Fantasy Football: 11 Players to Avoid in 2017

Paul Perkins, RB, New York Giants

Following the release of Rashad Jennings earlier this offseason, the arrow was pointing way up for Paul Perkins with the New York Giants declaring him the starter in May. Later reports even suggested he could be a three-down back for the G-Men.

Fast-forward to present day, and all that three-down talk has evaporated rather quickly. Shane Vereen is firmly entrenched as the passing-down back, and he could carve out a far bigger role than many people expect.

But given how the Giants talked Perkins up, surely he's a talented rusher at least, right? Well, according to our metrics, Perkins posted a -0.02 Rushing NEP per rush and a 40.18% success rate off 112 carries last year, which were right around league average. He also didn't score any touchdowns, failing to hit pay dirt on nine red zone carries.

In a small sample size, it's unwise to completely write off Perkins, but it also doesn't inspire confidence in a guy who isn't exactly getting glowing reviews in camp and is splitting first-team reps with Orleans Darkwa.

Three-down back? Hardly. Between a lack of passing work, questionable talent, and no guarantee of being the primary goal-line back, it's hard to say what we're paying for in the sixth round of drafts other than the word "starter." —Kenyatta Storin