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Who are some fantasy football players to avoid in 2024 FFPC Main Event Drafts? Ryan Kirksey breaks down four WRs who are currently overpriced and should be avoided.
While wide receivers are all the rage in high-stakes fantasy leagues and even smaller home leagues, that's not an invitation to take any pass-catcher at any ADP. When considering fantasy leagues where a tremendous amount of money is at stake, wide receiver is the one position managers must get right considering how much the wide receivers anchor rosters when it comes to scoring consistent fantasy points.
The Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC) is one of the top fantasy football platforms in 2024. If you have played on FFPC, then you have noticed slight nuances to its scoring system that must be considered when drafting Main Event teams. One quirk to consider is that quarterbacks get one point for every 20 yards passing instead of the traditional 25 yards. This means pocket passers get a little more of a bump compared to other tournaments where rushing quarterbacks rue the day. Secondly, FFPC is a tight-end premium site. That means tight ends get 1.5 points per reception, while all other skill positions receive one point.
In this piece, I will look at four wide receivers who are best to avoid in Main Event drafts on FFPC. These players might have had good seasons in years prior but should be avoided in 2024 drafts. These four players are not ideal selections at their ADPs. For each player, I will include their current FFPC ADP and where they stand in RotoBaller's FFPC rankings.
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George Pickens, WR - Pittsburgh Steelers
FFPC ADP: 57.7
RotoBaller Rank: 73
Three things are working heavily in Pickens' favor as the Pittsburgh Steelers offense enters a new era. One, Pickens is still just 23 years old and growing as a player. He will spend all of 2024 at 23 years old and already has two years of NFL experience.
Secondly, Kenny Pickett is out, and Russell Wilson is in. Wilson knows how to do the one thing where Pickens excels. Third, Pickens might be the best deep-ball receiver in the NFL.
However, there might be a more maddeningly inconsistent top receiver than George Pickens. In 2023, he had three games where he smashed the 20-fantasy-point barrier and put up some huge games. But he also had eight games with six or fewer fantasy points in half-PPR formats.
For a tournament like the Main Event, we need week-to-week consistency and reliability considering it's a PPR format. Pickens has yet to be able to offer that in his two seasons thus far.
WR George Pickens on how the #Steelers offensive scheme will look different.
“As far as all the plays and all the guys around, I’d probably say more dynamic. We can run. At QB you’ve got Justin Fields. He’s an athletic freak. We got him now, so that’s pretty good.” pic.twitter.com/OfXZYWh2lj
— Aaron Becker (@Aaron_M_Becker) August 14, 2024
Could that change with a new offensive regime? Sure, but with Arthur Smith now running the offense, expect to see a lot more running back and tight end involvement from game to game.
A top 60 price tag is too expensive for this type of player. In Best Ball formats, his spike weeks can pay off. In a high-stakes tournament such as the FFPC Main Event where weekly wins are essential? I'll be looking elsewhere in the fifth round.
Calvin Ridley, WR - Tennessee Titans
FFPC ADP: 68.9
RotoBaller Rank: 76
Ridley is a need-to-see-it-before-you-believe-it type of player for the 2024 season. Not from a talent perspective, we know Calvin Ridley can be an alpha receiver. But from an offensive philosophy and team commitment to Ridley being the undisputed WR1? That's where it's understandable to have doubts.
This offense should look completely different from the smash-mouth Titans teams of yesteryear that featured Derrick Henry, but it's fair to question just how Ridley fits into this offense.
Calvin Ridley made an $82,500,000 CB and just give up on the play in the end zone 😳 pic.twitter.com/X0UejyViDy
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 19, 2021
Despite 136 targets in 2023, Ridley struggled with drops and overall catch efficiency. He had six drops last season. Also, his true catch rate (86.4%) was 72nd among wide receivers and his contested catch rate (33.3%) ranked 66th. He had a tough time separating from defenders as well, and that should only decline as he turns 30 this season.
Much of Ridley's production with Jacksonville came from the fact that his 25 red zone targets were third-most among wide receivers last year. Will he be that involved in the red area again in 2024? How will DeAndre Hopkins, Tony Pollard, and Tyjae Spears steal work in that area?
Since Will Levis can make things happen with his legs, does that take away a few targets from Ridley as well? There seem to be too many questions that need answers before we should go all-in on Ridley for 2024.
Terry McLaurin, WR - Washington Commanders
FFPC ADP: 60.8
RotoBaller Rank: 71
To be clear, McLaurin is a legit No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL. It isn't his fault he has been saddled with the likes of Sam Howell, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Carson Wentz, and Taylor Heinicke for his entire career.
Last year, with Howell taking about 13 sacks per game (which might be a slight exaggeration), McLaurin still managed to rank 19th in targets and 18th in receptions among wide receivers. He was number two in wide receiver routes run.
Jayden Daniels will immediately be the best quarterback McLaurin has ever played with when they take the field together in Week 1, but expectations still need to be managed.
Daniels will have a learning curve as a rookie and will face his share of challenges. Rookie quarterbacks tend to find their safety valves when they run into problems. That's why the Commanders signed Austin Ekeler and drafted Ben Sinnott in the second round of the draft.
Terry McLaurin 😤
Could F1 finally have his QB? 😱 pic.twitter.com/MAO6HzRv8L
— Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL) August 16, 2024
There are other players to grab in Round 6 this year instead of McLaurin, such as Chris Godwin and Christian Kirk. If McLaurin somehow falls to where we have him in our Main Event rankings (pick 71), then he has fallen enough to where you can feel comfortable selecting him. Otherwise, he's an avoid at cost due to the other options available.
Christian Watson, WR - Green Bay Packers
FFPC ADP: 83.4
RotoBaller Rank: 111
Watson has had some of the most unfortunate injury luck of any young wide receiver in the league the last two years. He missed three games in his rookie season in 2022 and then eight games with two different hamstring injuries in 2023.
The Packers think they have identified the source of these issues (apparently his legs were asymmetrical), but he already had one injury scare on his knee at camp and is close to getting the injury-prone tag.
During the time he has not been able to play, other wide receivers (Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks) and tight end, Luke Musgrave have been able to carve out big roles in this Green Bay offense. Add in tight end Tucker Kraft, and this is a messy situation for fantasy managers every week.
It's fair to believe in Watson's talent, but he doesn't have enough of an edge over the other receivers (especially Doubs and Reed) to be the unquestioned WR1 on this team.
The ADP for Watson reflects both the injury concerns and the crowded receiving room in Green Bay. Watson is a player easy to root for not just because of his talent, but due to his work ethic, and smooth catch ability. However, Watson is currently a fade at cost as Jayden Reed, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Xavier Worthy are all better picks in that range.
Thanks for reading and best of luck in your FFPC drafts this season!
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