X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Must-Have Players for PPR Leagues

jarvis landry fantasy football rankings NFL DFS lineup picks

Kev Mahserejian's must-have fantasy football PPR draft targets and sleepers. These are some of his favorite WR, RB and TE value picks for PPR scoring formats.

Given that PPR leagues have essentially taken over as the new standard format across fantasy football, this article may seem fairly redundant with other "must-have" pieces but nevertheless provides valuable information. PPR scoring is inherently flawed given that dump-off pass-catchers that do not impact the actual game heavily are overweight in value. We are not moving away from it as a community anytime soon, but just know that high-PPR scorers aren't always great football players.

For example, someone like Gus Edwards who is about to take on a larger workload in one of the NFL's best offenses may not be very relevant in PPR scoring. He could legitimately go for 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns while scoring fewer points per game than James White or Nyheim Hines. PPR is a tricky format because we are often enamored with pedigree but I am here to help.

Be sure to follow me (@RotoSurgeon) on Twitter for more work like this!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

PPR Running Backs

D'Andre Swift, Detroit Lions

ADP: RB17

Lions running back D'Andre Swift has received some unfair treatment of late due to a lingering groin issue. Reports have swirled about his status for Week 1 and whether he would be in "game shape" but from what practice reports suggest, he's been available and productive. The Lions have stated their preference for a running back committee loud and clear by signing Jamaal Williams and proclaiming him the "1A to Swift's 1B" but we can see through this.

Even if Jamaal Williams outcarries him, Swift will not only be one of the offense's top targets, but also the goal-line back. Swift as a rookie in 13 games scored eight touchdowns on the ground. Williams has 10 scores to show for his four-year career with 50 games played.

Swift is the clear-cut best RB in that room and will be productive when on the field this season by being one of the only receiving talents they possess. T.J. Hockenson is likely to receive the first look on targets and lead the offense but it is in the realm of possibility for Jared Goff to dump it to Swift plenty when trouble arises. Swift will be called upon plenty when the Lions are playing from behind as his 12% target share last season was only the beginning. The number 32 defense from last season can really only improve so much.

The big issue for Swift will be staying on the field due to recent injuries, but if he's healthy, expect massive production.

Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals

ADP: RB29

The Cardinals downgraded Edmonds' competition by allowing Kenyan Drake to walk and signing James Conner to act as the "lead" back. This is similar to the above situation with Swift and Williams where despite one player likely to lead the team in carries, the other is the actual RB1. This is very true for Arizona as well given that Edmonds is very talented and provides a versatile skillset that is only limited by his smaller frame. Performing on his touches is far less of an issue than how many he could exactly handle.

Also, Kenyan Drake's usage last season was egregious but it could be explained by the massive $8 million dollar transition tag he signed to stay in Arizona after breaking out in the second half of 2019. Conner is making $1.75 million this year which is less than a quarter of Drake's money. If Conner disappoints, he will not be given a similar length of rope and Edmonds will be provided an avenue for significantly increased touches.

Edmonds' targets (12% share) and yards-per-target jumped last season and cemented him as the Cardinals' scat-back at worst. Their defense (particularly secondary) is awful and could get worse if Chandler Jones is actually traded as he requested. The Cardinals will be playing catch-up in games or finding themselves in shootouts often.

 

PPR Wide Receivers

Jarvis Landry, Cleveland Browns

ADP: WR47

Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry is basically on a list like this every season. He is the description of "better in PPR" as his usage has always been massive and despite an inefficient start to his career, the past two seasons in Cleveland have worked wonders for his per-target numbers.

The most important thing to remember with Landry is that he was coming off hip surgery last offseason and it severely deterred the start of his season. Landry had just one game with more than 15 PPR points until Week 12! Landry finished the season strong with 369 yards on 44 targets in just five games with four total touchdowns to boot.

Even with Odell Beckham Jr. returning this season, we should expect Jarvis Landry to lead Cleveland in targets given his rapport with Baker Mayfield and the fact that OBJ is returning from a torn ACL.

Sterling Shepard, New York Giants

ADP: WR67

Giants slot receiver Sterling Shepard was unfairly played out of position as a perimeter WR last season due to the team's lack of receiving talent but he projects back into his happy place for 2021--the slot. Shepard is oft-forgotten as the WR2 in New York but has been as consistent as they come (when on the field). Over the course of his career, the lowest target share he held was 17.5% his rookie season which is very good in and of itself but it hit as high as 24% last year! Shepard's target share has cracked 20% three times over his five-year career.

The big issue with Shepard is staying on the field. Concussions are a massive concern but that is basically baked into his ADP. He's going off the board as a WR6 which is absurd considering that he's a WR3 when on the field. If he gets hurt, just drop him but take advantage of the games you can get. He's never played fewer than double-digit games and is just so, so cheap. Kenny Golladay's presence should help open up more of the field and allow the most room for Shep to operate since OBJ left.

Jamison Crowder, New York Jets

ADP: WR77

Jets wide receiver Jamison Crowder will be pressed for targets relative to recent years with the additions of Corey Davis and Elijah Moore but he remains one of the league's "premier" slot receivers who could also get traded to a team in need of his skillset. Keelan Cole was added as well, but he projects worse for competing targets as things stand.

If buying Crowder, you aren't buying what he is, rather what he could be elsewhere. He had 122 targets in 2019 and paced 119 last season but only played 12 games, making the 89 targets look less appetizing. Crowder is a target hog in the middle of the field and has a 25% target share over the past two seasons. That number is fit for a solid WR1, not a slot man. Expect that number to decrease wherever Crowder plays this season but still produce highly valuable PPR numbers.

 

PPR Tight Ends

Austin Hooper, Cleveland Browns

ADP: TE21

Browns tight end Austin Hooper was painted poorly by his 2020 season. He started off extremely slow but began to pick up his production until a mid-season appendectomy sidelined him for several weeks. He was nearly useless afterward and limited with more of a blocking role.

The Browns signed Hooper to the largest TE contract in free agency up to that point and will use him despite keeping David Njoku for one last (?) ride. Harrison Bryant is not very good and will be relegated to more of a blocking role while Hooper is on the field.

Also consider the team transition last offseason, lack of reps with Baker Mayfield, and a COVID-ravaged team trying to build early-season rapport. The team pass volume in Cleveland is not ideal, but Hooper did manage an 18.5% target share in a down year and was second on the team in targets despite missing three games.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Griffin Conine

To Have Shoulder Surgery On Tuesday
Luke Keaschall

Twins Prospect Luke Keaschall Suffers Broken Forearm
Logan Gilbert

Leaves Friday's Start With Forearm Tightness

Vikings Select Tai Felton To Finish Day 2

Seahawks Select Quarterback Jalen Milroe With The 92nd Pick Overall

Browns Select Dillon Gabriel 94th Overall

Packers Pick Savion Williams At No. 87 overall

Steelers Snag Kaleb Johnson In Round 3

Broncos Select Wide Receiver Pat Bryant With The 74th Overall Pick

Texans Select Jaylin Noel With 79th Pick

Lions Select Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa With The 70th Overall Pick
Jack Leiter

To Start On Sunday

Patriots Add Wide Receiver Kyle Williams In Round 3

Browns Draft Harold Fannin Jr. With 67th Pick
Garrett Mitchell

Makes Early Exit
Luke Keaschall

Removed Early On Friday
Blake Snell

Likely Avoids Major Injury
Cole Ragans

Dealing With Mild Groin Strain

Broncos Add RJ Harvey To Backfield With 60th Pick

Raiders Select Jack Bech With 58th Pick

Chargers Add Wide Receiver Tre Harris In Round 2
Detroit Lions

Lions Acquire 57th Pick From Broncos

Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Brendan Donovan

Back In Action On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Coby Mayo

Getting On A Roll At Triple-A
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF