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.
Top 50 Player Rankings
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
4-Round 12-Team Mock Draft
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
1st-Round Breakdown
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.