Gold 2 is probably the most irrelevant category in its own right, with the players not being mentioned the more interesting part. The hit rate of these players is at 70.5% and satisfied with 86.9% of players. They will make up the majority of the user’s starters week-in-week-out and the difference between the best of this tier and the worst is significant.
Aaron Jones, RB, Packers
No one expected him to return to the Packers for 2021 but here we are. Jones at the Packers should be good for him, he has been a League Winner since he started for the Packers as the lead committee back (2019 and 2020). Jones should be in the same place as last year and have a very good chance at being a League Winner.
Davante Adams, WR, Packers
Adams had the second-best season since 2011 by a receiver (8th for all positions) when he scored 342.8 points and 40 League Winner Score (while missing two games). Adams is Green due to the Packers investment in Amari Rodgers.
Adams will be expected to lead the Packers WR Core that invested in Amari Rodgers in Round 3, but outside of that has the same talent as 2020. With this being the case, Adams will not be affected by the reason he is Green and should be drafted as if he is Blue.
Austin Ekeler, RB, Chargers
Austin Ekeler is a League Winner Predicts favourite as way back in 2018. He spent 2020 injured but still scored 147.2 points and 9 League Winner Score in just 9 games. Ekeler did score 292.1 points and 24 League Winner Score in 2019 and the Chargers spent another offseason improving their Oline. I and mainly others expect him to bounce back to that 2019 form.
Stefan Diggs, WR, Bills
Stefan Diggs is many people’s WR#1 for fantasy in 2021, but for this he is Green Tier 2. Diggs scored 314.0 points and 24 League Winner Score (8th most valuable). Diggs is expected to be as good if not better in 2021 as last year was the first year with the Buffalo Bills.
DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Cardinals
DHop has been one of the most consistent players in fantasy football since 2015 (missed out only in 2016) and expect that to stay the same. Last year there were some concerns with how soon he would adapt but it took no time at all, in fact he had the best fantasy year of his career (281.3 points, 27 League Winner Score). Could he get any better? I think he could.
Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals
Joe Mixon was always limited by the glass ceiling that is having a separate receiving back (Giovani Bernard) but 2021 sees Mixon as the true bell cow. There is no competition for him anymore and his glass ceiling has been smashed. Mixon was last a League Winner in 2018 but hasn’t got close since. 2021 could be his bounce back year.
Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington
Is RB10 too high for Gibson? Not in my eyes. Gibson finished one game off League Winner status in his rookie year and will have a more expanded role in 2021. I wouldn’t say he is guaranteed of having a great year but he’s as close as it comes. The team did get a new QB (Fitzpatrick) and hopefully will be more involved in the passing game too (as a former WR) in a potential bell cow role.
Calvin Ridley, WR, Falcons
Calvin Ridley started as Platinum before the draft where they drafted Kyle Pitts at #4 – downgrading Ridley to Gold. But with Julio Jones traded away, Ridley is back to where he started as a late 2nd round pick. Ridley will be the #1 target for Matt Ryan with Kyle Pitts the clear #2, that will mean he has more attention but he has shown more than enough to be the out and out guy for the Falcons.
Clyde Edwards-Heleire, RB, Chiefs
CEH is an interesting player, he is a 1st round pick but then they signed veteran Le’Veon Bell to play alongside him. He was the 1.08 pick in his rookie year (which as expected was a joke) but people seem to be overreacting to last year and forgetting the potential he showed. If he gets as many touches as we think he could, watch out for CEH being the player to own in 2021.
DeAndre Swift, RB, Lions
Swift’s ADP has dropped from mid teens to #28 according to MFL and makes him a bargain in the early 3rd. Swift is the only offensive weapon outside of TJ Hockenson meaning that he should be getting a lot of receptions as well as rushing attempts. The team is awful meaning that he won’t get much garbage time yards but I think he will get enough targets to counter that.
Michael Thomas, WR, Saints
Michael Thomas may no longer be the guy to own in fantasy but he’s only a year off it. Uncertainty around the Saints QB situation is lowering his price to early 3rd round pick. Thomas, also, isn’t helped by only playing 7 games last year. But for his ADP, he is worth it with the ceiling he has shown in the past.
Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers
Keenan Allen is another super consistent player (every year from 2013 outside of 2014 and 2019) with his best year to date being in 2020. He scored 246.1 points and 20 League Winner Score with a rookie QB who had no OTAs, now its time to see what they can do as a duo with practice.
Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles
Miles Sanders is probably the biggest disappointment out of the RBs for fantasy. He has shown he can be a receiving back and shown he can be a rusher but the Eagles keep getting RBs in. Sanders in theory could have been as high as #16, but the lack of faith by the Eagles means he’s dropped to #34.
Chris Carson, RB, Seahawks
Chris Carson is another player who could have been a lot higher on my rankings, he was in contention from #29 but ended up at #33. Carson was a League Winner in 2019 and even last year got close while being consistently injured finishing just one game off the desired status. In the run-run-pass approach of the Seahawks, always look out for their RB and Carson is no different. He’s on a 1year deal so perfect for redraft leagues.
Allen Robinson, WR, Bears
More QB uncertainty for the Chicago Bears but this time without Trubisky and now a combo of Dalton and (rookie) Fields. He has been a League Winner in 2019 and 2020 with no expectations for changes coming up. An upgrade at QB will help ARob get better, but the QB transitions are never simple.
Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington
Terry McLaurin has produced on the field with some of the worst QBs in the League (Haskins, Keenum etc.) and now has a NFL quality QB in Ryan Fitzpatrick to throw to him. McLaurin will be hoping that Fitzpatrick continues to throw the ball up, putting McLaurin’s ceiling at levels he has not yet had. I would be surprised if McLaurin didn’t have a fantasy breakout year.
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys
Many people have CeeDee Lamb higher but he’s #4 on the 3rd tier of WRs. The Cowboys WR core is confusing, but its pretty clear that it should be between Lamb and Cooper. The hope and presumption is that with Dak back and as a sophomore, a massive boost to his fantasy production will happen. It’s a risk, but it’s a risk worth taking.
Josh Jacobs, RB, Raiders
Josh Jacobs ceiling is for sure lowered by the signing of Kenyan Drake, but he still has the floor of the last couple seasons. I was low on Jacobs to begin with and he only dropped a couple spots due to Drake. On RBs that have the potential to be a top 10 for the 2021 season, he is the last one I would happily put money on. That said, he is still my RB20.
Chris Godwin, WR, Buccaneers
WRs are now starting to come in pairs, duo of WRs that it isn’t certain who will come out on top. One of them at least should be amazing but its about picking the right one. Godwin could easily be a top 10 WR (my WR15), but the chances of him being that are much smaller than the other 14 before him. That is because Godwin has to contend with Mike Evans – a pattern which will emerge very quickly in these players. Godwin was the WR2 only 2 seasons ago and while that is unlikely, he should be a great WR to own.
Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers
Talking about Mike Evans, Evans missed out on League Winner status in 2020 (one game off) but being so close, don’t discount him. Most people are Godwin or Evans but honestly, I think that their value is near to identical with each other. Evans has been more consistent throughout the years (2014, 2016, 2018, 2019) with near misses in 2015 and 2020.
Amari Cooper, WR, Cowboys
Amari Cooper though has the pedigree of being a League Winner (2015, 2018, 2019). 2020 saw Cooper affected by Dak’s injury but with Dak returning, expect Cooper to return to the starlight. Cooper hasn’t seen competition for the WR1 spot ever, but Lamb changes that. It will be interesting to see if Cowboys can handle two great WRs and give them enough targets – all while keeping Zeke involved. That’s a concern but a great concern to have if you can get the Cowboys stack.
Myles Gaskin, RB, Dolphins
Myles Gaskin is the opposite of Sanders, he would have been ranked around the 50s at best before Free Agency and the draft, but the Dolphins stuck to their guy. Gaskin scored 148.5 points and 9 League Winner Score in 2020, but is expected a much bigger role of the Dolphins RB. I am slightly ahead of the crowd with him ranked at #35, but ADP is only 9 picks back at #44.
Julio Jones, WR, Titans
With the end of the potentially good RBs finished, it is time to do the same for the WRs. Julio Jones was my WR2 for the Falcons pre-trade and is now the #2 for the Titans post-trade. Julio moving from a pass heavy attack to a run-run-pass attack means that his value slightly decreases. There are few offences that can handle two successful WRs and the Falcons was one of them – the Titans so far haven’t shown that. If the Titans start passing more, at ADP Rank of #45, he will be the bargain of the year.
DJ Moore, WR, Panthers
DJ Moore has been a good player on the field who hasn’t made it in fantasy yet and the hope was that Justin Fields would drop to #8 (he did but they went defence). Sam Darnold is the QB for the Panthers in 2021 and beyond which is honestly horrible. He is a consistent point getter, but yet to get close to League Winner status. There is a chance he does it next year, but not as much hope.
Robert Woods, WR, Rams
Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are the next duo of uncertainty. Both have the ceiling to be League Winners as both showed in 2019. 2020 saw Woods miss out by one game which gives us hope. A new QB means unknowns with how Stafford will target both. What we do know is that the likelihood is that both will be very good – but can they make the next level?
Kareem Hunt, RB, Browns
Hunt is the first of the next tier of players, these players are good assets to own in the first place but misfortune (injuries etc) to others means that they could easily be must own. Hunt last had the chance to be the guy in 2017 where he was the 6th most valuable player. If Hunt falls, you have to take him owning that. His ADP is inline with my rankings meaning that I will not have any stock in him, but if he does fall, then grab him.
Adam Thielen, WR, Vikings
Justin Jefferson maybe the WR1 for the Vikings and a run-run-pass offence does cause some concerns but Adam Thielen is still a great WR to own. Thielen was a League Winner in 2017, 2018 and 2020 (Invalid in 2019) and no reason to think it will stop in 2021.
Mike Davis, RB, Falcons
Mike Davis was the backup for CMC in 2020 and showed potential to be a true bell cow – which luckily enough the Falcons agreed on too. Davis scored 207.5 points and 12 League Winner Score in 2020, finishing just one game off League Winner Status (a feat he would have made if CMC didn’t play in 3 games). I’m sticking my neck out here on Davis being one of the underrated RBs.
Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks
Tyler Lockett has benefitted from DK Metcalf being drafted by the Seahawks in 2019 by having a League Winner season, followed up by being one game off in 2020. It isn’t even close, the fantasy production as the WR2 for the Seahawks is far superior to what he was doing as the WR1 for the Seahawks. Lockett will be hoping that the run-run-pass approach of the Seahawks still gives him the chance to be a League Winner once again. I think there is a good chance of him succeeding and that’s why he is in my top 50.
Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams
While Woods was one game off in 2020, Kupp was two. But in 2019, Kupp was amazing and finished as the WR4 in the league. I may want to share the stock between Kupp and Woods but an ADP of 56 means that Kupp could easily be an asset I take a lot of times.
Kenny Golladay, WR, Lions
The next phase of WRs are ones that aren’t in ideal situations but should make the best of a bad hand. Golladay moved to the Giants on a mega contract and will be their WR1 for years to come. Golladay was a League Winner in 2019, but injured in 2020 means that there is double risk. He does not have any competition in the receiver position, so it is just how well he syncs with Danny Dimes.
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Browns
OBJ was the best WR in the league only a couple years ago before injuries have ruined him. He was a League Winner as recent as 2018, but 2019 and 2020 he failed to. His ADP is currently #62 which is almost a guaranteed pick there depending on who else has dropped. The Browns are a run-run-pass offence and he has to contend with Jarvis Landry for the WR1 spot. I have OBJ quite a lot higher but I wouldn’t be surprised if Jarvis is the guy.
James Robinson, RB, Jaguars
James Robinson is so hard to judge for 2021; without Travis Etienne, he could be as high as David Montgomery (#28), but with Etienne he’s placed at #83. ADP has him ranked at #63, which is understandable but he won’t get the receiving game touches for the ceiling of League Winner.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Steelers
The WR3s for teams are coming thick and fast with JuJu joining Boyd in the 80s. The chances of him being more than just the slot player is low, with the emergence of Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool meaning that while the slot does get lots of targets, he won’t get all the chances he needs behind those two. He could easily be an effective player, but we are after League Winners.
Chase Claypool, WR, Steelers
Claypool is in the same boat as Chark in that he could be the WR1 for his team but its not as certain. The presumption is that Claypool is the WR2 for the Steelers where he should get enough targets to be not only fantasy relevant but a good player to own. He scored enough points in his rookie year (190.4) that a sophomore boost could mean League Winner status is on the cards. My worry is that with their OLine, Big Ben and 1st round RB Najee Harris, feeding 2 WRs is too much for the Steelers.
DJ Chark, WR, Jaguars
Be bold and you get great results from it. DJ Chark is my pick for the Jaguars WR1 role for the 2021 season – as he is for ADP. The Jaguars are 3 candidates for this role (Chark, Shenault and Jones) and either one of them could be it. There are so many unknowns for the Jaguars with new HC and new QB that everything is on the cards and I wouldn’t be shocked. Chark in my eyes is the biggest talent and therefore will be the guy.
Melvin Gordon, RB, Broncos
The time for confusing RB committees is also began, James Robinson before Melvin Gordon and then Kenyan Drake. Gordon hasn’t been a League Winner since 2018 (sat out part of 2019, moved to Broncos in 2020) meaning his value has been dropping. The Broncos, then, traded up for Javonte Williams causing another drop in Gordon’s value. Maybe Gordon will be part of a committee (Javonte was in one with Michael Carter for college), but even that isn’t valuable unless you are the main piece.
Brandin Cooks, WR, Texans
Making the best of a bad situation is hopefully Brandin Cooks – a League Winner not since 2016. He is the only WR for the Texans to target which means that his ceiling is almost untouched by most of the league. The concern is what happens to DeShaun Watson, how will Tyrod Taylor adapt, how will the Texans play with a new HC & GM. The team is a mess but the value is there. ADP of #78 means you don’t even have to take him early.
Tyler Boyd, WR, Bengals
Tyler Boyd is an underrated player in the NFL, but opportunities are going to shrink with the emergence of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins as the WR1 and WR2. Boyd will still get this targets as the slot WR, but probably not enough to be a League Winner in 2021. His ADP of 80 reflects value, but probably means I won’t have much stock in him.
