Fantasy Football 2021: Top-50 Player Rankings and 4-Round 12-Team Mock Draft

If you've played fantasy football the past few years, then the beginning of most drafts are going to feel familiar this year. Many of the top-ranked players heading into the 2021 campaign are the expected stars who have quickly come off the board in recent seasons as well.

Still, it's important to prepare before going into your draft. While the first-round players may be mostly obvious, other things have changed around the NFL. A new class of rookies has entered the league, while other names outperformed or underperformed in 2020, impacting their stock heading into a new season.

Which players should you prioritize early in your draft? How will the first few rounds unfold? Every league is different, but rankings and projections can at least give you an idea of how things will go.

With NFL training camps underway, here's the latest fantasy player rankings and a four-round mock draft.

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

2. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

3. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

4. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

5. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

6. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

7. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

8. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

9. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

10. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

11. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

12. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

13. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

14. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

15. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

16. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Football Team

17. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Arizona Cardinals

18. Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons

19. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

20. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

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

22. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

23. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Football Team

24. Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

25. David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears

26. Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

27. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

28. Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

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

30. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

31. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

32. D'Andre Swift, RB, Detroit Lions

33. Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks

34. Allen Robinson II, WR, Chicago Bears

35. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

36. Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys

37. Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

38. Julio Jones, WR, Tennessee Titans

39. Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

40. Darrell Henderson Jr., RB, Los Angeles Rams

41. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

42. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

43. Robert Woods, WR, Los Angeles Rams

44. DJ Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers

45. Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings

46. Kenny Golladay, WR, New York Giants

47. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks

48. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

49. Myles Gaskin, RB, Miami Dolphins

50. Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals

Round 1

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

2. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

3. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

4. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

5. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

6. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

7. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

8. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

9. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

10. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

11. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

12. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

Round 2

13. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

14. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

15. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Arizona Cardinals

16. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

17. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Football Team

18. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

19. Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons

20. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

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

22. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

23. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Football Team

24. David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears

Round 3

25. Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

26. Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

27. Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

28. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

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

30. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

31. D'Andre Swift, RB, Detroit Lions

32. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

33. Allen Robinson II, WR, Chicago Bears

34. Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks

35. Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

36. Darrell Henderson Jr., RB, Los Angeles Rams

Round 4

37. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

38. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

39. Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys

40. Julio Jones, WR, Tennessee Titans

41. Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

42. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

43. Robert Woods, WR, Los Angeles Rams

44. DJ Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers

45. Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals

46. Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings

47. Kenny Golladay, WR, New York Giants

48. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks

Many fantasy football managers who had the No. 1 overall pick in 2020 used it to take Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey. It made sense after he had a huge 2019 season, during which he had 1,387 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground as well as 116 catches for 1,005 yards and four touchdowns.

However, those managers also ended the season disappointed. McCaffrey was limited to three games last year because of injuries. And while there are always unforeseeable issues that can greatly impact fantasy teams, it was especially tough to deal with considering how frequently he was going No. 1 overall.

Even though the 25-year-old couldn't meet expectations in 2020, that doesn't change the fact that he should be the top selection again this year. He should have a bounce-back showing, and new Carolina quarterback Sam Darnold will likely rely on him to contribute to both the running and passing games.

But there are several other running backs who could be considered at No. 1, and none of them would be bad picks. Minnesota's Dalvin Cook, Tennessee's Derrick Henry and New Orleans' Alvin Kamara are all coming off big seasons that have them as probable top-five selections and options to consider with the top pick.

However, Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus believes taking McCaffrey at No. 1 is a "no-brainer."

"McCaffrey either touched the ball or was targeted on 42.0 percent of his offensive plays in 2019, and that increased to 48.8 percent in 2020," he wrote. "McCaffrey would have been on pace for the greatest fantasy season of all time if that usage continued and he wasn't hurt."

Like most years, running backs are likely to come off the board quickly in your draft. It wouldn't be strange to see nine or 10 backs selected in the opening round. There aren't a ton of running backs who are guaranteed bell cows, so it's beneficial to take a top-tier one when you can.

One added wrinkle to the first round this year is the possibility of Kansas City's Travis Kelce getting taken within the first 10-12 picks. Tight ends typically don't get selected that early, but once the few elite players at the position get taken, there aren't many reliable options, which often leads to streaming at the position.

Kelce was much more impactful than every other tight end in fantasy last year, making him worthy of consideration with your top pick. In points-per-reception leagues in 2020, he had 312.8 fantasy points in 15 games (per FantasyPros). Las Vegas' Darren Waller had 278.6, then no other tight end had more than 176.6.

"Kelce beat the third-place scorer (Logan Thomas and Robert Tonyan tied) by 124.2 points and Waller beat him by 102. This is just a massive advantage. You’ll never come close to this at any other position," Michael Salfino of The Athletic wrote.

You shouldn't pass over players such as McCaffrey, Cook, Henry or Kamara to take Kelce. But if your pick is in the back half of the first round, and you know you can get a running back early in the second, then selecting the Chiefs star could end up being a huge advantage.