Fantasy Football 2021: 10 Sleeper Picks Poised For Breakout Season
Don't undervalue your late-round picks
So much of the fantasy football season can be decided by the early-round picks — hence the collective groan from anyone in the bottom third of the draft order when it’s announced in your league’s group chat.
For that reason, you probably already know who you’ll take when you’re on the clock in the first several rounds.
But don’t focus solely on those rounds, as depth is what truly can make a difference down the line. There are plenty of so-called sleeper picks who might fall to the later rounds but could have a major impact for managers looking for a title this season.
In no particular order, here are 10 players worth a look in the later rounds of the draft:
WR Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots
This one might seem like an obvious pick for any Patriots fans, but Meyers easily could slip down draft boards, especially in leagues backed by varied fandoms.
New England beefed up its pass-catching depth this offseason, with Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne coming to Foxboro. But Meyers has proven himself to be worthy of a role in the unit through his two previous seasons in New England. He had 58 receptions and 722 receiving yards through the final 11 weeks of the 2020 regular season (when he saw an increased role due to N’Keal Harry’s injury) and ranked 15th in the NFL in both categories over that time span.
TE Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
The Bears drafted Kmet 43rd overall last year, but he didn’t necessarily live up to that draft slot as Chicago opted to use veteran Jimmy Graham more. The rookie saw more action toward the end of the season, starting five of Chicago’s last six games. He finished with 243 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
RB Xavier Jones, Los Angeles Rams
The prognosis for Jones’ second year in the league originally looked like a repeat of his rookie year, when he didn’t see any time on offense and played 41 percent of snaps on special teams. But when Cam Akers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, the SMU product immediately moved into the second slot on the Rams’ depth chart behind Darrell Henderson — who saw 783 total yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns as the RB2 last season.
QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Taking Burrow as a starter is risky, but he’s precisely the type of player you want to target with a mid-to-late-round selection. The 2019 Heisman Trophy winner was solid as a rookie before an ACL tear prematurely ended what had the potential to be a great debut campaign. His production last season makes him worth a pick, and considering the Bengals added weapons around him in the offseason, he’s a good investment yet again.
TE Irv Smith Jr., Minnesota Vikings
With Kyle Rudolph now a New York Giant, the Vikings desperately need someone to fill a major offensive hole. Based on reports out of training camp, the next man up may be Smith. Vikings brass hasn’t been secretive about it, either — offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak told reporters the third-year pro should see “more opportunities.” NFL Network’s Cynthia Frelund predicts Smith will be among the top 10 players at the position by the start of the season.
If you’re drafting early, get in on Smith before the buzz picks up.
WR Russell Gage, Atlanta Falcons
Gage was consistent in a career year in 2020, with 786 yards and four touchdowns on 72 receptions — and that was when he was buried on a depth chart behind Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. With Jones on to the Tennessee Titans, there’s plenty of room for Gage to be a valuable option for both quarterback Matt Ryan and your fantasy team.
QB Daniel Jones, New York Giants
Just a reminder we’re talking sleepers here, not necessarily QB1s. But Jones is a legitimate option to keep your team competitive when your starter is on a bye.
He was good for nearly 3,000 passing yards and 11 touchdowns last season, but that was with star back Saquon Barkley on the bench due to a torn ACL suffered in Week 2. While Barkley may not be ready to return for Week 1, he’s expected to play a huge role for most of the 2021 season. In the interim, Jones will have Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard and Rudolph to lead a receiving corps.
TE Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers
It would be hard for Tonyan to put together another run like he did last season when he scored a whopping 11 touchdowns despite having just 52 receptions and 586 yards. Still, entering his fourth year in the league, Tonyan has proven that he can be trusted as a valuable receiving option for Aaron Rodgers.
RB James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars
Robinson put up a strong showing as a rookie in 2020, rushing for 1,070 yards with seven touchdowns to go with 344 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. At first, it was unclear whether that will be enough to have him atop the Jaguars’ leaderboards in a new-look offense headed by quarterback Trevor Lawrence and first-round pick Travis Etienne. But with the rookie back out for the season, Robinson is a reliable selection who should fall down draft boards.
WR Tre’Quan Smith, New Orleans Saints
A certain author of this article may have been banking on last season being the big campaign for Smith, and he showed flashes of what he’s capable of in 2020 when he posted at least 42 yards in seven of 14 games, including an 86-yard outing and a two-touchdown, 54-yarder, too.
With Michael Thomas reportedly looking at a four-month recovery from ankle surgery he had in June (after an inconsistent 2020), Smith is worth a look in 2021.
