The Game Plan to the 2021 NFL Draft

It’s @TheBLeagueSays here with this month’s ‘Game Plan’, where I give you moves to make for your dynasty roster construction, best-ball strategy, and start-up evaluations. Before you make any decisions, make sure you check out our dynasty and best-ball rankings also.

Thank you, and enjoy!

Slant Route

New places, new faces –  

I love the landing spot for Kenny Golladay, who to me (yes, a Giants fan), doesn’t lose a step as Daniel Jones gets his Plaxico Buress, in a move in which Giants fans hope won’t shoot them in the foot. The big man chose the Giants after a few days of mutual courting and I can’t help but think that this will be one of the players that everyone counts out in 2021 because they either a) aren’t sold on Jones, or b) are concerned about the Giants drafting another receiver early. I don’t like the Josh Allen / Stefon Diggs comparisons for this duo, but what I do like is that both will likely slide down draft boards opening up solid value. For example in a recent Superflex startup (shout out to the 1.01 crew), Jones sank to the 5.08 as the QB20 off the board and Golladay as the WR24 at the 7.04 mark. Don’t take that as what will happen every time because opinions will often vary but know that they can and will probably drop.

Also, I love Josh Reynolds to the Titans. Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith have moved on from Tennessee which free’s up a stack of work for the second receiver next to A.J. Brown. The Titans ranked 30th last year in passing attempts and when you consider there are 192 vacated targets (with Adam Humphries leaving also), that’s a lot of potential work for a veteran and likely a rookie to walk into, Reynolds can be had on the cheap with most people still not recognizing the move he made. And finally, Curtis Samuel gets (maybe) the best pure passing quarterback in his career in Ryan Fitzpatrick as both land in the NFC East with Washington. Other than Terry McLaurin, the ‘FT’ will hope that a returning Kelvin Harmon or 2020 rookie Antonio Gandy-Golden can help produce, in a receiver room that is also looking fairly empty on the depth chart. Until that happens, it’s wheels up for Samuel in a scheme and system he’s already familiar with considering half the coaching staff that drafted him in Carolina are based in Washington still.

Flat Route

We need an oil change – 

In the ‘Motor City, because Jared Goff was handed zero favors in free agency with the uninspiring acquisitions of Tyrell Williams (who sat out the 2020 season), and Breshad Perriman via the New York Jets. It’s crazy to think that not even the above-mentioned former teammate of Goff’s in Josh Reynolds was brought in and his deal for the Titans was only a cheap one-year, $1.75m contract. That deal could have been pivotal for Goff that’s been brought in with an offense that’s been pretty much gutted out.

That would lead you to believe that T.J. Hockenson and D’Andre Swift will find their way into more work than anticipated, but you can bet the Lions will have to load up in this year’s draft. In a recent group article at GoingFor2.com, we recently held a complete first-round mock draft where ‘this guy’ had the Lions at pick seven, and with Ja’Marr Chase falling and I made the eighth easiest decision of my life. The Lions have so many holes to fill, you would have to think that if this situation presented itself that even they probably couldn’t turn it down.

Comeback Route

Venkman, Stantz, Spengler, Zeddemore, and now…Tepper? – 

Yes, the ‘new’ General Manager of the Carolina Panthers David Tepper had a successful journey up to New York not only to become an honorary member of the Ghostbusters, but he also brought back the often slimed former Quarterback for Adam Gase in Sam Darnold who now looks set to take over from Teddy Bridgewater. It feels like Darnold is getting a fresh start, but being reunited with former Jet Robby Anderson in their second act together is a bonus that no one really saw coming. I’m guessing the Panthers felt they couldn’t move up in the draft after the 49ers gave up a fair bit to do so, and sitting there at pick 8 with maybe the fifth-best prospect to fall to them they didn’t feel obligated to mortgage their future on that unknown.

There’s enough tape and stats out there to know that Darnold (with the right system and support) can be a decent quarterback, and will likely be just as good without the cost to do so. As per our dynasty rankings, Sam Darnold sits on average as our QB27 overall, with the best artillery he’s probably had in his career with Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore to Robby Anderson. And add in maybe a guy like Kyle Pitts through the draft? Spicy. 

Screen Route

I miss my lung – 

Before I get started – I’m not here to talk about the issues surrounding Deshawn Watson, the Houston Texans, and the mess they have found themselves in. I’m here to talk about the quarterback they picked up in free agency as a backup with the potential to start if Watson was traded before all hell broke loose. Tyrod Taylor is someone in your best-ball and startup drafts you need to keep an eye on and take as late as possible because (right now without knowing the landing spots of the incoming rookie class) he is without a doubt the best late-round quarterback to target. After quite possibly one of the worst public screwups a medical practitioner could have, Taylor had his lung punctured before a game that allowed future rookie of the year, Justin Herbert, to take the reigns in L.A. last season which left Taylor surplus to requirements. Since then, Taylor has since found himself on the Texans roster which, I can’t believe I’m saying this, is probably one of the smartest moves the Texans have made in some time.

I can’t see Watson wearing a Texans uniform again, and the Texans have pretty much no draft capital (their first pick in round three, pick three) to play with thanks to Bill O’Brien to invest in an early quarterback which likely means they’ll be in the market for a project player like Kellen Mond or Jamie Newman, both who would likely have to sit and learn from a veteran like Taylor. I currently have Taylor ranked as my QB31 in our best-ball rankings. This situation is the absolute no-risk, high reward situation to plant your flag on. 

Out Route

Scurvy me matey’s – 

Tampa Bay running backs can walk the plank this offseason as the ‘Buccs’ have managed to keep most of their Superbowl winning team together, including Leonard Fournette, who stays in the backfield on a one-year deal with Ronald Jones and Ke’Shawn Vaughn. Oh, and they added the uber-efficient and underrated Giovani Bernard out from Cincinnati as well. Drafting any of them can feel confusing, I guess you could half cement a decent backfield in say a best-ball format if you wanted to draft Jones and Fournette back-to-back but you’re hurting potential elsewhere because Fournette and Jones are going fairly close together, which in that case, one of those picks would seem like a waste – it’s not the worst idea, but it’s far from a good idea. Both are going too early as a pairing to risk drafting a potential backup running back for this year, so in that case, Fournette is being drafted after Jones so if I had to choose one reason to pick either guy that weak reason alone is where I would attach my cart. As for Vaughn and Bernard, I mean… I don’t know what to do with my hands right now. A last-round flyer in a super deep startup or best-ball league? Sure, I guess, why not. 

The Go Route

It won’t be the guy you think – 

Everyone is on the Mecole Hardman (FantasyPros.com dynasty ranking of WR55) hype train to break out in his third year with the removal of Sammy Watkins, but I’d say that Watkins has pretty much been missing for two years already so that to me seems fairly weak to suggest. But there is a guy who you can get much later than Hardman (62-41-560-4) who is his teammate Demarcus Robinson (FantasyPros.com dynasty ranking of WR113), who had a career year (59-45-466-3), that logged more snaps than Hardman, and trailed only Tyreek Hil amongst receivers in doing so. As a late-round best-ball option, Robinson is the perfect dart throw. He’s half produced for the Chiefs before, has one less receiver on the roster, and has the size with the speed to be a difference-maker, and again, is coming with a massive discount compared to his teammates. Oh, and Patrick Mahomes is his quarterback. That’s a pretty good reason too. it’s not like he has some schmuck trying to give it to him.

There are two things that we know about this deal and that’s that Robinson only signed a one year deal after turning down a move to Detroit which didn’t break the bank and that we also know the Chiefs were in the JuJu Smith-Schuster sweepstakes before he opted to stay a Steeler for one more year. Now would I be surprised to see that in a year’s time Smith-Schuster is a Chief? No, not at all and I think he would be the perfect compliment to Tyreek Hill and Patrick Mahomes, but I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Robinson have a massive season in spurts too. He’s as good of a flyer pickup as anyone on your waivers, so go and get him as a stash and if the draft falls his way then you could be rewarded big time come September.

Hail Mary

Kendricks new identity – 

I’m going to say this now – as bad as the Patriots were to watch last year they still just missed out on the playoffs with a team that was far from functional before week one when the season started. Cam Newton came into the season sick and banged up and that didn’t help, but what also didn’t help was had the defense opting out as well. They re-sign Newton and then go on a spending spree with Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry, Nelson Agholor, and Kendrick Bourne. They have since lost Julian Edelman to retirement, which opens up that slot role right now to be taken by Bourne who logged about 41% of his snaps in that area. In 2020, 71% of his receptions went for first downs, which was down from 77% the year prior. On top of that, he has had moments of surprise in his career – most don’t know that in 2019 he tied George Kittle for receiving touchdowns (five each), and most wouldn’t know that in 2020 he logged the second-most receiving yards for the 49ers as well. What he needs to do to take that next step is put it all together in one complete season and if he can do that, we are looking at a guy currently being overlooked in every facet of fantasy right now. He is a bargain buy you can get on the cheap who I believe can turn into an every week Flex starter for you in 2021

I want to thank you for checking this article out! As always you can follow me at @TheBLeagueSays and feel free to check out my Gotham City Sports Radio (@GothamCity_SR) podcast (linktree) – subscribe, rate, review, share, and listen.

ATTN Dynasty Commissioners: Do you want to do something cool for your league? How about a 1-hour live show dedicated to YOUR league? Team-by-team breakdowns, rankings, and more. For details and to book a show, visit: GoingFor2.com/plp.