2021 Fantasy League Winners
No matter the format or league size there is one constant in fantasy football, we want to win! Yes it is just a game and meant to be fun and generate interest in the NFL. However deep down we all want to win, don’t deny your inner feelings its okay to admitted it. One lesson I have learned over my years of playing fantasy football is the matchups are key. Yes star players may perform in bad matchups. Most of all the other players are what win you your leagues though, being able to narrow down the best matchups can win you games and your championship.We are still early into the season as training camps have just opened up. However I want to lay out a few players who could be fantasy league winners in 2021.
Build Your Own Projections!
Using the knowledge we have today on roster construction and theoretical opportunities, I took to PFF to see what teams strength of Schedules (SOS) looked like. Now using a SOS metric this early is hard due to it mostly being based off last season. As a result this is subject to change. Lets dive in and see who we should be targeting!
Trevor Lawrence- QB (Jacksonville Jaguars) 
Starting out of the gate we can expect some bumps in the road for this generational talent. However as weeks 14-16 roll around I expect him to be playing at a high level. With this being said he has the third easiest SOS metric for quarterbacks according to PFF. He draws Tennessee, Houston and then the New York Jets in championship week. The Jets rank as the easiest of the three which could help him produce a big performance for you in championship weekend. Dj Chark is a proven 1000 yard receiver looking to bounce back. Laviska Shenualt is set to breakout in his second season with the team. They also added Marvin Jones and Travis Etienne into the mix. We saw a rookie last season in Jacksonville help managers win leagues in James Robinson, so why can’t Lawrence make it two years in a row!
JK Dobbins- RB (Baltimore Ravens) 
Dobbins proved last year that he has all the skill in the world and can perform against any team the Ravens face. Now in year two he is set to split the backfield with Gus Edwards. This is not a perfect scenario, but has allowed his value to drop slightly. Dobbins when given the opportunity late last year and produced RB10 numbers averaging 16.6 ppr points per game from weeks 13-17. Taking all of this into account and looking at this years SOS metric Dobbins has a chance to repeat his fantasy playoff performance. Facing the fourth easiest SOS for running backs currently from weeks 14-17. He will face the Browns, Packers, and Bengals. The Bengals being the easiest of the three in championship weekend. At his current value its hard to call him a league winner but going as the RB15 in startups currently he could be your RB2 who produces RB1 numbers in the playoffs.
Terry Mclaurin- WR (Washington Football Team)
Mclaurin has already established himself as a true number one wide receiver in the NFL. He has done this with little talent at the quarterback position. Now insert a quarterback upgrade in Ryan Fitzpatrick, who has always loved his teams WR1. He was second in the NFL in deep ball completion percentage at 56.5% and number one while under pressure at 60%. Fitzpatrick has also provided three top 10 wide receivers in his career. Most recently DeVante Parker in 2019. Taking all of this into account and looking at the SOS metric, things start looking very nice. The Football Team has the second easiest SOS in weeks 14-17 for wide receivers. They face the Cowboys, Eagles and Cowboys. These games should mean something for all these teams and could be potential shoot outs. This is a formula for huge production out of Mclaurin, leading you to win your championship! So on draft day don’t forget to consider Scary Terry!
Noah Fant- TE (Denver Broncos)
Fant is coming off a year where he finished as the TE9, however he was TE7 in the fantasy playoffs. Averaging 10.8 PPR points a game. The biggest thing for any playmaker in Denver has always been the poor quarterback play. This year the Broncos set out to address that as they brought in a very accurate Teddy Bridgewater. With an improvement at the quarterback position I can see Fant taking a step forward in year three. With multiple guys return from injury this improved offense should produce more points and yards. Taking all of this in consideration we can look at the SOS metric and see that the Broncos face the third easiest SOS for tight ends in weeks 14-17. They get the Lions, Bengals and Raiders, these games could mean a lot to the Broncos. I can also see them being high scoring games, in turn more production for Fant. If you miss on the big four at TE make sure you don’t leave your draft without Fant!
