Avoid these players like the plague ☠️

This guy looks like he hogs the bench and wears pajamas to the gym, if we’re being honest. 🤷‍♂️

What’s in store:

• Jordan Addison arrested over the weekend. The second-year wide receiver was brought in on suspicion of DUI.

• Could Ja’Lynn Polk have a role from Day 1? The Athletic’s Chad Graff seems to think that could be in the cards for the rookie pass catcher.

• The two WRs you need to target in the Chiefs offense 🎯 Faraz identifies two players NOT named Xavier Worthy.

• Avoid these players in your draft like the plague ☠️ There are probably better options than these guys, says Faraz.

• Vikings second-year WR Jordan Addison arrested over the weekend for suspected DUI

  • According to reports, Addison was found asleep behind the wheel late Friday and was released early Saturday morning after being booked. This is the second vehicle-related incident for Addison since entering the NFL, although he never received a formal punishment from the league for that case. Given the repetitive nature of Addison’s offenses, there’s a chance that the league could seek to punish Addison in accordance with its personal conduct policy. The Vikings QB situation remains largely in the air, although QB Sam Darnold reportedly has the inside track on the starting job heading into training camp over rookie first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. Addison’s numbers sans Kirk Cousins last season fell markedly short of his production with the since-departed veteran QB, and with Justin Jefferson providing suffocating target competition and T.J. Hockenson slated to return at some point in 2024, the sophomore wideout will likely have a hard time replicating his numbers from early in 2023. There’s been no official word yet regarding any potential punishment for Addison, but fantasy managers should stay tuned in the coming days and weeks to get a better idea of what might lie ahead as we move into training camp.

• Patriots rookie WR Ja’Lynn Polk ‘has a chance to be the No. 1’ by kickoff in 2024, per the Athletic’s Chad Graff

  • It’s a combination of DeMario ‘Pop’ Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, and Polk atop the Patriots depth chart at receiver, and it’s anybody’s role for the taking with an entirely new regime in town in New England. Douglas profiles as the most obvious candidate for a significant role in 2024 given his solid per-route efficiency last year, but with the Patriots investing a second-round pick in Polk, he could step into immediate opportunity in an offense still in search of a clear-cut top playmaker. TE Hunter Henry figures to continue to be a factor down in the red zone, where the Patriots have historically leaned on him given their shortcomings elsewhere in the lineup – however, the Patriots offense has nowhere else to go but up after hitting rock bottom last year, and Polk could be the answer to their struggles on offense if he can develop a connection with fellow rookie QB Drake Maye. Polk has been tagged as one of, if not the most, reliable targets in camp so far in the Patriots WR corps, and at just a WR64 ADP on Underdog, he could become one of the biggest values if he can lock down a role in his rookie season.

• Bengals TE Mike Gesicki could be featured in a ‘big slot’ role for the Bengals, per the Athletic’s Paul Dehner

  • Gesicki was one of the more under-the-radar signings this past free agency cycle, but landing in a Bengals offense that just vacated its longtime reliable slot receiver Tyler Boyd should give the former Dolphins and Patriots TE a chance to re-gain his fantasy relevance. After finishing as a top-10 fantasy tight end in back-to-back years in 2020 and 2021, Gesicki bottomed out in 2022 thanks to the addition of Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins offense. He then jumped to the Patriots last year, where he was supremely unproductive while operating behind Hunter Henry and dealing with replacement level QB play from Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. The good news: he’ll be playing with easily the best quarterback of his career with Joe Burrow under center, and with a role vacated for him to occupy on the offense, he could make some noise once again in 2024 while he seeks to crack the top-20 at the position for the first time in three years. With Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and even Jermaine Burton to compete with for targets, Gesicki’s floor remains glaringly low – however, his upside as a potential top-12 tight end can’t be ignored should he be able to earn a full-time role.

For me, there are two Kansas City WRs that I am all over in drafts - and they’re Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice. Hollywood has been very productive in this league, he’s put up WR1 numbers for stretches at times (and probably would’ve been a WR1 in Baltimore if they just threw it more) and now he gets Patrick Mahomes. He has a lot of competition, including Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice, and Xavier Worthy, but I think he will have his role regardless as that intermediate to deep option - a role Mahomes desperately needed after not being able to legitimately test safeties last year. I’m all about his WR32 price tag right now - give me Hollywood there pretty easily if he’s on the board.

Now, even if Rashee Rice is suspended for 6 games, I’m clicking draft next to his name every time at his WR40 price tag. I think Xavier Worthy being drafted ahead of Rice is a mistake - I think he’s more of a luxury piece for the Chiefs right now, and not necessarily someone who will be an integral part of their offense. The foundation will be the other three receivers… remember, once Rashee got a full route participation in Week 12, it was smooth sailing after that: he was the WR7 in points per game from that point forward. 27% target share and the efficiency was there too - and all that as a rookie - can’t be denied. His PFF Grade of 85.1, his 2.39 yards/route run, and 24% targets/route run are also all indicative of future WR1 seasons. Don’t fade him because of potential suspension - he’s not getting kicked out of the league. And if he gets less than a 6-game suspension, this price is even more ridiculous.

As far as Travis Kelce goes, I don’t want to say I’m fading him – but taking him at his price of the TE2 off the board, I don’t love it. The main reason is because I like some of the tight ends going right behind him like Trey McBride and Mark Andrews in drafts at cheaper prices. And I think he has more target competition nowadays compared to earlier on his career; I normally wouldn’t care as much about the competition, but I think Hollywood is legit, and so is Rashee. We’ll see what Worthy brings to the table, too. It’s not that I don’t think Mahomes can support all three of these guys at a high level, but I might choose to grab my tight end just a little later.

Sam LaPorta (TE1 - DET)

I don’t want to be the first to take a TE off the board. I think someone like Trey McBride has as much as a chance, maybe even more, to finish as the overall TE1 this year. Travis Kelce can have that title, Mark Andrews can have that title, so I rather pair one of these other TEs slightly later in drafts with whoever I pick when I’m faced with the decision to draft LaPorta - who’s going really early - end of the 3rd on Underdog and in the 2nd round on Sleeper. I’m passing.

Josh Jacobs (RB12 - GB)

Jacobs wasn’t good last year, and he’s being drafted assuming that he’s going to be the Packers workhorse. I would be in on this if he didn’t show potential signs of declines with his extreme inefficiencies. Marshawn Lloyd is young and is a very good prospect, and at the very least I think he challenges him for a role. We already know Packers HC Matt LaFleur likes his 1-2 punches, and now he has a huge upgrade over AJ Dillon in Marshawn Lloyd.

QB C.J. Stroud (QB6 - HOU)

Listen, I know CJ Stroud has the weapons. I know he has the system. But going off the board before Trey McBride and Mark Andrews? Before James Cook? Before high upside WRs like Cooper Kupp and DK Metcalf? He doesn’t run the ball. He’s a pocket passer. And unless I’m in a 6 point per passing TD league, the positional advantage most likely won’t be there. The only way it can be there in a traditional 4-pt passing TD format is if he throws for like 5000 yards and 40+ TDs. Can he get there? Absolutely. But is there a solid chance he doesn’t? Yes. I rather wait and grab other pocket passers at a discount - guys like Joe Burrow, Brock Purdy and Jordan Love a little later - and you still have a rushing QB on the board in Jayden Daniels paired with Kliff Kingsbury.