I’ll fully admit that, like plenty of other fantasy football managers, I suffer from “once bitten, twice shy” syndrome — shying away from players who have royally burned me in the past.
The more I invest, the longer they stay stuck in my doghouse. Through no fault of their own, I’m fully prepared to smash the “pass” button when I see their name pop up on draft software, in favor of other options.
In that same vein, I’m also more of an aggressive manager than I have been in the past. I’m conservative by nature, and when I started dabbling in fantasy drafts, I constantly took veterans, left auction money on the table or refused to truly go “all in” when it came to a draft strategy.
No more.
Now? If a player doesn’t have enough upside to warrant a late-round selection, I’ll bypass them. If a player has a lengthy injury history and I’m unwilling to deal with the headache of seeing “questionable this week” tags all the time, I’ll bypass them.
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Fantasy Football Do Not Draft List
Plenty of players have reached “do not draft” status for me, but that’s based on my own experience and risk tolerance.
Other analysts will surely differ on who they would select for their own “do not draft” queue, but here are several players I’m willing to completely forego this season.
Jayden Daniels (QB – WSH)
Jayden Daniels appears on my list for several reasons. Though it is difficult to deny his upside and ceiling (he has all the potential to finish as a top-five option at the position, like he did his rookie season), it would also be short-sighted to ignore his shortcomings.
Daniels’ slender build makes him similar to the leg lamp from A Christmas Story — it should be marked fragile. During his seven starts last season, Daniels picked up a knee sprain, a dislocated elbow and a hamstring injury, which effectively ended his season before it ever got going.
In an effort to keep him upright for 2026, Washington spent a pretty penny bringing in Laremy Tunsil from Houston last season at left tackle, but he was already placed on injured reserve (IR) due to a torn triceps and is expected to miss a significant stretch of the season.
During joint practices against Baltimore, Commanders beat reporters described the offensive line as “inoperable” and “the worst in years” — not exactly glowing reports that one wishes to read. This group ranked in the middle of the pack in run and pass blocking last season, and the hope was that they would make significant steps forward.
If the team becomes overly reliant upon Daniels’ legs to pick up first downs when he is constantly under pressure, I’m worried that fantasy managers will be stuck sinking significant draft capital in a player who will end up injured again.
Tyler Shough (QB – NO)
Other analysts have pegged Tyler Shough as a true breakout at the position for 2026, but I’m skeptical. After taking over duties under center last season in Week 8, Shough led the Saints to a 5-4 record and really began to click after being fully incorporated into the offense following the Saints’ bye in Week 11.
Like fellow rookie Jaxson Dart, Shough was able to boost his fantasy floor on the strength of his legs, scrambling away from defenders to extend drives, while peppering Chris Olave with targets in the passing game.
The general thought is that, with an improved running game behind him, led by offseason acquisition Travis Etienne Jr., and an infusion of talent in the NFL Draft (specifically Jordyn Tyson, Oscar Delp, Bryce Lance), Shough would have all the pieces in place to really pop.
I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but I just don’t see it. Shough’s success down the stretch last year came against some horrific defenses, and New Orleans will face a tougher schedule this year.
Tyson is already sidelined with another hamstring injury that is expected to cost him multiple months, and Olave is one more concussion away from being the next Tua Tagovailoa.
Improvements in the running game behind him are nice, but if Etienne and Alvin Kamara begin to take over games rushing the ball, that doesn’t exactly help Shough’s statistics. Across his 11 games last season, he threw multiple touchdowns just twice. Shough will also be playing behind an offensive line that can be described as league average, at best.
Christian McCaffrey (RB – SF)
Yep, you read that right. Last season’s RB1, who scored 17 total touchdowns and eclipsed 2,100 total yards, is someone I’m shying away from. This isn’t to suggest that Christian McCaffrey isn’t capable of repeating as the top player at the position — that is certainly within the range of outcomes, and it is also factored into his current price point.
My main worry is McCaffrey’s massive uptick in usage from the prior year and being relied on too heavily again in 2026. Looking at his career statistics, McCaffrey has finished as a top-3 player at the position five times since 2017 — his talent is undeniable. But he is still only human, and when he goes from 65 total touches in 2024 to 413 the following year, it is a massive cause for concern.
Historical data suggests that running backs who cross the 350+ touches threshold in a single year often miss games, get injured and regress the following season.
A recent example is Saquon Barkley, who set the world on fire in 2024 with 2,283 total yards and 15 touchdowns. He followed that up with 1,413 total yards and nine touchdowns last season. And this pattern keeps repeating.
The last time a running back with the most touches in a season finished as a top-10 option the following year was Ezekiel Elliott in 2018. That is it. I’ll side with history on this one and fade McCaffrey at his current draft cost.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt (RB – WSH)
Jacory Croskey-Merritt is currently being selected as an RB3 in most formats, based on the thought that he should open the season as Washington’s primary back in a bounce-back effort. When afforded carries last season, he certainly was successful, as evidenced by his 4.6 yards per carry, 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
My issue with Croskey-Merritt is his distinct lack of upside, since Washington didn’t use him at all in the passing game. He had just 13 targets in 17 games started last season, and Washington brought in Rachaad White this offseason.
The Commanders’ porous defense will often put the team in negative game scripts, which will lead to White and Kaytron Allen relieving him of duties as the team plays catch-up. He doesn’t have a massive investment cost, but if I’m willing to take dart throws around this territory, I’d much prefer RJ Harvey, Chris Rodriguez Jr. or Kenneth Gainwell instead.
Mike Evans (WR – SF)
The remarkably durable and consistent Mike Evans had a season to forget in 2025, playing in only eight games after a hamstring strain in Week 3, followed by a concussion and a clavicle fracture in October that cost him more time.
The hope was that a change of scenery from Tampa Bay to San Francisco would revitalize his career at age 33, but multiple soft-tissue injuries during training camp have me concerned. Evans picked up a quad strain. groin strain and an adductor injury, which has limited his time gelling with quarterback Brock Purdy.
Though these maladies may appear minor in nature, managers know that lower-body soft-tissue injuries are notoriously prone to setbacks and recurrences, and his advanced age means that he’s slower to recover from them.
Taking a look at Evans’ history, he’s never been a “volume” receiver — he’s only had one season with more than 80 receptions since 2016. Instead, he thrives on splash plays downfield and red-zone targets, which places him in direct competition with tight end George Kittle.
De’Zhaun Stribling looks to make an immediate impact, and San Francisco inked Deebo Samuel to further bolster their receiver room. All of these factors have me leery of Evans justifying his current price tag as the WR28 in average draft position (ADP).
Courtland Sutton (WR – DEN)
Outside of Jaylen Waddle, I can’t think of one player on Denver that I’m actively trying to draft as a weekly starter. Their backfield is a three-headed hydra committee with J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey and Jonah Coleman, and they have a crowded receiver room opposite Sutton, with Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin, and Marvin Mims Jr. all vying for targets.
In 2025, Courtland Sutton barely crossed 1,000 receiving yards on 124 targets, which was 13th in the league. Waddle immediately slides in as the alpha receiver for the Broncos offense, and I’m worried that with a severe reduction in targets, Sutton will be unable to convert looks into production.
Quarterback Bo Nix led the entire league with 612 pass attempts last season, so managers can’t assume that Denver will attempt more in an effort to feed Sutton. If anything, they will regress toward a more balanced offense with a stronger running game.
Similar to Evans above, Sutton’s value comes primarily from contested downfield targets and red-zone usage, rather than from being a major PPR threat. I tend to pass on players of this mold who struggle to convert targets into meaningful production each week.
Harold Fannin Jr. (TE – CLE)
I’ve cautioned fantasy managers about Harold Fannin Jr. all offseason, and this is a hill that I will die on. Fannin was superb in his rookie season, compiling a 72/731/6 split on 107 targets over 16 games, finishing as the TE6.
The common refrain that I’ve heard all offseason is that if Fannin had that kind of success last year with poor quarterback play under center, he should be able to replicate it again in 2026.
Call me skeptical.
Yes, the quarterback room is a total mess. Deshaun Watson has been pegged as the starter for Cleveland, but who knows how long he’ll be able to hold off Shedeur Sanders.
Over his last two seasons, Watson averaged a putrid 5.9 yards per attempt (YPA) and a 62% completion rate — hardly inspiring totals. Fannin has to compete with two outstanding rookie receivers for targets in KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. Veteran Jerry Jeudy remains as well.
Running backs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson return healthy, and most experts feel that the only way Cleveland will stay competitive in most games this season is by wearing opponents down in the run game and winning the time-of-possession battle.
Despite all of these shortcomings, Fannin is still ranked as the TE6, and I’m running to the hills at that price range. I’d much prefer Sam LaPorta, George Kittle, Travis Kelce or Isaiah Likely, all of whom are being taken after him.
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