Fantasy Football 2021 Cheat Sheet: Mobile Rankings for Last-Minute Drafters

Kristopher KnoxSep 5, 2021

Fantasy football managers who have waited this long to conduct drafts will have to do so in the coming days. This is the final Sunday before the start of the 2021 NFL season, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys are set to kick things off Thursday.

This will inevitably leave many managers scrambling to prepare for their fantasy drafts. Fortunately, we're here to help with some last-minute positional rankings and sleepers.

We'll examine the top players at each key position—quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end—for points-per-reception (PPR) scoring formats. We'll also dive into some potential mid- and late-round sleepers.

We'll then wrap up with a two-round PPR mock to further help you navigate the early rounds.

Quarterback

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1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

3. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

5. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

6. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

7. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

8. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

9. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

10. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans

11. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

12. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

13. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

14. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

15. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns

Sleeper: Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Washington Football Team

The Washington Football Team won't be reuniting quarterback Cam Newton and head coach Ron Rivera this season.

"It did pop up on our radar," Rivera said of Newton, per the team's official transcript (h/t NFL.com's Kevin Patra). "But just so you know, Ryan Fitzpatrick is our starting quarterback."

With Fitzpatrick entrenched as the starter, he becomes a viable streaming option with starting upside. Fitzpatrick is an aggressive passer who averaged 7.8 yards per attempt last season. With weapons like Terry McLaurin, Logan Thomas, Adam Humphries and Dyami Brown at his disposal, Fitzpatrick could be in store for a career year.

With an average draft position (ADP) of only 186, Fitzpatrick's production should far outweigh his fantasy draft status.

Running Back

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1. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers

2. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

3. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings

4. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

5. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

6. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers

7. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers

8. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

9. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

10. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns

11. Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team

12. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals

13. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers

14. James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars

15. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs

16. Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks

17. David Montgomery, Chicago Bears

18. D'Andre Swift, Detroit Lions

19. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles

20. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders

21. Mike Davis, Atlanta Falcons

22. Darrell Henderson Jr., Los Angeles Rams

23. Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals

24. Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns

25. Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens

Sleeper: Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson is perhaps not a true sleeper. Those in fantasy circles are very familiar with the rookie runner after the Patriots traded away Sony Michel and Stevenson starred in the preseason.

Stevenson rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns in the preseason opener and had 74 scrimmage yards and two more scores in Week 2. In Week 3, he had another touchdown.

Yet, Stevenson is still being undervalued with an ADP of 153.

Managers will have to understand that Stevenson will be splitting time with Damien Harris and James White in the Patriots backfield early. However, he has the tools to become New England's primary rushing option by midseason. Stevenson is a great draft-and-stash target who can help managers come playoff time.

Wide Receiver

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1. Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers

2. Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs

3. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills

4. DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals

5. Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons

6. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

7. DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks

8. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers

9. Allen Robinson II, Chicago Bears

10. A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans

11. Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team

12. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

13. Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams

14. Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys

15. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

16. DJ Moore, Carolina Panthers

17. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

18. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

19. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks

20. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals

21. Julio Jones, Tennessee Titans

22. Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings

23. Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers

24. Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh Steelers

25. Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns

Sleeper: Jakobi Meyers, WR, New England Patriots

Rhamondre Stevenson isn't the only Patriots sleepers we're going to highlight here. Wideout Jakobi Meyers is well worth picking up ahead of his ADP of 177.

Meyers led the Patriots in both receptions (59) and receiving yards (729) last season, though he didn't grab a touchdown reception. While those numbers aren't impressive, they should be improved by New England's quarterback change.

Newton is out, and the Patriots are rolling with a more traditional pocket passer in rookie Mac Jones.

With Jones under center and Meyers likely to remain New England's top receiving option, Meyers has legitimate 1,000-yard potential. He should be a viable flex option early and, at worst, will be a valuable piece of receiver insurance.

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Tight End

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1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

2. Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders

3. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

4. T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions

5. Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team

6. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons

7. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

8. Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles

9. Noah Fant, Denver Broncos

10. Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers

11. Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams

12. Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins

13. Jonnu Smith, New England Patriots

14. Gerald Everett, Seattle Seahawks

15. Hunter Henry, New England Patriots

Sleeper: Jared Cook, TE, Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers tight end Jared Cook probably shouldn't be a sleeper. He's a two-time Pro Bowler who had 504 receiving yards and seven touchdowns despite only making five starts last season.

However, Cook is being undervalued with an ADP of 151. He should be available late in most drafts and is well worth a pick as a streamer or high-end backup.

Though Cook is 34 years old, he's still capable of producing at a high level. With a budding star in quarterback Justin Herbert on the other end of his passes, Cook should be as productive as, if not more so than, he was last year.

Cook is not an unknown commodity, but he's likely to be overlooked on draft day.