Fantasy Football Rankings 2021: Sleepers, Pimples, Busts By Simulation That Nailed Josh Allen’s Big Campaign

History has taught us that wide receivers take several years to develop once they join the NFL, but their third year is usually when they break out. Last season, 2018 conscripts Calvin Ridley and DJ Moore were breakthroughs in fantasy football as both players reached career heights in receiving yards. Recipient candidates in the Ranking Fantasy Football 2021 that fit the bill include DK Metcalf and AJ Brown, who are already Pro Bowlers but could become All-Pro rosters by leaps and bounds in production. Others like Diontae Johnson and Darius Slayton will try to make the jump to must-starts.

When faced with the option of taking Metcalf or Brown with your Fantasy football picks for 2021, which former Ole Miss Rebel should you go with? Also, Johnson and Slayton are both part of deep receiving cores in their respective teams, so which one could be one of the 2021 Fantasy football sleepers? Before you set your fantasy football concept strategy for 2021, be sure to check out Fantasy Football 2021 cheat sheets from the tried and true computer model at SportsLine.

Last year, the model accurately predicted that Bill’s quarterback Josh Allen was drastically undervalued. His Fantasy football ADP was barely in the top 70, but the model paired him up as a top-five Fantasy quarterback, a QB1 who would finish well ahead of players like Kyler Murray, Tom Brady and Drew Brees. Allen eventually went on to become the #2-scoring Fantasy QB, surpassing all three other quarterbacks and even surpassing Patrick Mahomes. Fantasy players who followed SportsLine’s advice reap a lot of value from that choice.

The same model has a proven track record of giving Fantasy Football tips, with AJ Brown also being identified as another sleeper in 2020 and players like Devin Singletary and JuJu Smith-Schuster as busts last season. Plus, it’s called previous Fantasy football sleepers like Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017. Anyone who counted on such players made a run for their league title.

The model is powered by the same people who generated projections for all three major Fantasy sites, and it beat out human experts last season when there was a big difference in ranking. The projections are updated several times a day, so you always get the best Fantasy football advice.

Now SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest 2021 Fantasy Football rankings, along with tons of sleepers, pimples, and busts.Go to SportsLine now to see them.

Top Fantasy football sleepers 2021

One of the 2021 Fantasy football spars the model predicts: Jaguars receiver Laviska Shenault. As a second-round rookie last year, Shenault had 58 grabs for 600 yards and five touchdowns. At 5’7″ and 227 pounds, Shenault is built like a running back and was used as one, rushing 18 times for 91 yards.

New Jags coach Urban Meyer likes flex players like Shenault, who can line up all over the field, similar to his success with Percy Harvin in Florida. But Shenault will mostly see a timeout wide, as he showed a reliable set of hands last year with a catch rate of 73.4. That ranked 10th in the NFL among receivers with at least 58 catches. According to SportsLine’s model, he outperforms receivers like DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle.

Top Fantasy Football Outbreaks 2021

The model also projects Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts as one of the best breakouts in 2021 Fantasy Football. The former Florida star is the best-drafted tight end in NFL history, finishing fourth overall for a reason. He averaged nearly 100 receiving yards per game last year and scored 12 touchdowns, finishing third in Division I.

The Falcons jettisoned this offseason seven-time Pro Bowl receiver Julio Jones, and the future Hall of Famer has averaged 10 goals per game over the past three seasons. Atlanta has made no significant additions to replace Jones in that position, so the athletic tight end is expected to fill his void. At 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, Pitts also projects as the type of red zone option for quarterback Matt Ryan who somehow Jones never got over his Falcons career. SportsLine’s model lists Pitts as a top-five tight end, ahead of two of last year’s Pro Bowlers, such as TJ Hockenson and Evan Engram.

Top Fantasy Football Busts 2021

As for players to avoid, the model lists Raiders who trace Josh Jacobs back as one of the best 2021 Fantasy football busts. The Alabama product has proven to be capable in an early role, with 2,215 yards rush and 19 touchdowns during his first two seasons. However, he leaves much to be desired as a receiver, catching just 53 passes for 404 yards and no scores during that period.

That prompted head coach Jon Gruden to take the Kenyan Drake away from the Cardinals during the off-season. Even as Jacobs maintains a lead on early downs and near the end zone, Drake tries to reduce his overall workload by dominating on passing downs and occasionally spelling him out in a series. That’s a big reason why the model sees Jacobs’ fifth-round price tag as too high, with seventh-round options like Leonard Fournette and Myles Gaskin ahead of him and even a nod to Chase Edmonds, an eighth-round option.

How do you find proven 2021 Fantasy Football football rankings

SportsLine is also extremely high on a surprise quarterback, you don’t even think about being drafted in the mid-rounds of 2021 Fantasy Football drafts. This quarterback is listed as a shocking top-five option for superstars like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson.You can only see who it is, and the 2020 Fantasy football rankings for each player, on SportsLine.

So which 2021 Fantasy Football sleepers, pimples and busts should you target and fade? And which QB shocks the NFL with a top-five performance? Visit SportsLine now for 2021 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every position, all from the model that mentioned Josh Allen’s huge season, and invent.