Jimmy Garoppolo and Jerick McKinnon are two players who the public is generally very high on this summer. The former had instant success upon stepping on the field in San Francisco last year, and the latter is a freakish athlete who will now be headed for a much larger role as a 49er. Another driver of hype for these players is the fact that both are playing under offensive guru, Kyle Shanahan, who doubles as both the head coach and offensive coordinator for the Niners.

That all sounds great, but there are definite reasons to be concerned about both players, which you would know if you’ve listened to our podcasts or read our articles regularly. Our featured experts are here to give you the skinny on some other players you should exercise caution with and think twice about drafting at their current price.

Get expert advice during your draft with our Draft Assistant >>

Q1. Which running back are you avoiding at their current cost and why?

Carlos Hyde (CLE) – Overall (ADP 79), RB28

“Playing his first full 16-game campaign, Hyde had a massive 299 touches last season, although he struggled with efficiency (career-low 3.9 YPC and 5.9 Y/A). Significantly lower volume should be expected for Hyde in 2018. Not only will he compete with rookie Nick Chubb for early-down work, but the Browns have one of the league’s best third-down backs in Duke Johnson. Unless he’s able to improve his efficiency, the expected reduction in workload means there’s a good chance that Hyde won’t return value.”

– Kevin Hanson (EDSFootball)

“Hyde is currently the 28th running back off the board and is in one of the most crowded backfields in the league. While Hyde has proven to be an effective rusher and an adequate receiver, it is expected that Johnson and Chubb will each play a role in this offense. Before Chubb was drafted, I was all over Hyde, but a situation this muddied with no defined roles makes me unlikely to draft the back with the most fantasy draft capital attached to his name. There are a number of backs currently being drafted above Hyde that I am more interested in. Without a locked in receiving or goal-line role, Hyde could end up lacking the two most valuable fantasy scoring commodities for running backs.”

– Anthony Staggs (Pyromaniac)

Isaiah Crowell (NYJ) – Overall (ADP 92), RB36

“Why is Crowell being drafted as a top-36 running back? Does anyone realize he played behind maybe the best interior offensive line in football last year, yet finished outside the top-30 running backs? It wasn’t due to lack of volume, either, as he was one of just three running backs over the last five years who exceeded 200 carries, yet finished outside of the top-30. He also doesn’t have Hue Jackson playing favorites anymore. The Jets’ offensive line is bottom-five in the NFL and Crowell isn’t even a top-two running back in his own team.”

– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)

Alvin Kamara (NO) – Overall (ADP 7), RB6

“I think Kamara is a special player, but I will not be drafting him in the top half of the first round. The reason being he never saw more than 12 carries in any single game last year. It is hard to truly trust a running back purely based on the plethora of targets going to the backfield, especially when the Saints added a threat in the passing game, Cam Meredith and drafted Tre’Quan Smith. It is equally hard to expect a repeat of six yards per carry and 10 yards per reception this season, while having him score at the rate he did last season. That is what you will need for him to repeat the season he had in 2017, unless the touches increase significantly, which you can’t count on past the first four games while Ingram is suspended.”

– Joe Bond (Fantasy Six Pack)

Jay Ajayi (PHI) – Overall (ADP 45), RB22

“I have no interest in counting on Ajayi as an RB2 this season. No Eagles running back had more than 16 carries in a single regular-season game last year, and Ajayi totaled just 112 rushes across 10 games (playoffs included) after coming to Philadelphia via trade. LeGarrette Blount might be gone, but Ajayi is still competing with Corey Clement and Darren Sproles for touches in a Doug Pederson offense that has been very comfortable with a committee approach the last two years. There are some RBs currently being drafted after Ajayi that I would rather take my changes on in 2018, and if I’m speculating on a Philly rusher, I much prefer Clement late than Ajayi early. ”

– Jason Willan (Gridiron Experts)

Q2. Which wide receiver are you avoiding at their current cost and why?