NFL Fantasy Breakout Candidates
There are NFL Fantasy surprises every season. Breakout candidates for the 2021 NFL Fantasy season are plentiful. There are players set to benefit from a change of scenery. Others will get the boost of a new coach or just the natural development of building NFL experience.
While there are stalwarts atop the NFL Fantasy hierarchy, many players will see their Fantasy stock change from season to season. Below the best fantasy football quarterbacks, there are players who can fluctuate from average to top tier. The same goes for tight ends, wide receivers and running backs.
5 Fantasy Football Breakout Candidates
Here are five NFL names who could be heading for a Fantasy breakout in 2021.
Matthew Stafford
Can it count as a breakout when you’re heading into your 13th season? Matthew Stafford’s inclusion is bending the rules a little, but departing the mediocrity of Detroit for the inventive offense of the Rams should see a real leap in his Fantasy production.
Stafford and the Rams are going to be a real threat in 2021. The offense will have more weapons. Stafford and Jared Goff, an inferior quarterback, had the same Fantasy points per game last season. There should be a chasm between the two in 2021.
Having only broken the 30-touchdown mark once since 2011, Stafford should be setting career-high numbers across the board next season. Don’t be surprised to see him rivalling the league’s best Fantasy QBs.
Joe Mixon
Injury robbed us of what could have been a big 2020 from Joe Mixon. Returning in 2021, Mixon and Joe Burrow should lead a fun Cincinnati Bengals offense.
Mixon was unspectacular in 2019, finishing 11th in total RB Fantasy points. This Bengals team is barely comparable to then, though, and it’s reasonable to expect an improvement to Cincy’s run blocking during this offseason.
Capable of mixing a heavy workload with big plays, Mixon has a shot at breaking into the top five Fantasy running backs in 2021.
CeeDee Lamb
CeeDee Lamb’s rookie year was derailed, like Dallas’ season, by the injury to Dak Prescott. His production early in the campaign signalled a Fantasy star, but Prescott’s absence saw Lamb’s numbers plummet.
Barring a shock move this summer, Prescott is returning to the Cowboys for 2021. Lamb has a chance to be a star in Dallas’ stacked offense, even with Amari Cooper and Ezekiel Elliott demanding plenty of the ball.
Van Jefferson
Again riding the excitement of this Rams offense, Van Jefferson has serious Fantasy breakout potential. Jefferson is in the shadow of higher-profile teammates, but he’s proven himself as a talented pass catcher since being selected in the second round.
Most Fantasy drafts will not pay attention to Jefferson. He’s a borderline WR3 for the Rams. With Stafford’s willingness to bomb downfield, though, Jefferson’s pass-catching talent could reap serious rewards for Fantasy players.
The talent is there. A new quarterback and departing positional rivals should create new opportunities. Keep an eye on Jefferson in 2021.
Read More: Best Fantasy Football Wide Receivers
Dallas Goedert
It’s all change in Philly. Jalen Hurts is under center. Carson Wentz has departed, Zach Ertz is leaving and the offense is getting a rebrand. Dallas Goedert, however, remains, and he could be Hurts’ go-to guy in the 2021 season.
Top tight end production relies on quantity of targets. Unlike explosive receivers, tight ends are unlikely to put up massive numbers per reception. Goedert needs to be used often by Hurts, and that looks like a realistic proposition.
High-scoring fantasy football tight ends in recent years have usually benefited from being on an offense without star receivers. That’s the position Goedert will be in next season.