Fantasy Football Rankings 2021: Sleepers, breakouts, busts by NFL model that nailed Allen’s huge year

Odell Beckham Jr. and Michael Thomas have been two of the most dominant receivers in the NFL in recent years. The latest 2021 Fantasy football ADP, however, show both of them going off the board near the eighth round in Fantasy football 2021 drafts. Thomas will miss at least six weeks with an ankle injury, while Beckham is coming off a major knee injury. Both still have undeniable talent, however, and might be undervalued in the 2021 Fantasy football rankings.

Should you consider those players with one of your 2021 Fantasy football picks? Who are the 2021 Fantasy football sleepers, breakouts and busts who need to be on your radar? Before setting your 2021 Fantasy football draft strategy, be sure to check out the 2021 Fantasy football cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

Last year, the model accurately predicted that Bills quarterback Josh Allen was being drastically undervalued. His Fantasy football ADP was barely in the top 70, but the model pegged him as a top-five Fantasy quarterback, a QB1 who would finish well ahead of players like Kyler Murray, Tom Brady and Drew Brees. Allen ended up being the No. 2-scoring Fantasy QB, outscoring all three of those other quarterbacks and even surpassing Patrick Mahomes. Fantasy players who followed SportsLine’s advice reaped plenty of value with that pick. 

The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, also identifying A.J. Brown as another sleeper in 2020 and players like Devin Singletary and JuJu Smith-Schuster as busts last season. Additionally, it’s called past Fantasy football sleepers like Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017. Anybody who banked on players like those made a run at their league title.

The model is powered by the same people who generated projections for all three major Fantasy sites, and it beat human experts last season when there was a big difference in ranking. The projections update multiple times daily, so you’re always getting the best Fantasy football advice.

Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest Fantasy football rankings 2021, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them. 

Top 2021 Fantasy football sleepers 

One of the 2021 Fantasy football sleepers the model is predicting: Panthers receiver D.J. Moore. The former first-round pick has quietly posted the sixth-most receiving yards since 2019 (2,368). He posted a 66-1193-4 stat line last season while finishing third in the NFL with 18.1 yards per reception.

Moore should supply even more big plays for the Panthers this year with Sam Darnold under center. The former Jet has a much stronger arm than Teddy Bridgewater, so he could allow Moore to reach his full potential. Add in that Carolina has 97 targets to spread around with Curtis Samuel now in Washington and Moore is poised for a career-year. Moore’s 2021 Fantasy football ADP puts him outside the top 20 wide receivers, but SportsLine’s model is much more bullish on him and ranks him as the WR16.

Top 2021 Fantasy football breakouts 

The model is also projecting Jets receiver Elijah Moore as one of its top 2021 Fantasy Football breakouts. The second-round pick out of Ole Miss can fly, and he has a chance to make an instant connection with quarterback Zach Wilson, a fellow rookie. New York lacks a collection of proven receivers, opening the door for Moore to see the field early and often.

He’s staying on the board a long time, however, in Fantasy football drafts 2021. The latest 2021 Fantasy football ADP shows he’s barely going off in the top 150 picks. He’s projected to outperform Mecole Hardman, Michel Pittman, Henry Ruggs III and T.Y. Hilton, all receivers being picked earlier, making him one of the Fantasy football sleepers 2021 you should pounce on.

Top 2021 Fantasy football busts

As for players to avoid, the model lists Giants receiver Kenny Golladay as one of its biggest 2021 Fantasy football busts. After back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2018 and 2019 for the Lions, Golladay missed 11 games in 2020 while battling hamstring and hip injuries. However, that didn’t stop the Giants from signing him to a four-year, $72 million contract during free agency to make him the new No. 1. Golladay currently has a ninth-round 2021 Fantasy football ADP in 10-team PPR leagues, with most owners taking him assuming that he’ll regain his Pro Bowl form.

However, he’s missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury and just returned to practice on Thursday, so he hasn’t had much of a chance to gel with quarterback Daniel Jones. Even if he had, Jones has averaged just 6.6 yards per attempt in his two seasons as the starter, so Golladay could see a sizable dropoff in target quality after playing with Matthew Stafford. That’s why the model ranks Golladay behind 12th-round options at wide receiver like Marvin Jones and Corey Davis.

How to find proven 2021 Fantasy football football rankings

SportsLine is also extremely high on a surprising quarterback you aren’t even thinking about being drafted in the middle rounds of 2021 Fantasy football drafts. This quarterback is listed as a shocking top-five option ahead of superstars like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. You can only see who it is, and the 2020 Fantasy football rankings for every player, at SportsLine.

So which 2021 Fantasy Football sleepers, breakouts and busts should you target and fade? And which QB shocks the NFL with a top-five performance? Visit SportsLine now to get 2021 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that called Josh Allen’s huge season, and find out.