We’ve all seen it time and time again; the breakout star of the fantasy football season that turns cellar dwellers into fantasy football champions. Then in the following year, that nice little surprise from the previous season is drafted overly high and is expected to carry the workload of the entire team. However, it turns out that player isn’t all he’s cracked up to be and your team goes from hopeful to hopeless. It’s very easy to get sucked into the one-year wonder crowd that focuses primarily on the upside of a player instead of the potential slide in production. The following are a few players who are the most susceptible to the one-year wonder bug and could transform your weekly fantasy football aspirations into a season a mediocrity.
Hillis
PEYTON HILLIS- Yes, the big fella from Cleveland did have a monstrous 2010 season where he rushed for 1177 yards, caught 61 balls for 477 yards and scored 13 total touchdowns. However, he doesn’t have the element of surprise anymore and defenses surely know that they can stack the box against the Browns. With basically nothing in the cupboard as far as receivers, defenses can hone in on Hillis the entire season and make him work for every yard. Furthermore, with his style of running, Hillis is liable to either get hurt or slow down tremendously as the season rolls along. In his last five games in 2010, Hillis rushed for over 100 yards only once and didn’t score a single touchdown. He may jump out to another fine start in 2011 but when it comes down to brass tacks in the fantasy football playoffs, he could be too beat up to contribute (add Madden curse reference here).
Lloyd
BRANDON LLOYD- In his seventh NFL season, Lloyd stunned fantasy football owners by leading the NFL in receiving yards with 1448 yards off of 77 receptions and 11 touchdowns to boot. While Lloyd was a fun story, it’s almost silly to think that he can replicate such numbers in 2011. Does anyone remember Brandon Lloyd before 2010? He was a journeyman receiver who got booted from not-so-stellar receiving cores like San Fran, Washington and Chicago. His best statistical season prior to last year was in 2005 when he caught 48 balls for 733 yards and 5 touchdowns for the 49ers. Now all of a sudden, the 30-year old has an average draft position (ADP) of 47 in most 10-team leagues. Add in the ever-growing drama around the QB situation in Denver and you have nothing but a guy that looks great on paper but is average on the football field.
Freeman
JOSH FREEMAN- Don’t get me wrong here, I really like Josh Freeman and I believe he’ll be an efficient NFL quarterback in 2011. Unfortunately for his fantasy owners Freeman is being unfairly valued as an elite fantasy QB. Freeman had solid numbers last year, throwing for 3451 yards with 25 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions. However, he failed to throw for over 300 yards in any game last season, had seven games where he threw for less than 200 yards and he only threw over two touchdowns in one game. Freeman is a very good QB for the Buccaneers’ offensive scheme and will help them win some games, however he won’t win you very many fantasy football games.
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Tags: 2011, 2011 fantasy busts, Brandon Lloyd, josh freeman, peyton hillis
[...] Peyton Hillis is back in the Browns backfield and led the team in carries last week. But with an awful offense around him, and a hungry Ravens D coming to town, Hillis shouldn’t be reinserted into your good graces quite yet. Instead, look to the Lions Maurice Morris, who will start in place of an injured Kevin Smith. Detroit figures to feature their struggling running game in an effort to keep Drew Brees on the sidelines. I’m penciling MM in for at least 85 total yards. [...]