The Tennessee Titans made a major move in early June, acquiring Julio Jones from the Falcons in exchange for draft picks as they look to keep their third-ranked offense from 2020 humming. There's plenty to sort out during your 2021 Fantasy football draft prep. Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill should get a boost in the 2021 Fantasy football rankings as he adds a second big-time target to go along with A.J. Brown. Atlanta pass-catchers like Kyle Pitts and Calvin Ridley should also move up the ranks as 2021 Fantasy football picks.
Where does that leave Jones and other impacted players like Brown, Derrick Henry and Matt Ryan in the Fantasy football rankings 2021? And which other 2021 Fantasy football sleepers, breakouts and busts need to be on your radar? Before setting your 2021 Fantasy football draft strategy, be sure to check out the 2021 Fantasy football cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Last year, the model accurately predicted that Bills quarterback Josh Allen was being drastically undervalued. His Fantasy football ADP was barely in the top 70, but the model pegged him as a top-five Fantasy quarterback, a QB1 who would finish well ahead of players like Kyler Murray, Tom Brady and Drew Brees. Allen ended up being the No. 2-scoring Fantasy QB, outscoring all three of those other quarterbacks and even surpassing Patrick Mahomes. Fantasy players who followed SportsLine's advice reaped plenty of value with that pick.
The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, also identifying A.J. Brown as another sleeper in 2020 and players like Devin Singletary and JuJu Smith-Schuster as busts last season. Additionally, it's called past Fantasy football sleepers like Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017. Anybody who banked on players like those made a run at their league title.
The model is powered by the same people who generated projections for all three major Fantasy sites, and it beat human experts last season when there was a big difference in ranking. The projections update multiple times daily, so you're always getting the best Fantasy football advice.
Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest Fantasy football rankings 2021, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
One of the 2021 Fantasy football sleepers the model is predicting: Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson. The third-year pro took a major step forward in 2020, racking up 88 catches for 923 yards and seven touchdowns. His late-season trends indicate he could be in line for even bigger numbers in 2021.
Johnson was targeted at least 12 times in all but two of the final eight games of the season. He finished the year with a huge 11-117 receiving line against the Browns in the playoffs as well. Johnson's 2021 Fantasy football ADP shows he's barely going off the board inside the top 100 overall, but the model projects that you'll get similar production as teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster, T.Y. Hilton and Tyler Boyd, all of whom are going off the board well before Johnson.
The model is also projecting Rams running back Cam Akers as one of its top 2021 Fantasy Football breakouts. Akers' season-long 2020 numbers (145-625-2) don't jump off the page, but a closer look indicates he could be on the cusp of a major explosion. That's because the Rams clearly anointed the Florida State product as their RB1 late in the season.
Over the last four weeks of the regular season and two postseason games, he averaged 22 carries for 93.5 yards and scored three times. He also proved to be a viable option as a receiver, totaling over 20 yards four times during that span. The latest 2021 Fantasy football ADP lists Akers going off the board at No. 22 overall, but SportsLine's 2021 Fantasy football cheat sheets say he'll outperform players like D'Andre Swift (ADP of No. 20) and Ezekiel Elliot (No. 16).
As for players to avoid, the model lists Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford as one of its top 2021 Fantasy football busts. Stafford was a key part of the blockbuster deal that sent him to Los Angeles in exchange for Jared Goff and draft picks during the offseason. The Rams will hope Stafford helps put them over the top, but his Fantasy value might suffer as a result of the move.
For one, he likely won't be playing from behind as much for the contending Rams. Plus, Los Angeles appears to have found a workhorse running back in Cam Akers, who should help coach Sean McVay find the balance he craves on offense. Fantasy players are still treating Stafford as a viable option in early drafts, but SportsLine's model has him ranked behind quarterbacks like Justin Fields, Baker Mayfield and Tua Tagovailoa, all of whom are going undrafted, according to the latest 2021 Fantasy football ADP.
SportsLine is also extremely high on a surprising quarterback you aren't even thinking about being drafted in the middle rounds of 2021 Fantasy football drafts. This quarterback is listed as a shocking top-five option ahead of superstars like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. You can only see who it is, and the 2020 Fantasy football rankings for every player, at SportsLine.
So which 2021 Fantasy Football sleepers, breakouts and busts should you target and fade? And which QB shocks the NFL with a top-five performance? Visit SportsLine now to get 2021 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that called Josh Allen's huge season, and find out.
