By: Ravi Krishnan (Twitter: @masalaESPN)

One of the most ironic aspects of Super Bowl LV is that Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell will finally be in a Super Bowl. Two of the biggest superstars in the NFL for the past decade or so, Bell and Brown were widely reckoned (along with their QB Ben Roethlisberger) as the Killer Bs that would propel the Pittsburgh Steelers to be the team of the 2010s. Instead, both had acrimonious exits and ended up in a series of unfortunate circumstances and dumb decisions, before landing in situations leading them to the promised land (almost).

Given their legacy of productivity, it is not a surprise that Bell and Brown are in the Super Bowl. What is ironic is that they will be facing off against, rather than playing with, each other. Neither of them is the alpha-player on his team, nor is either fully healthy. In fact, based on these reasons, there is a scenario wherein one or both might not get to see the field on Sunday. Which, in itself, is a travesty of wasted talent.

Notwithstanding what happens on Sunday, both Bell and Brown will be looking for new teams in the off-season; in today’s piece, I will focus on Le’Veon Bell. While he has been barely mediocre in his stint with the Chiefs this season, his past track record is still impregnable — he had close to 4000 yards in 2016 and 2017, and even his down year with the putrid Jets in Jets netted 1400+ all-purpose yards!  He is the true testament of the prototypical modern Running back (RB) as a rusher and pass-catcher, and this augurs well for his potential as a contributor at least for the next 3-5 years. So, based on that, here is my take on three teams that might find it wise to take a flyer on Bell in the off-season.

Miami Dolphins

Incumbent: Myles Gaskin, Matt Breida

In a recent interview, Bell admitted that his choice came down to the Chiefs or the Dolphins after being cut by Jets mid-season. During the off-season, the Dolphins are likely to emerge as an attractive option yet again. At worst, there is the potential of Tua to make significant improvements, multiple first-round picks in the draft, a top-ten Defense that would keep one end going, and a solid coaching regime. In a best-case scenario, the Dolphins might actually win the lottery, a.k.a the DeShaun Watson sweepstakes. The Dolphins offensive game plan hinges a lot on the RB to catch passes, and while Myles Gaskin was impressive in this role in 2020, Bell offers an entirely different dimension of excellence. In my mind, Bell to the Dolphins would be the optimal result for both the player and the team.

Atlanta Falcons

Incumbent: Todd Gurley, Ito Smith, Brian Hill

Not as optimal would be a move to the Falcons. A team far removed — in talent and in results — from the conference-winning outfit that reached the Super Bowl a few years back, Atlanta is in desperate win-now mode in 2021. The window for Matt Ryan and Julio Jones is closing fast, and while the new coaching regime has issued its ongoing commitment in the veterans, the patience might not run long unless the team turns it around quick. One of its immediate needs is to bolster its backfield. Gone are the days of DeVonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman running amok in the NFC, making the Falcons among the leaders in rushing yards. Their experiments with Todd Gurley, Brian Hill and Ito Smith have failed miserably. And that is where a proven stud like Bell will make a difference. For the Falcons, the RB need not be a difference maker — that is a role reserved for its elite WR duo of Julio and Ridley. However, the RB needs to be able to create space for the WRs, exploit the usually open middle-of-the-field, and take pressure off Ryan on third-downs. So, basically, check, check and check for Lev Bell in regard to his core strengths. A Bell-Falcons marriage would, therefore, not be a surprise. For the player, the stats might not reach his erstwhile peaks; for the team, though, Bell might be a great addition as a valuable contributor.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Incumbent: James Conner, Benny Snell

Last but not the least, why not a return to the Steelers? Irrespective of the unpleasant manner of Bell’s departure, everyone in Pittsburgh would agree that things have just not been the same without #26. James Conner flashed briefly but has been unable to show sustained productivity to be a bell-cow. Benny Snell is a JAG (Just Another Guy), and despite the hype, Anthony McFarland flattered to deceive. The Steelers window might be close to being shut already, but if not, this might be its last chance at relevance. In case Big Ben returns for one last foray, and if the Steelers can retain its impressive WR trio (Claypool, Johnson, JuJu), Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin might be willing to take a swing at signing Bell to take over his role as the mainstay in the backfield. Tomlin is a huge team culture guy, so this decision is likely to be much more about off-field considerations; however, if winning is an immediate charter, signing Bell might not be the worst idea.

The post Three Potential Le’Veon Bell Destinations in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Ravi Krishnan (Twitter: @MaslaESPN)

2020 was the year of Wide Receivers (WR) in fantasy football. Top-tier players from prior years established themselves as Top-10 overall picks — Davante Adams, DeAndre Hopkins, Tyreek Hill, Calvin Ridley, for example. More significantly, rookie WRs emerged real strong throughout 2020, with several first-year draftees attaining fantasy asset status. Justin Jefferson was the standout in this context, but Jerry Jeudy, Laviska Shenault, CeeDee Lamb, Chase Claypool, and Tee Higgins all having their days in the sun a few times.

My piece for today is focused on the other end of the spectrum — WRs who showed signs of waning in 2020 and might be candidates to jump off the bandwagon from in 2021. Two of these are erstwhile studs who, sadly, have seen better days; the third one is a touted young player whose hype, unfortunately, appears to be far beyond his actual production. Here is my list of three WRs who ready to sell/fade in 2021.

Julian Edelman

2020: 315 yards in 6 games; 0 TDs; 7.5 Half-PPR points per game

The biggest impact of Tom Brady’s departure from the Patriots was undoubtedly felt by the Buccaneers who welcomed him with open arms for a trip to next weekend’s Super Bowl. The second biggest impact arguably was experienced by Julian Edelman, Brady’s pass-catcher-in-chief for the past several seasons. Edelman had one great game all season — the 170+ yard explosion versus the Seahawks in Week 2. This was followed by a few mediocre performances, largely due to the wildly inaccurate Cam Newton. As the year progressed along, it got from bad to worse, and injuries finally took a toll on him during the second half of the season. All in all, Edelman was the unfortunate recipient of the ghastly trio of doom — bad quarterbacking, deteriorating skills, and injuries — and this is why he is one to fade moving forward. The Patriots are unlikely to see a huge upgrade at QB, so even if he can avoid any further injuries, Edelman is best left as waiver wire fodder on a wait-and-see basis during draft season next year.

Christian Kirk

2020: 621 yards in 16 games; 6 TDs; 8.1 Half-PPR points per game

The Arizona Cardinals had high hopes from Kirk as a solid complement to DeAndre Hopkins, their unquestioned #1 WR. Their expectation from Kirk was as a guy to exploit defenses focusing on D-Hop as well as to be the deep threat on a creative offense. Well, hardly any of that actually materialized. Kirk averaged less than 40-yards a game, and while he scored six times, his good games were few and far between. More than the stats though, it was unsettling to see Kirk not creating the separation he was known for and was also unable to make much of the flat- and screen passes that are a Kiliff Kingsbury staple. The Cards will most definitely add a second WR via draft or free agency, and when that happens, Kirk will, at best, be third in the pecking order. As such, he is best left undrafted in fantasy, or, sold in dynasty.

JuJu Smith-Schuster

2020: 831 yards in 16 games; 9 TDs; 11.1 Half-PPR points per game At the beginning of the 2020 season JuJu was seen as the lead WR for a potent passing offense in Pittsburgh and was a consensus 2^nd/3^rd-round draftee in fantasy drafts. Further, he was owned in 94% of leagues at the end of the season, even though his production was far below those lofty expectations. In fact, he did not get to the 1000-yard threshold — the baseline for a startable receiver, and this, despite the fact that he played all 16 games. You couple this with the emergence of Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool as more explosive options, and, most importantly, the definitive vacuum left at the QB position in the likely event of a Big Ben retirement. Oh, and one last thing — JuJu is a free agent, so there is a good chance he is on a new team next year. With all these uncertainties in the offing, it will be prudent to fade/sell JuJu in dynasty; in redraft leagues, he might be worth a flier in the 6^th-round or later, but nothing higher.

The post Fantasy Football: Three WRs to Sell in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Ravi Krishnan (Twitter: @MasalaESPN)

More than any other team sport, the NFL is the most slippery of slopes in regard to job stability of its players. You could be a pure roster depth stash or a street free agent one week and find yourself starting at Wide Receiver (WR) next weekend (Greg Ward, Miles Austin, Wes Welker, Rod Smith are all erstwhile examples); on the flip side, you could go from being a stud Running Back (RB) to being on the unemployment line next season — Mark Ingram being the latest example.

A Pro Bowl RB in 2019, and one-part of the fearsome backfield-duo of Ingram-and-Kamara for the New Orleans Saints from 2017-2019, Mark Ingram signed a multi-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens in 2019. His first year with Ravens was better than expected — more than 1250 scrimmage yards and 15 TDs was in-line with a top-tier RB caliber performance. However, prior to the 2020 season, the Ravens signed exciting rookie JK Dobbins to be their neo-version of Ray Rice. Dobbins was every bit as exciting as they envisioned, and over the course of the season, Baltimore steadily moved away from Ingram; to the point, where the veteran was a healthy inactive the past few weeks, including in the playoffs. After their loss to Buffalo last week, the team sealed Ingram’s future as a Raven by cutting him.

So where does Ingram go from here? My piece today looks at three teams that will be in the reckoning to sign and effectively use the veteran RB. Although the league has gravitated more and more towards a pass-oriented offense, good RBs are always in demand. Ingram most certainly qualifies as a “quality back” that teams desire; here are three of them who come foremost in mind as the front-runner for his services.

Chicago Bears

Incumbent RBs: David Montgomery, Tarik Cohen, Ryan Nall, Artavis Pierce

The Chicago Bears were the prototypical good-bad team — a bad team that wins against worse teams to become a good enough team to make the playoffs. Their playoff run should not, therefore, divert their think-tank from the reality that the team needs a serious overhaul in its skill positions, especially on offense.

In the backfield, David Montgomery was a late-season lifesaver, consistently carrying the load for positive results. However, the fact is that he is NOT an elite runner — he gets what is available. His partner in the Bears backfield, Tarik Cohen, was lost due to a torn ACL, and his return (particularly, in full form) is debatable next season.

Ingram will fit in nicely for the Bears on two fronts. One, he will be the perfect complement to D-Mont as a yards-churner, and to spell him on some possessions. Second, he can be a mentor to Montgomery, as well as the younger, unrefined bench crew of Artavis Pierce and Ryan Nall.

In fact, one of the themes of Ingram’s stay in New Orleans and Baltimore was his positive influence on younger players, such as Kamara, Dobbins, and Gus Edwards.

Atlanta Falcons

Incumbent RBs: Todd Gurley, Ito Smith, Brian Hill

Todd Gurley was a huge bust in 2020. The uber-stud from two years ago labored for 195 carries to amass 678 yards in a disappointing campaign for the Falcons. Given that he was signed on a one-year deal, he is as good as gone in 2021.

Under a new coaching staff, the Falcons will look to retool their offensive skill personnel, especially in the backfield. A key requirement in a Matt Ryan-led offense is for the RB to catch the ball — as is evident in the glory years of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. And Mark Ingram fits the bill perfectly in this regard.

As good a rusher that he was, Ingram’s value as a pass-catcher out of the backfield was under-rated purely because his counterpart was the super-freak Alvin Kamara. He is solid at the underneath and wheel routes and will be of tremendous use as a safety valve to take the pressure off Ryan, as well as a third option in the passing attack behind All-Pros Calvin Ridley and Julio Jones. If Ingrams signs with the Falcons, a return to his 2017 form should not be a huge shock.

New York Jets

Incumbent RBs: LaMichael Perine, Ty Johnson, Josh Adams

Robert Saleh, the Jets’ newly appointed Head Coach, had this to offer as his team’s mantra for the future ”“ “all gas, no brake.” His prior team, the San Francisco 49ers, emphasized multiple RB-sets and creative play-calling from the backfield; these are aspects that Saleh will be sure to bring to fore for the 2021 Jets.

In terms of existing personnel, it is all but obvious that Frank Gore’s stay as a NY Jet is done, and other backs like Ty Johnson and Josh Adams are journeymen.

LaMichael Perine will be the one stayover from 2020, and while he showed promise as a rookie, he lacks breakaway speed, and his elusiveness is fair, not elite. At best, he can be a solid part of a committee. This leaves the door open for a true-and-tested back with documented success, and that is exactly what Mark Ingram offers.

Ingram is also the type of back that thrives on extended opportunity — the more carries he gets in a game, the better he gets (kind of, like a poor man’s Derrick Henry). For the Jets to stay in games next season, they will, therefore, need sustained drives. And to do so, they will need to emphasize the run a lot more; all of which portend a move to bring in someone of Ingram’s stature.

The post 3 Potential Landing Spots for Mark Ingram in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

In fantasy football, tight ends (TE) are hard to bank on, and there only are 3-5 dependable contributors every year. Travis Kelce is a perennial stud and has always offered, at worst, a WR2/RB2 value.

Slightly below him in recent seasons is an all-time legend, Rob Gronkowski. Zach Ertz has had a few elite seasons, and then there is the potent duo of George Kittle and Darren Waller, both of whom are season-influencers at the position.

Other than these guys, there have always been effective contributors in recent years — Evan Engram, Delanie Walker, Mark Andrews, Austin Hooper, Hunter Henry, to name a few. Even within this relatively scarce skill span, the 2020 fantasy football season was an absolute nightmare. Kittle got injured, Engram dropped almost as many balls as he caught, Hooper dealt with niggles, and Andrews was inconsistent.

Kelce remained Kelce though, and in fact, he raised his game to a level where he is now seen on par with elite WRs/RBs, and in some ways, is a more impactful value-changer than anyone else in any other position. Waller was elite as well and was the lone rival to Kelce in terms of a stud TE.

Despite the sparse season for TEs, it was not all doom and gloom. Among those springing surprises were Rob Tonyan, TJ Hockensen, Logan Thomas, and Mike Gesicki. The emergence of these value TEs has led me to my latest article.

My piece today looks at players at the TE position whom you can wait on beyond the first six rounds but could bring you high-end value by the end of the season. What this means is that you will NOT find the Kelce/Kittle/Waller/Andrews/Henry/Hockensen group, nor will we look at other usual names who we always rate as starters, like Engram, Hooper, Hayden Hurst, and Eric Ebron.  Instead, we will focus on potential golden nuggets at the next level and beyond.

Noah Fant

Final 2020 Half-PPR Ranking Among TEs: #12

Projected TE ADP in early-2021 Mock Drafts: #8

Potential 2021 Ranking: Top Seven

The Denver Broncos offensive makeup is likely to look much different in 2021 as the team will look to upgrade at the QB spot. The same goes for the coaching staff/system that hopefully will implement more of a ball-control offense that leverages its duo of running backs (Gordon and Lindsay) and wide receivers (Jeudy & Sutton). The wild card in this system is Noah Fant. This is the one guy whose reputation came out unscathed this past season.

He was the most consistent pass-catcher on an average offense; under a better QB, his stock should rise even higher. In the last three games of the regular season, Fant was targeted 26 times (93 for the whole season). That is a sizeable volume at TE, and again, with a more accurate QB at the helm, Fant has the chance to be among the top-seven TEs in 2021.

Robert Tonyan

Final 2020 Half-PPR Ranking Among TEs: #3

Projected TE ADP in early-2021 Mock Drafts: #11

Potential 2021 Ranking: Top Five

The unheralded Tonyan was a scoring machine, grabbing 11 TDS. The problem was that he caught only 52 catches overall, so volume was an issue. Clearly, his TD conversion ratio is not sustainable. Still, the reason for my optimism is that his 52 catches came off 53 targets, for a league-leading 98.2% catch-rate. In Green Bay, you thrive if and only if you earn Aaron Rodgers’ trust. Tonyan did that in heaps and bunches this past season.

Four of his TDs came on 3rd and Goal situations, so it was clear that Tonyan was sought out by Rodgers as their most reliable pass-catcher after DeVante Adams. If and when the target share goes up, Tonyan can be a bonafide top-five player at his position.

Mike Gesicki

Final 2020 Half-PPR Ranking Among TEs: #7

Projected TE ADP in early-2021 Mock Drafts: #8

Potential 2021 Ranking: Top Ten

Ok, so this is admittedly a bit unfair — Gesicki is more of a WR than a TE. In fact, he was on the field running far more pass-routes than any other TE in the league. In terms of opportunity, here is a prime candidate to be a truly elite player. To further substantiate this opportunity, Gesicki had some ridiculous games in 2020. He had three games of over 20 fantasy points. So, what’s the issue? It is two-fold, actually.

One, Gesicki is still rather inconsistent. He makes the craziest of catches look easy, and then runs the wrong route and/or drops a dolly all in one game! Second, there was a clear bifurcation in his productivity in games quarterbacked by Tagovailoa versus Fitzpatrick. The latter was a blessing for Gesicki, as Tagovailoa had a tough time finding his bearings as an NFL-level thrower in 2020.

The hope for 2021 is that Tua elevates his own passing game, as that will enable Gesicki to realize his potential to match the aforementioned opportunity.

Irv Smith

Final 2020 Half-PPR Ranking Among TEs: #22

Projected RB ADP in early-2021 Mock Drafts: #20

Potential 2021 Ranking: Top Ten

Not too many fantasy league owners felt the need or desire to add Irv Smith off waivers in 2020. Even fewer are targeting him in next season’s draft. And that might be a mistake, in my humble opinion. Smith is an uber-talented pass-catcher and a fair route-runner. He has improved in blocking as well. His main obstacle thus far in his NFL career has been the presence of Kyle Rudolph to split his role. The Vikings coaching staff continued their undeterred loyalty to the steady Rudolph in the first half of 2020, but things started looking up for Smith in the second half.

In the first seven games of last season, he averaged just 3.1 fantasy points per game. In the last four games, the average shot up to almost 12 points per game. Often, the future value of pass-catchers can be gauged by the last quarter of the prior NFL season. In this vein, Irv Smith promises to be a game-changer for the Vikings and for your fantasy teams in 2021.

The post Fantasy Football: Non-Top 5 TEs to Target in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Ravi Krishnan (Twitter: @MasalaESPN)

In an otherwise weird and catastrophic year, one of the positives from a sporting standpoint was the successful completion of the 256-game NFL regular-season slate. This also meant a relatively smooth execution of the 2020 fantasy football season.

In fact, from a fantasy perspective, the 2020 season brought out a handful of positive surprises; foremost of these was the emergence of unheralded Running backs as potential cornerstones — for their NFL teams as well as for your fantasy teams. Many such examples abound — James Robinson, Myles Gaskin, Nyheim Hines, JD McKissic, to name a prominent few. None of these players was on the draft radar in even the deepest of leagues, and each of these players ended 2020 as a Top-30 RB.

My article for this week portends more of the same in the future; I look at four Running backs who will not sniff early-round ADP (Rounds 1-4) in the 2021 fantasy football drafts, but there is a reasonable chance for each of them to finish 2021 as potential studs.

1. Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals

Final 2020 Half-PPR Ranking Among RBs: #32

Projected RB ADP in early-2021 Mock Drafts: #35

Potential 2021 Ranking: Top 10

The much-hyped Arizona Cardinals offense flattered to deceive in 2020, with the team sputtering towards the end scoring a mere 19 points in its last two games. The injury to Kyler Murray was a reason, but a less-obvious factor was the relative unavailability of Chase Edmonds at full strength.

One thing that became obvious during the season was that when healthy, Chase Edmonds (not Kenyan Drake) is the propeller in the Cardinals backfield. He is a rushing threat in a prototypical way, averaging more than five-yards-a-carry (not counting the last two games). But his more potent value is as a pass-catcher — as is attested by his 402 yards on 53 catches in a limited role.

The team will need to evaluate its personnel in line with its offensive scheme, and in doing so, the writing is on the wall that Chase Edmonds is the better RB for the team. In a best-case scenario, he takes over the primary RB role. At worst, we will see close to a 50:50 split with Drake.

• Zach Moss, Buffalo Bills

Final 2020 Half-PPR Ranking Among RBs: #52

Projected RB ADP in early-2021 Mock Drafts: #29

Potential 2021 Ranking: Top 20

Buffalo’s offense has been on turbo-mode all season, buoyed by the emergence of Josh Allen as a much-improved QB and the signing of Stefon Diggs as a certified #1 WR. Also, of importance has been the sustained slot-receiving value provided by Cole Beasley, another 2020 signing.

In an otherwise solid scoring offense, though, there has been one latent issue — the lack of a consistent rushing game, neither in scheme/play-calling nor in the on-field performance by Devon Singletary or Zach Moss. Singletary was the incumbent starter but tallied only 687 rushing yards on 160+ carries. Moss was not much better — 481 yards on 112 carries.

The key difference was that Moss was the preferred goal-line back and hence scored more TDs (4) than Singletary (2). Going forward, there is limited incentive for the Bills to retain Singletary in his current role; the team has much more to gain in evaluating Moss as their high-draft pickup from 2020.

In early-2021 mock drafts, the two RBs are going back-to-back (Singletary at #29 and Moss at #30), but if I was to hazard a guess, Moss has a much higher ceiling to crack a Top-20 ranking, given his potential and his recent draft capital. Singletary can be a useful piece, either in Buffalo or for another team, but 2020 has clearly shown that he cannot be a workhorse back.

• AJ Dillon, Green Bay Packers

Final 2020 Half-PPR Ranking Among RBs: #94

Projected RB ADP in early-2021 Mock Drafts: #32

Potential 2021 Ranking: Top 20

Ok, so this is admittedly a left-field choice. Aaron Jones is one of the best backs in the league, and Jamaal Williams has proven to be flex-worthy all season. So, what makes me look at rookie AJ Dillon as a valuable RB to trade-for in 2021?

Well, there are two aspects to drive my viewpoint. One, the Packers made a conscious decision to invest a high draft pick on Dillon (2^nd-round) knowing fully well that they had two highly qualified RBs on the roster. So, obviously, they wanted to keep their options on whether to pay Aaron Jones his deserved price-tag as a Top-five RB.

With the Packers likely to be more than $20 Million over the 2021 salary cap, there is a decent probability for Jones not to be a Packer next season. Second, in the opportunities he received, Dillon was stellar — 242 rushing yards on 46 carries, including a 24/121/2 TD blast versus the Titans in Week 16.

The rookie is an optimal confluence of speed and size and promises to be the workhorse replacement for Aaron Jones if the latter is not re-signed.

• Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys

Final 2020 Half-PPR Ranking Among RBs: #36

Projected RB ADP in early-2021 Mock Drafts: #41

Potential 2021 Ranking: Top 20

Like the aforementioned case in Green Bay, we have the situation in Dallas where the backup Tony Pollard has proven his capabilities in an ample manner, should anything were to happen to Zeke Elliott, the presumed starter.

The key difference between the Green Bay and Dallas situations is that unlike Aaron Jones, Elliott has already bagged his goldmine contract (in 2020) from the Cowboys. So, to move away from him is far less likely.

However, on-field, Pollard has been the better performer — more explosive, a better option as a pass-catcher, and offers greater flexibility to the Cowboys play-calling when he is in the game. In the absence of the traditionally strong Dallas offensive line, and, especially after losing Dak Prescott early in the season, Elliott was far less-effective and was closer to a plodder than the power-rusher that we had been used to in years past.

Given the ramifications of his contract, Zeke will remain a Cowboy. But I firmly believe that he will cede a substantial portion of his workhorse role to Pollard, or the latter will get dealt to a different team for him to have a more prominent role. Either ways, Pollard should be on your trade-for radar in 2021.

The post Dynasty: Sleeper RBs to Trade For appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Ravi Krishnan (Twitter: @masalaESPN)

Over the past five weeks, I have written about WR sleepers as viable fillers for your fantasy lineups. Some of them have panned out — Gabriel Davis, Curtis Samuel, even Russell Gage, to name a few. There are others who have had fleeting moments — Denzel Mims, Jalen Reagor, Laviska Shenault — but have not had sustained viability, even as spot starters.

Given that we are approaching the final weekend of fantasy football, it makes little sense in assessing sleeper WRs for Week 16-17 of 2020. Instead, we figured to look at WRs with massive diamond-in-the-rough potential in 2021. Speaking of WRs, a particularly significant aspect of the 2020 season has been the immediate success of rookie receivers. Several first-year WRs have shone bright ”“ Justin Jefferson has been an absolute stud; CeeDee Lamb, Tee Higgins, and Chase Claypool have consistently flashed WR2/WR3 potential; and even the aforementioned Davis and Shenault have won a week or two for their fantasy owners.

But we will not be looking at any of these certified studs-in-the-making. Instead, I am listing four under-the-radar rookie receivers who have displayed prowess and performance in the latter part of the 2020 season. Each of them has the ability and the opportunity to lead their teams in receiving yards next season, hence making them potential starters for your fantasy team.

Please note that this list does not include any of the players drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft, and only includes one player drafted in the second round.

1. Laviska Shenault Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars (Drafted in the 2^nd Round, Pick #42)

The 2020 season has been a disaster for the Jaguars. From the hyper-frequent musical chairs at the QB position, to the lack of quality skill players on both sides of the ball, the Jags have had almost nothing to cherish and much to lament as they hurtle towards a 1-15 finish. The emergence of Laviska Shenault is the only positive aberration. The muti-faceted WR has 577 all-purpose yards — 484 receiving and 93 rushing — to go along with two TDs. He is a threat coming out of the backfield and in this regard, is an apt example of the new-age WR profile with versatility. Looking ahead, the Jags will most likely have ace-QB Trevor Lawrence at the helm, and a changed offensive coaching regime. With the potency possessed by the rushing attack in the form of rookie sensation James Robinson, this is an offense that should look a lot better in 2021. And for that to happen, Shenault must be a key cog in the wheel. He is the perfect complement to DJ Chark’s deep threat value and Keelan Cole’s chain-moving role.

Current Status in Fantasy season 2020: #69 among WRs in Points-Per-Game

Projected ranking for 2021: Top 35 WR

• Gabriel Davis, Buffalo Bills (Drafted in the 4th Round, Pick #128)

I have devoted voluminous space in this column in the past few weeks on Gabriel Davis. Playing in a pass-happy offense, with breakout QB Josh Allen at the helm, and with WR2 John Brown missing significant chunks of the season with injuries, Davis has shown ample glimpses of his value — 459 receiving yards in a semi-regular role and six TDS. One would expect the Bills to stay with a similar offensive scheme next year as well, and while Stefon Diggs is the receiving numero uno there, the WR2 role is Davis’ to lose. And yes, I know Cole Beasley has been a pleasant surprise this season, but he is more of a classic under-sized slot receiver manning the middle. Gabriel Davis is the one likely to step into a major role next season, and if that were to happen, we might be looking at a 1000-yard, 9-10 TD stat-sheet by the end of 2021.

Current Status in Fantasy season 2020: #82 among WRs

Projected ranking for 2021: Top 30 WR

• Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears (Drafted in the 5th Round, Pick #173)

Allen Robinson is NOT going to be a Chicago Bear in 2021 ”“ that is almost guaranteed. So, who takes on the mantle of the primary receiving threat for the Mitch Trubisky-led (or Matthey Stafford) Bears next season? Well, if early signs are any indication, it should be rookie wideout Darnell Mooney. He has 500 receiving yards thus far in 2020 to go along with four TDS, and this has been in an extremely boring/unimaginative offense that Matt Nagy hides under the guise of creativity. Hopefully, the Bears’ game-plan for 2021 calls for safer throws, higher rate of catchable passes, and a stronger offensive line. The realization of these key factors should enhance Chicago’s offense, and Darnell Mooney the primary receiving benefactor. His only competition for the role will be perennially under-achieving Anthony Miller; Mooney should have no problems usurping Miller for the WR1 role there.

Current Status in Fantasy season 2020: #79 among WRs

Projected ranking for 2021: Top 30 WR

• Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns (Drafted in the 6th Round, Pick #187)

The Cleveland Browns have been a revelation in 2020. While their core strength on offense is their studly rushing attack led by Nick Chubb, it must be said that the passing offense managed by Baker Mayfield has climbed a few notches as well. Odell Beckham’s season-ending injury was rather unfortunate, though; on an even more somber note, that injury possibly spells the end of the OBJ-era in Cleveland. In his potential absence, Jarvis Landry will take over the chain-moving WR role, as that has been his core competence for the past several years. That will then open-up the deep threat role in a high-level offense — and that is where rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones fits in perfectly.  On a mere 17 targets thus far in 2020, the rookie has amassed 293 yards and two TDS, for a ridiculous 27-yards-per-catch average! He leads the top twenty rookie WRs in catch-rate and he is doing this with targets that have higher degree of difficulty (deep throws). This, my friends, is my game-changing sleeper WR for 2021. In a starting role for a good offense, he will prove to be more than a reasonable replacement for Odell Beckham in 2021.

Current Status in Fantasy season 2020: #89 among WRs

Projected ranking for 2021: Top 25 WR

If you like this, make sure to check out other recent content!

The post Dynasty Fantasy Football: 3 WR Sleepers to Target appeared first on Pro Football Mania.