Fantasy Football Sleepers: Week 7
The Week 7 bye week is brutal, with so many every-week starters unavailable in this crucial slate. Attacking the waiver wire and looking for value in unheralded players is as important as it has ever been. Here are some under-the-radar sleepers to target for Week 7 of the 2021 fantasy football season. Tua Tagovialoa (QB) Miami Dolphins Tua found himself on this list last week and delivered with 329 yards and two touchdowns while adding 22 yards on the ground against the Jacksonville Jaguars. This week he has an even better matchup against the Atlanta Falcons who are bottom five when it comes to slowing down fantasy quarterbacks. Another 300-yard, multi-touchdown game is very much in the realm of possibilities. Especially if the defense continues to struggle to slow down opposing offenses. He is catching a lot of heat for the loss to the Jags and bad interception last week, but Tua played well and is not the problem with this team. Look for him to light it up this week and could be getting one of his top weapons, DeVante Parker, back. If you picked him up last week and plugged him in, don’t be afraid to do it again this week and if he’s on the waiver wire it’s safe to scoop him up and start him if you’re in need of a quarterback. Jarrett Patterson (RB) Washington Football Team We have to wait for full confirmation regarding Antonio Gibson’s availability for Week 7, however, it’s looking like his shin injury is going to cost him some time. The assumption is that J.D. McKissic is going to step in and be the lead back so he’s the guy to own. What if he’s not? There’s a real chance McKissic will retain his role and Patterson will step in and see the bulk of the early-down work. Similar to what we saw in Las Vegas when the assumption was Kenyan Drake would be the man, but Peyton Barber slid into Josh Jacobs’ role. This move will not come without great risk, nevertheless, with the state of the running landscape this week it may be necessary for some owners. While this could backfire on you, odds are at worst Patterson will slide into a role similar to what McKissic has been playing so he should just get you a goose egg. It’s not the safest play, but he could be a sneaky good start. DeeJay Dallas (RB) Seattle Seahawks This is a tough one because the Seahawks play on Monday Night Football and have a tough matchup for running backs against the New Orleans Saints. Chris Carson is currently on injured reserve and Alex Collins is trending towards not playing. It’s also possible Rashaad Penny swoops in and gets the bulk of the touches as well, so there are a lot of factors to consider here. I believe Dallas is the back to start if Collins is sidelined and I believe he will be. We don’t know if Penny is going to play, and even if he does who’s to say he’s able to handle close to a full workload without getting injured. The Seahawks would be crazy to plug him in and just give him the reigns. You will need a Monday night pivot due to all the uncertainty surrounding the situation, but if you need to choose one of the Seahawks running backs, Dallas is the one I’d roll with. Robby Anderson (WR) Carolina Panthers It’s weird seeing Anderson here and particularly painful for owners who drafted him to be their WR2. This is where we are with him though. This could be the ideal situation for the struggling wideout. Terrace Marshall is currently sidelined with a concussion, Brandon Zylstra was sent to IR and Dan Arnold has been shipped off to Jacksonville a few weeks back. This leaves D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson as the last men standing. The biggest issue for Anderson this year has been the target funnel to D.J. Moore. You may see a bit less of that this week against the Giants. With James Bradberry likely shadowing Moore, Anderson should become a much more attractive target for Sam Darnold. I am one of those disappointed Anderson managers and he’s been on my bench since after Week 2 and my team’s been better for it. This may be the week I plug him back into a WR3 role and you should consider it too. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (WR) Tennessee Titans Julio Jones made his triumphant return last week and promptly left with a hamstring injury right after halftime after seeing five targets. It looks like Jones will be out again this week and the beneficiary of his absence in the second half last week was once again Westbrook-Ikhine. He saw three targets in the second half and was the clear second option behind A.J. Brown. This week the Titans take on the Chiefs who have been getting torched through the air all year. If you play the Chiefs it’s more than likely going to be a shootout and as the second target in Tennessee, he has a chance of being a solid plug-n-play. If you’re hurting for a flex this week, he is likely on your waivers and should be a nice start. Just be sure to monitor Jones’s status before game time. If Jones does end up playing you don’t want to start Westbrook-Ikhine. Mack Hollins (WR) Miami Dolphins Hollins is a deeper play but has flashed in Miami given the opportunity he’s been given. If Parker is out I like him a lot this week, but even if he’s back Hollins should slide in as the WR3 in Miami. With Tua back, there are a lot more yards and big-play opportunities to go around. He has surpassed Albert Wilson in the pecking order and is seeing longer passes and red zone looks. He’s a desperation play if Parker is in and an intriguing flex option if Parker
Fantasy Football Sleepers: Week 6
We’re already into Week 6 of the 2021 NFL season. Bye weeks have arrived to complicate roster construction, so knowing which unheralded players come with sleeper appeal can make all the difference between winning and losing. Here are some of those undervalued players that make solid fantasy football sleepers in Week 6. Tua Tagovailoa (QB) Miami Dolphins Tua is expected to make his return from injured reserve this week and the Dolphins desperately need him. The offense has completely stalled without him. He draws the Jacksonville Jaguars in his return which is as good a matchup as you could hope for. To make adding him off waivers even more enticing if you’re streaming quarterbacks, he plays the Falcons next week. So he should be startable for multiple weeks. He doesn’t come without risk. We aren’t sure what this offense is going to look like. We only saw this offense together against an exceptional Patriots defense and the Bills’ defense for less than two drives. However, if it all clicks you could find yourself a gem who can give you a big week and be a matchup-based start for you moving forward. Khalil Herbert (RB) Chicago Bears With all the focus on Damien Williams last week with David Montgomery out, Herbert somewhat surprisingly saw 18 carries. Williams only saw 16 carries, although, he did score a touchdown. It’s unclear exactly how these backs will split touches over the next couple of weeks, nevertheless, even if it’s a 50/50 split Herbert is a sneaky good flex option you likely stole off the waiver wire. The Bears take on the Packers week, which is a decent matchup for running backs. They are middle of the pack this year against fantasy backs but have had a tough time stopping the run for years and didn’t do much to fix that issue this off-season. There is a good chance they slip in the rankings as the season goes on. If Herbert sees significant touches against them he should have a nice fantasy day. Brandon Bolden (RB) New England Patriots James White went down with an injury in Week 3 and Bolden has slid into his pass-catching role. Over the past two weeks, he has caught 10 of 10 targets. Like White there will be weeks where Bolden gives you very little value, however, there will also be weeks where his PPR value is inevitable. He will likely get you around five catches and a couple of carries each week and will see some red-zone work. If he can get you six catches, 50 yards, and a touchdown in your flex spot you have struck gold with a guy you picked up off waivers for next to nothing. Jerick McKinnon (RB) Kansas City Chiefs With Clyde Edwards-Helaire sidelined for the foreseeable future, McKinnon slides into the RB2 role behind Darrell Williams. He could see a decent amount of touches and work in the passing game. He is a risky play because we don’t have much of an idea of how this backfield will split touches while CEH is out. Nevertheless, this is an explosive high-powered offense and McKinnon could be a cheap way for you to get a piece of it. Expect Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense to be focused and rolling after a bad loss to the Bills last week. They take on the Washington Football Team this week whose defense has been beyond disappointing. I like him better as a DFS play this week, but you can also use him as a desperation flex if your roster is beaten up with injuries and bye weeks. James Washington (WR) Pittsburgh Steelers Juju Smith-Schuster has been placed on IR and is out for the season. Washington now slides into the WR3 spot. He is going to have some big games moving forward. However, he’s more of a boom or bust option. We have seen in the past when he gets opportunities for an extended period of time he will have games when he does nothing and turn around and have a game where he has 100 yards or multiple TDs. Don’t expect a high volume of targets, however, he will be targeted with deep balls and in the end zone. This week the Steelers take on the Seahawks which is a very favorable matchup for any fantasy option. They are giving up the sixth-most points to fantasy wide receivers. Washington will be a boom-or-bust option this week and moving forward, but playing Seattle upgrades his chance of a boom week. Jaylen Waddle (WR) Miami Dolphins The last time we saw Tua on the field he played two series against the Bills before his porous offensive line got his ribs crushed in. In the short time, Waddle was in Tua targeted him non-stop. He already saw six targets before the injury occurred. Since then we have seen Waddle become a target monster in Miami. He’s seen 36 targets so far this season. Taking on the Jags is another benefit this week and Waddle could once again be the last wideout standing. Will Fuller is on IR and DeVante Parker is once again very questionable with a hamstring injury. He should be locked into your flex spot this week in PPR leagues. If he finds the end zone he has high-end potential. Donovan Peoples-Jones (WR) Cleveland Browns Peoples-Jones or Rashard Higgins, not Odell Beckham are the top wideouts in Cleveland. I know this is difficult for people to accept but both have been better and more productive since OBJ returned. I prefer DPJ over Higgins. He had more targets, receptions, and yards last week and is a more talented player, although, Higgins has the better fantasy day thanks to a TD. If I’m starting a Browns’ wideout this week against the Cardinals it’s DPJ. And starting a Browns’ wideout isn’t a bad idea being that they are giving up the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts. Their secondary isn’t
Fantasy Football Sleepers: Week 5
The good thing about sleepers is that they aren’t necessarily just appealing in August. Finding those hidden gems to consider starting each and every week just adds to the allure all season long. Here are some undervalued players to consider starting in Week 5. Jacoby Brissett (QB) Miami Dolphins The Miami offense has looked unimpressive, to say the least under Brissett with Tua Tagovailoa out. There is a strong chance he gets a shot to redeem himself in what will likely be his final start in Week 5. An outstanding matchup and positive game script should make him a solid streaming option this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A defense that is allowing the fifth-most fantasy points against opposing quarterbacks. The secondary is subpar top to bottom as they have also allowed the most points to opposing wideouts and are bottom seven when it comes to slowing down tight ends as well. As bad as that pass defense has been bad, the Bucs offense is good and it’s likely the Dolphins will be playing from well behind all game. This should force Brissett to have to throw early and often to try to keep up with Tom Brady and the high-powered Bucs aerial assault. Brissett also always adds rushing value, especially goal-line potential. Don’t bench a stud for him, but if you’re searching your waivers don’t just disregard him this week. Damien Williams (RB) Chicago Bears The Bears lost David Montgomery to a knee injury Week 4 likely for about five weeks. The next man up is expected to be Williams. He also has an ideal matchup against the Detroit Lions, who are allowing the most fantasy points to running backs this season. The concern is that he is also banged up dealing with a quad injury of his own. It is not expected to keep him out, but he’s not exactly a world-beater, to begin with, and it’s worth considering that he’s not 100-percent before plugging him into your lineup. This is why he’s in a “sleeper” article this week and not a “start ’em” article. Just in case Williams’s thigh is worse than we have been led to believe, keep the name Khalil Herbert in mind. The rookie could end up with a substantial workload if Williams ends up sidelined or limited. Williams is the safer pick assuming he’s active, Herbert could be a sleeper should he be out and is worth monitoring this week if it turns out he has a bigger role than anticipated. Maybe even grab him off waivers Sunday morning just in case. Samaje Perine (RB) Cincinatti Bengals Perine is in a similar situation as Williams with Joe Mixon spraining his ankle last week on Thursday Night Football. The difference being that Mixon isn’t a lock to sit out this week so you will have to monitor the situation. As of mid-week, he’s yet to get a practice in since last Thursday. There is a chance that even if Mixon is active he’s limited. I’m not so sure you can plug Perine in though if Mixon is active at all. It might just be too risky. The Bengals’ rushing attack is already mediocre and their matchup with Green Bay is just average, not great. Rookie Chris Evans could also factor into the backfield should Mixon be sidelined, perhaps siphoning off some receiving work. Perine is a sleeper worth considering, but if you have to follow practice reports this week and inactives on Sunday and make sure Mixon isn’t taking the field. Kenyan Drake (RB) Las Vegas Raiders Drake has been one of the more disappointing players this season. After getting a sizeable contract from Vegas the assumption was he would have a solid stand-alone workload and would be a smash play if Josh Jacobs got hurt. Well, Jacobs got hurt and Drake was not the man, Peyton Barber was. Now Jacobs is back, but still banged up and Barber is expected to miss a few weeks with a turf toe injury. Drake should see an increased role and if Jacobs is limited or leaves the game, Drake’s volume could explode. As frustrating as he’s been I don’t hate plugging him in as a high-upside flex this week and any week as long as Barber is out and Jacobs is banged up. However, if both Jacobs and Barber are sidelined and we see someone like Jalen Richard come in and see the bulk of the carries it’ll be time to drop Drake right off your roster at that point. Chester Rogers (WR) Tennessee Titans The Titans WRs corps is a mess. Last week, Julio Jones and A.J. Brown were sidelined with hamstring injuries and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine was the next man up. He was even in this article last week and led the Titans wideouts in targets with eight. Alas, he too now has a hamstring injury and is looking unlikely to play this week. Jones is yet to practice and is trending towards sitting out another game and Brown is still very questionable. The best-case scenario appears to be that Brown is active and that’s not a lock. The next man up is Rogers. If all those guys are out, he would be the WR1 for the Titans. Even if Brown does play Rogers would still hold value. Brown could be limited, is a re-injury risk, and doesn’t see a high enough volume to make a WR2 irrelevant. He’s a potential flex option this week against the Jags who have struggled against the pass this season. I also like him in DFS and for prop bets this week. Cedrick Wilson (WR) Dallas Cowboys With Michael Gallup already sidelined and Amari Cooper dealing with a hamstring injury, Wilson is in line for more looks from Dak Prescott. Wilson caught a touchdown last week and Cooper may go from limited to inactive this week. The Cowboys take on the Giants which lines up well for a WR2 with James Bradberry likely matching up with Ceedee
Fantasy Football Sleepers: Week 4
Knowing which players are in potential breakout spots, or otherwise poised to exceed expectations, can give fantasy football managers a huge edge over their competition. Using FullTime Fantasy’s data and metrics, here are some sleepers to consider for Week 4. Jacoby Brissett (QB) Miami Dolphins Brissett doesn’t have an abundance of upside but also has a solid floor if you’re looking for a desperation start this week. Last week he threw the ball 49 times and ran the ball seven. Granted those 49 pass attempts only resulted in 215 yards and no touchdowns with his rushing attempts garnering 37 yards and a TD. However, the opportunity is there, he’s not mistake-prone and he has weapons like Jaylen Waddle and DeVante Parker, who can turn nothing plays into big plays. He seems to have a nice connection with Waddle and Mike Gesicki who exploded during Brissett’s first start as a Dolphin. Brissett has also proven to be a defacto goal-line runner in the past, so the rushing TD upside is always a possibility. This week he matches up with the Colts who are allowing the eighth-most points to Fantasy quarterbacks. If he can turn a couple of those attempts into touchdowns or one of his weapons can break a big play, Brissett could be a nice streaming option this week or QB2 in Super Flex leagues. Jameis Winston (QB) New Orleans Saints Jameis got off to a red-hot start in Week 1 as the Saints starter against the Packers then crashed and burned Week 2 against the Panthers before having a mediocre Week 3 against the Patriots. That’s the thing with Winston though, you just never know exactly what you’re going to get. This week he plays the Giants, which is a perfectly average matchup. Nevertheless, the matchup unless it’s unbelievably good or bad doesn’t even matter. Winston is essentially the exact opposite of Brissett. He always has massive upside and week crushing downside. For this reason, he should always get consideration as a weekly sleeper. He deserves looks in DFS formats and if you are facing a team better than you and need a high-upside lineup. One word of advice if you ever do decide to plug him into your lineup. Don’t watch the game and don’t follow his scoring. Just check it at the end because you are almost certainly in for a roller-coaster ride otherwise. Brandon Bolden (RB) New England Patriots The Patriots lost James White for the season last week to a hip injury. This opens a large void in the offense that someone needs to fill as the pass-catching running back. While we can only guess Bill Belichick’s plans with his running backs going forward, so this is a bit of a dart throw, but I’m throwing my dart at Bolden. The first and most obvious clue we have is last week when White went down Bolden stepped into this role receiving four targets and catching three of them for 23 yards. We have also seen Bolden excel with limited opportunities in the past both with the Pats and Dolphins. With that said, JJ Taylor and Rhamodre Stevenson are both very much in the mix as well if they can find a way to separate themselves from the pack and earn the vacated touches. Kyle Juszczyk (RB) San Francisco 49ers With Elijah Mitchell along with what feels like 15 other running backs injured for San Fran last week, the Niners backfield was down to the bare bones led by rookie Trey Sermon. Sermon looked okay, but not special. The surprising development was fullback Kyle Juszczyk’s workload. He handled five carries for 14 yards and caught all four of his targets for 37 yards and a TD. Should Mitchell not suit up again, there is no reason this role can’t remain or even expand. I don’t expect him to get much work if any on the ground between the 20s, nonetheless, he looks to have a real shot at being the third-down and goal-line back. If you are scrambling for a running back off waivers, he’s a guy that may have earned himself the lion’s share of the most valuable touches. Royce Freeman (RB) Carolina Panthers With Christian McCaffrey out Chuba Hubbard is slated to be the starter in Carolina. He was the top waiver-wire target this week. The fact remains that there isn’t anything special about Hubbard outside of opportunity. Don’t expect him to get the full CMC workload either. Freeman will see his opportunities. After CMC went down last week with a hamstring injury, Freeman saw five carries and one reception to Hubbard’s 11 carries and three receptions. If the rookie doesn’t outperform Freeman, has issues in pass protection or ball security, you could see a lot more touches swing towards Freeman in the coming weeks. Plugging Freeman into your lineup this week would be bold. Still, adding him as a sleeper option while CMC is out could be a smart move. Kadarius Toney (WR) New York Giants The Giants lost both Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton to hamstring injuries last week and neither looks promising to play this week. Combine that with Toney’s explosiveness and playmaking ability, and he could be a high-upside sleeper this week. We finally saw him get real work last week and that looks to only expand Week 4. Look for Toney to step in as the starting slot receiver for New York. A role Shepard has thrived in. If he can get close to the opportunity Shepard has seen, even half, Toney has the skillset to do much more with the touches after the catch. If you’re hurting this week and searching for a potential game-breaking Flex option, look no further. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (WR) Tennessee Titans AJ Brown is week to week with a hamstring injury and looking unlikely to play Week 4 and Julio Jones also left the game last week with a hamstring injury of his own and is far from a lock to suit up.
Fantasy Football Sleepers: Week 3
Knowing which players are in potential breakout spots, or otherwise poised to exceed expectations, can give fantasy football managers a huge edge over their competition. Using FullTime Fantasy’s data and metrics, here are some sleepers to consider for Week 3. Daniel Jones (QB) New York Giants Jones may not be an outstanding real-life quarterback, but he has much more upside than he’s given credit for. Sure, he turns the ball over a ton and hasn’t won many games, nevertheless, he has a big arm, sneaky athleticism, and better weapons than people think. Through two games Jones has already thrown for over 500 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. These aren’t game-breaking stats, but they are solid numbers that won’t kill his Fantasy value. However, while he’s not viewed as a running quarterback he is. He already has 122 yards and two TDs on the ground with another long TD run called back on a bogus holding call. His rushing ability gives him enough value to sneak him into your lineup if you’re looking for a streaming option. Especially this week against a putrid Falcons’ defense. His weapons are also underrated. On the outside, he has Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton who he’s proven to have chemistry with. He also has Kenny Golladay, Saquon Barkley, and potentially Evan Engram all inching closer to full health after a 10-day layoff following Thursday Night Football. Don’t sleep on Jones’s ceiling and ability to make plays against the Falcons with these weapons. Taylor Heinicke (QB) Washington Football Team There are two reasons I’m going with Heinicke here. It’s because he’s been a better quarterback than he’s been given credit for and the Bills defense isn’t as good as they’ve looked to this point. He is coming off a 336 yard, two TD performance against the Giants, and the last time we saw him start a game before this past Thursday was in the playoffs against the Super Bowl-winning Bucs defense when he posted over 350 total yards and two touchdowns, one passing, in a one-score shootout. I’m also not buying into the Bills hype surrounding their defense. I think they’re good but not a defense to fear as a Fantasy owner. They have just faced two of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. Also, Ben Roethlisberger is washed and the other quarterback they dealt with was Jacoby Brissett after Tua went down in the first quarter. This offense isn’t exactly elite, but I do think they can put up some points and yards on the Bills. Latavius Murray (RB) Baltimore Ravens You can do worse than Murray this week against the Lions’ porous defense. The Ravens are going to have a huge lead and early and will be running through the whole second half against an awful rush defense. This team already runs more than any other team in the NFL, and there will be a noticeable uptick this week. After two weeks Murray has 19 carries and a touchdown in each game. I would expect him to continue seeing goal-line work in this one and up around 15 carries. Against this defense 15 carries can go a long way. We have seen this offense sustain two Fantasy relevant running backs and the Lions will offer little resistance to prevent it from happening this week. Giovani Bernard (RB) Tampa Bay Buccaneers If ever there was a time to stick Gio in your Flex it’s this game. He could very well flop and only give you three points, but I’m going to make a case for him. We already know the Bucs backfield is volatile and Bruce Arians uses most of the week to tell us what Ronald Jones is bad at and we have eyes to see what Leonard Fournette is bad at. Both guys are subpar receiving options. Bernard is a solid option who doesn’t make mistakes and excels as a pass-catcher. This matchup against the Rams sets up well for Gio as the Bucs could be losing in the second half and need to throw the ball more. That Rams’ defensive front, led by Aaron Donald, is devastating so rushing could be an issue, to begin with. Having a pass-catching back in the game to get the ball to who knows how to chip on blocks would make a ton of sense to have in the game. This is a risky play, but the risk could pay off in PPR formats, especially as a cheap DFS option. Donovan Peoples-Jones (WR) Cleveland Browns With Jarvis Landry on IR and Odell Beckham yet to play this season, one of the Browns’ receivers has to step up. Granted, Beckham is questionable and may be back this week, but how much can you depend on a guy already with a downward trajectory in his first game back coming off a torn ACL? The guy I’m picking to emerge out of this corps is Peoples-Jones. I was high on him coming out of college, liked what I’ve seen out of him with limited opportunities in the NFL, and heard nothing but glowing reports about him out of camp this summer. If there is another Browns’ wideout you prefer by all means turn to that receiver. Nevertheless, I’m singling out DPJ as the man to benefit most from the injuries simply because I believe he’s the most talented receiver left on the team. Quintez Cephus (WR) Detroit Lions We all wondered who was the receiver to own in Detroit and Cephus is making his case as the WR1 on the team. He has seen seven targets in each game, the most end zone target of any wideout on the team, and has turned his opportunity into seven catches for 75 yards and a touchdown in both games this season. He may be the best option in a bad situation, but don’t be shocked if he has a couple of huge games this year. The Lions are bad, however, they are still a professional offense with a
Fantasy Football Sleepers: Week 2
Following a successful draft, the best way to give your fantasy football squad its best chances to win is to know which players are on the verge of a breakout. Knowing these potential sleepers can give fantasy managers a huge edge over their competition. Here are some fantasy football sleepers to consider heading into Week 2 of the 2021 season. Mac Jones (QB) New England Patriots Jones looked solid Week 1 and ran the offense we all expected to see from him in New England. It looked like a simplified version of what Tom Brady used to run, where he takes the snap and gets the ball to his pass catchers quickly. He was good, not great, and failed to win in his NFL debut, however, that was against a menacing Dolphins’ pass defense. This week Jones gets to take down the lowly Jets. The Pats are going to be an angry team coming off a demoralizing home loss and will look to victimize the Jets. This one has blowout written all over it and Bill Belichick is known for running up the score. This could lead to a huge day for Jones in his first true breakout Fantasy performance of his young career. The Jets are one week removed from allowing Sam Darnold to throw for 279 yards and a touchdown on them. Kenyan Drake (RB) Las Vegas Raiders The matchup against the Steelers isn’t great for running backs, but that could be a plus for Drake who is the team’s pass-catching back and will be utilized if running between the tackles is futile. Despite being viewed as the backup he played 41 snaps last week to Josh Jacobs’ 45, a 48/52 split. Combine all that with the fact that Jacobs was limping on and off the field all night and has now popped up on the injury report with a DNP on Wednesday and everything points to a potential flex-worthy week from Drake. Last week against the Ravens, he saw 11 touches totaling five receptions and 70 total yards. I would expect an uptick in volume this week due to the game script and Jacobs being banged up. I like him as a sneaky flex option this week. David Johnson (RB) Houston Texans All eyes are on Mark Ingram in the Texans’ backfield after he received 26 carries last week, but they shouldn’t be. The attention should turn to Johnson who is their undisputed pass-catching back. What happened last week with the Texans is unlikely to happen again this season, especially this week going up against the Browns. Last week the Texans were blowing away the Jags and Ingram managed 26 carries on just 36 snaps. You can throw that game script right in the trash. The Texans will be losing this week and Johnson will be out on the field catching passes. Not only that, but he also looks like a better runner than Ingram based on what we saw last year and heard out of camp. He could be a solid PPR flex this week in a game the Browns will likely be winning by more than just a little bit. Latavius Murray (RB) Baltimore Ravens Murray looks locked in as at least the RB2 in Baltimore and could even be the RB1 as we saw the Ravens trust him and not Ty’Son Williams in the second half of Monday Night Football. While Williams out-snapped Murray and handled a much heavier workload in the first half, Murray ultimately handled more carries and was the man down the stretch. A big reason for this was Williams whiffing on multiple blocks including one that led to a brutal hit on Lamar Jackson and a crucial fumble. Plays like that may cost the much younger Williams dearly when it comes to snap shares. Murray is far from a lock from stepping out and being the man in Baltimore, however, so is Williams. At worst this is a split backfield and Murray is the Gus Edwards to Williams’ JK Dobbins. At best that situation is flipped and Murray becomes a legitimate RB2. If you are searching for a flex this week you can do a lot worse than Murray. Will Fuller (WR) Miami Dolphins Hopefully, you haven’t forgotten about Fuller. Last season before being suspended for PEDs with five games left in the season, he had been an elite option. He was the WR8 at the time and has always been a highly productive option when healthy. The good news is he’s healthy. There are plenty of other options in the Miami passing attack, nevertheless, that may be a good thing for Fuller because defenses can’t just lock in on him. DeVante Parker, Jaylen Waddle, and Mike Gesicki will all command attention. The Dolphins’ weapons are still being sorted out by Fantasy owners, but it’s not very often a WR1 from the previous season is just forgotten about like this. You may have struck gold if you drafted him late in your drafts. Editors Note: Fuller has been ruled OUT for Week 2 due to a personal issue. Rondale Moore (WR) Arizona Cardinals Kyler Murray and the Cardinals’ passing attack looked unbelievable last week and the surprise Fantasy star was Christian Kirk. However, I prefer to target Moore for Fantasy relevancy. We’ve seen Kirk enough to know who he is and we’ve seen him have monster games then disappear over and again. Moore is the more talented receiver and was just as good as Kirk last week minus the touchdowns. Week 1, Moore saw 5 targets, the same as Kirk, and took them for 68 yards compared to Kirk’s 70. That was Moore’s first NFL game and he’s just flat out a more talented player than Kirk. Moore’s snaps and targets should only go up each week and he will emerge as the clear-cut WR2 in Arizona sooner rather than later. If I’m rolling the dice on a pass-catcher for the Cardinals against a terrible Vikings’ secondary who isn’t
Fantasy Football Sleepers: Week 1
As popular as the term ‘sleepers’ is in fantasy sports, there isn’t a consensus definition for the term. In our case, let’s say a player that is being started in fewer than half of Week 1 lineups who has a
Let’s kick off the 2021 season in style and look at some underrated sleepers for Week 1….
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2021 Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings
Here are this year’s NFL Rookies based on our Fulltime Fantasy Rankings. Ranking the top first-year players heading into the 2021 fantasy football season. Rankings based on a single QB, PPR scoring format. Najee Harris (RB) Pittsburgh Steelers – Harris is the ideal case of talent meeting opportunity, making him the undisputed top rookie in Fantasy Football this season. The Alabama product is a 230-pound workhorse back with the high-end pass-catching ability to pair with his rushing skills. While there are some concerns in regards to the Steelers offensive line, the high volume should negate those concerns. The Steelers historically prefer to go with an every-down back and everything we’ve seen this preseason points to Harris staying on the field for the vast majority of plays this season. He’s a true RB1 whose upside is the RB1 in all of Fantasy Football in 2021. Kyle Pitts (TE) Atlanta Falcons – The phrase “generational talent” is thrown around far too often in the Fantasy community, but Pitts is just that. He may be the greatest prospect we’ve ever seen at the position and he steps right into a high-volume passing offense trying to fill a void left by Julio Jones in Atlanta. While the hype has cooled down a bit on Pitts since he was the clear-cut TE4 earlier this summer, he’s still being drafted as an elite option, and rightfully so. The sky is the limit for this freak athlete who should be just as dangerous stretching the field as he is dominating mismatches in the red zone. Trey Sermon (RB) San Francisco 49ers – Draft Sermon and thank me later. He is a league winner and an absolute steal coming off the board as the RB30. The 49ers system pumps out Fantasy gold at the running back position and not only is Sermon the only workhorse on the roster, but his biggest competition for touches in Raheem Mostert is also already hurt as he seemingly always is. Look for Sermon to take over the lead role in San Fran early in the season and never look back. He is going to help a lot of Fantasy teams win championships in 2021. DeVonta Smith (WR) Philadelphia Eagles – The Heisman Trophy winner may be the third-best receiver in his draft class, however, he fell into the best situation for Fantasy owners. Smith will immediately step in as the WR1 in Philly and there is no reason why he won’t lead all rookie wideouts in targets. With elite speed and route-running ability, his upside is immense and the only thing that could hold him back is his undersized frame and potential poor quarterback play. It’s tough to find a reason to pull the trigger on any other rookie wide receiver before Smith. Ja’ Marr Chase (WR) Cincinnati Bengals – Chase is hands down the best wideout in this rookie class. He’s built to be an all-world WR1. However, he does have some things working against him heading into his rookie season while dropped him to No. 5 on this list. While I’m going to point out the reasons he’s so low, don’t take the negative outlook as a knock on his talent. In Dynasty he’s the clear WR1 in his draft class. Nonetheless, he enters the season coming off a subpar preseason after sitting out all of 2020, and the rust has shown. On top of his layoff, he’ll be competing with two other outstanding wideouts in Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd for targets in a Bengals offense that probably isn’t going to be anywhere near the top of the league. The reason being is that the offensive line is still terrible and they will be attempting to protect quarterback Joe Burrow who is coming off a major knee construction and has reportedly struggled in camp this summer. It will likely take Chase a year or two to meet his full potential in Cincinnati. Javonte Williams (RB) Denver Broncos – It’s a matter of when not if Williams will take over as the lead back in Denver. However, Melvin Gordon isn’t likely just going away anytime this season. Gordon will likely start the season as the starter and play a major role most of the season. Particularly in the passing game. Williams should still play a big part himself and by midseason be splitting touches if not shouldering the majority of the early-down and goal-line work. Williams is a talented back with the skill set to eventually become an every-down back. Nevertheless, barring an injury his upside in 2021 is capped by the presence of Gordon. Trevor Lawrence (QB) Jacksonville Jaguars – It feels like Lawrence was so far and away, the best quarterback in his draft that people have almost begun to ignore him. There was nothing to critique and break down. There was no one to compare him to. We knew for almost three years he’d be the top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and now he seems to be underappreciated. Don’t fall victim to this mindset or the hype surrounding other rookie quarterbacks. Lawrence is by far the best passer in his class and has the legs to be an elite runner too. With weapons on the outside like DJ Chark, Laviska Shenault, and Marvin Jones he could have a monster season. Do not fall victim to the fatigue that seems to be plaguing the Fantasy community when it comes to Lawrence. Jaylen Waddle (WR) Miami Dolphins – Waddle was Tua’s go-to guy at Alabama and that trend has continued right into the Dolphins training camp this year. Miami drafted him sixth overall this year and his playstyle draws comparisons to Tyreek Hill. He’s an outstanding route runner with the quickness to create separation from any defensive backs. The only reason Waddle isn’t ranked higher is that there are a lot of mouths to feed in Miami and while Tua has looked great this summer, he still has to prove he is capable of feeding those
2021 Dynasty League Rookie Deep Sleepers
This is a guest post contributed by @101chalk The players selected at the top of all rookie drafts in dynasty leagues usually end up on the worst teams in the league. Those middling teams and ones that failed on an
The players selected at the top of all rookie drafts in dynasty leagues usually end up on the worst teams in the league. Those middling teams and ones that failed on an opportunity to secure the bag are left scrounging around for the sleepers that either went unnoticed or ended up on the waiver wire. By finding those diamonds in the rough, you can gain a huge advantage in retooling for the following season.
Here are rookie sleepers at RB, WR, and TE that you should roster in hopes of uncovering a gem in your dynasty leagues.
Rookies Who Could Emerge in 2021
Rhamondre Stevenson (RB) New England Patriots
Rhamondre Stevenson is the classic thunder-and-lightning type running back, filling in the former portion of such a duo. A physical grinder, Stevenson possesses an imposing stiff-arm much like former Patriots RB LeGarrette Blount (who many have comped Stevenson to). Even though Stevenson is a bruising back, he has demonstrated the ability to evade defenders near the line of scrimmage by using his athleticism (e.g., good footwork, solid contact balance, and spin moves)…
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