The McBrayer coat of arms lays the framework for what to expect from our ilk. From the early days of William Wallace and other Scots rebelling against the crown of England, the MacBrayer clan felt it necessary to make it their creed. “In defiance” is emblazoned below a white knight with three red stars and a matching lion reared on its haunches. Hundreds of years later, my family has the independence it fought for. Ever the defiant one, I still bristle with pride when shunning average draft position (ADP) in my fantasy drafts. Why conform to the aggregate when you can chart your own way? The difference between a groove and a rut is perspective. Don’t let the consensus define who will lead your fantasy football squad to glory.
- 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 Fantasy Football Rankings
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Players to Avoid at ADP (2024 Fantasy Football)
Before I warn you all about who not to pick in each round of your fantasy drafts, let me set the record straight. I don’t dislike any player, as a rule. The point of this exercise is to point out the guys who I have valued lower than where they are currently being selected.
Round 6: Evan Engram (TE – JAX)
Of all the players in this column, I like Evan Engram the most. The sixth-round ADP group is loaded with talented players. Engram is due for some regression on his career-high 143 targets from 2023, simply due to Jacksonville acquiring more talented receivers. I’m a huge Brian Thomas Jr. fan. Christian Kirk will absorb his usual lion’s share of the Trevor Lawrence targets from the slot and Gabe Davis will run wind sprints in hopes of an occasional blown coverage. I still consider Engram a top-10 TE, but anyone outside the top seven has nearly identical projections. Better value at the position comes from waiting longer if you can’t nab one of the elite ones.
Round 7: Rashee Rice (WR – KC)
Aside from being a complete knucklehead, Rashee Rice is a niche player in a very balanced offensive attack for Kansas City. He doesn’t run traditional WR routes, instead soaking up all the low-depth targets when Mahomes reads Cover-1 or pressure coming off the opposite side. Rice isn’t a bad player, but none of the Chiefs receivers are allotted a high snap share. With Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy on the team this year, Rice is likely to get his number of looks squeezed. With or without a suspension this season, I’m out on Rice.
Round 9: Ezekiel Elliott (RB – DAL)
Again with the decimal backs. 2017 Ezekiel Elliott isn’t walking through that tunnel at AT&T Stadium. He is a reclamation depth project in 2024, at best. He was slow in New England; even slower than 2022 Elliott who we screamed couldn’t hold a candle to Tony Pollard. Dallas is a train wreck and this is the saddest example. I’ve rooted for the Cowboys my entire life and this year has me feeling like the disheveled Spongebob meme. Rico Dowdle is somehow the best runner in the group. Elliott is not worth drafting in any round, I’m afraid. Nostalgia be damned, we need to draft with our brains to win the championship.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn