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Several NFL players are seen as either breakout stars or consistent top-tier contributors in fantasy football every year. Some examples from previous fantasy football seasons include RB Peyton Hillis in 2011, QB Robert Griffin lll in 2013, and RB James Conner in 2019.
The 2021 fantasy football season has several NFL players who are quickly becoming overvalued after just three weeks of games. Here are ten players to avoid in fantasy football this year as they are overvalued.
Ten overvalued fantasy football players to avoid in 2021
#1 - RB Saquon Barkley
Saquon Barkley has been one of the top running backs in fantasy football since his rookie season thanks to his combination of power and speed. With his ACL tear last season, Barkley is being handled with caution in 2021.
Fantasy football fans drafted him in hopes of stashing him on the bench for a week or two before unleashing him. The New York Giants' offense is off the rails and Joe Judge refuses to pound Barkley with dozens of carries each week in garbage time. It's unlikely that Saquon Barkley will end up being a top-12 running back this season.
#2 - TE George Kittle
George Kittle has been ranked as one of the top two tight ends in fantasy football for the last several years, but 2021 might not be his year. Most fantasy football leagues saw him being drafted as TE2, which was too early.
It was a gamble, with the quarterback controversy going on with the San Francisco 49ers and the gamble isn't paying off as well as teams would have hoped.
His best game in 2021 was Week 3 with seven catches for 92 yards, but he has yet to score this season. WR Brandon Aiyuk is gaining confidence in the offense and Kittle is struggling with injuries this week as well.
#3 - RB Ezekiel Elliott
Yes, Ezekiel Elliott had just over 25 fantasy football points last week with two touchdowns. However, his best outings have come against poor defenses and the Dallas Cowboys won't face too many more of those in 2021. You don't have to avoid Elliott every week, but you'll have to study and only plug him in if the matchup suits him.
Dallas plays the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and New England Patriots before their bye week. Elliott is only worth starting against the Giants. Throughout the second part of the season, he'll have to face the likes of the Denver Broncos, Washington twice, the Las Vegas Raiders and the Arizona Cardinals. If you drafted Ezekiel in the first round, that was a mistake.
#4 - QB Trevor Lawrence
Trevor Lawrence was the top draft pick and seen as a generational talent entering the NFL. He was likely the first rookie quarterback taken in fantasy football this year and possibly went as quickly as the fifth round. 2021 looks like a sad season for the Jacksonville Jaguars as they trend towards a top-three pick.
Lawrence had four turnovers against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3 and his best game so far was against the Houston Texans with 332 yards, 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Lawrence could give you one or two more games with 20+ fantasy football points, but he should just be stashed away in hopes that the team turns it around next season.
#5 - RB Miles Sanders
There were high hopes for Miles Sanders in fantasy football this year, but the Philadelphia Eagles seem to have forgotten about him on the offense. He had 15 carries and five targets in Week 1, but those numbers have dwindled down to just two carries and four targets in Week 3.
He has yet to score a touchdown and the Eagles will look to abandon the run when down early. That could happen quite often in 2021 and Sanders could end up sitting on your bench for most of the season unless there are several injuries to your roster.
#6 - WR Juju Smith-Schuster
Juju Smith-Schuster is the red-headed stepchild for the Pittsburgh Steelers offense in 2021. He hasn't had over six catches or 55 receiving yards through three games, and the offense is crowded with pass-catchers.
Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool are the top receivers, Najee Harris is being used as more of a receiver and Pat Freiermuth is growing into a vertical threat. The offensive line is ruining the momentum for the offense and Ben Roethlisberger is forced to throw screen passes.
#7 - TE Jonnu Smith
When the New England Patriots signed Jonnu Smith, fantasy football players saw him as a bargain stud. The Patriots lean heavily on tight ends with their offensive scheme, but that has not been the case in 2021.
Smith has 84 receiving yards through three games with zero touchdowns. He's only had 16 targets as well. He's seen a few more targets than fellow teammate Hunter Henry, but Jonnu Smith won't have a successful season in 2021.
#8 - WR Kenny Golladay
If he is able to stay healthy, Kenny Golladay might not be a bad option for your fantasy football lineup. He's been a borderline-WR3 for the first three weeks of the season and has had 10.4 fantasy points twice.
Golladay isn't very explosive for the New York Giants and Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard are looking like better receivers (except for the drops). Entering Week 4, Kenny Golladay has been limited in practice with a hip injury and is questionable for the game. Unless he can stay healthy for the rest of the season, he should be avoided.
#9 - TE Evan Engram
It seems as if the entire offense for the New York Giants should be avoided in fantasy football this season. Evan Engram had his season-debut last week with just two catches from six targets for 21 yards. Injuries to the receivers could open up more targets for him, but he's not guaranteed to reel them in.
He was more of a FLEX option last week and the same goes for the rest of the season. However, there are better players to play at FLEX unless you're in a deep league.
#10 - WR AJ Brown
Unless Ryan Tannehill can improve this year, avoid AJ Brown. For one, Brown is questionable for Week 4 with a hamstring injury. He was held without a catch for over two quarters last week and has just 92 yards on the season.
Now that Julio Jones is healthy, Brown will be competing for targets as well. Brown was likely drafted between the third and fifth rounds of fantasy football and you won't get much in return this season.
