No one is exactly sure how it started.
Some think it began in a French laboratory. Others still believe that it began in Dachang, China. Or the United Kingdom. It might even have started in Raccoon City. But at this point, how it began isn't as important as the fact that it is happening.
It started slowly—with a player showing up here and there who clearly wasn't right. As scientists attempted to discern the cause of the infection and search for a cure while media pundits made apocalyptic proclamations, the disease spread. One player became two. Two became four. Four became eight. Eight became 16.
Curiosity turned to apprehension turned to terror and dread. Society started to fray. Cities burned. Chaos reigned. The fantasy football universe teeters on the brink of madness. Anarchy.
The Walking Dead are here.
Eek!
There is nothing that will sink a season quicker than letting one of The Walking Dead infiltrate a fantasy roster. Once they are past the security checkpoints and unleashed upon an unsuspecting populace, they attack with mindless fury. They devour the hopes of fantasy managers. Murder any championship dreams they may have had.
Until the fine folks at the Umbrella Corporation find a cure for this terrible affliction, all we can do is keep The Walking Dead away from the rest of our rosters—once the infection spreads, it is relentlessly lethal.
And to keep The Walking Dead away from the rest of fantasy football, we have to be able to identify the symptoms. See the warning signs. Know when a player has turned.
You know, besides the whole eating human brains thing.
The Walking Dead
QB Josh Allen, Buffalo (ADP: QB1)
Allen is unique on this list in that he isn't necessarily one of The Walking Dead. Allen was the highest-scoring quarterback in fantasy football last year. He has a legitimate chance to be so again in 2026. But Allen is like Typhoid Mary—a carrier who, while showing no symptoms, can spread despair throughout a fantasy season.
Because there is just no value to be had in being the first fantasy manager to draft a quarterback.
Yes, Allen pulled off the double-dip of being the first quarterback selected and the highest-scoring signal-caller in 2025. But that is far more exception than rule, and even then Allen outscored the No. 2 quarterback last year by less than one fantasy point per game. That quarterback (Matthew Stafford of the Rams) was drafted, on average, over 11 rounds after Allen.
Rostering the first quarterback off the board in a league with just one starter at the position isn't worth the cost unless that quarterback has a historic season.
Hoping for history is the draft-day equivalent of running toward the zombies.
QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati (ADP: QB4)
There isn't a more overhyped quarterback in the NFL or fantasy football than Joseph Lee Burrow.
That's right. I said it.
Yes, Burrow has led the Bengals to a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI. He led the NFL in passing yards (4,918) and passing scores (43) in 2024. He has topped 4,500 passing yards twice and been named to three Pro Bowls. Burrow has one of the NFL's best wideout duos in the league at his disposal in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
He's also the highest-drafted pure pocket passer in fantasy. And that's a bad idea.
Burrow's not going to get fantasy managers any points with his legs, so in order to return value, he has to have a season like that 2024 campaign. The 29-year-old has missed at least half a dozen games in three of six NFL seasons. Burrow has been sacked 40-plus times three times behind an offensive line that remains a question mark.
Other than that, though, everything's great.
RB Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco (ADP: RB3)
McCaffrey is more than just one of The Walking Dead. He's not some shambling member of the undead slowly making his way toward his victim. He's one of those fast as hell World War Z zombies barreling toward killing your fantasy team dead.
Game. Over.
This writer has been no less shy about warning fantasy drafters about drafting McCaffrey this summer than he has been making bad analogies. But all the reasons for those warnings are still there.
McCaffrey was the highest-scoring running back in fantasy last year by a wide margin. But he also racked up a career-high 413 touches. The last time the 30-year-old had 400 touches in a season, his legs fell off the following year. 2025 marked the third time that McCaffrey has topped 2,000 total yards in a season. The first two times, his legs fell off the following year.
Legs falling off won't end one of The Walking Dead. But it will end your season.
