Overvalued Players: 3 Edge Rushers to Avoid

Photo: USA Today Sports

The flip side of succeeding with value players is failing with overvalued players. They can clog your roster and never seem to match your expectations. Avoiding them is another of the important keys to a successful fantasy team. To point out these players, we asked our staff to identify players available in the top half of your draft who should underperform their draft position. Thanks to the folks at TheIDPShow.com for the ADP.

RELATED: See the 3 Undervalued Edge Rushers here >>>

Here is the player who received the most votes:

• Laiatu Latu, Indianapolis

And here are the reasons why, along with a team with a pair of overvalued edge rushers.

Overvalued Player Receiving 2 Votes

Laiatu Latu, Indianapolis

Kyle Bellefeuil: I am smitten with Latu as an IDP dynasty asset. However, I'm not sure he should be going almost 10 spots ahead of teammate Kwity Paye in redraft leagues. My biggest concern with Latu is his initial snap volume. The Colts have Paye, Samson Ebukam, and Dayo Odeyingbo all vying for edge snaps along with the new first-round rookie. Latu might have to earn his stripes before his role/opportunity grows enough for our liking in IDP redraft leagues, where patience differs from a dynasty perspective.

Tripp Brebner: Laiatu Latu leads a defensive rookie class believed by NFL teams to be without an early-impact defender. Latu and his peers, Dallas Turner and Jared Verse, were drafted in the same range as Will McDonald IV and Jaelan Phillips. McDonald and Phillips demonstrate that pass rushers take time to develop and take reps away from less heralded veterans. The rookies are unlikely bets to overtake veterans off top-30 seasons as fantasy edge rushers, several of whom are these rookies' teammates.

A Pair of Overvalued Jets

There is a lot of talent rushing the quarterback in New York. Can they all excel? Will any of them?

Jermaine Johnson, NY Jets

Gary Davenport: Johnson was once the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He was a first-round draft pick. And it can take even elite edge rushers a little while to acclimate to the pros. His 55 tackles and 7.5 sacks last season were positive signs. But if the Jets were as confident in Johnson as some IDP managers appear to be, Haason Reddick wouldn't be in town. Johnson's not without value as a mid-range DL2. But he's being drafted too early, far too close to his ceiling than his floor—and there are more guys who are better values available after him than can be counted on one hand.

Haason Reddick, NY Jets

Tripp Brebner: Haason Reddick was once believed too small to play on the edge in the NFL. The Cardinals' experiment with Reddick as an inside linebacker failed. He had a remarkable run as a prolific pass-rusher, peaking in 2022 with the NFC Champion Eagles. Reddick came crashing back to earth in 2023, and Philadelphia replaced him with former Jet Bryce Huff. Under head coach Robert Saleh, only one Jets edge rusher has finished among the top 50 at the position. 2022 first-rounder Jermaine Johnson accomplished the feat last year on 66% of snaps. Reddick will replace Huff in New York and rotate with 2023 first-rounder Will McDonald IV and likely see far fewer snaps than in Philadelphia or Carolina before. Reddick would need to regain the pass-rush efficiency he showed in 2022 to make good on his current ADP. Philadelphia has already bet against that for 2024.

 Bonus Undervalued Players

In addition to the four overvalued edge rushers listed above, these players got a single vote each.