Another fantasy football season is in the books.
We made it to the finish line through COVID outbreaks, a variety of injuries and plenty of surprises, so I wanted to take a look back at some of the “Heroes” and “Zeroes” from 2021.
The “Heroes” make up a few of the greatest overachievers, and while “Zeroes” may seem harsh, it rhymes with “Heroes” so I’m going with it! These are players who underwhelmed based on preseason expectations.
As always, hit me up with fantasy football questions any time on Twitter @AndyMc81 using #AskAndy
HEROES
Hunter Renfrow, WR, Raiders
Pre-season Ranking: 227th
Overall Ranking: 27th
Who would’ve thought back in September that a 5-foot-10, 185-pound slot receiver would end up as the 11th-best fantasy wide receiver in PPR formats? That’s what we have with Hunter Renfrow in Las Vegas. As one of the most consistent fantasy point producers, Renfrow was a target vacuum as Derek Carr tossed the rock his way 123 times. That resulted in 99 receptions, 1,025 yards and seven touchdowns.
The 2019 fifth-round pick was the type of early season waiver wire pickup that helped solidify a roster and lead it to the playoffs. Personally, I grabbed him in Week 2 for one of my teams. Renfrow also made two appearances in my weekly Sportsnet.ca articles as someone that needed to be added all the way back to Week 5.
Cordarrelle Patterson, RB/WR, Falcons
Pre-season Ranking: 54th
Overall Ranking: 26th
On a terrible Atlanta offence, Cordarrelle Patterson emerged as a shining light. The Swiss Army Knife weapon finally delivered on the fantasy hope that so many owners had been chasing for the better part of eight seasons. The dual position eligibility in some leagues was an added bonus as Patterson had more than 1,100 yards from scrimmage and found the end zone on 11 occasions.
The 30-year-old cooled off a bit the past three weekends, but still finished ranked between 26th and 30th overall depending on league type. The Falcons could look very different next fall, however, Patterson has certainly earned himself a key spot moving forward.
Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals
Pre-season Ranking: 107th
Overall Ranking: 7th
Coming off multiple knee ligament tears and surgery, proceeding with caution was the common theme when considering Joe Burrow as a fantasy quarterback to count on. Well, the knee held up just fine and the sophomore gunslinger turned in a QB5 performance through 17 weeks. There were some hiccups along the way, however Burrow thrived in the Bengals pass-heavy attack with a 34-to-14 TD-to-INT ratio as well as 4,611 yards through the air. Anyone who took a chance on drafting the 2020 No. 1 pick was rewarded handsomely considering his pre-season expectations. Long-term, Burrow’s knee and overall health will be something to track.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions
Pre-season Ranking: 206th
Overall Ranking: 63rd
It took until Dec. 5th for Amon-Ra St. Brown to bust loose on a lacklustre Lions squad. Those who were patient by stashing the rookie or grabbing him off waivers were rewarded with phenomenal output during fantasy season crunch time.
Somehow he catapulted to the second-highest-producing fantasy wideout in half-point-PPR leagues from Week 13 to Week 17 with Jared Goff and Tim Boyle as his quarterbacks. The USC alum saw at least 11 targets and inhaled eight or more of them during that stretch, which also saw him find the end zone five times.
As a versatile inside/outside threat, Detroit would be wise to funnel the ball St. Brown’s way as much as possible next season. Make it a focus to get him on your fantasy roster in 2022.
ZEROES
Chase Claypool, WR, Steelers
Pre-season Ranking: 36th
Overall Ranking: 143rd
The expectations on Chase Claypool’s rookie campaign were quite high. The 6-foot-4 physical phenom was a late-round steal in 2020 fantasy pools as he finished as a back-end WR2. However, whining on social media, ill-timed on-field celebrations plus an aging quarterback all led to a downward spiral in 2021. A shocking 41st amongst wide receivers in PPR and 143rd overall standing.
Instead of having a D.K. Metcalf-style sophomore breakout, Claypool delivered only four double-digit FPT outings and just a single touchdown. We’ll need to wait and see if the Canadian can shake his immaturity issues with a new signal-caller in Pittsburgh next season.
Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens
Pre-season Ranking: 18th
Overall Ranking: 26th
Lamar Jackson was the toast of the fantasy world as the top-ranked player and NFL MVP in 2019. However, we’ve now seen two straight seasons of performance decline. A dip to QB10 in 2020 and now QB14 in this most recent campaign.
Injuries definitely are a part of the drop, but that’s the risk that comes with being a run first pivot. His 13 interceptions to just 16 passing TDs are not the results managers were expecting when taking him on average as the fourth QB off the board. As long as his lower half is healthy, Lamar’s legs will always give him fantasy appeal. The question will be how effective he can be moving forward as defensive coordinators continue to adapt to the Raven’s skill set, and if he can stay on the field.
Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants
Pre-season Ranking: 16th
Overall Ranking: 142nd
Maybe it was blind hope for people to believe Saquon Barkley could rebound to his 2018/19 glory. Returning from a torn ACL, and behind a porous offensive line, Barkley got into a groove for consecutive games (Sept. 26 and Oct. 3). The rushing touchdowns in those two matchups would be his only of the season through this past weekend. The fourth-year pro suffered an ankle injury in Week 5 and put up borderline unusable RB28 numbers since coming back Nov. 22.
Changes are expected in the Giants front office, which means the vision of New York’s offence could change significantly. Whether that’s good or bad for Barkley remains to be seen. Either way, the former Pro Bowl rusher should not be considered in the first two rounds of fantasy drafts this summer.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys
Pre-season Ranking: 5th
Overall Ranking: 33rd
It’s not that Ezekiel Elliott is not a useful fantasy running back, it’s just that he’s no longer a top-three bellcow first-round draft pick like he once was. At 26, he transitioned into more of the first option in a backfield timeshare with Tony Pollard. Outside of a five-game stretch beginning in Week 2, Elliott produced five single-digit fantasy point days. Zeke’s nagging injuries plus general wear and tear, should make those looking to select him this August lower their expectations from years past.
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