Fantasy Football Guide 2021: NFC sleepers, targets, busts, strategies

Washington Football Team Fantasy Football Guide

Ryan Fitzpatrick is a great late-round pick and an even better pick in best-ball leagues. His recent history tells us he can be hot one week and cold in another. However, in games where he played more than 90 percent of snaps in the last two seasons, Fitzpatrick averaged nearly 22 points per game. And that span includes the only game where dipped below 10 points.

For comparison’s sake, that would have been the ninth-highest rate in fantasy last year. Now, FitzMagic is gifted an improved receiving core, a slightly better offensive line and an all-but-guaranteed starting gig. He’s a sneaky good pick in later rounds.

I love Antonio Gibson the player. I don’t love Antonio Gibson the fantasy player. It seems like everyone who is in love with Gibson is expecting him to be an every-down back this year. Shall I remind you of J.D. McKissic, the same running back who led all running backs in targets last year? It doesn’t help that McKissic’s comfortably led the team’s starters in third-down snaps in the preseason.

If Gibson can steal that role from McKissic then he’ll be well on his way to a top-six running back. We just haven’t seen anything that suggests he will. I don’t care what coaches have said about Gibson’s role. I care about actions. If he snags a few more targets this year, he can easily be an RB1. I’m just not buying the ultra hype on Gibson, yet. This may be a hot take, but I’d prefer Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Joe Mixon.

One player I do love: Terry McLaurin. He’s what the kids call, “Very good.” With a somewhat competent quarterback coming in, McLaurin finally has an easier path to reaching his full potential. I should warn you, though, about the very real floor he has. He wasn’t the most consistent player last season, which is sort of encompassed by his 15-point weekly average.

This season, McLaurin is being drafted as a WR1. He finished as a WR1 just four weeks last season. If this quarterback situation isn’t sorted out, then that’s McLaurin‘s floor. Draft him for his upside, but be wary of his downside. I prefer Allen Robinson because, well, you’ll see why soon.

I’m cautiously optimistic that Curtis Samuel finally has his real breakout season, despite hitting over 1,000 all-purpose yards in 2020. Like with McLaurin, Samuel presents notable upside in what could be an improved passing game. One rookie I quietly love: Dyami Brown. Don’t be surprised if he’s rostered in every league by the season’s end. Target him in dynasty and best ball drafts.

Logan Thomas is a fine pick at tight end, but he doesn’t fit the strategy I outlined in my AFC guide. To make a long story short, great tight ends win you fantasy championships. Added competition shouldn’t help Thomas repeat as the stunning TE3 again. My worst-case scenario is landing Thomas as the TE7 or TE8. While he did post double-digit performances in the final six games of last season, that was largely due to a depletion of pass-catchers in Washington. Don’t expect greatness from him.