There was a mass exodus of wide receivers from the Detroit Lions this offseason. Starters Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones left for greener pastures in free agency and joined the New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars, respectively. Where they should be in your 2021 Fantasy football rankings depends on their unproven quarterback situations. Backups Mohamed Sanu and Jamal Agnew also departed Motown, so the Lions are starting anew at both quarterback and wide receiver.
Golladay and Jones are the ones to keep on your radar when formulating your 2021 Fantasy football strategy. With Matthew Stafford no longer throwing to them, how will these former 1,000-yard receivers perform in their new locations? Will they be among the 2021 Fantasy football sleepers to target? Before making any 2021 Fantasy football picks, check out the Fantasy football rankings 2021 from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The model was created by Mike McClure, a predictive data engineer and professional daily Fantasy player with almost $2 million in career winnings. He's used his prediction model to simulate the entire 2021 NFL schedule 10,000 times and identify the top Fantasy football sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
McClure has used this model to help him win almost $2 million in daily Fantasy sports, and it also powers his season-long NFL rankings. The projections can help you create a 2021 Fantasy football strategy that ensures you have the depth necessary to survive what could be another challenging season.
McClure's model takes factors such as player history, schedule, injuries and matchups into account to create the most unbiased 2021 Fantasy football picks possible. Now the model has zeroed in on the 2021 NFL season, ranked every player, and found the top sleepers, breakouts and busts. See every pick here.
The model is extremely high on Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd. He produced back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 2018 and 2019 while also averaging 83 receptions during those years. His numbers dipped to 79 catches for 841 receiving yards last season, but much of that can be attributed to Joe Burrow's season-ending injury in Week 11. Boyd averaged seven catches and 71 yards per game while playing with Burrow (10 games) and two receptions for 26 yards per game without the rookie QB (five games).
Burrow is expected to be fully healthy for Week 1 and Boyd will also have rookie Ja'Marr Chase to take away coverage. In addition, veteran receiver A.J. Green departed in free agency after leading all Bengals receivers in snaps last season, so Boyd will be among the primary options to help fill Green's 820-snap, 104-target void.
Another shocker: Cardinals running back James Conner struggles, even though he's on a new team and nearly topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage a season ago. The former Steeler spent the last three seasons as the team's starting running back but never reached 1,000 yards on the ground in any year. He also struggled to stay on the field, as he's missed 15 games since entering the league in 2017, including three last season.
The Steelers finished last in rushing yards and yards per attempt last season, and much of that falls on Conner, who not only lacked burst but also the ability to convert short-yardage situations. Coach Mike Tomlin took away Conner's goal-line duties as the season progressed, as Bennie Snell Jr. had 19 carries inside the 10-yard line compared to Conner's 14. Conner will be part of the dreaded running-back-by-committee with his new team, making him one of the 2021 Fantasy football busts to avoid.
The model has also made the call on where Dak Prescott ranks coming off of a gruesome injury last season, and it also has one rookie quarterback ranked over 150 spots ahead of No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence. You can only see the latest Fantasy football rankings 2021 here.
So what's the exact value of every Fantasy-relevant NFL player in the 2021 Fantasy football rankings? And which rookie will provide shocking value? Visit SportsLine now to get Fantasy football rankings, all from a DFS pro who has won almost $2 million in his career and has simulated the entire season 10,000 times, and find out.