In 2021, you’re going to need a solid understanding of the players available in your fantasy draft. Here’s how to go about that process.
The first thing you need to do is figure out your tiers across positions. You can do this by watching your league’s draft results from previous seasons.
Running Back
Having a good draft strategy for running back is critical to success in fantasy football. It is easy to get swept up in the frenzy of the draft and splurge on players you don’t need, but it’s also important to make sure you target the right players in your league. Here are some tips to help you make the best choices when drafting a running back in 2021.
RBS are the most valuable position in fantasy football, but they are also one of the most fragile. Injuries can derail a player’s performance and cause them to fall in the rankings. In addition, the NFL has a high rate of suspensions for RBS.
This has made it difficult for many to find a dependable back that can carry their team’s offense. However, there are some options that can be a great investment if you take your time and pick them carefully.
The consensus top five RBs in 2021 are Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara, Derrick Henry and Ezekiel Elliott. They are all excellent fantasy football players and should be taken in the first round of your draft.
While the first-round RBs have some risk due to injuries, they are still highly desirable picks. The first four RBs (McCaffrey, Cook, Kamara and Henry) all missed at least two games last season.
They’re also all capable of producing in multiple categories, and it’s hard to pass on them in this tier. That said, they are also a little more expensive than some of the other options in this tier.
Some of these backs are capable of scoring touchdowns on a regular basis, which helps their overall value in PPR formats. The downside is that these backs are also susceptible to fumbles and turnovers.
Wide Receiver
In fantasy football, wide receivers can make a big impact on your team’s success. They’re the linchpin of any passing attack and can be highly coveted first-round picks. However, picking the right wide receiver can be tricky. There are a lot of factors that must be considered when choosing wide receivers, including quarterback play, offensive fit and injury history.
In 2021, there are plenty of talented young wide receivers that will be available in the draft. In addition, there are some players who have been overlooked for years who will be re-emerging in 2021 as potential value performers.
There are many factors to consider when drafting a wide receiver, but the main thing is to find a player who can help your team win fantasy football games. Some players are more prone to regression than others and can be risky to draft in the early rounds of a fantasy football draft.
The best way to determine whether a player can be an effective fantasy receiver is to look at their performance in the past. The more successful players at this position have been able to consistently produce a high number of targets and catch-and-run plays.
You can also look at their catches and touchdowns over the last few seasons. Those numbers will help you decide whether a player is likely to have a breakout season in 2021 or not.
Tight End
Tight ends aren’t always a popular position to draft in fantasy football, but there are some players who offer great value. You can get high-upside talent at other positions and then fill out your roster with the right TEs later in the draft.
If you’re looking for a top tight end, Travis Kelce and Darren Waller are two names to consider. Each has shown a strong ability to flex out to the perimeter, which is essential for tight ends in an explosive offense.
Both Kelce and Waller have topped 200 PPR points in each of the last two seasons, and it’s unlikely that they will fall off a cliff in 2021. Moreover, both are likely to be on the same team as a quarterback who can get them plenty of work in the passing game.
This can be a huge advantage for TEs, who typically rank low on scoring lists. However, it’s important to note that this advantage doesn’t mean Kelce or Waller will be a lock to produce every year.
Getting Kelce or Waller late in your draft gives you an edge over other managers who are waiting to pick up one of these guys at a later time. You’ll have to make some sacrifices at other positions if you take them, but it’s well worth it to see how much of an impact they can make.
Quarterback
The position of quarterback is one of the most important in fantasy football. It provides the most points in PPR leagues, but it is also one of the least contested positions and requires you to draft the right players at the right time. Whether you are a single-QB league or a Superflex/2-QB league, there are several factors that need to be considered before drafting your starter.
First, it’s worth understanding the tiers of fantasy quarterbacks and how they affect your draft strategy. There are two main tiers: the elite tier, where Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen top the list, and the tier 3 quarterbacks that fall just below that.
While it’s always tempting to grab a top-tier quarterback in the early rounds of your draft, this isn’t a good idea for the following reasons:
In the past few years, it was common practice to wait until the end of the fifth round or later before grabbing a QB. This was because of the increased scarcity at the position and the fact that many fantasy owners would pass on a top-tier quarterback in order to get a stud at another position.
But that’s not the case in 2021. While there is still a bit of scarcity at the position, it isn’t as big as it was in previous years. Instead, the best way to find value is to understand the tiers and when certain players slip in the draft.
Next, you can try to identify a sleeper QB that isn’t currently ranked in the top tiers of your league and target him in the first round. Some of these sleepers have a very high ceiling but are still very undervalued at their current ADPs.