Ask the Analysts: 16 Must-Have Players (2021 Fantasy Football)

Mike Tagliere, Kyle Yates, Joe Pisapia, and Dan Harris share their “guys” for the 2021 season. That’s right. Each analyst provides his must-have player at every position.

Sync your draft to our Draft Assistant for live pick by pick advice

1. Who is your must-have quarterback for fantasy purposes in 2021?

Lamar Jackson (BAL)
Do you know how many times Jackson has finished with fewer than 16.5 fantasy points since taking the starting job in 2019? Four. He’s posted 21.3 or more fantasy points in 22-of-30 games during that stretch, which is flat-out ridiculous. Since becoming the starter two years ago, he’s posted QB1-type numbers in 76.7 percent of his games. The only other quarterback who’s posted higher than 64.8 percent in their career is Patrick Mahomes, who’s sitting at 69.6 percent. On top of that, Jackson now got better weapons to throw to, yet some are ranking him as the fourth-best quarterback in fantasy? Not me. Jackson should be in the conversation to be the first quarterback off the board.
– Mike Tagliere

Matthew Stafford (LAR)
Perennially one of the most underrated QBs in the NFL, Stafford now has a new home in LA. On a prominent stage, I truly believe we’re about to see Stafford ascend this season into the top-5 QB conversation from the national media due to the numbers he could put up in this offense with Sean McVay. With the weapons he has around him now, plus the creative play-calling, Stafford ascending to a top-5 fantasy QB isn’t out of the realm of possibilities. He’ll need to put up crazy numbers in passing yardage and touchdowns due to his lack of rushing upside, but it’s certainly possible with his talent. His presence is going to mean fantastic things for this offense and he could end up being one of the best picks you make in fantasy this year due to his upside. The health is still a concern, but we know that Stafford’s going to gut through nearly anything and give it his all. He’s one of my favorite draft picks at the QB position later on in 2021 drafts.
– Kyle Yates

Dak Prescott (DAL)
Two years ago, Dak Prescott nearly threw for 5K yards. Last year, his first 4 games put him on pace to hit that number and beyond. He should be fully healthy after that Week 5 ankle injury and the Cowboys defense still leaves plenty to be desired. That makes Prescott and the Cowboys likely to light up the scoreboard again this season. My favorite part is that he;s the last of the “elite” QBs and is the cheapest in terms of draft capital. In single QB leagues, that makes Dak the perfect ROI to gain a massive advantage at the QB position.
– Joe Pisapia

Jalen Hurts (PHI)
Hurts has been the subject of much debate from our analysts, but I’m really having trouble seeing the downside. In his four games started last year, with an abysmal offensive line, no offensive playmakers, and in an offense designed to suit Carson Wentz, Hurts was the QB7. Now, he’s got an entire offseason to prepare as the starter, a smart coach in Nick Sirianni, and DeVonta Smith on board. Will Jalen Hurts be a stud real-life quarterback? I’m not ready to say that. But will he be a stud fantasy quarterback? The overwhelming likelihood is that he will. Given the incredibly high floor he offers with his legs, and the immense upside that he presents, he’s a player I need to have on some teams.
– Dan Harris

2. Who is your must-have running back for fantasy purposes in 2021?

Clyde Edwards-Helaire (KC)
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.
– Mike Tagliere

Joe Mixon (CIN)
Did you know that Joe Mixon has actually played more games than Dalvin Cook since they both came into the league in 2017? Yet somehow, Mixon gets labeled as an injury risk every single season, and Cook is being drafted as a top-3 pick this year. While Cook’s production when he’s on the field is certainly worthy of a top-3 pick, it goes to show the recency bias that comes into play for fantasy managers when they’re on the clock. When Mixon is on the field, he’s going to receive one of the heaviest workloads in the entire league. He’s one of the most talented RBs in the league and this offense is set to take a major jump in 2021 with Joe Burrow and his plethora of receiving weapons. If Mixon had been shut down immediately last season and put on IR when his injury occurred, we wouldn’t have this perception in our minds of him as a huge injury risk. However, because of Zac Taylor’s inconsistent commitment to Mixon returning to the lineup last year, fantasy managers have a bad taste in their mouths. There’s a possibility that no one in your draft will want to draft him until the 4th round. In that case, I can’t press the Draft button quickly enough in that range.
– Kyle Yates

Nick Chubb (CLE)
Nick Chubb is the star of the Browns offense. Everything they do revolves around Chubb being fed the football, including all that play action. Yes, Kareem Hunt is around, but Chubb asserted his dominance when he returned from injury and has a real show to challenge Derrick Henry for the rushing crown in 2021.
– Joe Pisapia

Najee Harris (PIT)
I see next to no downside with Harris. He’s incredibly talented, he’s a legitimate three-down running back, his team made no secret of their desire to draft him and used a first-round pick to do so, and his quarterback has declining arm strength which should result in plenty of work in the passing game. Yes, the Steelers’ offensive line was not good and almost certainly won’t be again this year. But Harris’s workload, and his likely role as a safety blanket for Ben Roethlisberger, should outweigh that. He was drafted to be an enormous part of the offense. Given his explosive ability, I’ll be reaching him for him in drafts, particularly with him going in the same range as many time-share and unexplosive options.
– Dan Harris

3. Who is your must-have wide receiver for fantasy purposes in 2021?

Julio Jones (TEN)
The public perception on Jones is that he’s towards the end of his career, but that’s not true. In fact, he averaged a career-high 11.3 yards per target during the 2020 season and was the WR13 in half-PPR points per game while ceding plenty of work to up-and-coming superstar Calvin Ridley. It’ll be a similar situation in Tennessee, as Jones will now play alongside what might be the next generation’s Julio Jones, and that’s A.J. Brown. Similar to Atlanta, Jones and Brown are going to cap each other’s truly elite ceiling, but as Jones and Ridley proved last year, it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibilities that they’re both top-12 wide receivers, especially when you factor in Ryan Tannehill‘s efficiency. Oh, and stop calling Jones injury prone – he’s played at least 14 games in seven of the last nine seasons, and has totaled at least 1,394 yards in six of the last seven seasons. You don’t do that if you’re injury-prone.
– Mike Tagliere

Ja’Marr Chase (CIN)
More and more college football WRs are coming into the NFL and making an immediate impact. Whether that was DK Metcalf a couple of years ago to Justin Jefferson on his path to breaking records last season, rookies are now firmly in the conversation for redraft leagues. Chase is coming into the NFL as a ridiculously talented prospect that landed in a near-perfect situation here in Cincinnati. He’s now reunited with his college QB, and this offense figures to pass the ball at a ridiculous rate again in 2021. With his opportunity in this offense, plus his talent, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Chase come out of the gates on fire and be a consistent starter for your lineup almost immediately. A top-15 finish is not a crazy thing to predict when it comes to this rookie wideout and he’s going to be drafted nowhere near that range. As a WR3 on your roster, Chase is an absolute must-have, in my opinion.
– Kyle Yates

CeeDee Lamb (DAL)
CeeDee Lamb was magic right from the start of 2020 with Dak Prescott. When Dak went down, Lamb still managed to haul in 74 receptions on 111 targets, with 935 yards and 7 TDs. Lamb is going to see a ton of volume for the Cowboys and carries the a better weekly floor than Amari Cooper, with an equal ceiling to him. We have only just begun to scratch the surface of his fantasy value.
– Joe Pisapia

Robert Woods (LAR)
It’s always Robert Woods. Because he doesn’t ever get the respect he deserves, and he produces. He has finished as the WR10, WR17, and WR13 in half-PPR formats in his three full seasons with the Rams. And now we give him a massive upgrade at quarterback with Matthew Stafford, which pushes his early ECR and ADP all the way up to . . . . WR18 and WR 19, respectively. Given his historical ADP, that’s likely where he’ll end up, and it’s a price I’m willing to pay pretty easily. Absent an injury, his floor is pretty much a top-20 receiver, and the ceiling is much, much higher.
– Dan Harris

4. Who is your must-have tight end for fantasy purposes in 2021?

Dallas Goedert (PHI)
Despite Zach Ertz on the roster and stealing tons of targets, Goedert has managed to rack up 1,131 yards and eight touchdowns over his last 26 games. Had Goedert played all 16 games in 2020, his pace would’ve been 762 yards and four touchdowns, which would’ve been good enough to finish as a top-10 tight end (again, with Ertz around). It seems like a foregone conclusion that Ertz will be off the team soon, which clears a path for Goedert to be among the league leaders in targets for a tight end. It’s a new offense, but Nick Sirianni comes from the Frank Reich tree, which has a history of producing tight end production. Goedert may not be a can’t-miss tight end, but if there’s someone who has top-five upside without being drafted there, it’s him.
– Mike Tagliere

Tyler Higbee (LAR)
Higbee’s certainly had his moments of relevancy in the past, but this was mostly occurring when Gerald Everett was out of the lineup. With Everett now completely out of the picture and in Seattle, plus no other proven commodities next to Higbee at the TE position in LA, there’s the potential that we see Higbee move back to being an integral part of this offense again this season. Matthew Stafford’s now in town and this offense could be on the verge of going nuclear with Stafford’s ability combined with Sean McVay’s play-calling. At the TE position in fantasy football, you’re simply looking for opportunity that can lead to upside. It’s going to be hard to find a player who has more upside later on in your drafts than Higbee in this dynamic offense, and you won’t have to pay a premium price for him.
– Kyle Yates

Jonnu Smith (NE)
Jonnu Smith was targeted this off-season by the Patriots and I believe he will have a major role in their offense this year. Mac Jones will play for this team sooner than folks think, and when he does, Smith will be his favorite target. Best of all, Smith is being drafted as a low-end TE1, making him an extreme value.
– Joe Pisapia

Logan Thomas (WAS)
If there were a poster child for Dan Harris at the tight end position, it would be Thomas. Beginning in Week 12 last year, Thomas averaged seven receptions, 60 yards receiving, and half a touchdown per game. Had he maintained that over a full season, he would have ended the year as the third-best tight end behind Travis Kelce and Darren Waller. The difference between Thomas’s early-season lull and late-season production was competent quarterback play, and he’ll now have a more pass-happy Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. So long as he continues to get targeted heavily in the red zone like last year, he’ll be a solid TE1 who is basically free in drafts.
– Dan Harris

Start your early draft prep with our Mock Draft Simulator

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio

Beyond our fantasy football content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – that optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football draft season.