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Fantasy football is fun because it’s all about getting your guys. Making sure you leave the draft with that one guy that you think is going to be big this year is one of the best feelings about this game. Yet it is easy to lose sight of the fact that there are some players that you want to avoid, especially at their given average draft position (ADP).

Sometimes it is because the player is past their prime. Sometimes, it is because they haven’t shown they have the ability to maintain a high level of performance. And sometimes, it is because their ADP is just too high, and there are better options elsewhere. Let’s get into one guy at each position that is a dynasty fade at their current ADP.

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Quarterback — Justin Fields

Wait, don’t stop reading yet! I know, I just started this article on players to fade with your favorite young quarterback prospect, but give me a chance to explain.

Justin Fields is a dynasty fade to me because of the last option listed above: his ADP is just too high. People are so excited for the kid, and rightfully so. It is kind of mind-blowing that he ran for 1143 yards last year and eight touchdowns. The problem is that he threw for less than double that amount. The fear is that he won’t be able to break into that next level as a passer, which is kind of crucial to being, ya know, a quarterback.

I will say that the Bears have done a great job this offseason to make sure that Fields has what he needs to succeed and to take that next step. I truly hope that he takes that next step and proves me wrong. However, I’m not going to wait to see if he does it with him on my team. I would rather lose three points per game (PPG) on average and take someone like Jared Goff, Kirk Cousins, or Geno Smith much later. By doing so, you can prioritize one of the other positions that have a larger drop-off on the average PPG.

With Fields going off the board as QB6, he is being drafted near his ceiling. You can take the risk if you want, but I’m avoiding it and finding value elsewhere.

Running Back — Derrick Henry

This dynasty fade hurts my heart because I’ve been a Derrick Henry fan since he entered the league. The big bruiser has been a dominant force on the football field, and it has been amazing to watch. However, all good things must come to an end, and Henry’s fifth round ADP is too high.

There are two major concerns with Henry, the first being his age and the second being his usage up until this point. Henry is about to be on the wrong side of 30, as he will hit the dreaded mark at the end of this season. It also doesn’t help that he isn’t under contract after this year, so there is little guarantee or consistency to expect from him, and it is easy to read the writing on the wall.

Looking at the second concern, Henry has the third-most rushing attempts among active players with 1750 carries throughout his career. There is something to be said about the fact that a human body can only take so much punishment before it starts to break down. That said, though, Henry’s worst season in the past five seasons came from a toe injury that kept him out for half the season, and he still finished as an RB2 that year. If anyone can defy the odds, it’s Henry.

Still, between the tread wear and his age, there’s too much risk-taking him at his ADP with him going as RB6 off the board.

Wide Receiver — Cooper Kupp

It feels like low-hanging fruit here, and I kinda hate myself for it, but I’m not drafting Cooper Kupp at his current ADP. He is so electric and such a fun athlete to watch on any given Sunday. The problem is whether or not he’ll be there for Sunday.

Kupp has shown that he can be a top-tier receiver when he finished as WR1 overall back in 2021, when he scored a ridiculous 439.5 points in PPR. Unfortunately, though, then and 2019 are the only times he’s finished better than a low-end WR2. Kupp has faced a multitude of injuries that have set him back from being the top-tier wide receiver that he has shown he can be.

I know I have preached in the past not to draft scared, and I typically I would stand by Kupp in this situation, too. However, Kupp’s age is an issue as well since he is on the wrong side of 30 as of June 15th. Now the 30-year mark isn’t necessarily the mark of doom that has been made out to be, as Bobby LeMarco has pointed out in this Twitter thread that you can find here. Regardless though, I would rather take the WRs who LeMarco discussed later on than take Kupp at his current ADP. His age, combined with his injury history, isn’t a good combination I would invest heavily in.

With his ADP of WR4 off the board, it is just too much of a risk for you to take Kupp, and that is why he is my wide receiver dynasty fade.

Tight End — David Njoku

Finally, there is the tight end position and David Njoku, who is going off the board on average as tight end 10. This is a fairly optimistic position to be grabbing him at as he’s finished near that twice, once as TE9 and once as TE10. However, those are the only two times he has finished better than a low-end TE2.

There has always been a lot of hope that Njoku would become a more consistent tight end, but it has never quite happened. Granted, there have not been a lot of bright spots in the Browns’ offense in general until lately. Njoku has been underutilized and has never met the expectations people have of their TE1. Even with little competition for him in Cleveland, he still has not been able to rise to anything more than a streaming option that you are hoping might score a touchdown week to week.

Add in the fact that there are younger, better options around him to draft, and it is easy to see why Njoku is a dynasty fade. You can wait a round or two and pick up rookies such as Dalton Kincaid, Sam LaPorta, and Michael Mayer. Or you can target my favorite tight end that I wrote about here and grab Evan Engram, who is available around the same area as Njoku.

What about you? How do you feel about these players? Are there others that you’re fading instead? Let us know in the comments!

For more from Richard and his Razzball content, find him on Twitter @gingerbe3rdman.