2020 Fantasy Outlook: Reasons To Avoid Odell Beckham

As fantasy owners prepare to pick their teams this year, there are some players that will come with a level of risk that might be prohibitive. Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham could be great, but there are reasons to be cautious.

Given the trends of his career, there is a worthwhile discussion on whether Odell Beckham's best has already come and gone. And for fantasy owners, if they go off of what they hope will happen as opposed data, they can find their whole season down the drain.

In his first three seasons in the NFL, Beckham averaged 95.8 yards per game and scored 35 touchdowns in 43 games. Compare that to his last three seasons where his average dropped to 74.6 yards per game and scored 13 touchdowns in 32 games.

Yes, Beckham missed a significant part of the 2017 season and he played hurt for all of 2019. Nevertheless, Beckham's career has been trending down since his rookie year. Obviously, much of that comes from teams trying to limit his impact, but taking Beckham and expecting 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns is aspirational at this point.

The Cleveland Browns made that bet when they traded for him. He had the worst year of his career in terms of yards per game at 64.7 and scored just four touchdowns. Healthy and playing in a more functional, logical offense, his numbers should improve. That still doesn't mean he's going to put up the numbers necessary to warrant the investment required to grab him in fantasy.

If Beckham can be acquired at a cost in line with a player that is good for 1,000 yards and around five touchdowns, he may reclaim some of his form from the past and become a great value, potentially helping fantasy owners with a league. Picking him with a premium pick may work out, but it comes with a level of risk that is probably best avoided.