FantasyNFL

11 Fantasy Football Players To Trade As Soon As Possible

by Pat Mayo | 12:05 pm, September 4th, 2012

NFL kickoff is tomorrow (REJOICE), meaning you’re primed and ready for fantasy football season. Because who you pick to be on your pretend football team will be the most important set of decisions you make this year, we gave you some tips on which under-the-radar players to draft, which players to avoid, and general rules for top-quality drafting.

But now your draft’s over. Your rosters are set. What now? TRADES. Maybe you think your team looks pretty good – maybe you’re proud of that roster you’ve assembled, and think there’s nothing that could possibly make it look any better. NONSENSE.

And to help you figure out which players you should dump as soon as possible, we’ve enlisted the help of RotoExperts.com staff writer Pat Mayo. Below, Pat presents 11 players who might have looked like good pickups, but will in reality be soul-sucking burdens from which you must free yourself immediately. Heed Pat’s words, and make your opponents look like the FOOLS THEY ARE. All photos via Getty.

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1.Darren McFadden

In 1988 Run DMC told us, “DMC stands for devastating mic control. You can't touch me with a ten foot pole. And I even made the devil sell me his soul.” The same wording basically applies to the modern day Run DMC, Darren McFadden. His skills are devastating, defenders are rarely within 10 feet of him... and if you spent a first round pick on him, you’ve inked a deal with Lucifer. On the first day of Fantasy Football 101, the professor will tell you to minimize your risk early. By selecting McFadden in the first round you’ve taken out all the upside he has. For your team to be successful, he needs to not just play, but perform at a high level for all 16 games. He’s missed at least three games in each of his four seasons and generally plays in the late afternoon games. Why is that important? While you’re waiting to hear word on whether he’ll be in uniform, you’ve missed out on the majority of his replacements in the early games.

2.Kenny Britt

Britt dropped in every draft before his suspension came down from atop Mt. Goodell. Now everyone who took him is boasting about their Fantasy acumen, gloating for the masses to hear. Not so fast. This is still Kenny Britt were talking about. Missing just a single game enhanced his stock. It may have been the first bit of player discipline to ever be seen as a positive for a player’s value. Still, you don’t need to be Kreskin to predict it’s not going to be the last time Britt is up to no good. That’s simply too much instability. Plus, his off the field problems have masked it, but he’s coming off an ACL/MCL tear that kept him on the PUP list until the end of camp. So he may be crazy and banged up.

3.Randy Moss

Some will point to the zeroes he posted across the board in the preseason to downplay his Fantasy potential. That’s not fair, though. We can’t all collectively agree that the preseason is meaningless, then point to the results when trying to make a point. Moss’ real problem is his supporting cast. It’s unrealistic to think that at 35 he’ll have close to the same skills he did five years ago, but even if he still performs at that level it’s not Tom Brady finding him downfield anymore - it’s Alex Smith. The 49ers have a lot of options at WR and when Moss realizes his quarterback is incapable of getting him the ball whenever he demands it, the malcontent meter strikes threat level midnight.

4.Robert Griffin III

If your league rewards "hype points," hold on to him. But: since those are not a real thing, shipping him off your squad is the prudent move. Undeniably, RG3 possess loads of talent. His ability to extend plays and create with his legs will eventually make him a Fantasy superstar, just not yet. Many expect Griffin to essentially perform as Cam Newton 2.0, but there’s a difference: Newton’s body is much more capable of sustaining punishment. At 6’2”, 215, Griffin could have the same durability issues that have made Michael Vick so frustrating to own for the last decade.

5.Jermichael Finley

Remember the video that surfaced of Finley hauling in two balls at once a few years back? That was the moment the hype machine got really got rolling. Regrettably, his results definitely don’t warrant the same love. You can’t be fooled by his freakish athletic ability. He looks like he should be the league’s premier tight end, but that never translates to the stat sheet. He’ll have games that can single handedly win you a week, which is appealing - but he’ll ultimately hinder more than help with his wild inconsistency.

6.Demaryius Thomas

Thomas was tremendous down the stretch last season. He flashed the raw ability worthy of talk that he’ll be a top tier option someday, and with such an upgrade at quarterback, it seems possible his potential could be realized this season. Unfortunately, there are too many red flags for that to happen. Many of his scoring plays last season were spawned by Tim Tebow’s ability to scramble until the defenders just couldn’t keep up anymore. With Peyton Manning, Thomas must absorb the offense that comes with it. Routes must be run with extreme precision and success rests on impeccable timing. The change from Tebow to Manning is like passing the GED and immediately applying to med school, and Thomas knows it.

7.Marshawn Lynch

Lynch was most likely taken in the second round, maybe late-first, in your league. That’s just far too high. Sure, he was great last season, but that really feels like a career year, doesn’t it? His 12 TDs in 2011 were four more than his previous best set in 2008, and his 285 carries were also a personal high. His health and opportunity couldn’t have meshed better. Fresh off a new contract, Lynch is already dealing with a back injury and is a well-known knucklehead off the field. It’s unlikely fate will play out so positively again this season.

8.Frank Gore

He slipped to the fourth round in drafts, but that wasn’t far enough. Despite consistent performances the last few seasons, time appears to be ending for Gore’s days as an effective Fantasy running back. He’s 29, piled up 1650+ carries - and oh yeah, the 49ers have actively held open tryouts for his job. Even if Gore’s skills don’t slip as much as expected, he’s going to lose a significant number of touches to LaMichael James and Kendall Hunter – maybe even Brandon Jacobs too.

9.Rashad Jennings and Toby Gerhart

The moment Maurice Jones-Drew and Adrian Peterson can handle a full workload, there isn’t much use for Jennings or Gerhart anymore. Let them have a great week one, while they still see the field and maximize your value. With so much inconsistency at running back, catch one of your leaguemates wearing desperation blinders and deal them away.

10.Vincent Jackson

Never trust Vincent Jackson. He left Philip Rivers high and dry, and he’ll do it to you too. Like a Siren, he’ll soothe you with the sight of a three-touchdown performance, then feel like he’s earned himself a three paid week vacation. He’s unreliable, and that’s poison to fantasy teams.

For more in-depth analysis on these players and many more, scramble over to RotoExperts.com and check out the Xclusive Edge Fantasy Football package, your deluxe guide to drafting a great team and for setting ideal lineups during the regular season.

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Pat Mayo was nominated by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association for both Golf Writer of the Year and Humor Article of the Year in 2011, but came away empty handed. He’s yet to recover.

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Larry

No use for jennings or gerheart- are you kidding me? Why would anyone get rid of these handcutts- the only better handcuff in the league is Ben Tate. First MJD’s numbers will be way down (we’ve all seen how hold outs do either bad numbers chris johnson last year or injuries) Also AP had a major injury and is coming back way to soon.. Get a better fantasy writer – this is just terrible drivle

11 Fantasy Football Players To Trade As Soon As Possible

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