The march towards the fantasy playoffs rolls on, and it is another week gone by for the 2021 fantasy season. This season can only be described as one of the most memorable fantasy seasons to date, for good and for bad. Week 11 saw some reemerge after a few weeks in the shadows, while others continued to fall further and further out of fantasy manager’s good graces.
Position by position, it is time to look at some key pieces of information that came out of week 11 and what fantasy managers can learn moving forward.
Quarterbacks
Aaron Rodgers really is that good at football. Putting aside the recent controversy over his vaccination status, Rodgers has had his ups and downs this season on the field. On Sunday, he put all concerns from fantasy managers to rest after going 23/33, throwing for 385 yards, and posting 4 touchdowns versus the Vikings. However, a toe injury that Rodgers described as “worse than turf toe” may potentially hamper him in week 12 when the Packers host the Rams at Lambeau Field. Despite the injury concerns, Rodgers has a bye in week 13, which should give his toe time to heal, good news for his fantasy managers. He is a QB1 for the remainder of the season and should be started with confidence.
It is time to have the conversation about a quarterback strategy that has plagued fantasy managers for years. No, it is not pivotal to a team’s success to have a top-tier quarterback in fantasy. Look no further than to fantasy managers who drafted Patrick Mahomes in rounds 3 or 4 way back in summer drafts. Mahomes started the season the way Mahomes normally does, 20+ fantasy points in every game weeks 1-4 and 20+ in 5 of 6 weeks to start the year. Since then, Mahomes has put up more than 15 fantasy points once since week 7, and that came in week 10 versus the Raiders. This is not a commentary about if Mahomes is good for fantasy or not, Mahomes is a generational talent at the quarterback position. However, the performances recently from Mahomes have started up the conversations again of how important are quarterbacks really for fantasy. The answer is fantasy managers can draft quarterbacks in the late rounds of drafts or routinely stream quarterback the entire year and be a contender. Look at where Tom Brady, Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, and Matthew Stafford were drafted this year to back up this point. Keep that in mind when it is time to make decisions during drafts next year.
New quarterback, same old results for the Carolina Panthers. Granted, there needs to be a discussion about Cam Newton and what he brings to the table. Cam Newton is the prodigal son to the Carolina Panthers and their organization. It only makes sense that he is now back in Carolina to help them in their push for the playoffs. While that may fall flat, there is no denying what he does for fantasy managers for the rest of the season. Newton should be rostered in every single fantasy league, period. The floor is too good week in week out for him not to at least be on fantasy rosters, and this floor comes via his rushing ability. Newton can have a subpar passing day, but then couple that with his abilities with his legs and you have a fantasy goldmine. Since returning to Carolina, Cam has 13 carries for 60 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. Then throw in that Cam will have Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, and Robby Anderson to help him through the air, it has all the recipes for success. At the very worst, Newton should be rostered as a backup quarterback, and at best, Cam could be a league winner.
Running Backs
It is now time to talk about the MVP of fantasy football for the 2021 season, and that is Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. What else is there to say about Taylor that hasn’t been said already? He leads the NFL in rushing with 1122 yards, he has 15 total touchdowns on the year, and is statistically the number one running back in fantasy football. Taylor also is on a stretch of at least one touchdown in eight straight games after going the first three games without a touchdown. He has been everything and then some for fantasy managers who had the courage to select him at the back of the first round of drafts. The only question that can be asked now is can he be the number one pick in fantasy next year? Based off of this stretch and his overall production in an offense that wants to run the ball, it is hard to ignore the number one pick potential that Taylor has for next year.
What an up and down year it has been for Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb. Chubb, widely considered one of the best young runners in the NFL and rightfully so, has been a bit of a fantasy conundrum for managers. Start with the situation he has found himself in with Cleveland. He, along with Kareem Hunt, find themselves in the best 1-2 duo at the running back position in the league, regularly splitting touches which has hurt Chubb. Then, look at the two-week absence Chubb had in weeks 6 and 7 where fantasy managers could not start him, and then the missed game in week 10 due to COVID-19 protocols. While his numbers look good, he has not been the fantasy darling most would have projected him to be. Chubb may be closing in on another 1000 yard season and may finish with double-digit touchdowns, but what hurts Chubb in the long term is the very limited pass-catching upside, especially in PPR (points per reception) leagues. Chubb only has 10 catches thus far, and on weeks where he isn’t scoring, it is hard to find a set floor for Chubb when the receiving upside is so capped. Chubb should be ranked as a low-end RB1 for the rest of the season. Chubb will always retain value, so fantasy managers may want to look into what they could get for Nick Chubb if their trade deadlines haven’t passed as of yet.
Is it weird to want to consider Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook a bust? Possibly yes, but looking at his overall numbers this season, it can be said that he has not lived up to the expectations of a top-three overall running back. Cook has it all on paper, an explosive athlete with elite vision in a great offense that wants to run the ball first under head coach Mike Zimmer. Diving deeper into his game log, Cook has only posted 100 yards on the ground three times this season, and only has four total touchdowns on the year. What has proven to be a fantasy hot spot in recent years as the starting running back for the Minnesota Vikings has not been as such this season. However, Cook should be ranked as a mid RB1 for the rest of the season given the high volume he will command each and every week.
Wide Receivers
It is extremely difficult for fantasy managers to navigate the situation that has gone on with the Seattle Seahawks this season. Perhaps the most difficult of situations has been trying to navigate through the conundrum they have at receiver with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. For most of the year, it has been fairly consistent with one having a boom week and the other having a bust week. This past week, it was Lockett’s turn to boom. Credit goes to the Arizona Cardinals, who have been shutting down opposing number one wide receivers all year long. However, there are other underlying metrics that suggest this isn’t just a blip for Metcalf. Metcalf has posted over 65 yards just once when Russell Wilson has started and finished games this year, coming in week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings. Metcalf has found his best fantasy performances occurring when Geno Smith has been the starter, not the franchise quarterback for Seattle. This is worrying for Metcalf’s prospects for the rest of the season, as he figures to only be a mid WR2 going forward due to Seattle’s struggles and his lack of connection with Wilson this season.
Moving from one NFC West team to another with the San Francisco 49ers with their receiving duo of Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. Both receivers had their fair share of the offense in the 49ers win versus the Jaguars. Aiyuk reeled in 7 catches for 85 yards, and a score along with Samuel reeling in only 1 (!) catch for 15 yards, yet totaling 8 carries for 79 yards and a rushing score. What to make of this situation is a mystery to fantasy managers. Deebo Samuel seems to be the best running back the 49ers have at their disposal at the moment with Elijah Mitchell nursing a finger injury, while Brandon Aiyuk has been inconsistent at best this season. Samuel remains a mid WR1 rest of season, while Aiyuk has to show that he can continue to produce at this level. Aiyuk cannot crack WR36 as of yet, so call Aiyuk a high-end flex play for the rest of the season until he can show further consistency.
Tight Ends
Let’s preface this entry with this: the tight end position flat out stinks in fantasy. Every year fantasy managers and analysts have this prayer that tight end may be deeper than it has ever been, hoping for reprieve from a position that has caused angst over the years. However, it has been the status quo up to this point. Mike Gesicki of the Miami Dolphins has been up and down all year, yet still ranks as the number 4 tight end in PPR scoring. Gesicki had a fairly decent game for tight end standards against the Jets, catching 5 balls for 50 yards against the Jets, but that has all it has been. It has been decent, and that is about it for Gesicki. This is a player that fantasy managers had such high hopes for, but one must wonder if it is time to throw in the towel with Gesicki. His ceiling remains tremendous because of his talent, but with no set floor he is a scary start for the remainder of the year.
Welcome back Rob Gronkowski. Gronk stood out on Monday Night Football in his return for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, catching 6 passes for 71 yards. Gronk, who has been nursing injuries since week 3, returned Monday night and boy did Tom Brady love having his old buddy back, targeting his tight end 8 times during the contest. Gronk checks every single box fantasy managers could hope for, he is in an elite offense, he is surrounded by more star power (thank you Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Terrific Tom), and he will command a decent target share including red zone targets for the remainder of the season. Roll Gronk out there as a TE1 for the remainder of the season, as with the fresh legs, he could be a key piece to a lot of fantasy championship-winning teams.
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