Fantasy Football Scam Artists Of The Week: Preseason
By Cameron Newton,
2024-07-19
Fantasy Players projected way over what their actual production is!
Welcome to a new segment here at Stadium Rant. Fantasy Football Scam Artists of the Week is going to be simple. Each week will highlight a player at each position who failed miserably to meet their projections. More than likely, this list will include the players who lost your weekly matchups and cost you bragging rights or a playoff spot.
In this preseason edition, the players will be evaluated as underperforming for the whole 2025 NFL season. The rankings and projections will be based on the PPR format. Some of these players will have good seasons; however, when looking at their average draft position and other factors, they are being overvalued.
2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels will look to make a splash in his first NFL campaign. Looking at his fantasy projections, it seems that Daniels may be drafted too high. Fifteen interceptions will be a problem for any quarterback but could hurt the rookie's confidence early in the year.
There are better options behind him, such as Justin Herbert, Matthew Stafford, and Kirk Cousins, who have been reliable fantasy starters in recent years. Daniels could be a breakout player if he captures the same spark as his final season at LSU. However, this will not be the case as he will go through a rookie slump as most QBs do and be ranked in the 17-20 spot by year's end.
4. Runningback: Derrick Henry
A verage FantasyPros ADP: Overall 25th, RB 10
2024 ProFootball Focus Projections: 1,365 Total Yards, 11 Total TDs, 20 Catches
Former #1 overall Fantasy Superstar Derrick Henry will have a new home in 2024 after joining the Baltimore Ravens this offseason. This is not the Henry of old, who once went for 2,000 yards and 17 TDs. At age 30, most RBs see a steep drop in production. For this reason, Derrick Henry is being overvalued in 2024, which may be why your team misses the playoffs.
The issue with Henry is not the opportunity, as he joins one of the most run-heavy schemes in the league. His draft position, which is late second or early third round, is the reason for hesitation. His ceiling is lower than that of some players being taken behind him, such as Josh Jacobs, James Cook, or even Joe Mixon, who are younger and likely to be the main workhorse and every-down back going into 2024. Henry could have a solid year, but the inability to play on third down and his age make him likely to underperform this coming season.
Nico Collins is one of the most intriguing players in the 2024 NFL Season. The reason he is on this list has very little to do with his play on the field and all to do with what's happening around him. At 25, Collins should be in for a breakout year, solidifying himself as a fantasy WR 1.
However, that will not be the case. Tank Dell has proven He and QB CJ Stroud have a connection that will continue in 2024 and will be his go-to safety net. Newly acquired Stefon Diggs is a player who demands the football, as he should, but will eat into Collins's targets. Nico will be very productive some weeks, but barring injuries around him, his draft position is too high when you could take players such as Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, or Micheal Pittman. This year, a more realistic stat line for Collins will look like 60 catches for 850 yards and 5 TDs.
Who would have thought that when Kyle Pitts was drafted, he would be one of the most disappointing fantasy football players ever? Year in and year out, Pitts has failed to perform. Many think that with the addition of Kirk Cousins from the Vikings, Pitts could finally be utilized to his full potential. This could be the case, but his draft position is still too high.
Pitts was drafted as the TE 6 last year and is ranked this year. He finished as TE 17 in PPR formats, averaging just over 8 points per game. Cannot have this when drafted in the first seven rounds. Pitts, again, is the TE 6 going into 2024; he may finish much closer to this but is still ranked too high. Tight Ends such as George Kittle, David Njoku, and Dallas Goedert are all projected to be picked after Pitts, but they will be more productive fantasy options in the TE position.
1. Flex: De'Von Achane
Average FantasyPros ADP: Overall 20th, RB 9
2024 ProFootball Focus Projections: 1211 Total Yards, 7 Total TDs, 58 Catches
The rookie sensation De'Von Achane enters his second year in the NFL after he lit the league on fire with his blazing speed. Achane is considered a breakout candidate this year after splitting most of the duties with Raheem Mostert a year ago. In Achane's case, it is just a matter of touches; he is explosive with football but needs consistent touches to impact fantasy significantly every week.
Acahne appeared in 11 games last year, totaling almost 1,000 yards. The issue for him is that the Dolphins still trust Mostert, who ran for 17 TDs last year. If Mostert still takes most of the touches, especially at the goal line, this could trouble Achane. Achane will be helpful for fantasy managers all year, but he will not be a top-10 RB if Mostert is healthy this year.
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