There are a wide range of “problem players” in the NFL, which is a fairly subjective term. It could pertain to performance enhancing drug usage, recreational drug usage (marijuana AKA weed AKA cannabis AKA… you get the idea), perhaps a DUI, etc. You can also slap the label of a “problem player” on someone with a domestic violence or sexual assault history. These are some of the more serious issues with the NFL. This won’t be a piece attempting to highlight and criticize the NFL’s policy on domestic violence and sexual assault, but there will definitely be some players mentioned in this piece that certainly have a history with such problems. But this is a Fantasy Football Draft Guide piece so we’ll try to stay the course and stick to fantasy.
To lighten the mood a little bit we’ll start with Ricky Seals-Jones . Now you don’t necessarily associate Seals-Jones with being an off-field liability. This is a guy who scored a respectable 27 on his Wonderlic Test and he’s been a pretty solid teammate although he’s been in the league just one year. But last month Seals-Jones was arrested in Scottsdale, Arizona for allegedly shoving a hotel staffer because Seals-Jones desperately needed to use the bathroom… You read that right. And we’ve all been there whether it’s at a concert, a movie, a bar, or you’re on an airplane. You will mow anybody down in your path to arrive in a timely fashion to the wiz bin. Take no prisoners, only victims. And that’s what RSJ did last month. In the grand scheme of things, this will amount to a slap on the wrist for the second-year breakout tight end candidate. You aren’t downgrading RSJ because of his presumably small bladder. If anything, you should upgrade him for his tenacity to find the end zone/throne. But Ricky’s not in any real trouble. The guy just had to take a leak. Here are some guys handling some more serious issues as we tread toward the beginning of the 2018 season.
Ezekiel Elliott (Running Back – DAL) - Off field issues can result in a few different outcomes. Obviously, suspensions are most noteworthy. Last season when Ezekiel Elliott was suspended six games prior to the season there was a massive debate in the fantasy community about when he should be drafted. Personally, I can’t justify taking a guy in the first round when you know he’s going to miss half the fantasy regular season. What made the situation even worse was Zeke’s suspension was upheld and then overturned or delayed numerous times and that it really kept his owners on their toes the whole year. Aside from any particular player missing time you also have to wonder what the outcome will be when he does return to the team? There’s no universal truth to how a player will perform or how much work he’ll get when he returns. Fortunately for Zeke he’s a former first-round draft pick and he’s really good at football so he falls into the good graces of Jason Garrett and Jerry Jones by default. Since college Elliott has allegedly assaulted a woman in her car, gotten into an altercation at a bar in Dallas during the National Fantasy Football Conference, and pulled down a woman’s top exposing her breasts. He’s served his time for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, but he’s certainly on the league’s radar going forward.
Jameis Winston (Quarterback – TB) – Winston is arguably the biggest name heading into the season that can’t seem to shake his off-field issues. Admittedly, I’ve been a big Jameis apologist in the past: “He’s just a kid, he never had a strong father figure, those around him aren’t great influences, etc. etc.” But this is it. There are no more excuses for Winston. At the end of June, it was announced that Winston would be suspended three games for allegedly groping a female Uber driver. This is the straw that broke the camel’s back. He’s dodged bullets for most of his young career and hopefully this is the wake-up call he needs to right his ways. This is where you hope he finally learns something and actually grows up. A three-game suspension hurts his value a little bit. And if you or your league wants to take the moral high ground and not draft him, then more power to you. For those who are still willing to draft him for your fantasy team, Winston’s price tag is dirt-cheap. He’s currently going as about the 25th quarterback off the board in most drafts, which isn’t terrible if you’re looking for a backup quarterback with upside. Keep in mind though, Winston’s shown a tendency to force the ball too often and try to make the big play far too many times. And this has resulted in desperation heaves that have led to turnovers. Throughout his career he’s averaged roughly an interception every game, and a lost fumble every three games.
Josh Gordon and Antonio Callaway (Wide Receivers – CLE) – Say what you will about the NFL’s policy on marijuana, but rules are rules and Gordon has struggled to abide by them. It’s hard to believe his unbelievable breakout season came FIVE years ago where he had 87 catches and over 1,600 receiving yards. He’s still just 27 years old so he has four or five great years left in him if he can keep his demons at bay. However, he did miss all of the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Over the past four years he’s appeared in just ten games. But he’s put forth an effort this season to get clean. He’s done rehab stints and kept his body in shape. Currently he’s away from Browns training camp because he wants to focus on his own well-being and he doesn’t want to be a distraction while the team is being filmed for HBO’s Hard Knocks. He’s a phenomenal talent when he’s on the field, but his current ADP has him going roughly in the fourth or fifth round. When he’s at his best he’s a top five wide receiver. But his ADP is a little too high to touch right now so I would be hesitant to draft him.
Gordon’s teammate, rookie Antonio Callaway , was cited for marijuana possession this past weekend. It’s somewhat ironic that Gordon had seemingly taken Callaway under his wing to mentor the young prospect. Callaway likely faces a suspension as Gordon can attest to the fact the NFL takes its anti-pot stance very seriously. The Browns also traded Corey Coleman to Buffalo so this leaves them fairly thin at the wide receiver position heading into the season if/when Callaway is suspended. Callaway can be avoided on draft day especially if a suspension is levied before the season. Even if he avoids punishment in the short-term you can just keep an eye on him on waivers as he’s typically being drafted outside the top 90 wide receivers.
Le’Veon Bell (Running Back – PIT) – There’s no arguing that when he’s healthy, and on the field, Le’Veon Bell is easily one of the best players in the league. He’s a fantastic running back and he’s used consistently in the passing game. But Bell has had his issues off the field. In 2014 Bell was arrested on DUI and marijuana charges, so he was suspended for the first two games of the 2015 season. Since then he’s kept a fairly clean slate. But that doesn’t mean he’s avoided undesirable attention. Bell sat out training camp last season, but showed up in time for the regular season once it started in September. He did stumble out of the gates a little bit as he had to shake off some rust. But he did eventually return to form as the dominant running back that everyone knows him to be. Entering 2018 with a franchise tag slapped on him, Bell is once again sitting out training camp with plans to return and show up at the beginning of the season. This won’t impact his ADP, but in recent mock drafts I’ve seen him drop down to the fourth, fifth, sixth, and occasionally the seventh overall picks. He’s still a first-rounder, but if given the first overall pick it might be wise to take Todd Gurley .
Aaron Jones (Running Back – GB) – Jones appeared in 12 games last season for the Packers and actually managed to start four of them as well. It was a small sample size, but he did average 5.5 yards per carry on 81 rushing attempts. By all accounts he’s worth owning on your fantasy team. The issue with Jones is that last October he was pulled over for speeding, but was also charged with possession of marijuana and also operating a vehicle without a valid license. Because of this the NFL suspended him for the first two games of this season. It’s bad enough that the Green Bay backfield is already pretty crowded as well with Ty Montgomery and Jamaal Williams . If Jones wasn’t suspended to start the season he could very well be the top running option for the Packers. As of right now Williams leads the way in ADP for Packers running backs with Jones and Montgomery following not too far behind. Jones is still worth a shot in the eighth or ninth round of your fantasy draft, but if he’s caught again then it’ll definitely impact his status in the backfield since he’ll likely be dealt an even longer suspension.
Zay Jones (Wide Receiver – BUF) – While Zay Jones may not necessarily be facing a suspension similar to Winston or Aaron Jones , he did have a bit of a bizarre off-field incident in March where a video emerged of him arguing with his brother in a residential hallway in Los Angeles. There were additional reports about Jones’ well-being after he was arrested (and a little info about what he was or wasn’t wearing), but the good news is that he’s alive and well. For what it’s worth this is largely his only issue he’s had off the field. On the field, his fantasy production doesn’t hold much upside. While he had some hype getting drafted in the second round back in 2017, he failed to produce on the field. With Buffalo bringing in a rookie quarterback in Josh Allen who does have some accuracy issues, Jones can be avoided in your draft this season.
Willie Snead and Michael Crabtree (Wide Receivers – BAL) – Crabtree will get just a brief mention. He’s hardly had any off-field issues throughout his career. But last season he was handed a two-game suspension (reduced to one) for fighting on the field with Aqib Talib . Both guys have since said the tension was dead so it’s probably for the best that they now play in different divisions. Crabtree should garner more attention as a mid-round selection as he’ll likely be a nice big target for Joe Flacco .
Crabtree’s teammate, Willie Snead , actually has had a run in with the law as of July 2017. Snead was arrested for crashing into a parked car and failing a breathalyzer test. He served a three-game suspension and ultimately had a dreadful 2017 season. On the year he had just eight catches for 92 yards. Snead may line up in the slot, which gives him some PPR appeal, but he’s not as nearly as attractive as Michael Crabtree or John Brown who has generated some nice chemistry with Flacco during training camp. Current ADP reports suggest Snead is going mostly undrafted so he’s a player you can avoid come draft day.
Kenneth Dixon (Running Back – BAL) – Dixon, a teammate of Crabtree and Snead’s, is no stranger to off-field drama. In 2017 he was suspended four games for PED’s and then an additional two games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. All the suspensions came down while Dixon was nursing an injury that ultimately forced him to miss the 2017 season. Currently, he’s looking up at Alex Collins and Javorius “Buck” Allen on the running back depth chart for Baltimore. He’s got a bit of a road back to redemption. He just isn’t in good enough of a spot to warrant anything but a late-round draft pick on him for your team.
Robby Anderson (Wide Receiver – NYJ) – Anderson’s legal troubles are well documented and it’s surprising he’s never been suspended. This past January he was arrested and charged with failing to drive in a single lane, disobeying a red light, speeding, resisting an officer without violence, felony fleeing/eluding police while siren was active, etc. This is in addition to an arrest that stemmed from him getting kicked out of a music festival in 2017. Anderson isn’t anticipating a suspension, although he was placed on probation for six months. So while he may not think a suspension is looming, don’t be surprised if the league does come down on him for being in violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He’s still a good player and worth owning in fantasy football since he hasn’t been handed a suspension yet. Perhaps this is the season he finally tops 1,000 receiving yards but if he does miss a couple games that goal is in jeopardy.
D’Onta Foreman (Running Back – HOU) – In 2017, Foreman was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and unlawfully carrying a weapon. Ultimately, he reached a plea deal where he had to surrender the gun that was found in his car and he also paid a $500 fine. This is where the situation should be taken with a grain of salt as you can give the scenario a little context. Three months prior to the arrest, Foreman revealed that he had been struggling to cope with the loss of his infant son. A loss like that isn’t the easiest thing for a player to cope with. Is what he did acceptable? No. But if he stays on the straight & narrow and keeps his record clean, he won’t carry many concerns going forward. He’s entering his sophomore season and sits behind Lamar Miller on Houston’s running back depth chart. Current ADP has Foreman going outside the top 100 players, but he’s not a terrible mid-to-late round stash to be had. Unfortunately, he’s dealing with an injury right now that’s limiting his reps in training camp.