Fantasy Football Player Notes
2021 Draft Rankings
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24.
Austin Ekeler
RB - (at LV)
In eight full games with Justin Herbert under center last year, Ekeler saw 63 targets. Over a full 16-game season, that amounts to 126 targets. While I don't expect him to get there, he's one of just two running backs (Christian McCaffrey is the other) who I'm projecting for 100-plus targets in 2021. Targets are worth twice as much as carries, so even if Ekeler winds up getting just 12 carries per game, it's not the end of the world. In fact, he can still finish as a borderline RB1 if he were to hit just 200 carries on the season. The new coaching staff obviously brings on some potential volatility, but there's not much other talent on the roster at running back, so his role should be very safe.
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33.
Keenan Allen
WR - (at LV)
Would you believe me if I told you that Keenan Allen failed to record 1,000 yards last season? It's true. Despite seeing 147 targets (5th in NFL), he finished with 992 yards (17th among wide receivers). The Chargers offense is surely going to change with Anthony Lynn out of the picture, so the hope should be that they'll utilize Allen down the field just a tad more to increase his numbers. The good news is that Justin Herbert clearly found his "go-to" receiver, targeting Allen 10-plus times on 10 separate occasions. He's an extremely safe WR2 based on volume alone, though it may be tough for him to get into the top-tier WR1 conversation seeing he's never scored more than eight touchdowns.
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73.
Justin Herbert
QB - (at LV)
What Herbert did in 2020 was miraculous. There's no two ways about it. To be handed the starting job just one hour before the game in Week 2, then go on to break the rookie record for passing touchdowns (31) is ridiculous. Now, with that being said, he still finished as the QB9 last year while throwing 595 pass attempts, the fourth most in the legaue. Now that he's got a defensive-minded head coach and a healthy defense, we could see the pass attempts dip a bit in 2021, which would certainly hurt his appeal. The Chargers did increase the talent on the offensive line, but also replaced Hunter Henry with Jared Cook, which is a certainly a downgrade. Herbert should still be a solid low-end QB1, but it's tough to see him finishing as a top-five option in 2021.
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91.
Mike Williams
WR - (at LV)
How often can you find a wide receiver being drafted outside the top 40 who's capable of posting WR1-type numbers? Williams fits that bill. He already has a 1,000-yard season on his resume. He also has a 10-touchdown season on it. He also happens to have one of the brightest young stars as his quarterback with little else on the depth chart outside of Keenan Allen. Health has been the biggest question mark for Williams, but once you're outside the top-40 wide receivers, there's hardly guaranteed production on the board, so take the upside.
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139.
Jared Cook
TE - (at LV)
If there's one thing Cook has going for him with the Chargers, it's that he knows the offense that's being installed by Joe Lombardi. Unfortunately, that's the only thing. He's now 34 years old, starting over with a new quarterback who certainly played favorites last year, and Hunter Henry wasn't even one of them. Prior to playing with Drew Brees, Cook had never topped six touchdowns in a season, so dialing back expectations would be wise. He could be a solid streamer in projected shootouts, but relying on him every week wouldn't be wise.
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195.
Justin Jackson
RB - (at LV)
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217.
Los Angeles Chargers
DST - (at LV)
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249.
Joshua Kelley
RB - (at LV)
He had his chance and likely blew it. Kelley acted as the early-down back for the Chargers last year, but wound up averaging more than 4.0 yards per carry just four times all season, including seven games averaging 3.1 or less yards per carry. Neither Justin Jackson nor Austin Ekeler had issues running behind the line, as both of them tallied 4.6 yards per carry. The Chargers also have a new coaching staff and drafted Larry Rountree in the 2021 draft, which could make Kelley expendable, or pushed down the depth chart.
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302.
Joshua Palmer
WR - (at LV)
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311.
Larry Rountree III
RB - (at LV)
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322.
Donald Parham Jr.
TE - (at LV)
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349.
Jalen Guyton
WR - (at LV)
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364.
Tristan Vizcaino
K - (at LV)
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492.
Tre' McKitty
TE - (at LV)
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549.
K.J. Hill Jr.
WR - (at LV)
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602.
Stephen Anderson
TE - (at LV)
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660.
Joe Reed
WR - (at LV)
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696.
Maurice Ffrench
WR - (at LV)
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732.
Jason Moore Jr.
WR - (at LV)
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735.
Austin Proehl
WR - (at LV)
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768.
Hunter Kampmoyer
TE - (at LV)
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868.
Chase Daniel
QB - (at LV)
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