Players You Shouldn’t Draft in Fantasy Football for 2024

The NFL preseason is winding down, which means fantasy football drafts are heating up. You can find all kinds of information online and on TV about who you should draft when your funny team name pops up at the top of your screen, but what players should you avoid?

Ultimately, everyone in your league is probably going to get someone on their roster who looks like a bad pick after the season is over. Whether the “injury bug” rears its ugly head or a player simply doesn’t meet expectations, there are always some players who you look back at the end of the season and ask yourself, “Why did I draft that guy?!”.

When it comes to your 2024 fantasy football season, we’ve got you covered with some draft tips that will help you avoid picking a player, especially in the first three to five rounds, who probably isn’t going to meet expectations.

Just a note, these fantasy football draft tips are based on standard scoring in leagues that use the points-per-reception (PPR) setup. Also, this list of players to avoid doesn’t necessarily mean that you shouldn’t consider these players if they’re available in the later rounds.

In most leagues, by the time you get to the twelfth round, you’re looking for value and depth. With those caveats out of the way, let’s get into this list of players you shouldn’t draft ahead of the 2024 fantasy football season.

Quarterbacks

Josh Allen: Buffalo Bills

It may seem bizarre to see Josh Allen on a list of players that you shouldn’t draft, but there is some logic here. Yes, Allen has proven to be a dual-threat quarterback throughout his career, and rushing yards and touchdowns typically rack up a lot of points.

However, Allen is also prone to throw some interceptions which result in a two-point loss in most standard-scoring leagues. Additionally, he’s going into the 2024 season without a clear-cut, number-one wide receiver after the Bills moved Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans.

The Bills drafted Keon Coleman in the 2024 Draft, but Mack Hollins is currently listed as the top receiver on Buffalo’s depth chart. If you’re going to draft Allen, try to wait until round nine or later.

Deshaun Watson: Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns reshaped the QB market when they traded for Deshaun Watson and gave him a contract that was fully guaranteed. Since that trade, Watson has barely seen the field in Cleveland and sat on the sidelines last year as Joe Flacco, who the Browns signed out of quasi-retirement, led the team to the playoffs.

When the Browns gave Watson $250 million in guaranteed money, they thought they were getting the guy who had led the Houston Texans to the postseason, but he hasn’t been on the field enough in Cleveland. Until Watson proves that he can stay healthy and perform at a high level, there’s no need to draft him.

Aaron Rodgers: New York Jets

It’s weird to see a four-time MVP on a list of players you shouldn’t draft, but Father Time is undefeated (unless you’re Tom Brady). The New York Jets thought they had solved their longstanding QB woes last offseason when they landed Aaron Rodgers, who forced his way out of Green Bay.

On the third snap of the season, Rodgers went down with a season-ending Achilles injury. On paper, the Jets roster looks solid enough to contend for a playoff spot, but trusting a 40-year-old QB coming off a season-ending injury is tough. Don’t draft Rodgers unless you’re looking for a backup QB in round 12 or later.

Running Backs

Nick Chubb: Cleveland Browns

Speaking of season-ending injuries, the Cleveland Browns lost Nick Chubb to a gnarly knee injury last season. While Chubb is a rushing and receiving threat, the fact remains that he’s 28, which is getting close to the age when most running backs start to fall off.

When you combine that with last season’s injury, the second such injury in his career, you’re better served letting someone else reach on a player who used to be at the top of his position group.

Austin Ekeler: Washington Commanders

Austin Ekeler has been an interesting study over the last couple of seasons. Most fantasy football platforms have kept him at or near the top of their RB rankings, but things have changed. Ekeler’s value was largely found in his ability to catch the ball, especially in PPR formats.

Injuries and coaching issues marred his last season in Los Angeles, and now there are just more questions than answers with this move to Washington. The Commanders have a new coach (Dan Quinn), and a rookie QB (Jayden Daniels), and Ekeler is 29.

Alvin Kamara: New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints are a mess. There was some hope that signing Derek Carr would help, but it’s looking more and more like the Raiders were right to move on from him. Chris Olave (WR) looks promising enough, but the Saints’ offense just cannot get in gear.

With a head coach on the hot seat, mediocre QB play, and a lack of WR depth on the team, Alvin Kamara, 29, just cannot put up the numbers that he used to.

While he may still score some points based on receptions when Carr dumps the ball off to him in the backfield, you can probably trick someone in your league into reaching on Kamara.

Wide Receivers

Stefon Diggs: Houston Texans

This is another surprising entry on our list of players you shouldn’t draft in 2024, but let us explain. Stefon Diggs is a really good wide receiver, as we’ve seen throughout his career in Minnesota and Buffalo.

He’s also 30 years old and going to a new team. Pairing Diggs with CJ Stroud may prove to be a great move, but Diggs is likely going to garner attention in the second or third round of your draft.

The Texans WR room is stacked with talent that already has a connection with Stroud, which could leave Diggs fighting for targets, and the former Bill is known to get frustrated when he isn’t getting the ball.

Christian Watson: Green Bay Packers

Christian Watson is incredibly fast, which is why the Packers drafted him in the second round of the 2022 draft.

Unfortunately, he’s struggled to consistently stay on the field since that pick. When you combine his durability concerns with ongoing drop issues that go back to his college days, drafting him before the ninth or tenth round just doesn’t make sense.

The Packers receiving corpse looked great last year, which means Watson will likely be fighting for touches.

Tyler Lockett: Seattle Seahawks

Tyler Lockett is still a solid fantasy option, but only if you can get him in the much later rounds. Although the Seahawks list Lockett atop the depth chart, he’s going to have to share touches with D.K. Metcalf and Jackson Smith-Njigba.

Lockett finds himself on the wrong side of 30 and the Seahawks have a new offensive system this year after Pete Carroll moved on from the sidelines last year. Let someone else grab Lockett and focus on one of the other Seahawks receivers.

Tight Ends

Brock Bowers: Las Vegas Raiders

Rookie tight ends typically have problems transitioning into the NFL. While Brock Bowers was considered one of the “can’t miss” prospects in last year’s draft, it’s safe to assume that he’s going to need to adapt to the league.

He was a top-end receiving threat in college, but in the pros, he’s going to have to adjust to blocking while also trying to get receptions.

Head coach, Antonio Pearce has made it clear that the Raiders want to run the ball, so we’re not sure how many receptions Bowers can nab. Combine that with the uncertainty at QB, and Bowers becomes undraftable in fantasy formats unless you can grab him late and stash him on the bench.

T.J. Hockenson: Minnesota Vikings

Having Hockenson on this list is another example of a guy who fantasy players have been drafting high for years being in a position to drop in value.

First of all, Hockenson is coming off a season-ending injury, and while he’s still young (27), there are some questions about whether he’ll be ready to go at full speed in week one. Also, the Vikings QB room is a disaster.

Kirk Cousins is in Atlanta, J.J. McCarthy, the rookie the Vikes drafted out of Michigan to replace Cousins, is out for the season with a knee injury, and Sam Darnold is slated to be the starter.

Zach Ertz: Washington Commanders

Zach Ertz has been a fantasy stalwart for years, but at this point, he’s basically nothing more than a popular name, which fantasy players know is a terrible way to draft. After four injury-plagued, unproductive years in Arizona, Ertz made the move to Washington this offseason.

While tight ends are usually considered safety blankets for rookie QBs, there’s no reason to assume that Ertz will be on the field often enough to form that sort of relationship with Jayden Daniels. If you want to draft Ertz, only do so if he’s there in the last round of your draft.

Draft Smart, Win Big

Some of these names are going to go in the first three or four rounds of your draft. Sit back and let other players make their mistakes, and grab some studs in the early and middle rounds of your draft. That trophy is yours!