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

Early-Season Fantasy Outliers to Forget?

Aaron Rodgers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Targets, NFL Injury News

A lot has changed since Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season, especially in fantasy football. Rishi looks at the biggest outliers from the season opener and identifies major risers and fallers since then.

We are now five weeks into the 2021 NFL campaign. Teams are starting to stand out while others look like they should be jockeying for draft positions--already. The 2021 season has been off to a rousing start and Week 1 feels so far back in the rearview mirror.

Oftentimes, Week 1 is more of an experimental week where teams get a feel for their chemistry and shake off the rust. Therefore, some performances may not be reflective of what’s to come.

That certainly applies to this season where some players’ Week 1 performances now seem like an aberration. Let’s break down some players and headlines that seemingly fooled us into thinking what their fantasy stock was after Week 1.

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

 

Mike Evans Lays A Dud, Super Bowl Hangover?

Mike Evans was the odd man out in the shootout with the Cowboys in Week 1. The talented receiver laid a dud right off the bat with only three receptions for 24 yards on six targets while his teammates thrived.

That may have been a “shake off the rust” week as the 28-year-old has been on a tear ever since. He has produced at least 75 yards in the following four games while notching two contests with over 100 yards in that span. Evans is now showcasing why he’s a top receiver in the league once again and is back on pace for another 1,000-yard season. 

 

Ezekiel Elliott Runs Nowhere and Dak Prescott Keeps on Flinging

Referring to that same game, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott threw for a season-high 58 times and 403 yards while Zeke only rushed for 33 yards. Could that have been a sign that Zeke was on the decline and the Cowboys would have to rely on Dak to throw more after returning from injury?

Well apparently not, as the Cowboys have thankfully become more balanced since Week 1. Elliott has rushed for at least 71 yards in the last four games, while also posting over 100 rushing yards in the last two games.

Meanwhile, Prescott hasn’t thrown the pigskin more than 32 times in a single contest since Week 1 but has still posted respectable numbers. The Cowboys also haven’t lost since Week 1 and will look to continue rolling in a weak division (again).

 

Eli Mitchell Strikes Gold and Takes the League By Storm

Ah yes, Elijah Mitchell. The most popular fantasy pickup after Week 1. Who knew what would lie ahead for him after that Week 1 flash of talent. It was warranted since Raheem Mostert went down for the season and the rookie posted 19 carries for 104 yards and a score against the Lions. Nevertheless, Mitchell has been a huge fantasy bust since Week 1, as he has played only two games since then in which he posted no more than 43 yards in any contest. While he appears to have regained starter status over Trey Sermon, it’s safe to say the Elijah Mitchell hype train has long disappeared into the distance at this point.

 

Ty'Son Williams: Leader of the Baltimore Rushing Attack

With the Ravens unluckily hit by the injury bug in terms of their RB room, it seemed undrafted player Ty’Son Williams would be destined for the workhorse back role after a Week 1 in which he had nine rushes for 65 yards and a score. 

Nevertheless, after a Week 2 in which he posted 77 rush yards, Williams has disappeared into oblivion as he managed only 28 yards total after that while also needing to fend off former RB1s Latavius Murray, Le’Veon Bell, and Devonta Freeman, all of whom are on the Ravens now. 

 

Melvin Gordon A Mile Higher Than Javonte Williams

Managers knew rookie Javonte Williams was a threat to veteran Melvin Gordon III in the Broncos backfield heading into 2021. However, it seemed managers could breathe a (brief) sigh of relief after Gordon posted 11 carries for 101 yards and a score in Week 1 while Williams only had 45 rushing yards. 

Afterward, the numbers have been the same for both backs and reflective of a true committee approach. Both backs have received a similar number of carries and posted similar rushing numbers in the last four weeks. While it seemed Gordon may have had the upper hand after Week 1, it seems to be the opposite as both backs are chewing at each other’s fantasy values instead.

 

Aaron Rodgers Starts off Cold as the Tundra

After all the offseason drama surrounding the Packers, they started off 2021 by getting pummeled by... Jameis Winston and the Saints?! Yes, it holds true as the Saints routed Green Bay 38-3 in which the real question was whether Rodgers’ heart was still in Green Bay and what not.

Well, he did post a terrible 133 yards and two picks in that contest but that has been ancient history ever since because the generational QB has erased any doubts about his talents and commitment to the team by posting at least 245 yards in the following four contests with 10 touchdowns to only one pick. Looks like Green Bay is once again an NFC contender and Rodgers is as sharp as usual. 

 

Mark Ingram II Gallops His Way to RB1

The Houston Texans were a mess in the backfield (and as a team) heading into 2021, but it seemed veteran Mark Ingram II could be the leading back after a Week 1 performance that saw him get 26 carries for 85 yards and a score while Phillip Lindsay only had eight carries for 25 yards and David Johnson recorded three carries for 10 yards. 

Well, that was a false sense of hope for Ingram because he hasn’t posted more than 16 carries or 41 rushing yards in any contest after. Though he still paces the team in rushing yards, the weekly production has been nowhere near strong enough for fantasy.



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

Connor McDavid

Totals Three Points In Game 3 Win
Johnathan Kovacevic

Exits Early Friday
Seth Lugo

Tosses Eight Shutout Innings In Friday's Win Over Houston
Sam Montembeault

Suffers Lower-Body Injury Friday
Logan Thompson

Exits Loss With Injury
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez Will Throw A Bullpen On Sunday
Brandon Hagel

Suspended For Game 3
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
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
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
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