Fantasy Football Draft Danger Zone: AFC South Picks That Could Doom Your Team

Are you working on a major medical breakthrough or about to reconcile with your estranged grandparents? Well, put that sh*t on pause, because fantasy football is back in its rightful place as the most important thing in our lives. It’s all the fun of being an easily aggravated NFL GM without a pesky seven-figure payday getting in the way. Real GMs must be jealous we pay to do this, right? Right?

We’re currently in that mystical preseason place where anything can happen with your fantasy football squad. (Remember to get that Simpsons-based team name sorted out in advance.) Optimism is plentiful, you’ve decided to never trust Jeremy Langford again and your would-be superteam is destined for glory. We at UPROXX believe in you and your holy quest and we want to help.

Every NFL squad always has a player (or six) that are bound to seduce you into drafting them too high and put you in some variety of Archer certified Danger Zone. These are the sort of fantasy options that could still pay off huge but come with some serious questions before you make your official selection. We’ve wrangled together a tidy collection of 32 players (one for each team, including the dead mall of a football club that is the New York Jets) that we believe are worth having a think about before joining your roster.

Today we visit the AFC South, the birthplace of the saddest banner in all of sports. Let’s peer at some potential risky picks from this division that’s jogging towards relevance.

AFC South

Houston Texans – RB Lamar Miller

Reason To Salivate: The Texans banishing Brock Osweiler to the sorrow mines (read: the Browns) gives Houston reason for hope that THIS time their quarterback woes are answered. If not, Greater Houston should consider some sort of blood harvest. As head coach Bill O’Brien takes the offensive coordinator reins in 2017, Miller could benefit big with a lot of attention during the Savage/Watson pivot saga. Miller was given workhorse back status in 2016 (with a career-high 268 carries) and no team in the league has rushed the ball more than the O’Brien Texans. In the murky quality zone around the 10-15 portion of the running back average draft position, would you really turn down a 26-year-old back that could see 250-300 touches?

Reason To Worry: You’ve seen Houston’s offensive line, right? Rush blocking was not the forte of the Texans in 2016, and those woes may be in line to continue into this year’s campaign. Getting a lot of touches to promptly be in danger of having your body knocked in two isn’t always the best recipe. Something else that’s unlikely to help Miller’s production is sparkly new large gentleman rusher D’Onta Foreman being selected with the 89th overall pick. Foreman is the sort of back that’s going to get the goal line work and taste that touchdown glory. (Touchdown glory probably tastes like blue Gatorade and your father’s respect, I imagine.) Miller doesn’t project to lose his spot to Foreman, but if the Longhorn rookie can translate his college game to the pros we might in line for a rerun of Miller’s Miami days of never being 100 percent “the guy” (Roman Reigns®?) in the rushing attack.

Indianapolis Colts – WR Donte Moncrief

Reason To Salivate: Donte Moncrief scores touchdowns. Andrew Luck and Moncrief have linked up for at least one TD per game in all but four games they’ve played together in Indianapolis. Helping things along is T.Y. Hilton drawing the defensive focus and the prospect Andrew Luck isn’t being held together by push pins and the string folks use for roasts by Week 7. He’s a 24-year-old wideout that’s the number two receiver in a high-octane offense. That’s the big sexy hook.

Reason To Worry: Donte Moncrief scores touchdowns, but aside from that he’s not doing much in the Colts offense. The second most important receiver in Chuck Pagano’s passing attack failed to register more than 70 yards in any of his nine 2016 outings. That’s traditionally frowned upon. Unfortunately, Moncrief’s production is largely at the mercy of a quarterback that’s a Top 5 talent when healthy and creates a sinkhole for the passing game when he’s not. (Our apologies to all of you that have super sweet Scott Tolzien neck tattoos.) Essentially, Moncrief could be a TD machine for one of the league’s best quarterbacks, or he’s set to fade away from former breakout candidate to an anonymous Indianapolis-based set of hands.

Jacksonville Jaguars – QB Blake Bortles

Reason To Salivate: Remember all those years when the Jacksonville offense was set to make the leap and steal the show? Well, things are going to be different this time. Why? Maybe Tom Coughlin broke a warlock’s curse or something? 2017 is being pushed as a potential step up season for the Charlie Brown-esque Jags and that includes optimism that Blake Bortles will breakthrough in this upcoming campaign. The main man in the Jags offense will have 4th overall pick Leonard Fournette doing a lot of the heaving lifting in Jacksonville’s rushing attack, which should allow him time to not throw passes at the feet of his receivers.

And as much as the Jaguars have been underwhelming during the Bortles years, the UCF product has put better numbers than you’d think from a fantasy perspective. Two straight seasons of Top 10 QB finishes? It sounds like an elaborate prank, but Bortles has turned in those types of campaigns for fantasy owners.

Reason To Worry: Blake Bortles the fantasy quarterback and the Blake Bortles the, uh, reality quarterback are two separate monsters. A frustrating pair of seasons has put the Jaguars pivot in the uncomfortable spot of being the face of a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since George Carlin died. The presence of Fournette will help put points on the board, but it’ll drain the number of passes attempted by Bortles and further cement new coach Doug Marrone’s tilt towards a run-heavy approach. Do you trust Bortles to thrive in a Marrone-driven attack where Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, and Marqise Lee are still attempting to find themselves in a journey of Under the Tuscan Sun-esque self-discovery?

Tennessee Titans – TE Delanie Walker

Reason To Salivate: After escaping from San Francisco, Delanie Walker has established himself as a key weapon in the Titans offense. Walker notched two Pro Bowl appearances in two consecutive seasons in Tennessee. He’s durable, hit paydirt seven times in 2016 and has the capability of living up to TE1 status on your fantasy team. Unfurl the Mission Accomplished banner if Walker manages to return to his 2015 numbers for your make believe franchise.

Reason To Worry: Is Delanie Walker worth the No. 7 status he sits at in the current FantasyPros ADP rankings at tight end? 2015 Delanie Walker might be, but 2016 appeared to signal Walker fading away a bit in a changing Titans attack. Walker was TD dependent in 2016 and it shows in his stat line. The Central Missouri product saw his receptions and yardage shrink last campaign and the arrival of former Jet Eric Decker and 5th overall pick Corey Davis appears destined to hemorrhage Walker’s 2017 totals. (3rd round pick Jonnu Smith joining the tight end corps could dig into the 32-year-old vet’s numbers too.) In a tight end field with options with that present a sunnier upside, best to have an extended think about where Delanie Walker is on your draft board. You’re also welcome to have an extended think about Delanie Walker as a Greek deity if you like. It’s your head. Do what you want with it.