Fantasy Sleepers and Busts for the 2021 Season

Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks): Wilson is already established as a top five quarterback in the NFL. He was leading the MVP race last season until a subpar second half. However, Seattle replaced old-school offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer in the offseason, a move that will likely benefit Wilson. With receivers like DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett at his disposal, Wilson has potential to regain his MVP form from the first half of last season.

Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams): The Rams acquired Stafford in a trade with the Lions over the offseason. He has one of the strongest arms in the NFL and also has solid accuracy. With playmakers like Robert Woods, Cooper Cup, Desean Jackson, Van Jefferson, and Tyler Higbee to go along with one of the best play callers in the league in Sean McVay, Stafford has a chance to explode this year.

Zach Wilson (New York Jets): Wilson, the #2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft out of Brigham Young University, is often overshadowed by #1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence out of Clemson, but his talent is comparable, if not better, than Lawrence’s. Wilson has all the traits of a great quarterback. He is accurate, has a strong arm, can scramble inside and outside the pocket, and has a feel for the game that not many quarterbacks have. The sky is the limit for him.

Damien Harris (New England Patriots): Harris, the older brother of 2021 first-round pick Najee Harris, emerged as New England’s best back late last season while Sony Michel was injured. After Michel was traded to the Rams, Harris has the running game all to himself, although he will be replaced by excellent receiving back James White on passing downs. The Pats are set to have a run-oriented offense this season, meaning Harris is set for a heavy workload. Harris is a bruising, powerful runner who should have great success behind New England’s stout offensive line.

James Robinson (Jacksonville Jaguars): After rookie Travis Etienne suffered a season- ending foot injury, Robinson is Jacksonville’s undisputed workhorse again. He burst onto the scene last year as an undrafted rookie and was fantasy’s seventh highest-scoring running back. Before Etienne’s injury, Robinson was being drafted as about a seventh-round pick. He should now be taken in the second to third round.

Phillip Lindsay (Houston Texans): Most fantasy experts are projecting David Johnson to be Houston’s number one running back, but they are underrating Lindsay. Johnson used to be one of the NFL’s best backs, but injuries have derailed his career and he has had back-to-back subpar seasons. Lindsay is a younger, more explosive runner and has decent receiving ability as well. Johnson likely won’t be completely phased out of Houston’s backfield, so Lindsay’s upside is limited, but he could be a consistent mid-range fantasy running back that you can easily pick in the 10th to 15th rounds.

Wide Receivers:

Davante Adams (Green Bay Packers): Adams has been fantasy’s number one wide receiver for the last two seasons. However, Adams was bumped down draft boards while rumors about Aaron Rodgers’ future in Green Bay swirled. Now, with Rodgers officially back in the fold, Adams should again be the first receiver off the board in fantasy drafts. If you are able to grab him in the late first round, do it. He is a steal where he is being ranked by the experts.

Terry McLaurin (Washington Football Team): McLaurin is being ranked as the eighth to tenth receiver by fantasy experts, but he has top five potential. Washington’s new quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, is known to lock in on his #1 target, which is McLaurin in this case. If Fitzpatrick is as good as he was last season, McLaurin should get plenty of targets and hall in most of them. With his speed and ability to run short, medium, and deep routes, he is one of the few do-it-all receivers in the NFL.

D.J. Chark Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars): Chark, a 2018 second round pick who has broken out over the past two seasons, will finally have a star quarterback to work with in Trevor Lawrence. I hate to say this, but while he may be overrated, Lawrence is a definite upgrade over Gardner Minshew, my favorite NFL quarterback. Chark is a poor-man’s version of McLaurin, but he has potential to improve. He is currently being rated as an eighth to ninth round pick in fantasy, but he should probably be more like a sixth to seventh round pick with potential to be even better than that.

Honorable Mentions: Tyron Johnson (Los Angeles Chargers) and Parris Campbell (Indianapolis Colts): Johnson is buried on the Chargers depth chart but is a deep threat who could emerge if any of LA’s top pass catchers get hurt. Campbell appeared to be a blossoming star last season before a torn ACL cut his season short. He has looked good in the pre-season thus far and could pick up where he left off last year if he stays healthy. Considering Johnson and Campbell’s circumstances, don’t draft them unless you are in a deeper league. Wait and see how they play to start the season before making a move.

Tight Ends:

Irv Smith Jr. (Minnesota Vikings): With the departure of longtime starter Kyle Rudolph, Smith is the undisputed starting tight end for the Vikings. After breaking out late last season, Smith should take even more steps forward this season and should be a reliable option for fantasy managers at a thin tight end position.

Tyler Higbee (Los Angeles Rams): Similar to the situation in Minnesota, Higbee is now the Rams undisputed starting tight end after Gerald Everett left for the Seahawks in free agency. Higbee has shown flashes of greatness over the past two seasons, and with Matthew Stafford running the offense, he has a chance to put it all together and have a breakout season.

Pat Freiermuth (Pittsburgh Steelers): Freiermuth, a 2021 second round pick, has impressed in training camp, has a chance to take over the starting job from incumbent veteran Eric Ebron, who has struggled with drops throughout his time in Pittsburgh. Freiermuth has star potential, but rookie tight ends often struggle early in their careers compared to quarterbacks or other skill players while acclimating to the NFL, so it is far from a certainty that this will happen.

Running Backs:

Saquon Barkley (New York Giants): Barkley is a consensus top 5-8 running back among fantasy experts. However, he missed almost all of last season with a torn ACL and has a below- average offensive line to run behind. He is hit or miss as a runner and will sometimes try and do too much, resulting in negative plays. At his best, Barkley has potential to be one of the best do-it-all backs in the NFL, but considering his recent injury, poor offensive line, and aggressive running style, I question how productive he will be this season.

Ezekiel Elliot (Dallas Cowboys): Elliot is one of the more overrated players in the NFL. He is a good running back, but he is far from elite or even great. Add that to the likely pass- heavy game scripts Dallas will likely be in considering their poor defense, and Elliot is far from being worth a first-round pick in fantasy.

Mike Davis (Atlanta Falcons): Davis, for some reason, is being ranked as a top 60 overall player by experts. He is one of the worst starting running backs in the league. There is absolutely no reason to waist a mid-round pick on Davis.

Tight Ends:

Eric Ebron (Pittsburgh Steelers): With his drop issues and Pat Freiermuth waiting in the wings, Ebron could lose has a chance to be phased out of the Steelers offense.

Happy drafting and good luck this season!