5 Fantasy Football Draft Landmines Experts Avoid (2025)

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

Fantasy Football Draft Landmines to Avoid

Here are a few fantasy football draft landmines our analysts avoid.

Fitz’s Players to Avoid

Justin Herbert (QB – LAC)

Herbert is a fine quarterback who might be a fantasy star in different circumstances.

The Chargers were the 10th run-heaviest team in the league last year under run-loving offensive coordinator Greg Roman, and the Chargers have since spent a first-round draft pick on RB Omarion Hampton.

The Chargers’ offense operated at the second-slowest pace in the league last season, averaging 28.7 seconds between offensive snaps. Only the Buccaneers were slower at 28.9 seconds between plays.

With a run-heavy offense and a sluggish pace, Herbert simply won’t get enough pass attempts to have a chance to be a needle-moving QB.

Check out all of Fitz’s fantasy football picks to avoid

Joe’s Players to Avoid

Rhamondre Stevenson (RB – NE)

I’m firmly in the camp that the new regime wants TreVeyon Henderson to take over this backfield completely by mid-season, leaving Rhamondre Stevenson in the dust. The Patriots take just a $3 million cap hit if they cut Stevenson after this season, and I guess that they will.

Stevenson’s PPR ceiling is capped already by Henderson and, to a certain extent, by Drake Maye’s rushing ability as well. I just look at Stevenson as a bad investment, barring an injury to Henderson. When a new regime shows its hand in the draft, it’s typically wise to believe them.

Check out all of Joe’s fantasy football picks to avoid

Erickson’s Players to Avoid

Chris Olave (WR – NO)

Chris Olave enters 2025 with more red flags than breakout buzz. Now 25, he’s coming off an injury-riddled 2024 season in which he played just six full games and averaged a disappointing 10 fantasy points per game (WR40). While still efficient on a per-route basis (2.15 YPRR), Olave was out-targeted and out-produced by Rashid Shaheed, who doubled him in air yards and posted more top-12 weekly finishes.

Shaheed doubled Olave’s air yards. 25% target share to 20% target share. 338 receiving yards to 275 receiving yards. Over the last 24 games he has played alongside Chris Olave, Shaheed has averaged 56.5 receiving yards per game compared to Olave’s 64. Shaheed also had more top-12 finishes (4) than Olave (3) since 2023.

Olave has struggled to deliver high-end fantasy weeks throughout his career (fewer than two top-12 finishes per season, three years into the league) and now faces even murkier outlooks with shaky QB play likely incoming in New Orleans. Given that Olave doesn’t offer much after the catch he is hardly worth the headache. Olave has five documented concussions dating back to Ohio State as well.

Check out all of Erickson’s fantasy football picks to avoid

DBro’s Players to Avoid

Jayden Reed (WR – GB)

Jayden Reed was a fantasy darling entering the 2024 season after posting a WR26 in fantasy points per game season and ten total touchdowns. His stock came crashing down last year (WR38) as Green Bay continued their stubborn usage of a wide receiver room by committee, and the passing volume dried up.

Among 85 qualifying receivers (per Fantasy Points Data), Reed ranked 15th in yards per route run, but he was outside the top 40 receivers in target share (52nd, 15.7%), receiving yards per game (41st, 50.4), first-read share (49th, 19.9%), and first downs per route run (51st, 0.080). Unless you’re a hyper-efficient receiver, like Reed was in 2023, it’s difficult to produce when you’re only running a route on 69.3% of dropbacks (64th).

His usage in camp suggests his slot-only role and capped route run rate aren’t changing this season. He’s also currently in a boot as he’s dealing with a foot sprain. This could linger into the regular season. It all leads to the fact that Reed is a risky pick who could revisit WR3 production in 2025 if he runs hot again with efficiency and touchdowns. I won’t be making that bet in fantasy football drafts this year.

Colston Loveland (TE – CHI)

Loveland surprised some in the NFL Draft as the first tight end off the board. I’m not shocked by it, but I did think Warren would hear his name called first. Loveland’s top ten first-round capital is notable. Ben Johnson seemingly got his Sam LaPorta. I don’t think Loveland is on the same talent plane as LaPorta, and I don’t mean that as shade, but their skill sets are different.

Loveland has stellar per-route efficiency and the route-running chops to match, but he isn’t the same mauler after the catch, with only eight missed tackles forced in his collegiate career (per PFF). I worry a tiny bit about Loveland’s weekly route share with Cole Kmet, who is still on this roster. Loveland should be the Week 1 starter, but don’t be shocked if Kmet can be enough of a thorn in his side (ala Dawson Knox) to hurt his ceiling and floor in 2025.

I also haven’t even mentioned a crowded target hierarchy for this season with D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, D’Andre Swift, and Luther Burden on the roster and Caleb Williams’ worrisome 2024 play. Right now, Loveland is a bet on talent that I’m not willing to make in the tight end landscape.

Check out all of DBro’s fantasy football picks to avoid