Here at Dynasty Football Factory, we just can’t wait for NFL Week 1. We’ve been working hard all offseason to break down all 32 teams and provide the best possible analysis to help you manage your teams and navigate your drafts, but we aren’t finished quite yet!
This article will be the third of twelve, counting down the days until we can once again sit and watch this sport that we love (and dominate our fantasy leagues in the process). Each article will have a numeric theme, which will also count down as each day ticks the calendar. In this piece, I’ll be discussing the top-10 players who will increase their dynasty value in the 2021 NFL season. So, without further ado, I am thrilled to bring you DFF’s 2021 “Kickoff Countdown”!
NUMBER 10
Shout out to Pele, the best to ever wear the number 10 in sports history. The tenth player that will gain value throughout the season is specific to Superflex leagues, and he also happens to wear the number. Next season, Jordan Love’s value will skyrocket from where he is currently being valued. The best thing about this bet is it’s even better if Love doesn’t play a snap this season to see the increase.
NUMBER 9
Boston’s “The Big Dig” tunnel system was named after the legendary Ted Williams. The ninth player that will increase in value throughout the season also won’t play a snap in the 2021 season but is a player you should target early if your team struggles. The Rams’ stud running back Cam Akers‘ value is severely depressed compared to where it will be in the upcoming offseason. Young players like Joe Burrow, Christian McCaffrey, and Saquon Barkley suffered season-ending injuries in 2020, yet maintained their value the following startup season. Go and buy Akers before your league mates can.
NUMBER 8
Rest in peace, Kobe Bryant. Just as Kobe dominated the NBA during the early LeBron James era, this is a player that shattered James’s high school football records. Parris Campbell broke all of LeBron James’s high school football records at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, OH. He went on the be a star receiver at Ohio State University and was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. In 2021, he will finally put together a healthy and productive season, and his value will shoot back up to where it was before his first NFL injury occurred.
NUMBER 7
Christiano Ronaldo has scored more goals in professional soccer than any other player, ever. Noah Fant has similar lofty goals of breaking out as a top tight end option, and with Teddy Bridgewater named the starting quarterback, this paves the path for Fant to do just such. His performance this season can increase his value so much that we consider the fantasy tight ends from having a big three to having a big six.
NUMBER 6
Speaking of six, no one in American Sports history achieved the type of success that Bill Russell achieved with the 1950s and 1960’s Boston Celtics. T.J. Hockenson will achieve a similar type of value increase, but it won’t be in making the Detroit Lions great. He will be the number one target in the Lions’ passing game, and though it won’t be flashy, he will put up the raw numbers that make fantasy tight ends deep again.
NUMBER 5
“Anything is possible!” was shouted by this great power forward after finally clinching his first NBA Championship in 2008. With Kyle Pitts anything truly is possible. While some see the consensus TE4 as jumping the shark, I’m going to take the optimistic view. Pitts will have an amazing rookie campaign and can become the first consensus round-one startup pick since Travis Kelce.
NUMBER 4
Brett Favre at one point in time held nearly every NFL passing record known to man, he would have even more if he was slinging it to this up-and-coming receiver. Darnell Mooney will take a major step in his second season. This is the first time he will have a full offseason to prepare, he will have a vastly improved quarterback targeting him (though it, unfortunately, won’t be Brett Favre). And he will have a head coach, fighting to keep his job. Mooney could cut his positional ranking of 49th in half with a stellar season.
NUMBER 3
No single player changed the way basketball was seen from a cultural perspective than the great Allen Iverson, who brought hip-hop culture into the NBA. Jerry Jeudy will have a similar impact on the way the receiver position is viewed. His elite body control and ability to change direction will be seen as a clear way to beat defenders. Jeudy will mark the turning point when route running will shift from running clean precise routes into having the ability to improvise and go off-route. Because of this, his value will skyrocket up from his current late WR2 status.
NUMBER 2
Derek Jeter was the face of the most recognizable American sports franchise in the world when he played. Justin Fields will use the 2021 campaign to become the face of the Bears franchise and bring the organization to New York Yankees level class. Justin Fields will see an incredible increase in value. His value is still a bit depressed until he becomes the starting quarterback over Andy Dalton. This situation is very similar to the Houston Texans adamantly starting Tom Savage over Deshaun Watson. Within a half, Watson became the starter. Fields may have to wait a bit longer as Dalton is a better quarterback talent than Savage was, but we all know that Fields is ready when his number is called.
NUMBER 1
No player changed the NFL more than the Atlanta Falcon’s first-round selection in 2001. Michael Vick popularized the rushing quarterback on the national scale in the NFL, Rondale Moore will popularize the undersized NFL player with his play in 2021. Rondale Moore will see the highest value increase among all fantasy football players throughout the season. He will always have defenders bracketing or shadowing DeAndre Hopkins, and the defense also must respect Kyler’s rushing ability. Moore’s dynamic athleticism in terms of his sub-4.3-second 40-yard dash, over 42″ vertical leap, and sub-4-second 3-cone quickness will be on show in the open field. His playstyle will also have fantasy football players enamored, which will inflate his value further.
Thank you for reading my article, and be sure to tune in tomorrow for day nine of this countdown. Tomorrow, our very own Chris Miles will be breaking down the Nine Hardest Players to Project. You can also follow me on Twitter @DynastyDiagnos1 and reach out with any questions, comments, or ideas you’d like me to explore for a new article.
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