This is the time of year when hype grows. Coaches speak highly of all players. Everyone is in the best shape of their life (maybe not Leonard Fournette…). However, it’s important to be able to dig deep and determine which players are entering the season overrated and overvalued in fantasy football leagues. Let’s take a look at a few overrated players.
6 Overrated Wide Receivers
Deebo Samuel (SF)
ECR WR7 | ADP WR6
Deebo Samuel made me pay the price for overlooking him, as the talented wideout finished last season as the WR2 overall and in points per game (18.8). His receiving production alone would have him placed inside the top-10. But there’s reason to believe that Samuel won’t be able to sustain that same elite production from last season. Natural regression is firmly in play considering no WR earned more fantasy points above expectation than Samuel did in 2021. And that number doesn’t come as a surprise considering nearly 30% of Samuel’s fantasy points came from rushing alone. Or that Samuel scored three touchdowns of 75-plus yards.
Samuel’s usage in the San Francisco 49ers offense seems destined to change with him voicing displeasure with his RB/WR hybrid deployment. That’s also not factoring in the rushing attempts and short-to-intermediate targets that Samuel could lose with second-year mobile quarterback Trey Lance entering as the starter. Or increased target competition from a fully healthy George Kittle and out-of-the-doghouse Brandon Aiyuk. There’s no guarantee that Samuel sees a role – in fact very unlikely – that made him a fantasy revelation in 2021. His long injury track record dating back to college should also not be overlooked.
– Andrew Erickson
Mike Williams (LAC)
ECR WR20 | ADP WR20
Call me crazy, but I like my WR to have more than 4 great games every year. Mike Williams annually teases us and inevitably disappears due to injury or performance. I’d rather have the volume of a Darnell Mooney at the same ADP as the #1 in his offense, than the carousel of productivity that is Mike Williams.
– Joe Pisapia
Chris Godwin (TB)
ECR WR30 | ADP WR21
Chris Godwin is a top-12 receiver in terms of talent, but he suffered a torn ACL in December. It’s aggressively optimistic to assume he’ll be able to return in time to play the majority of the 2022 season.
– Matthew Freedman
Michael Thomas (NO)
ECR WR28 | ADP WR22
Maybe Michael Thomas is still the same guy who had 149 catches for 1,725 yards in 2019. Who knows? He’s played seven games in the last two years and was out for all of 2021 with ankle problems. He’s 29 now and Drew Brees is no longer his quarterback. No one expects another 149-catch season, but it feels like we still might be overshooting the mark in expecting a WR2 season from a player who’s been out for so long and is returning to a totally different environment.
– Pat Fitzmaurice
DeAndre Hopkins (ARI)
ECR WR38 | ADP WR35
DeAndre Hopkins is coming off a year in which his targets per snap fell to 64th, and his yards per route run dipped to 29th among wide receivers. On top of the declining efficiency, now he’s slated to miss six games of the season which is a tough pill to swallow for fantasy purposes. If the Cardinals further spread out targets in this offense this season, Hopkins will disappoint when he finally can suit up.
– Derek Brown
Chase Claypool (PIT)
ECR WR46 | ADP WR41
The fact the Steelers drafted George Pickens was a red flag for me regarding Chase Claypool. Yes, Diontae Johnson is nearing a new contract, but he could stay for the right price. Claypool has had some big games, but the lack of consistent floor and sporadic ceiling makes him a tough investment.
– Joe Pisapia
FantasyPros Staff Consensus 2022 Redraft Fantasy Football Rankings
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