Fantasy Football Rankings 2021: Early List of Top Players and Sleepers to Target

The NFL has no offseason.

Sure, there are different windows that open and close around free agency, trades, the draft and workouts. But if you live and breathe football, you experience them with the same vigor as you do those 60 minutes of bliss when your team takes the field in the fall.

Fantasy football is no different.

You might be between seasons at times, but your focus never changes. You track player movement, draft picks, coaching changes and anything else that could factor into a player's production, for better or worse. Then, you file that information away and use it to help construct your big board, since the end of each season marks the start of draft preparation.

Since the offseason is always on, then, let's not waste any more of your time and jump into our top-30 rankings for the 2021 campaign, followed by two of our favorite overlooked sleepers.

Top-30 PPR Rankings for 2021

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1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

2. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

3. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

4. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

5. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

6. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

7. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

8. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

9. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

10. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

11. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

12. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

13. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

14. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Arizona Cardinals

15. Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams

16. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

17. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

18. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

19. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

20. Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

21. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Football Team

22. Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons

23. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

24. Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints

25. A.J. Brown, WR, Tennessee Titans

26. J.K. Dobbins, RB, Baltimore Ravens

27. David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears

28. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

29. D'Andre Swift, RB, Detroit Lions

30. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos

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No, Jerry Jeudy didn't set the fantasy football world ablaze as an NFL freshman.

Guess what? A lot of players don't.

But he dealt with some uncharacteristic drops and a lot of uneven play from Denver quarterbacks, who combined to throw more interceptions (23) than touchdowns (21).

The opportunities for major numbers were there, though. He was targeted a team-high 113 times. Tight end Noah Fant was the next most popular target with 93. That means the Broncos trust Jeudy to correct his issues with drops, as his talent level says they should.

As for the uneven play, it's possible that carries over. But it's also possible Denver wins the Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes, and Jeudy is suddenly catching passes from one of the top quarterbacks in the game. There isn't enough buzz to match the massive upside the young pass-catcher possesses.

Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

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While there is often a shiny-new-object premium attached to fantasy freshmen, Najee Harris is in position to outperform his draft cost—perhaps by a wide margin.

Few draft picks did a better job of checking the need, fit and opportunity boxes than Harris did by landing in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers are ready and willing to have someone seize control of their James Conner-less backfield, and their first-round investment in Harris shows he'll at least have a chance to secure the primary gig.

If he does, he can help balance out this offense by forming a mutually beneficial relationship with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The threat of Roethlisberger's arm should help open running lanes for Harris, who can help take heat off of Pittsburgh's passing game by revving up its rushing attack. The two could also connect on plays between them, as Harris totaled 70 receptions and 11 touchdown catches over his final two seasons at Alabama.

There's a chance Harris becomes an RB1 by season's end, but fantasy managers won't be charged as such.