We all have those players that we drafted in fantasy that burned us big time. For some, all is forgiven due to unforeseen circumstances such as injury.
For others, though, there is a point of no return. These guys have either ruined us more than once, or their performances were so egregiously horrid that we swear off of them for good.
The four players for me are C.J. Spiller, Percy Harvin, Tavon Austin, and Mike Wallace. I've drafted or picked up all of these players at some point in time, maybe even more than once, only to be vastly underwhelmed.
You'll notice a common theme in the players I mentioned, in that I'm basically the Al Davis (RIP) of fantasy football- give me that speed at the skill positions, man. If I was in charge of an NFL team, I might draft guys just based on their 40 time. But as a lot of people have learned the hard way, it takes more than speed to make it in the NFL.
Mike Wallace is a guy who has wheels like nobody's business. Despite this, he couldn't separate himself from the pack amongst a less-than-stellar receiving corps in Miami, or with Minnesota where they desperately needed a veteran playmaker on the outside. This was after he was one of the most electric playmakers at the position for four years in Pittsburgh.
I think I spent a pretty early pick on him in one of those years with the Dolphins or Vikings... never again.
Next, let's talk about Percy Harvin and Tavon Austin. I group them together because they're essentially the same player.
Both have blazing speed, both are undersized, and both are versatile. But that doesn't really translate to fantasy, at least in the years I had them.
When I had Harvin, he got a lot of targets but never did anything with them. He also couldn't stay on the field due to whatever reason. This was after I saw him destroy the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl, so I thought I knew what I was getting with his versatility and skills. Nope.
I drafted Austin in back to back seasons, 2013 as a rookie and the following year. I spent a high pick on him more than likely because I saw him light up the Sooners for like 500 all-purpose yards in college. You could say I really bought into the hype.
However, his playmaking skills never really translated when I had him. At one point he was considered the third- or fourth-string receiver for the St. Louis Rams who were almost devoid of talent at the position. I finally gave up on believing in him this most recent season, and of course he ended up being pretty productive. Of course. Talk about adding insult to injury.
But this last player really takes the cake. You talk about how disappointing someone's production is in relation to his talent, and it really doesn't get any worse than C.J. Spiller. I hear in Buffalo and New Orleans that "Spiller" is actually a synonym for "underachiver." It works.
Before the 2013 fantasy draft, sports networks played Spiller's college highlights on what seemed like a 24-hour loop all but guaranteeing that he would "break out" and "take the league by storm" with his explosive speed and a new offense. So I took Spiller 8th overall feeling pretty good about it.
He ended up scoring two touchdowns all year and lost his job to a 32 year-old Fred Jackson. In case you're wondering, no my team was not good that year.
Coming into this year's draft, I was coming off of a league championship and I figured I would let bygones be bygones with Spiller. I took him with my fourth pick thinking he would fill the "Darren Sproles" role for the Saints given the pretty sizable contract they gave him, and Mark Ingram's lack of receiving capabilities. I play in a PPR league so I thought I was getting a steal.
Except Ingram really improved his game over the offseason, and became an every-down back for the Saints, making Spiller an afterthought. Good for him, but that was unfortunate for me.
When Ingram was sidelined with a shoulder injury around the end of the season, I thought I would finally be rewarded for hanging onto Spiller all year against my better judgment.
But Spiller, he with the 4.3 speed who was once drafted ninth overall, lost his job again. This time it was to Tim Hightower. Which wouldn't be so bad if it was 2010, but Hightower hadn't played in the NFL in four years.
Sorry Mr. Spiller. Never again.
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