Fantasy football: Jackson, Cook among 5 players to avoid on draft day

MIAMI, Sept. 4 (UPI) — Lamar Jackson, James Cook and DK Metcalf are among my five players to avoid in fantasy football drafts.

I chose my players to avoid based on several factors, including strength of schedule, average draft position, injury history and their potential roles in their respective offenses.

Players listed below could still help fantasy football teams, but I would prefer other options at their average draft positions. Selecting one of them too early could shift the balance of your roster, resulting in a weaker structure of point-scorers.

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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is being selected as fantasy football’s QB2 in many drafts. File Photo by David Tulis/UPI

Jackson was the top scorer in fantasy football in 2025, when he won his second MVP award. He missed four games due to injuries last season, when he finished as QB20. He was just QB16 in fantasy points per game.

This year, Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens will be without former offensive coordinator Todd Monken and coach John Harbaugh, who left to take respective head coaching gigs with the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (C) carries an average draft position in the fifth round in deeper leagues. File Photo by David Tulis/UPI

Monken was the Ravens’ offensive coordinator for the last three seasons. Greg Roman had that role from 2019 to 2022.

Under Monken and Roman, Jackson averaged 10 rushing attempts per game. He averaged about half that last season, with 5.2 totes per appearance.

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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) is among my fantasy football players to avoid in 2026. File Photo by Joe Marino/UPI

New offensive coordinator Declan Doyle helped the Chicago Bears to the No. 3 rushing offense in the NFL last season, but I expect a more balanced approach from the Ravens this year in an effort to keep Jackson on the field.

Jackson’s schedule is littered with tough matchups, with half of his first dozen games against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for fewest fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks last season. Those meetings include four against teams that ranked inside the Top 5 for fewest points surrendered to the position.

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Former Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (R) could struggle early on during his NFL tenure with the Arizona Cardinals. File Photo by Mike Zarrilli/UPI

He also has a bye in Week 13, when many leagues hold their second-to-last or final regular season matchups of the season.

His current second-round ADP is a bit too rich for me based on the potential prospect of fewer rushing success from Jackson in 2026. I would either taken him in a later round, if available, or take another option later in your draft.

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Cook is being picked as RB5 in many fantasy football drafts. His ADP is in the top half of the first round. Cook finished as RB5 in total fantasy points last season, when he carried a second or third-round ADP, depending on your league size.

I preferred that price over his current cost.

Cook remains a vital part of the Buffalo Bills offense, but I hate his schedule. Each of his first four games will be against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for fewest fantasy points allowed to running backs last season.

He has seven such matchups and a bye through 13 weeks, meaning he either gets brutal opposition or will not play in more than half of those games. His schedule also includes just one game within the first nine weeks against a team that ranked inside the Top 10 for the most points allowed to the position in 2025.

Look elsewhere for your first-round RB1.

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Love’s second-round ADP in leagues with at least 12 teams makes him an immediate pass for me in fantasy football drafts.

The Arizona Cardinals rookie showed promise this preseason and has obvious star potential, but I prefer a more proven player at his current draft slot. Look to other options like Kyren Williams, Kenneth Walker and Javonte Williams if you want to take a running back in the ADP neighborhood of this rookie.

I expect the Cardinals to struggle this season with questions marks at quarterback and many other positions. They could trail throughout the campaign, leading to more passing attempts and less rushing opportunities for Love.

The Cardinals schedule isn’t very friendly, especially at the start. They will take on six teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for the fewest points allowed to running backs last season. That daunting slate includes two such matchups in the first two weeks.

A slow start from Love — paired with a tough schedule and typical rookie inconsistency — could spell disaster for those who use a second-round pick on the Cardinals running back.

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Metcalf carried a third-round ADP last season. He is being picked two rounds later this year, but I still would look elsewhere if you are looking for him to fill in as a WR2 or WR1 in a deeper league.

Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw just 24 touchdowns in 2025-26, his lowest total for a full season.

Metcalf only reached double digits in touchdowns twice through his first seven seasons. He failed to eclipse six scores in three of his last four seasons.

The Steelers are another team in transition, with a new coaching staff surrounding Metcalf and Rodgers. Head coach Mike McCarthy’s offensive background and experience with previous success with Rodgers should aid the Steelers’ offense, but I don’t expect a major resurgence for Metcalf.

The presence of Michael Pittman Jr., who joined the Steelers in an off-season trade, also could cut into Metcalf’s targets.

Metcalf’s schedule is brutal, with just two matchups against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for the most fantasy points allowed to wide receivers last season. Both of those matchups come within the first five weeks.

The Steelers’ slate features seven games against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for the fewest fantasy points allowed to the position in 2025. That span includes a league-high five games against teams that ranked inside the Top 5 for the fewest points allowed to wide receivers.

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Washington is a player to avoid if you want your season to get off to a good start. The Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver will get five matchups within the first six weeks against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for the fewest points allowed to wide receivers last season, including four that ranked inside the Top 5 in that category.

The Jaguars also get seven games against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for the most points allowed to wide receivers in 2025, but all of those come from Week 8 to 14. I would wait for Washington to struggle on someone else’s roster and potentially trade for him halfway through the season instead of taking him myself.

Washington went undrafted in many leagues last season, when he finished the campaign as WR21. He is currently being picked in the WR28 range, with a fourth-round ADP in deeper leagues.

I’d prefer Christian Watson, Mike Evans and Jameson Williams, among others, in his draft slot neighborhood.