Athlon Sports Football Bundle

Paying careful, daily attention to the stock market can be a painful exercise, especially in this uncertain climate. Wild fluctuations have been the norm this year (although the changes have mostly trended in one direction of late). It’s usually best for your mental health to keep your eyes trained on the big picture and not live or die with the daily oscillation. Fantasy owners don’t have that luxury. In this hobby — and let’s face it, at this point it’s more of a lifestyle than a hobby — paying close attention to those frequent (sometimes daily) fluctuations in a player’s value is essential. Rather than wait for the dust to settle, you need to know what insiders are saying about Trey Lance’s readiness to take over the 49ers’ quarterback position…

JONATHAN TAYLOR, RB, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS As far as who will finish as the No. 1 back, I think there are compelling cases to be made for Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry if you look past the injuries. But the No. 1 pick is really a question that asks: “Who do you feel safest about coming into the season?” And the guy who led the NFL in rushing yards by almost 600, led in rushing touchdowns by three and remained involved in the passing game to the tune of 51 targets is the answer. Jonathan Taylor will find himself with a new quarterback in Matt Ryan, but the Colts should continue using him as the main piece of their offensive identity. The weak AFC South should continue to let them ground-and-pound…

While plenty of NFL rookies are able to make an instant impact as soon as they enter the league, it sometimes takes a little longer for others to find their footing. Likewise, some players may not be able to maintain that initial level of success they enjoyed. So when it comes to the 2021 draft class, which key players are ready to break out (labeled as “sizzling” below); which could he headed for a bit of a sophomore “slump”; and which should hold “steady” from a fantasy standpoint? Here are some names that stand out in each category. SIZZLING SOPHOMORES Rashod Bateman WR, Baltimore Ravens Bateman’s opportunity is obvious with Marquise Brown traded to Arizona. Brown’s 146 targets from last season are up for grabs, and even if the Ravens sign…

Fantasy managers in redraft leagues get to start each season with a clean slate. However, players are often still dealing with injuries that linger from the previous season. Some NFL players have surgery in the offseason to clean up or fix injuries. These players are on the mend, and fantasy managers need to be aware that they may start the season on injured reserve (IR). Also, some of these players may have a slow start to the season due to the long rehab process. Keep an eye as the preseason progresses to see where some of these players should be drafted. DANIEL JONES QB, New York Giants Fantasy managers are still waiting for Jones to put together the season that the Giants think he is capable of. In three years…

QUARTERBACKS 1. KENNY PICKETT STEELERS ← PITT Pickett brings his small hands and big arm right next door from the Panthers’ facility to the Steelers — they share the same complex. Fumbles could be a problem as he works with the larger NFL ball, but he has the clearest shot to playing time of any of this draft’s quarterback prospects. After the draft, Mike Tomlin said he had a chance to start Week 1. It might not be pretty right away, but the Steelers have a good skill-position corps that should give Pickett QB2 streamer value if he doesn’t implode. 2. MALIK WILLIS TITANS ←LIBERTY This is a great landing spot for Willis, who has the highest upside of any quarterback prospect in this class. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like there…

In what has arguably been the wildest offseason ever, there has been a landslide of player movement since the start of the new NFL year in March. While some of it was expected because of free agency, there have been quite a few surprises involving several high-profile quarterbacks and two shocking trades that went down during the draft. There’s no way to cover everyone in a single article, but here are some key players in new uniforms and how the changes could impact their value this season (either for better or for worse). Note: For a deeper dive on quarterbacks Deshaun Watson, Carson Wentz and Russell Wilson please see “QB Stock Watch” on p. 32. DAVANTE ADAMS WR, Las Vegas Raiders A first-team All-Pro each of the past two seasons,…