Fantasy Football Player Notes
2021 PPR Draft Rankings
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8.
Tyreek Hill
WR - (at DEN)
Hill was more of a streaky wide receiver early in his career who relied on big plays to get him into WR1 territory, though that seemingly ended in 2020 where he saw 10-plus targets in seven different games. Those numbers combined with his efficiency equals big things, and there's no reason to think they go away; Travis Kelce is going to be 32 years old, Sammy Watkins is gone, and they brought in no big-name wide receivers who are guaranteed much of anything. He's worthy of a first-round pick in fantasy drafts.
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15.
Travis Kelce
TE - (at DEN)
We're getting close to the age where tight ends typically fall off with Kelce (32 in October) but he's shown no signs of slowing down, as he just broke the all-time record for yards in a season by a tight end. The Chiefs didn't really add anyone to the offense who should jeapordize his targets, and in fact, losing Sammy Watkins may only add to his appeal. Not only did he finish as the No. 1 tight end and give you a massive weekly advantage at an unpredictable position, but he would've finished as the No. 4 wide receiver. So, if drafting a tight end early scares you, just think of him like a wide receiver who you can play in your tight end slot. He's worth a late first-round pick.
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24.
Patrick Mahomes II
QB - (at DEN)
We're now 46 games into Mahomes' career as a starter, and in those games he's totaled QB1-type numbers in 69.6 percent of them. There are just two other quarterbacks who've posted those over 59.5 percent of their career since 2000, and one was Justin Herbert who has just a 15-game sample size. When Mahomes is on the field, he's producing. The question is this: By drafting him in the early rounds, which running back or wide receiver are you passing on to get him, and is the dropoff more from the quarterback you'd get in the later rounds? If you wanted to draft Mahomes in the third round, you can, but know you're going to need to hit on a player or two later in your draft to make up the ground.
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28.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire
RB - (at DEN)
Not many realize that Edwards-Helaire was the No. 11 running back through six weeks without Le'Veon Bell on the roster. Even better, he was the No. 11 running back while scoring just once during that time. In fact, had he scored one more touchdown, he would've been the No. 6 running back through six weeks. Once they traded for Bell, though, it ruined the stable touches he was getting. With Bell gone and no one significant brought in this offseason, Edwards-Helaire should return to his 18-plus touch role in the offense. The Chiefs have rebuilt their offensive line this year, which should help make life easier on Edwards-Helaire, who did average a solid 4.44 yards per carry his rookie season. Touchdowns are what were lacking, but don't bet on that again in what's likely to be the No. 1 scoring offense in the NFL.
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143.
Mecole Hardman
WR - (at DEN)
We've watched Hardman be one of the most efficient wide receivers in the league over the last two years, but it hasn't meant much to fantasy managers. For whatever reason, Andy Reid hasn't used Hardman in a full-time role, which meant he saw fewer than five targets in 11-of-16 games last year. Now that Sammy Watkins is gone, does his role grow, or does Reid continue to use him sparingly. If we hear that Hardman is being taken off special teams, it would be a massive boost to his stock. There's certainly upside with him, but we need Reid to have a change of heart for it to be recognized.
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180.
Harrison Butker
K - (at DEN)
Butker had the worst fantasy season of his career, though it was hardly his fault. He set a career-high by hitting 92.6% of his field-goal attempts, including all four of his ones from 50 or more yards. The problem was largely the lack of volume, as he attempted just 27 field goals on the season after 38 the year before. Even with his "down" year, Butker remains one of the most accurate kickers in the game playing on an elite offense. He should be drafted as one of the first few kickers off the board, and managers should just hope the Kansas City offense stalls just a bit more before reaching the end zone.
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198.
Kansas City Chiefs
DST - (at DEN)
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201.
Darrel Williams
RB - (at DEN)
It's kind of crazy how fall Williams falls in drafts considering the offense he plays in. Should anything happen to Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Williams would step into a 15-touch role and be an every-week starter. He has very little until that happens, but that can be said about many handcuffs available. If you play in a league that has eight bench spots, Williams should have a spot at the end of it.
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248.
Jerick McKinnon
RB - (at DEN)
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331.
Demarcus Robinson
WR - (at DEN)
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344.
Byron Pringle
WR - (at DEN)
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394.
Cornell Powell
WR - (at DEN)
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430.
Darwin Thompson
RB - (at DEN)
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432.
Noah Gray
TE - (at DEN)
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514.
Antonio Callaway
WR - (at DEN)
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517.
Michael Burton
RB - (at DEN)
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534.
Blake Bell
TE - (at DEN)
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