Fantasy Football mock draft 2021: 5-Round PPR, 10-team

The 2021 Fantasy Football season is here so let’s celebrate with a massive one-man mock draft.

Fantasy Football has become its own animal.

When the NFL season came around once upon a time, people would simply be excited that football is back. The ability to wake up every Sunday and enjoy some of the best athletes in the world competing while cheering on your favorite team. And this is still very much the way for a lot of fans, but that has changed dramatically over the last decade especially. Now when it’s almost football season, people know that it is also almost fantasy season.

Fantasy Football has become the beast of the fall as fans indulge in season-long and daily formats, studying and picking players that will lead them to prizes and championships. As someone who has been doing this for nearly a decade and a half now, it seems to get better every single season. The players get better, the trash talk gets edgier, and the feeling of winning always gets better.

Not everything is a layup in fantasy as we know. Last year, the first two consensus picks in the draft didn’t even combine to play 10 games on the season. Nothing is a guarantee and that’s why we are here to give you a mock draft.

While we do not expect you to follow pick by pick, this insight should help you prepare for draft day no matter where you are selecting from. Five rounds, 10 teams, 50 picks. Let’s do this.

Round 1

1. Team 1

As much as things change in Fantasy Football, things stay the same. Another year has come where Christian McCaffrey is pound-for-pound the favorite to go first-overall and for good reason. In three games, McCaffrey totaled 90.4 PPR points. Incredible seeing that in two of those games, he would injure himself which would force him out for weeks last season.

After last season’s injury problems, some people are acting as though the star running back is now prone to injury. We don’t see that to be the case but rather this could be his best season yet as he tries to make up for the lost time. No one should go over McCaffrey in PPR fantasy drafts. No one.

2. Team 2

Once McCaffrey is out of the way, the first round gets interesting.

There are about five players who could go No. 2 this year. We believe Dalvin Cook is the one worthy of that spot. As the main force of the Minnesota Vikings offense, Cook’s touches are never in question. Whether it be on the ground or through the air, Cook has shown that he is one of the more special players in the entire league.

When it comes to Cook, you have to expect injury at some point. That’s just the beast. In the last two seasons, his injuries haven’t been too bad to keep him out for long periods of time which makes us confidently say that if you get 14 or more games from him, there’s a good chance you’re at least making the playoffs. Cook is a beast and should be picked as such.

3. Team 3

There is not a safer selection in the first round than Derrick Henry. This beast of a running back has only gotten better and better each season. Last year, he ran for over 2,000 yards while scoring 17 touchdowns. Many wondered if his lack of play in the passing game would hurt him in PPR leagues but after finishing as the third-best running back last year, there are no more worries.

Now with the addition of Julio Jones, Henry may be the one who benefits the most from that. It’s nearly impossible for any team to stack the box against Henry with Jones and A.J. Brown on the outside. This season should be historic for “King” Henry.

4. Team 4

There was no one better at the running back position last season than Alvin Kamara. Totaling 377.8 PPR points gave him a historic season and helped lead a number of teams to their championships. So why is he not going first, let alone in the top three? Drew Brees has retired and the “bad” games of Kamara’s season last year were when Taysom Hill was at the helm. If that happens again, we have to figure he won’t be putting up nearly 30 a week.

However, if Jameis Winston is given the starting job, we believe Kamara could get into the top three. Seeing that Winston has never been afraid to use his running back in the passing game, it could only help Kamara next season. He’s still a top-five pick either way but do not expect last year’s numbers.

5. Team 5

Yes, a tight end in the top five.

Travis Kelce is the difference-maker in Fantasy Football. So much so he warrants a first-round selection, possibly even in the top five. We know that people struggle to take a tight end early due to having to fill out the rest of the team in a difficult manner, but Kelce is worth every bit.

Kelce would have finished as the WR4 last season but instead is delivering these numbers in what is historically the worst position to fill in fantasy. Think about it this way: you could deal with the Evan Engram’s and Robert Tonyan’s of the world while filling the rest of your lineup first or you can pick Kelce and have a guaranteed advantage from the rest of the week every single outing. It’s up to you, but there are few we’d take before Kelce this year.

6. Team 6

The scariest pick of the first round goes to Saquon Barkley. Not because the talent isn’t there. Rather it is due to no one knowing how he will do this season.

Barkley has been vocal that while he feels good in his recovery, he’s not sure if he will be active in Week 1. That being said, he should not be someone you miss out on because of potentially missing a week. Barkley is a special talent that is only two years removed from going first overall in drafts.

With the New York Giants adding Kenny Golladay to the mix, there’s a chance that the focus will no longer only be put on the star running back by defenses. If that is the case, this should be a big season for Barkley as he returns from injury.

7. Team 7

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Well, in this case, it’s simply that better players have come while Ezekiel Elliott has seemingly shown a ceiling on his output.

While Elliott still has everything it takes to finish as the number one running back in fantasy, he seems to range outside of the top five moving forward with so much talent in the league. He’s still one of the more consistent players in all drafts which is a good thing if you aren’t feeling risky come draft day.

8. Team 8

Davante Adams’ fantasy season has been made with the arrival of Aaron Rodgers to Packers Training Camp. The moment Rodgers showed up, Adams’ spot as a first-rounder in all fantasy drafts became locked up.

Last year, Adams delivered an absurd 358.4 points in just 14 games. If Adams is able to play a full season, he could have one of the most impressive seasons in fantasy history. Those are lofty goals, but Adams has shown nobody can stop him.

Adams could begin to push the top five in drafts depending on how fantasy owners feel about Saquon Barkley heading into this season. Wouldn’t be a bad decision.

9. Team 9

Tyreek Hill has officially proven that he is more than just the “boom or bust” player that some had begun to call him. Rather Hill is one of the best all-around receivers in football and continues to show that his combination with Patrick Mahomes could be the best in the league. There’s not much more to say here than draft him because he is a game-changer on a week-to-week basis.

10. Team 10

Austin Ekeler has shown that he can be the lead back for the Los Angeles Chargers and in an offense that has lost Hunter Henry at tight end, his role as Justin Herbert’s safety blanket has only grown a bit more.

The Chargers tried to make Joshua Kelley a thing last year but that fell flat. Kalen Ballage was the one taking from Ekeler when he returned but with Ballage gone as well, this is the Ekeler show. He’s worth a first-round pick and could surprise people if he plays a full season this year.