I am avoiding the following players in all of my upcoming fantasy football point per reception, or PPR, drafts in 2018. In order to keep this simple, each player will be listed with their average draft position, followed by bullet points describing my reasons for avoiding said player, and my final projections.

All ADPs were found at Fantasypros.com.

JuJu Smith-Schuster

Juju Smith-Schuster (19) lays a monster block on Cincinnati Bengals Vontaz Burfict (55). (Photo by Getty Images)

Wide Receiver

Pittsburgh Steelers

ADP: WR20

• Had the largest discrepancy between expected fantasy finish and number of targets of all wide receivers in 2017
• According to Playerprofiler.com, has a burst score (22nd), catch radius (48th) and 40-yard dash (51st) all below the 52nd percentile
• Tied for 10th in yards per reception in 2017, which seems unsustainable with his skill set
• Ben Roethlisberger has only supported two top-16 WR once (Hines Ward & Santonio Holmes in 2009)
• Will need a major uptick in targets to outperform his ADP

Projections:

PPR Scoring: 211 PTS

Devin Funchess

Wide Receiver

Carolina Panthers

ADP: WR35

• Greg Olson is returning, who has commanded at-least 100 targets every season from 2012-2016
• First-round draft pick D.J. Moore will demand a fair share of targets as well
• Pro-Bowl Left Guard Andrew Norwell left for Jacksonville in free agency
• Starting offensive lineman Matt Kalil and Daryl Williams are both injured to begin the season
• Funchess has never posted a catch rate above 56.8 percent
• Cam Newton’s has had a QBR under 50 in his last two seasons

Projections:

PPR Scoring: 150 PTS

Evan Engram

Evan Engram (88) catches a pass and runs up field. (Photo via Pintrest)

New York Giants

Tight End

ADP: TE6

• Engram finished as the TE5 in PPR formats last season
• Engram was the most heavily targeted New York Giant in 2017 with 115
• Odell Beckham Jr. is returning, and will demand upwards of 150 targets
• First-round pick Saquon Barkley will have well over 300 touches
• Sterling Shepard demanded 84 targets in just 11 games in 2017
• There will not be enough volume available for Engram to repeat his 2017 fantasy performance

Projections:

PPR Scoring: 141 PTS

Rex Burkhead

New England Patriots

Running Back

ADP: RB27

• Has a slight knee tear, which has keep him out of the pre-season
• One of the most competitive back fields with first-round pick Sony Michel, Super Bowl hero James White, newly acquired Jeremy Hill and Mike Gillislee
• Burkhead has the highest ADP among Patriots running backs
• Since 2016, James White has been the third most targeted running back in the NFL behind only Le’Veon Bell and Duke Johnson Jr.
• White finished as RB38 in 2017, whereas Burkhead finished as RB39
• If I end up with a Patriots RB this season, it will be White

Projections:

PPR Scoring: 123 PTS

Ronald Jones II

Portrait of Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones II (27)
(Photo by Kohjiro Kinno /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Running Back

ADP: RB32

• Seems to have been surpassed by Peyton Barber as the primary running back
• Jones II has struggled with receiving the ball, which will keep him off the field on third downs in favor of veterans Jacquizz Rodgers or Charles Sims
• Only targeted 17 times in his career at USC
• Barber is averaging 5.3 yards per carry in the preseason compared to Jones’s, who had six rushing attempts for seven yards in his last preseason game

Projections:

PPR Scoring: 87 PTS

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