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5 overrated fantasy wide receivers

Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery tries to catch a pass in the end zone in front of Minnesota Vikings cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, right, during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014, in Minneapolis. Jeffery was ruled out of bounds on the play. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)

Whether we fall in love with someone before we start doing our research, or we assume whatever happened last year is bound to happen again, sometimes we have the tendency to put the blinders on when it comes to certain players. Think of Randy Moss in 2008. The year before, he went on a touchdown spree that probably carried just about every fantasy team to a championship.

Then he was drafted in the middle of the first round because everyone assumed the New England Patriots would just run the exact same offense that worked for them the year before. What happened? The Patriots changed philosophies, Moss had a mediocre season, and fantasy owners were kicking themselves for passing on Peyton Manning or Frank Gore.

Moss was extremely overvalued because he had one stellar season with Tom Brady to that point in New England. His bitter breakup with the Vikings and his stint in Oakland were overlooked because people were obsessed with those 23 touchdowns he had scored the year before. This year, we aren’t coming off a season where one wide receiver stood out like Moss did in 2007, but there are a lot of receivers going too early in drafts because owners are enamored with someone for one reason or another.

Based on our research, we targeted five receivers who are being overdrafted. Whether there are red flags due to injury history, year-to-year inconsistencies, or some combination of highlight reel fascination mixed with size-speed-wingspan tangibles that get our mouths watering, these five players are simply being drafted too high in standard drafts.

Alshon Jeffery, Bears (ADP 3.02)

Jeffery is currently being taken at the top of the third round in most drafts. Last year, Jeffery was the 12th ranked fantasy receiver playing in a pass-happy Marc Trestman offense that also had a productive Brandon Marshall pulling some attention away from his side of the field.

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