Fantasy Football 2021: Creative Team Names to Bring Excitement to Your League

As the 2021 NFL season approaches, fantasy managers are busy preparing for draft day. However, while identifying the right draft-day targets is important, coming up with a fresh, creative and exciting team name is also part of the equation.

The NFL is an evolving landscape, and so too is the world of fantasy team naming. One cannot exactly justify running "Feel the Brees" for the fifth consecutive year when Drew Brees has left the playing field for the broadcast booth.

Here, we'll dive into some updated suggestions for the 2021 season, along with a few still-relevant oldies but goodies. We'll specifically look at names based on individual players, broken down by position.

Since coming up with a winning roster is still kind of important, though, we'll first examine an updated fantasy big board for point-per-reception (PPR) formats.

Fantasy Top 40

Nell Redmond/Associated Press

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

2. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

3. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

4. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

5. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

6. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

7. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

8. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

9. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

10. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

11. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Arizona Cardinals

12. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

13. Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons

14. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

15. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

16. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

17. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

18. Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

19. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

20. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

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

22. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

23. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Football Team

24. Allen Robinson II, WR, Chicago Bears

25. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

26. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

27. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Cheifs

28. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Football Team

29. Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

30. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

31. Robert Woods, WR, Los Angeles Rams

32. Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

33. Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys

34. Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

35. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

36. David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears

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

38. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

39. D.J. Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers

40. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

Quarterback

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

While quarterback usually isn't the most valuable position in fantasy—that honor goes to running backs or receivers, depending on scoring format—signal-callers are among the most recognizable players in the game. Therefore, basing your team name makes a lot of sense.

Here, we'll look past old-guard quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers. There are plenty of young standouts, emerging stars and incoming rookies with which to work—though there's certainly nothing wrong with calling your team "Roethlisbergers with Cheese" if so inclined.

• What's Up, Mahomes?
• Country Roads, Take Mahomes
• We're Allen This Together
• Stop Josh'n Me
• Cobra Kyler
• Kyler on the Loose
• View from Lamar
• Action Jackson
• I'm With Herbert
• Justin Credible
• Beg, Burrow and Steal
• You Mad, Burrow?
• Love Hurts
• Guess Who's Dak, Dak Again
• Dak to the Future
• Lawrence and Order
• Draining Treys
• Fields of Dreams
• Game of Jones
• Goff Topic
• Zach Daddies
• Tua and a Half Men
• Baker of Chains
• D'yer Bak'er

Running Backs

Bruce Kluckhohn/Associated Press

Old-guard running backs aren't much of a thing in fantasy, given the relatively short NFL shelf life at the position—though it won't be a shock to see Frank Gore suit up somewhere at some point this season.

Here, we'll focus on backs from our top 40 PPR rankings.

• Half-McCaffrey Latte
• Golden McCaffrey
• Too Many Cooks
• Dalvin and the Chipmunks
• Lights, Kamara, Action
• Kamara Shy
• O'Henry
• Derrick of The Edmund Fitzgerald
• Zeke and Destroy
• Get Your Zeke On
• Skull and Jones
• What the Ekeler?
• Austin's Power
• Oh, Saquon You See?
• Barkley Up the Wrong Tree
• Taylor Made
• Hot Chubb Time Machine
• Chubbthumper
• Mixon Drinks
• Gibson, Let's Ball
• Fresh Prince of Helaire
• Clyde and Go Seek
• Najee, I'm Good
• Harris Wheels
• Jacobs Ladder
• Montgomery Inn
• Bask in Dobbins

Wide Receiver

Matt Ludtke/Associated Press

Aging players are more common at receiver than at running back, and it certainly feels like Julio Jones has been dominating fantasy leagues for forever. However, newer wideouts and 2020 breakout stars will help make your team seem more timely.

While there's nothing wrong with going "Me and Julio down at the Schoolyard" if you've grabbed the new Tennessee Titans receiver, basing a name around a rookie like Jaylen Waddle or Rondale Moore is likely to elicit fewer eye rolls during the season.

• Adams Bomb
• Up and Adams
• Tyreek of Success
• King of the Hill
• Can You Diggs It?
• E.T. Stefon Home
• Hopkins and a Jump Away
• Ridley, Really Good
• Calvin and the Chipmunks
• Have You Metcalf?
• Golden Metcalf
• The Jeffersons
• Jefferson Airplane
• I am the Gatekeeper, I am the Kennan Master
• Peachy Keenan
• What Can Brown Do for You?
• Here's to You, Mr. Robinson
• You Died of Dissin' Terry
• CeeDee-Rom Enabled
• Silence of the Lambs
• Lost in the Woods
• Godwin or Go Home
• Hangin' With Amari Cooper
• For Evans Sake
• My Kupp Runneth Over
• D.J. Moore on the 1s and 2s
• Chasing Glory
• Ja'Marr's Attacks
• Jaylen Jennings
• Waddle Waddle, Shake It Shake It
• DeVonta's Inferno
• Bateman Begins
• Toney Award Winning
• Moore Wins, Please

Tight End

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Tight ends are generally less valuable than running backs and receivers. However, with tight ends like Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Darren Waller serving as No. 1 targets for their respective teams, the position can still be a fantasy franchise centerpiece.

Here are a few suggestions for managers looking to build around tight ends in 2021.

• Kelce Food
• Kelce Lately
• Kittle One
• Gotta be Kittle'n Me
• Hitting a Waller
• Waller General
• Hockenson a Loogie
• Fantom Menace
• Fant Man
• Frozen Goedert
• When Harry Kmet Sally
• This Team is Gesicki
• Hangin' with Mr. Hooper
• The Secret of the Ozomah
• Up Pitts Creek