Pump the Brakes: Perine Leads Players Climbing too High on Draft Boards

Playing fantasy football is almost exactly like playing the stock market. It’s very simple: The player is the player, and the stock is the stock. Those things don’t change – what changes is when and where we acquire them. We gotta buy low and sell high. It’s all about relative value. 

Case in point: Back on April 10, I featured Denver Broncos’ running back Samaje Perine as one of my deep sleepers for this fantasy season. At the time, he was going in the mid-50s in RB ADP, but now he’s being ranked as high as No. 36 at RB. Things might be getting a little out of hand. Let’s dive in and take a look at Perine and some other options who may be climbing too high on draft boards. 

Fantasy Players Who Are Climbing a Bit Too High 

Samaje Perine, RB, Denver Broncos: As I mentioned, I liked Perine as a sleeper earlier this offseason, but is he really a sleeper anymore if he’s being ranked above the likes of Damien Harris, Jamaal Williams, Rashaad Penny and Raheem Mostert? No, I don’t think he qualifies any longer.

I understand believing that Sean Payton will improve the Broncos’ overall offensive output – and that Javonte Williams’ recovery from injury is certainly something to keep an eye on – but Perine’s also a guy whose career high is 603 rushing yards, and that was six years ago. Let’s not get too carried away here. 

Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys: If you’ve been reading my articles throughout the NFL offseason, then you know how I feel about Pollard: I love him as an individual player, but I don’t like the idea of overworking him with increased volume this season. Going as high as No. 6 in some well-known rankings, I’ll be getting my shares of Pollard if and when he falls to RB11 or 12. 

Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Bucs: Here’s another one – I like White in a vacuum, but what about his offensive situation? Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask tossin’ the rock around? Todd Bowles, arguably the worst offensive head coach in the entire NFL, at the helm of the team?

It’s gonna be very difficult for White to thrive in the running game when opposing defenses don’t feel threatened by Mayfield or Trask under center. I know I’d stack the box against Tampa. 

Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams: This one is very simple to me – it always seems like a lot of hype without the substance or follow-through, right? I’ll believe it when I see it from Akers. Until then, I’m not touching him around RB20 when I can take Dameon Pierce, Miles Sanders, Alexander Mattison, D’Andre Swift, Isiah Pacheco, or even Kenneth Walker III falling sometimes in the area. 

Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Bucs: Same situation as Rachaad White, here… how many shares of Tampa Bay Bucs’ offensive players do we really want this season? I’ll probably have none. Meanwhile, Godwin is ranked as the WR18 ahead of fantasy studs like Deebo Samuel, DJ Moore, Terry McLaurin and Tyler Lockett. In that spot, I’m taking those four guys all the way. 

Brandin Cooks, WR, Dallas Cowboys: People love a change of scenery, don’t they? Well, obviously, I’m taking CeeDee Lamb over Cooks on Dallas – that goes without saying – but what might surprise you is that I’m also taking Michael Gallup higher than him. This was a typical Jerry Jones maneuver – pick up a ‘name’ player to plug an important hole. In the same section of ADP, I’ll be drafting JuJu Smith-Schuster, Gabe Davis and Jakobi Meyers over the veteran Cooks. 

Rondale Moore, WR, Arizona Cardinals: DeAndre Hopkins is gone, I get it, but… what has Moore ever really done? Can he stay healthy? Can he produce with any sort of consistency? It doesn’t feel that way to me, so I’ll be taking Darnell Mooney, Allen Lazard, Nico Collins, Adam Thielen and Donovan Peoples-Jones in his ADP territory. 

Quentin Johnston, WR, Los Angeles Chargers: Sure, we’ll grab those shares of Johnston in dynasty, but in redraft? I think he’s going too high when you consider the presence of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Joshua Palmer, Austin Ekeler and Gerald Everett. Too many mouths to feed in the short term, perhaps? In Johnston’s general area – around the WR48 – maybe Baltimore’s Rashod Bateman will fall to you in some instances. I’d rather take a chance on Bateman’s upside with Lamar Jackson, assuming Odell Beckham doesn’t play a full season as per usual, anyway. 

I’ll see ya right back here next week! 

John Frascella is a published sports author who has been covering the NFL for 19 years. Follow him on Twitter @LegendSports7 for all things fantasy football, basketball and baseball throughout the year.