. But drafting him as the WR24 requires just a bit too much projection.
By selecting Ridley as the WR24, RT Sports drafters have elevated Ridley above DeVonta Smith, Xavier Worthy, Jameson Williams, George Pickens and Travis Hunter, just to name a few exciting names. If you are looking for a more stable presence, Zay Flowers has an ADP over 10 picks later, easily outperformed Ridley in 2024 and is on a massively better offense… and is six years younger.
I don’t have anything particularly negative to say about Ridley as a pick this year; I consider him a target in plenty of circumstances. But in the receiver-value paradise that is RT Sports, there are simply better options available at this late-fifth-round ADP.
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Ted Chmyz is a fantasy football contributor for FantasyPros.com. Find him on Twitter and Bluesky @Tchmyz for more fantasy content or to ask questions.