Sam Wallace highlights three players fantasy managers should target before their values dramatically increase once training camp begins in earnest. Player values fluctuate throughout the year even when no football is being played. The offseason is a prime example of this phenomenon. Rookie picks increase in value as the NFL Draft approaches, and veterans who are in danger of losing their roster spot or seeing…...

Shawn Siegele breaks down the criteria we’re looking for in fifth-year breakout wide receivers and explains what it means for the veteran WRs who could become the next Emmanuel Sanders, Doug Baldwin, or Adam Thielen. Every year I publish the full breakout series, helping readers find the key metrics that lead to league-winning jumps at WR. My goal with the series is to help readers…...

In the final piece of a three-part series, Sam Wallace helps you decide which running back is worth the price tag on one of the most explosive, running back-friendly offenses in football. The growing narrative is to draft talented players regardless of their landing spot. Good players will make the most of their situation and provide value and fantasy production eventually. It’s solid advice considering…...

Want to select a running back early and still have the firepower to blow away your opponents at the key position? Michael Hitchcock helps you draft the first-round picks of 2022 at a big discount today. There are a lot of ways to approach the first round in 2021. You can go with Christian McCaffrey if you’re lucky enough to get the first pick or…...

In part two of a three-part series, Sam Wallace analyzes the difference between regular season and playoff production and how fantasy managers should use that information heading into 2021. In Part 1 of the Decoding Backfields series, I wrote about the value of understanding opportunity cost and how proper roster construction can make you a better fantasy manager. Today, I want to touch on a…...

Shawn Siegele goes deep into the numbers to answer one of fantasy’s most important questions: Can Austin Ekeler be the Alvin Kamara of 2021? It’s no secret that the 2021 first round is full of potholes, if not land mines. After Christian McCaffrey and Dalvin Cook, fantasy drafters are faced with difficult choices between Kamara (QB), Derrick Henry (ceiling), Ezekiel Elliott (declining), Jonathan Taylor (bad…...

Last time we identified a couple of bargains at the running back position with a large ADP gap. We used research by Jack Miller on the ADP gap between RB teammates to identify Myles Gaskin and Mike Davis. Both running backs hold an ADP gap greater than 98.5 with their team’s RB2, which qualifies as a big-gap running back. However, small-gap backfields also provide an opportunity to find…...

Shawn Siegele breaks down the five reasons Clyde Edwards-Helaire is poised to become a 20% win rate back in 2021. Over the last four years, nine different backs have hit the 20% win rate level in FFPC best ball. Given the rhetoric around early-round RB, it may be a surprise to discover that only two of those backs were drafted in Round 1. That’s one…...

In the final installment of a three-part series, Sam Wallace highlights a potentially underrated wide receiver room, a cheap, high-volume running back, and one of his favorite values at quarterback. Fantasy managers naturally want to roster the best possible players. However, fundamental economic principles remind us that there are a scarce number of elite players, and we have to make choices. Simply put, we can’t…...

In the second of a three-part series, Sam Wallace highlights an emerging offense so loaded it could provide fantasy football league-winners at RB, WR, and TE in 2021. Going against the grain is not an uncommon approach in fantasy football. While many fantasy managers work within the confines of the consensus, many also embark on their own path, looking to uncover unique values, intriguing sleepers,…...

Shawn Siegele breaks down why Jonathan Taylor makes such a good target in 2021 and explains why understanding Taylor helps develop your strategy for the entire first round. Ben Gretch and I were discussing the potential Fall of the Uber-Backs on a recent episode of Stealing Bananas, and we got an excellent listener question wanting to know why I was so high on Taylor. Doesn’t…...

Want to start your draft with an elite running back and still land so much wide receiver firepower that your league mates are crying for mercy? Michael Hitchcock explains why 2021 offers the rare opportunity to draft an all-world team at the receiver position. Single-Elite-RB is all the rage in 2021, but it’s a strategy with plenty of risks, including missing out on elite WRs…...

Rob Lorge takes you through the outlook for the Buccaneers wide receivers, using the Range of Outcomes tool, our projections, and the RotoViz rankings to help you create exposure to upside while avoiding unnecessary risk. The Tampa Bay receivers may be the most difficult group for fantasy managers to decipher in 2021. While the Bengals, Cowboys, and Steelers all have similar three-headed monsters, the Buccaneers…...

In the first of a three-part series, Sam Wallace highlights an undervalued offense that could be the Buffalo Bills of the 2021 season. It’s common knowledge that high-scoring NFL teams can produce a lot of league-winning fantasy assets. The Green Bay Packers led the league in scoring last season (31.8 points/game), and anyone who owned Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, or Aaron Jones can vouch for…...

Corbin Young uses the RotoViz tools and a couple of simple metrics to find the top Year 2 wide receiver breakout candidates for 2021. Last season, we enjoyed several talented rookie wide receivers in Tee Higgins, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Chase Claypool, and Brandon Aiyuk. But we know that Year 2 is when receivers truly shine. Given how strong last year’s rookie class turned out…...