Fantasy Football: 10 overrated players to avoid in 2023 feat. Deebo Samuel

The upcoming return of the NFL also means that NFL Fantasy Football is back.

Making sure you have the best possible players early in your draft can make or break your season, and if you whiff on some high picks, you can kiss the playoffs goodbye.

Avoiding busts may seem daunting, but if you dive deep into this analysis you can give yourself the best possible chance of avoiding overrated players in your fantasy league for 2023.

All fantasy points referred to in this piece will be 1-point PPR.

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Fantasy Football overrated players to steer clear of in 2023

#1 - Kenneth Walker, RB, Seattle Seahawks

NFC Wild Card Playoffs - Seattle Seahawks v San Francisco 49ers

Despite Kenneth Walker excelling as a rookie in 2022, there's no guarantee he'll repeat the feat in 2023. Walker averaged 15.8 fantasy points per game last year after Rashaad Penny went down injured, but would he have started but for injury?

Walker also faces the challenge of rookie Zach Charbonnet, who the Seahawks used their second-round pick on in the 2023 NFL Draft, so they will surely utilize him in a big way.

#2 - Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets

Despite Breece Hall bursting onto the NFL scene in 2022 with an outstanding rookie campaign, it was cut short early through a devastating ACL injury.

Hall may never have that same burst of speed again (see J.K. Dobbins), but is still holding an average draft position of 26th overall, according to fantasypros.com.

#3 - Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers

NFC Championship - San Francisco 49ers v Philadelphia Eagles

Deebo Samuel is an electrifying playmaker whenever he's on the field, but his fantasy production took a hit in 2022.

Samuel is having to contend with Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk for touches in a loaded 49ers offense. On top of this, there's uncertainty at QB with Jimmy Garoppolo out and Trey Lance's future up in the air.

Samuel was WR38 in 2022, and while he missed time, he had four games where he failed to hit double-digit PPR points. His ADP of WR16 seems very generous.

#4 - Deshaun Watson, QB, Cleveland Browns

Deshaun Watson came back after two years on the sidelines in 2022, and he looked like it. During the six games Watson played last season, the Browns QB averaged just 15.1 ppg, lower than the likes of Russell Wilson, Derek Carr and Carson Wentz.

Watson's current ADP is QB9 and 79th overall, but if he performs like he did in 2022, he should be drafted no where near this high.

#5 - Calvin Ridley, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

Like Watson, Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley has missed substantial time, last appearing in the NFL in October 2021. He missed the entirety of 2022 due to gambling violations, and there's no guarantee he'll return to the elite receiver we saw with the Atlanta Falcons.

The Jaguars may be an up-and-coming team, but Ridley is already 28-years-old and will be competing for touches with Zay Jones and Christian Kirk. His ADP of WR20 seems a little too high, taking these factors into consideration.

Fantasy Football overrated players to steer clear of in 2023

#6 - Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers

Christian Watson had a solid rookie campaign with the Green Bay Packers as they looked to replace Davante Adams. Linking up with Aaron Rodgers, Watson amassed 164.1 fantasy points throughout the year, averaging 11.7 ppg.

However, Rodgers has now left Green Bay, leaving Jordan Love as QB1 heading into 2023. Watson's ADP is 57th overall, ahead of Brandon Aiyuk, Drake London and Tyler Lockett, all of whom may be better options.

#7 - Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Las Vegas Raiders

Las Vegas Raiders Introduce Jimmy Garoppolo

Jimmy Garoppolo moved to the Las Vegas Raiders, and while he might have Davante Adams to throw to now, avoid him in fantasy.

Garoppolo ranked as the 25th best QB in fantasy football in 2022, behind the likes of Jacoby Brissett, Andy Dalton and Davis Mills. Garoppolo was in an excellent scheme in San Francisco, so it'll be interesting to see how he does in a new system, but don't hedge your bets on him in fantasy.

#8 - Devonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Super Bowl LVII - Kansas City Chiefs v Philadelphia Eagles

While Devonta Smith is an excellent wide receiver, it's hard to justify his ADP being WR13 and 29th overall. Smith formed an excellent tandem, alongside Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown in 2022, as all three ranked within the top 10 in fantasy scoring.

However, Dallas Goedert is likely to come back healthier than ever in 2023, and the Eagles acquired DeAndre Swift who will get catches out of the backfield. Smith will do well to replicate his 2022 form, let alone surpass it.

#9 - Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons

Ever since Kyle Pitts was taken fourth-overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2021 NFL Draft, fans across the league have been waiting for his breakout fantasy campaign.

Going into his third season in the league, Pitts has only had three touchdowns in his career, totalling 1,382 yards. Pitts missed the final month of the 2022 season through injury, but still ended the campaign as a disappointing TE33.

The above doesn't nearly justify Pitts' ADP of TE5, let alone his 62nd overall, above the likes of Chris Godwin and Mike Williams.

#10 - Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

Jonathan Taylor went down as one of the biggest NFL Fantasy Football draft busts in recent times, as the consensus 1st overall pick clocked up just 146.4 PPR points all year, the 33rd best for running backs. Taylor ended the year behind the likes of Jeff Wilson Jr. and Antonio Gibson in what was a bitterly disappointing campaign for him and the Colts.

However, Matt Ryan has been moved on in favor of rookie Anthony Richardson. This may only hinder Taylor as the mobile Richardson will likely take carries away from JT, across the field, as well as in the end zone. With this, along with his disastrous 2022 campaign, it's surprising Taylor is still holding an ADP of RB5 and 10th overall.

About the author

Matthew David Wear is an NFL writer for Sportskeeda based in Manchester with a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Sunderland. He has a total work experience of 10 years, having previously worked for the likes of FourFourTwo, World Soccer, Soccer AM, Sunderland Echo and ALS Fanzine.

Matthew follows the Cincinnati Bengals since he feels that they have been underdogs without achieving much success just like his native Sunderland AFC. If he could ever go back in time, he would want to change the 'holding' call on Logan Wilson that led to the Rams winning the game.

His favorite NFL players are Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Logan Wilson and Trey Hendrickson, while his favorite coach is Andy Reid for his unparalleled offensive tactics. His favorite Super Bowl is the LII edition where the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots and Nick Foles was declared MVP.

To stay at the top of his craft, Matthew keeps himself updated with stats, plays fantasy football, and makes sure all the data in his work are from reputed sources. When not working, Matthew likes to stay outdoors and engage in running and hiking.

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Edited by Windy Goodloe