2021 NFL Draft
5 min read
It is time to look forward to the 2021 NFL Season as the 2021 NFL Draft is around the corner starting Thursday April 29th! Each team starts at the same point (0-0 record) and has the chance to make their Super Bowl LVI run. We are about to add to the mix for each team as they make their 2021 NFL Draft selections next week. Dreams, hard work will be realized by the young men that get the opportunity to play the sport at the high level.
I don’t predict where the college players will be selected throughout the various rounds of the draft. It’s fun to see where the players we enjoyed watching in college get to start their NFL journey. I like to sit back enjoy the show and when the dust settles look for the opportunities that these new rookies now find themselves. Again, I am looking for the following in this order to determine fantasy football impact: Ability – Availability – Opportunity – Consistency – Advantage/Upside – Matchup. Those first three areas can start to be realized right here during the 2021 NFL Draft!
Round Selected May Not Matter
Always interesting to see “better” draft picks that may not be in preferred opportunities right away. They could take longer to show NFL and fantasy football relevance. While less preferred players fill in nicely to a spot because of opportunity. They will be much more valuable in regards to fantasy football statistics initially. Always interesting to see how it plays out. Just like in life the right set of circumstances need to present themselves. Tom Brady has become the go to example of a late round pick (in his case a 6th round pick) making the most of his opportunity. The likes of Alvin Kamara (3rd Round), Austin Ekeler (undrafted), Chris Carson (7th Round), Darius Slayton (5th Round), Tyreek Hill (5th Round) and Dak Prescott (4th Round) all show it’s not where you are selected but what you do with your opportunity!
For the 2021 NFL Draft I get the sense that the most available position throughout is at Wide Receiver. Most notably the slot receiver guys. Then you have a pretty nice batch of Quarterbacks available to teams (a few expected to be taken early on). It sounds like there are limited preferred options at Running Back while Tight Ends have a couple notable higher end picks but very little depth throughout the draft. Will be interesting to see in the coming years if some of those not so preferred Running Back options find themselves with an opportunity to produce and be fantasy relevant. I think the NFL becoming a more passing league makes it easier for later round Wide Receivers to become fantasy relevant. Just because of the larger opportunity to get involved in the offense that they will have compared to other positions.
2021 NFL Draft – Fantasy Football Impact Thoughts by Position
- Quarterbacks – get a lot of the talk throughout the draft. We are set to see a good many go off the board in the Top 5 and Top 10 picks of the 2021 NFL Draft it sounds. It can be tough for a rookie to have their best fantasy football impact. I feel these guys do best after a year or two of experience in the NFL. I know we will be excited about the opportunities for some of these rookies. Let’s keep it all in perspective and keep expectations in check. The one area that Quarterbacks can certainly add to their fantasy value (especially in a rookie season) is their rushing ability. So if one has the rushing floor that will certainly help their fantasy football value in 2021.
- Running Backs – of all the positions these guys come to the NFL ready to make fantasy football impacts from day 1 if given the right opportunity. If you want upside rookies, I think the running back is where you want to take your chances most times.
- Wide Receivers – they won’t start as quick as your running backs for fantasy purposes. Give them close to a half year and some of these guys may help you win the fantasy football championship in the second half of the season. Second and third year jumps are likely for the position.
- Tight Ends – highly doubtful for these guys to make a fantasy football impact in year 1. They probably need more time than Quarterbacks to maximize their fantasy football production if only because of less opportunity. Give them time to get up to speed and be productive in year 2 or 3 hopefully.
2021 NFL Draft Final Thoughts
As you are enjoying this years NFL Draft, think about the rookies with opportunity. Some are closer than others in how much of an opportunity that they have to take advantage. An opportunity partnered with their ability and availability could work well to make them fantasy football relevant. Some football analysts may just say its luck. I believe we all make our own luck and it’s what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Who will have the chance for Touchdowns? Who slides in for a good portion of Targets? If you believe a player is in line for either, you know I would be interested in them!
The 2021 NFL Season gets underway on Thursday April 29 with the 2021 NFL Draft! Plenty will continue to change leading up to the start of the 2021 NFL season. The 2021 NFL Draft in a few days will determine what teams look like this 2021 NFL Season. The fantasy football community looks on to keep tabs on who to select for their fantasy football championships in 2021! I hope everyone enjoys the NFL Draft and continues to stay safe and healthy!
Targets and TDs Fantasy Football
Find players that will have: Ability – Availability – Opportunity – Consistency – Advantage/Upside – Matchup
If your players are on an offensive team that can get many Targets and Touchdowns, you know I would be interested in them! Statistics courtesy of The Football Database , a great resource for your NFL players statistics. If you enjoyed the article please share it with others (via the social media links).
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I hope everyone continues to stay safe and healthy! Enjoy the journey throughout the 2020 – 2021 Fantasy Football Season!
