Even though there might not be fans at the games, the NFL season looks to be on it’s way for 2020-2021. Which means the Fantasy Football season is underway as well. Each month I will be updating you on trends through mock drafts, fantasy football relevant news, and which players to stay away from when drafting.
As the NFL gets more and more pass happy we will see more and more talented receivers stepping onto the field. Since most leagues have you start at least two, if not three wide receivers, I thought to make this list a tad deeper this time.
(Having a player in the “Trending Down” section isn’t me calling them bad. Continue on!)
Trending Up
Tyler Lockett
If you aren’t a Seahawks fan, I bet you would be surprised if I told you Tyler Lockett led the NFL in red zone targets last season. That alone gives you a great ceiling in fantasy football, but his value is also very high at the back end of the 4th round in most mock drafts. Other wide receivers in that range would be Courtland Sutton, Robert Woods and Keenan Allen. While Sutton and Woods are very good options here, I think Lockett’s ability to turn nothing into something sets him apart.
Robby Anderson
If you seem to get stuck after the 8th or 9th rounds of picking, I would keep Robby Anderson in your queue for safety. Anderson is currently going in the 10th or 11th rounds of mock drafts. That is after names like John Brown, Darius Slayton, and Preston Williams. The Panthers bringing in Robby to help revamp this receiving core seems to be a perfect fit for Joe Brady’s offense. I think they can find masterful ways to get him in open space and utilize his speed in the passing game.
Larry Fitzgerald
Now that DeAndre Hopkins is in town, I would expect to see a slight drop off in fantasy production from Fitz, but in no means is he useless. Fitzgerald is still ol’ reliable, and has a built connection with Kyler Murray already (Something that might be bigger than ever with COVID-19). Currently I am seeing him available past the 11th round, which is absurd to me. Once you are that deep into your draft, you are pretty much betting on upside and Fitzgerald has the best track record out of anyone else in the 11th round.
Trending Down
Adam Thielen
While we could possibly see an uptick in the passing offense for Minnesota if Dalvin Cook does continue to hold out into the season, I am still going to be down on Adam Thielen’s fantasy value. Simply put Thielen is going to be turning 30 this year, and is coming off a season decked with injuries. That is a poor mix 9 times out of 10. I think I would rather take an A.J. Brown or Robert Woods, who are all available in the same range. I would expect both receivers are in a similar situation as Thielen and have no red flags currently
Keenan Allen
I would expect to see a drop off in the Chargers offense as a whole this year due to the big change at quarterback. The ball probably won’t be thrown nearly as much with a rookie quarterback under center, and they definitely won’t be completed as often. Mix that in with the fact that Keenan Allen is one of the less durable wide receivers in the NFL, and you’ve got yourself a receiver that I would try to avoid rostering. He is going to be available in the same neck of the woods as your Calvin Ridleys or Courtland Suttons, who I believe not only offer a safer floor, but they can produce the same way as Allen could.
Julio Jones
Julio Jones just barely made this list, and I mean BARELY. Pretty much all I will say is, keep in mind that Calvin Ridley could see a very big season ahead of him. Plus Julio doesn’t tend to be a touchdown monster anyway. If he is there after names like Miles Sanders, or Nick Chubb are gone, then I have no problem with him being your pick. Just be cautious of using a Top-12 pick on him with all things considered.