Ryan Tannehill: Tannehill missed five games in 2022 and averaged fewer than 14 fantasy points per game for the season. Even though he was a fringe top-12 weekly quarterback in five of 12 games, he had only one 20-point performance (20.02, Week 11) all season. With the addition of DeAndre Hopkins to the receiving corps, Tannehill may turn out to be undervalued for those in 2-QB or Super Flex formats.
Derrick Henry: The usual concerns — age, cumulative career workload, modest receiving numbers, etc. — apply to Henry, but he's guaranteed a massive workload, as long as he remains healthy. Henry set a career high in receptions (33) in 2022, but he actually averaged more receptions per game in 2021 (2.3) than 2022 (2.1). Despite the modest receiving totals, here are Henry's half-PPR scoring finishes on a points-per-game basis (min. 8G played) over the past four years: third in 2022 (17.9), first in 2021 (23.0), third in 2020 (20.2) and second (tied) in 2019 (19.0), respectively.
Tyjae Spears: The Titans used a top-100 (81st overall) on Spears, who was extremely productive for Tulane, and he's a worthwhile stash/handcuff late in drafts. Spears had an impressive preseason, ranking third in yards after contact per attempt (4.73) among running backs with at least 10 preseason carries, per PFF.
DeAndre Hopkins: Hopkins has missed a total of 15 games over the past two seasons due to either injury or suspension, and he joins the run-first Titans after being released by the Cardinals this offseason. In his nine games played last season, however, he averaged 10.7 targets per game and a 7.1/79.7/0.3 stat line.
Treylon Burks: Burks had a modest 33 catches for 444 yards and a touchdown in 11 games as a rookie last season. ESPN's Turron Davenport noted earlier this summer that Burks had a "noticeably leaner build" this year and he's "playing at a different speed from his rookie season." While I project a considerable jump in production, the Hopkins' signing and a recent knee injury (although he recently returned to practice) temper expectations.
Chigoziem Okonkwo: Okonkwo finished second on the team in receiving yards last year to Robert Woods, who is no longer on the roster. The rookie ended the year with 32 receptions for 450 yards (14.1 Y/R) and three touchdowns. There is some breakout potential (albeit less following the DeAndre Hopkins signing) heading into the athletic (4.52 40-yard dash) tight end's second year. Among tight ends with 30-plus targets in 2022, Okonkwo led the position in YAC per reception (7.8) and yards per route run (2.61), per PFF stats.
Ryan Tannehill: Tannehill missed five games in 2022 and averaged fewer than 14 fantasy points per game for the season. Even though he was a fringe top-12 weekly quarterback in five of 12 games, he had only one 20-point performance (20.02, Week 11) all season. If the team (or Tannehill) struggles, it wouldn't be a surprise if the Titans transitioned to second-round pick Will Levis at some point during the season. If not, he may be undervalued for those in 2-QB or super flex formats.
Derrick Henry: There are certainly concerns — age, cumulative career workload, the team's offensive issues, etc. Even so, Henry has led the NFL in rush attempts in three of the past four seasons (including 349 in 2022) and he's guaranteed a massive workload, as long as he remains healthy. He set a career high in receptions (33) in 2022, but he actually averaged more receptions per game in 2021 (2.3) than 2022 (2.1).
Of course, it would be preferred for Henry to be more involved as a receiver, but his relative lack of involvement in the passing game has been an over-emphasized reason to avoid Henry (at least in half-PPR formats). Here is where Henry has finished on a points-per-game basis in half-PPR scoring over the past four years (min. 8G played): third in 2022 (17.9), first in 2021 (23.0), third in 2020 (20.2) and second (tied) in 2019 (19.0), respectively.
Tyjae Spears: The Titans used a top-100 (81st overall) on Spears, who was extremely productive for Tulane. He's looked good this preseason, and he's a worthwhile stash/handcuff late in drafts.
DeAndre Hopkins: Hopkins has missed a total of 15 games over the past two seasons due to either injury or suspension, and he joins the run-first Titans after being released by the Cardinals this offseason. In his nine games played last season, however, he averaged 10.7 targets per game and a 7.1/79.7/0.3 stat line.
Treylon Burks: Burks had a modest 33 catches for 444 yards and a touchdown in 11 games as a rookie last season. ESPN's Turron Davenport noted earlier this summer that Burks had a "noticeably leaner build" this year and he's "playing at a different speed from his rookie season." Odds of a breakout have declined more recently, however, after the Titans signed Hopkins and then Burks sprained his LCL, an injury that will sideline him a few weeks.
Chigoziem Okonkwo: Okonkwo finished second on the team in receiving yards last year to Robert Woods, who is no longer on the roster. The rookie ended the year with 32 receptions for 450 yards (14.1 Y/R) and three touchdowns. There is some breakout potential (albeit less following the DeAndre Hopkins signing) heading into the athletic (4.52 40-yard dash) tight end's second year. Among tight ends with 30-plus targets in 2022, Okonkwo led the position in YAC per reception (7.8) and yards per route run (2.61), per PFF stats.
Kyler Murray: Early offseason drama led to Murray scrubbing his social media accounts of references to the Cardinals, but the dual-threat quarterback has a new contract and QB1 overall upside, when healthy. Even though he'll be without DeAndre Hopkins to start the season, the additions of Marquise Brown, his former Oklahoma teammate, and Trey McBride, the first tight end drafted in 2022, give Murray a talented group of pass catchers when the team's at full strength.
James Conner: Conner scored 18 regular-season touchdowns with multiple scores in six of 15 games last season as he finished 2021 as a top-five fantasy running back. With Chase Edmonds now in Miami, Conner enters 2022 as Arizona's clear lead back.
Marquise Brown: Brown had a minimum of five targets and three receptions in every game last season with the Ravens as he posted his first-ever 1,000-yard campaign (91/1,008/6). With Baltimore trading him to Arizona, Brown is reunited with his former college quarterback and should be able to rebuild rapport early. The fourth-year receiver should be Arizona's WR1 for at least the first six games with DeAndre Hopkins suspended.
DeAndre Hopkins: Missing seven games in 2021, Hopkins set career lows in targets (64), receptions (42) and yards (572) as he averaged a non-rookie career low of 57.2 yards per game. A six-game suspension to begin the year limits Hopkins' ability to rebound strongly from last year's disappointing numbers.
Zach Ertz: Targeted nine-plus times in the final four weeks of the season, Ertz finished that span with 28 catches for 253 yards on 43 targets. While those games overlapped with games that DeAndre Hopkins missed, Ertz should be heavily targeted during Hopkins' suspension to begin the season.
Kyler Murray: Early offseason drama led to Murray scrubbing his social media accounts of references to the Cardinals, but the dual-threat quarterback has a new contract and QB1 overall upside, when healthy. Even though he'll be without DeAndre Hopkins to start the season, the additions of Marquise Brown, his former Oklahoma teammate, and Trey McBride, the first tight end drafted in 2022, give Murray a talented group of pass catchers when the team's at full strength.
James Conner: Conner scored 18 regular-season touchdowns with multiple scores in six of 15 games last season as he finished 2021 as a top-five fantasy running back. The Cardinals have replaced Chase Edmonds, now in Miami, with Darrel Williams, but Conner enters 2022 as Arizona's clear lead back.
Marquise Brown: Brown had a minimum of five targets and three receptions in every game last season as he posted his first-ever 1,000-yard campaign (91/1,008/6). With Baltimore trading him to Arizona, Brown is reunited with his former college quarterback and should be able to rebuild rapport early. The fourth-year receiver should be Arizona's WR1 for at least the first six games with DeAndre Hopkins suspended.
DeAndre Hopkins: Missing seven games in 2021, Hopkins set career lows in targets (64), receptions (42) and yards (572) as he averaged a non-rookie career low of 57.2 yards per game. A six-game suspension to begin the year limits Hopkins' ability to rebound strongly from last year's disappointing numbers.
Zach Ertz: Targeted nine-plus times in the final four weeks of the season, Ertz finished that span with 28 catches for 253 yards on 43 targets. While those games overlapped with games that DeAndre Hopkins missed, Ertz should be heavily targeted during Hopkins' suspension to begin the season.
Kyler Murray: While Murray played all 16 games, shoulder and leg injuries slowed him a bit down the stretch. Even so, he finished his sophomore campaign as fantasy's QB2 (and was QB1 after Week 16). When healthy, Murray scored more than 20 fantasy points and finished as a top-12 fantasy quarterback in 10 consecutive games to start the season. Heading into 2021, Murray will be a top-four option once again even if he hopes to run a little bit less.
Chase Edmonds: The former fourth-round pick out of Fordham has averaged 4.4 yards per carry and 7.2 yards per reception over his first three NFL seasons. With Kenyan Drake out and James Conner in, Edmonds' workload will almost certainly exceed the 150 touches he had in 2020. Given Edmonds' RB3/flex ADP, his draft-day cost seems priced fairly close to his floor, but there is plenty of upside as well.
James Conner: Joining the Cardinals on a one-year deal, Conner will steal some early-down carries from Edmonds and could potentially be in a fairly even split. If he can stay healthy and earn a larger role, there is plenty of upside for Conner as well (as Edmonds).
DeAndre Hopkins: In his first season in Arizona, Hopkins tied a career high in receptions (115) and his 1,407 receiving yards were the third most of his career. Meanwhile, Stefon Diggs (166) was the only receiver with more targets than Hopkins (160). While his six touchdowns were a four-year low, Hopkins still finished as a top-five fantasy receiver in half-PPR/PPR formats. (Hopkins was WR9 in non-PPR.)
Rondale Moore: The Cards will look to manufacture touches for their dynamic rookie. Playing only seven games over the past two collegiate seasons, Moore was uber-productive as a true freshman in 2018 (114/1258/12 receiving and 21/213/2 rushing). It's certainly possible that Moore performs as Arizona's second-best receiver, but I have the trio of Moore, Christian Kirk and A.J. Green all bunched together in my projections.
Christian Kirk: With DeAndre Hopkins dominating targets, Kirk's targets dropped from 108 (8.31/G) in 2019 to 79 (5.64/G) in 2020. The vast majority of his fantasy production including all of his touchdowns occurred during a five-game stretch from Weeks 4-9 (20/343/6, 17.15 Y/R, WR7). While Larry Fitzgerald has not (officially) yet retired and says that he doesn't have the "urge to play right now", the team has signed A.J. Green and drafted Rondale Moore, which means that Kirk's 2021 numbers are unlikely to improve much from last season and may even decline. Kirk has missed multiple games in all three of his NFL seasons.
A.J. Green: After playing a total of nine games in 2018-19, Green played a full 16-game slate in 2020, but he set career lows in yards (523), Y/R (11.1), Y/TGT (5.0) and catch rate (45.2%). In addition, he had five goose-egg games and another with only a three-yard reception. Perhaps a change of scenery and a more potent offense will help his peripheral stats, but targets could be inconsistent given Hopkins target-hog status.
Maxx Williams: Despite being elevated to Arizona's TE1, Williams is off the fantasy radar outside of deep TE-premium leagues as the team's tight ends have a 10.9% target share in Kliff Kingsbury's two seasons as head coach.
The best way to become good at something is to practice. So, what should you do if you want to draft a better fantasy football team?
Practice, of course!
Leading up to the start of the 2021 NFL season, we will use the 2021 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator (powered by FantasyPros) to complete fantasy football mock drafts.
We will use a variety of scoring formats -- PPR, half-PPR, standard scoring and even 2-QB leagues, league sizes and draft slots. The goal is to give you a good representation of the team that you may be able to construct given your league settings and the rationale of why we made the picks we did.
Once again, Cook has missed multiple games, but he set career highs in touches (356), yards from scrimmage (1,918) and touchdowns (17) and scored the third-most fantasy points (non-PPR) among running backs. The clear lead back in one of the league's most run-heavy offenses, Cook averaged a career-high 5.0 YPC and has a minimum of 40 catches in each of the past three seasons.
In his first season in Arizona, Hopkins tied a career high in receptions (115) and his 1,407 receiving yards were the third most of his career. Meanwhile, Stefon Diggs (166) was the only receiver with more targets than Hopkins (160). While his six touchdowns were a four-year low, Hopkins' target share gives him one of the highest floors (and ceilings) at the position.
Jefferson exceeded all expectations in his inaugural season with 88 catches for a rookie-record 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns. Not only did the former LSU Tiger have seven 100-yard games, but he had double-digit targets in five of his final six games after doing so in only two of his first 10 games. Going forward, Jefferson should be the 1(a) to Adam Thielen's 1(b) in Minnesota's passing offense.
It was a relatively disappointing season for Woods and the Rams offense in general. Woods tied a career high in receptions (90), but his receiving yardage (936) and yards from scrimmage (1,091) were three-year lows. Replacing Jared Goff with Matthew Stafford generates some optimism for all of the skill-position players.
Gaskin was off to a strong start through Week 8, but he only appeared in three games (Weeks 13, 16 and 17) after that point. Even though he missed six games, he ranked 15th among running backs in receptions (41). In addition, only three running backs had more receptions in the 10 weeks that Gaskin played.
The former seventh-round pick out of Washington has shown the ability to be highly productive and the Dolphins were unable to draft one of the top three backs in the 2021 NFL Draft. While I currently project a first-round running back to the Dolphins in my early 2022 NFL Mock Draft, Gaskin is a viable RB2 with the potential to vastly exceed his current ADP with good health.
It was a tale of two seasons for Wilson. In his first eight games, Wilson averaged 29.52 fantasy points per game and scored no fewer than 21.9. In his final eight games, he averaged only 17.08 and scored more than 21.9 only once during that span.
Despite Pete Carroll's prioritization to establish the run, Wilson has never finished worse than the QB11 (2016) and has finished as a top-six fantasy quarterback in five of the past seven seasons.
The former fourth-round pick has averaged 4.4 yards per carry and 7.2 yards per reception over his first three NFL seasons. With Kenyan Drake out and James Conner in, I believe Edmonds will operate as Arizona's RB1 (a term he hates).
Averaging a career-high 76.7 YPG, Cooks finished his first season in Houston with 81 catches for 1,150 yards and six touchdowns. From Week 5 on, Cooks had at least 59 yards in 10 of 11 games. During that 11-game span, he averaged 6.5 catches and 92 yards per game.
Deshaun Watson's uncertain status is obvious reason for concern when projecting Cooks' production, but he should be the recipient of as many targets as he can handle.
Best in standard (non-PPR) formats like this, Edwards performed as fantasy's RB28 in non-PPR in 2020. Edwards has a minimum of 133 carries, 711 yards and 5.0 YPC in all three of his NFL seasons. While J.K. Dobbins will handle the bulk of touches, Edwards should approach double-digit touches per game and has stand-alone flex value.
Reunited with his former college quarterback, Waddle (as does Fuller) provides Tagovailoa with more speed on the outside. The sixth overall pick in the draft, Waddle is electric with the ball in his hands.
A surprise first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Penny has failed to live up to his draft pedigree. On relatively limited touches, however, Penny has been efficient -- 5.1 YPC and 9.3 Y/R -- and Carson's violent running style could lead to a missed game (or several). While it's become a cliche, Penny enters 2021 in the best shape of his life.
I have Tyler Higbeeranked one spot higher than Fant, but the simulator's pick predictor feature showed a 70% probability of Fant being gone before the next pick compared to Higbee's 41%. By selecting Fant first, it increased my chances of being able to draft both Higbee and Fant. Because TE tends to be somewhat of a crapshoot, I often double-dip in the double-digit rounds to give myself an extra chance to hit on the position.
With Gerald Everett signing with Seattle and the team trading for Matthew Stafford, there is optimism for improved numbers from Higbee. Higbee's breakout month (Dec. 2019) coincided with Everett missing all but four offensive snaps during that five-game stretch (43/522/2 on 56 targets).
Meyers led the Patriots with 81 targets, 59 receptions and 729 yards in 2020. While the team added Nelson Agholor and Kendall Bourne in free agency, there's a good chance that the Meyers leads the position group in receiving once again.
Kyler Murray: While Murray played all 16 games, shoulder and leg injuries slowed him a bit down the stretch. Even so, he finished his sophomore campaign as fantasy's QB2 (and was QB1 after Week 16). When healthy, Murray scored more than 20 fantasy points and finished as a top-12 fantasy quarterback in 10 consecutive games to start the season. Heading into 2021, Murray will be a top-four option once again even if he hopes to run a little bit less.
Chase Edmonds: The former fourth-round pick has averaged 4.4 yards per carry and 7.2 yards per reception over his first three NFL seasons. With Kenyan Drake out and James Conner in, Edmonds should be Arizona's RB1 (a term he hates) and has an opportunity to perform as a fantasy RB2 in 2021.
James Conner: Joining the Cardinals on a one-year deal, Conner will steal some early-down carries from Edmonds and could potentially be in a fairly even split. If he can stay healthy and earn a larger role, there is plenty of upside.
DeAndre Hopkins: In his first season in Arizona, Hopkins tied a career high in receptions (115) and his 1,407 receiving yards were the third most of his career. Meanwhile, Stefon Diggs (166) was the only receiver with more targets than Hopkins (160). While his six touchdowns were a four-year low, Hopkins still finished as a top-five fantasy receiver in half-PPR/PPR formats. (Hopkins was WR9 in non-PPR.)
Christian Kirk: With DeAndre Hopkins dominating targets, Kirk's targets dropped from 108 (8.31/G) in 2019 to 79 (5.64/G) in 2020. The vast majority of his fantasy production including all of his touchdowns occurred during a five-game stretch from Weeks 4-9 (20/343/6, 17.15 Y/R, WR7). While Larry Fitzgerald has not (officially) yet retired, the team has signed A.J. Green and drafted Rondale Moore, which means that Kirk's 2021 numbers are unlikely to improve much from last season and may even decline. Kirk has missed multiple games in all three of his NFL seasons.
A.J. Green: After playing a total of nine games in 2018-19, Green played a full 16-game slate in 2020, but he set career lows in yards (523), Y/R (11.1), Y/TGT (5.0) and catch rate (45.2%). In addition, he had five goose-egg games and another with only a three-yard reception. Perhaps a change of scenery and a more potent offense will help his peripheral stats, but targets could be inconsistent given Hopkins target-hog status.
Rondale Moore: The Cards will look to manufacture touches for their dynamic rookie. Playing only seven games over the past two collegiate seasons, Moore was uber-productive as a true freshman in 2018 (114/1258/12 receiving and 21/213/2 rushing).
Kyler Murray: While Murray played all 16 games, shoulder and leg injuries slowed him a bit down the stretch. Even so, he finished his sophomore campaign as fantasy's QB2 (and was QB1 after Week 16). When healthy, Murray scored more than 20 fantasy points and finished as a top-12 fantasy quarterback in 10 consecutive games to start the season. Heading into 2021, Murray will be a top-three option once again even if he hopes to run a little bit less.
RUNNING BACKS
Player
Att.
Yards
TD
Rec.
Yards
TD
Points
Chase Edmonds
160
712
4.48
58
487.2
3.2
195
James Conner
139.1
591.2
4.17
19.3
154.5
1
115.24
Eno Benjamin
23.2
97.4
0.41
8.1
58
0.3
23.85
Jonathan Ward
7
29.1
0.11
2
17.2
0.1
6.89
Chase Edmonds: The former fourth-round pick has averaged 4.4 yards per carry and 7.2 yards per reception over his first three NFL seasons. With Kenyan Drake out and James Conner in, Edmonds should be Arizona's RB1 and has an opportunity to perform as a fantasy RB2 in 2021.
James Conner: Joining the Cardinals on a one-year deal, Conner will steal some early-down carries from Edmonds and could potentially be in a fairly even split. If he can stay healthy and earn a larger role, there is plenty of upside.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Player
Rec.
Yards
TD
Rush
Yards
TD
Points
DeAndre Hopkins
106.8
1214.8
7.3
0
0
0
218.68
Christian Kirk
54.9
622.4
4
1.2
7.5
0.02
114.56
A.J. Green
49.8
622.4
4.1
0
0
0
111.74
Rondale Moore
46.8
476.5
2.9
12.8
78.1
0.38
98.54
Keesean Johnson
6.3
79.4
0.6
0
0
0
14.69
Andy Isabella
5.9
75.1
0.7
0
0
0
14.66
DeAndre Hopkins: In his first season in Arizona, Hopkins tied a career high in receptions (115) and his 1,407 receiving yards were the third most of his career. Meanwhile, Stefon Diggs (166) was the only receiver with more targets than Hopkins (160). While his six touchdowns were a four-year low, Hopkins still finished as a top-five fantasy receiver in half-PPR/PPR formats. (Hopkins was WR9 in non-PPR.)
Christian Kirk: With DeAndre Hopkins dominating targets, Kirk's targets dropped from 108 (8.31/G) in 2019 to 79 (5.64/G) in 2020. The vast majority of his fantasy production including all of his touchdowns occurred during a five-game stretch from Weeks 4-9 (20/343/6, 17.15 Y/R, WR7). While Larry Fitzgerald has not yet retired, the team has signed A.J. Green and drafted Rondale Moore, which means that Kirk's 2021 numbers are unlikely to improve much from last season and may even decline. Kirk has missed multiple games in all three of his NFL seasons.
A.J. Green: After playing a total of nine games in 2018-19, Green played a full 16-game slate in 2020, but he set career lows in yards (523), Y/R (11.1), Y/TGT (5.0) and catch rate (45.2%). In addition, he had five goose-egg games and another with only a three-yard reception. Perhaps a change of scenery and a more potent offense will help his peripheral stats, but targets could be inconsistent given Hopkins target-hog status.
Rondale Moore: The Cards will look to manufacture touches for their dynamic rookie. Playing only seven games over the past two years, Moore was uber-productive as a true freshman in 2018 (114/1258/12 receiving and 21/213/2 rushing).
FantasyPros tracks fantasy football rankings accuracy and Kevin Hanson's 2020 rankings were 9th-most accurate (among 149 experts tracked). Hanson has now finished top 20 in accuracy six times since 2011.
Not only did Adams miss two games in 2020, but he has missed multiple games in three of his past four seasons. Even so, the seven-year veteran led the NFL in receiving touchdowns (18) and yards per game (98.1) and also set a career high in receptions (115). With double-digit touchdowns in four of five seasons, Adams has a total of 58 scores in 71 games over that span. With Aaron Rodgers still playing at an MVP level, Adams is the clear choice to be drafted as fantasy's WR1 (as long as Rodgers is under center for the Packers) in 2021.
Few players at any position have as much upside as Hill to erupt for a massive performance in any given week. Setting a career high in touchdowns (17), Hill had 87 receptions for 1,276 yards and 13 carries for 123 yards in 2020.
In his first season in Arizona, Hopkins tied a career high in receptions (115) and his 1,407 receiving yards were the third most of his career while Stefon Diggs (166) was the only receiver with more targets than Hopkins (160). While his six touchdowns were a four-year low, Hopkins still finished as a top-five fantasy receiver in half-PPR formats.
Things could not have gone better for Diggs in his first season with the Bills. Buffalo's starters played fewer snaps than usual in Week 17, as Diggs played a season-low 48% of the team's offensive snaps. Even so, that Week 17 performance (7/76) was the only game over the final five weeks where Diggs had fewer than 128 receiving yards. A top-three performer across all scoring formats, Diggs led the league in targets (166), receptions (127) and yards (1,535) in 2020.
Ridley closed the season the same way he started it (with 100-plus yards in four of five games). Along with Davante Adams (six) and Stefon Diggs (three), Ridley was one of three receivers to finish as a top-two weekly fantasy receiver at least three times in 2020. Ridley finished last season with 90 catches on 143 targets for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns and should be a top-six fantasy wide receiver in 2021.
Brown missed a couple of games, but he followed up a strong rookie campaign (52/1,052/8) with career highs across the board -- 70 catches, 1,075 yards and 11 touchdowns on 106 targets. Despite playing in a run-first offense, Brown has averaged 17.4 Y/R and scored a touchdown on 15.6% of his receptions through his first two NFL seasons.
The vacated targets left by Corey Davis, Jonnu Smith and Adam Humphries won't be entirely soaked up by free-agent additions Josh Reynolds and Marcus Johnson and the Day 3 receivers they drafted. In other words, Brown could see a significant bump in targets/share.
The sky is the limit for Metcalf, who is coming off a breakout sophomore campaign (83/1,303/10). Through Week 9, Russell Wilson and the Seahawks passing offense were unstoppable and Metcalf had more than 90 yards in seven of his first eight games. Through Week 9, only Tyreek Hill had scored more fantasy points than Metcalf.
The only concern for Metcalf (and Wilson) is the Seahawks' desire to establish the run. Over the final eight regular-season games, Metcalf exceeded 61 yards in only two games. As great as Metcalf was in the first half of the season, he was tied with (now WFT receiver) Curtis Samuel as the WR25 from Weeks 10-17.
Jefferson exceeded all expectations in his inaugural season with 88 catches for a rookie-record 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns. Not only did the former LSU Tiger have seven 100-yard games, but he had double-digit targets in five of his final six games after doing so in only two of his first 10 games. Going forward, Jefferson should be the 1(a) to Adam Thielen's 1(b) in Minnesota's passing offense.
Allen missed a couple of games and was limited in others, but he finished with 100 catches for the third time in four seasons despite playing with a rookie quarterback. Although just shy of the 1,000-yard mark and averaging a career-low 9.92 Y/R, Allen tied his career high (set as a rookie in 2013) with eight touchdowns. Along with Davante Adams and Diontae Johnson, Allen was just one of three receivers to get double-digit targets in 10 games in 2020.
It was an injury-plagued 2020 season for Thomas, who failed to score in seven regular-season appearances. While Thomas played in the four Taysom Hill starts and had a pair of 100-yard games, both against the Falcons, the most-likely scenario for the 2021 Saints is that Jameis Winston takes over as the team's starter.
Before 2020, Thomas had improved every season -- 1,137 yards (2016), 1,245 (2017), 1,405 (2018) and 1,725 (2019). In his last full season (2019), he led the NFL in both receptions (149) and yards (1,725).
While the team's quarterback play hasn't done him many favors, McLaurin managed to set career highs with 87 catches and 1,118 yards in his second season. While his Y/R dipped to 12.9 from 15.8, he set career highs in YPG (74.5) and catch rate (64.9%). Even though WFT didn't draft a QB in April, signing Ryan Fitzpatrick in free agency boosts McLaurin's outlook and puts him squarely in the WR1 (top 12) mix.
Preventing Robinson from reaching free agency, the Bears used their franchise tag on Robinson. It's disappointing for fantasy managers that had hoped for an upgraded situation for the 27-year-old receiver, but Robinson has a total of 200 receptions and a minimum of 1,147 yards over his past two seasons in Chicago. In other words, A-Rob is a safe bet to perform as a WR1 despite his situation.
Although he set a career low in yards per game (62.9), Evans exceeded the 1,000-yard mark -- now seven consecutive seasons to begin his career -- and set a career high with 13 scores. The Bucs have franchise tagged Chris Godwin and re-signed Antonio Brown, which could lead to more week-to-week consistency for all of the team's receivers.
Missing four games in the first half of the season, Godwin finished a disappointing 2020 campaign with 65/840/7 as he averaged 25.2 fewer yards per game than in 2019. An assortment of injuries and the presence of Antonio Brown (7.75 targets per game) interfered with Godwin's consistency last season. Godwin ranked third in targets (55) over the final eight games behind Evans (63) and Brown (62).
Jones missed nearly half of the season, but he finished with at least 94 yards in five of his nine games played in 2020. Averaging 85.7 YPG last year, Jones was still on a full-season pace of 1,371 yards. Before last season, he had a minimum of 1,394 yards in six consecutive seasons.
Moore averaged only 6.9 targets per game through his first 10 games, but that number jumped to 9.8 per game over his final five games. In addition, three of his four 100-yard games occurred over that final five-game stretch. Even though his 55.9% catch rate was a career low, the 23-year-old receiver's ADOT (13.2), Y/R (18.1) and receiving yards (1,193) were all career highs.
It was a disappointing season for Woods and the Rams offense in general. Woods tied a career high in receptions (90), but his receiving yardage (936) and yards from scrimmage (1,091) were three-year lows. Replacing Jared Goff with Matthew Stafford generates some optimism for all of the skill-position players.
Cooper finished 2020 with a career-high 92 receptions for 1,114 yards and five touchdowns. It was his third consecutive 1,000-yard season and fifth of his career. In 41 games as a member of the Cowboys, Cooper has averaged 73.9 yards per game.
With a healthy Dak Prescott, Lamb began his NFL career with two 100-yard games and a minimum of 59 yards in each of his first five games. During that five-game span, Lamb scored the 11th-most fantasy points (Amari Cooper was 12th) and only five other receivers had more receiving yards (433). Based on his skill set, Lamb should eventually emerge as the 1(a) for the Cowboys to Cooper's 1(b) ... potentially as early as 2021.
