Redrafting The 2021 Rookie Class: Round 1

With the NFL season ending last night, the off-season is officially in full swing! This is the perfect time for dynasty managers to start looking forward to next season and their rookie drafts. Before we proceed to the 2022 off-season, let’s look back and correct the 2021 rookie draft. I’ll be going through each round, and Redrafting The 2021 Rookie Class.

Rules for this 3 round redraft: I will be making these picks as if it was a PPR, 1 Quarterback league. Let’s dig right into the first round.

Round 1

1.01: Ja’Marr Chase

WR Bengals 21 y.o.

Congratulations to the managers who drafted the LSU product and held onto him during his preseason drop phase. Ja’Marr Chase finished his historic rookie campaign posting a ridiculous stat line of 81 receptions, 1,455 receiving yards, and 13 receiving touchdowns! Chase is being considered at the 1.01 in many startup drafts making him a no-brainer selection at the 1.01 in this redraft.

1.02: Kyle Pitts

TE Falcons 21 y.o.

Was Kyle Pitts a disappointment this season? Perhaps for where you drafted him, but dynasty leagues are a whole different animal than redraft! Pitts had a historic rookie season for a tight end finishing with 68 receptions, 1,026 yards, and one touchdown. All fantasy managers understand the scarcity at the tight end position, and what an advantage a dominant tight end can give a team over the competition. The 6’6 Florida product fits the bill as the next great fantasy tight end! I would take Pitts at the 1.02 and pencil him in for my weekly starter at tight end for the next 10 years!

1.03: Najee Harris

RB Steelers 23 y.o.

Last year’s consensus 1.01 finds himself sliding down to 1.03 in this redraft. Which is absolutely crazy right? Najee Harris did not disappoint in his rookie season rushing for 1,200 yards and seven rushing touchdowns. Mike Tomlin has historically given his bell-cow running back a ton of work, and this season was no different. He recorded 307 rushing attempts and 74 receptions this season propelling him to a 300 point fantasy season! Harris at 1.03 is a fantastic value.

1.04 Javonte Williams

RB Broncos 21 y.o.

Javonte Williams played very well in limited touches this season. Williams shared the backfield with NFL veteran Melvin Gordon in almost a dead even 50/50 split. All Williams owners are praying that Gordon goes and plays football somewhere other than Denver next season. This would allow him to soar up fantasy rankings. In a 50/50 split this season, Williams was really impressive, recording 1,219 total yards, and seven total touchdowns. The sky is the limit for Williams once Gordon departs from Denver.

1.05 Jaylen Waddle

WR Dolphins 23 y.o.

I was debating on taking Jaylen Waddle at 1.04 but opted to take a running back due to the scarcity at the position. That is no knock on the former Alabama product, as he broke Anquan Boldin’s rookie record of 101 receptions, finishing with 104 receptions. Waddle might not have even hit his ceiling yet! The Dolphins opted to use Waddle out of the slot for roughly 43% of his snaps. There is a good chance the next head coach will see the immense potential they have in Waddle’s big-play ability and put the receiver out wide next season.

1.06 DeVonta Smith

WR Eagles 23 y.o.

DeVonta Smith might be the best college football wide receiver of all time. After being selected 10th overall to the wide receiver needy Philadelphia Eagles, Smith was productive, accumulating 64 receptions, 916 receiving yards, and five receiving touchdowns. In fantasy terms, it was a little shaky for Smith in his rookie season. He finished the season as WR29, scoring a total of 185.60 PPR points. Solid numbers for a rookie receiver, but where Smith struggled was with consistency.

The Eagles receiver scored 10+ points in eight games this season and left you disappointed in eight games scoring less than 10 points. This is not a knock on Smith’s talent, rather a knock on his situation. The Eagles wound up leading the league in rushing and Jalen Hurts had his struggles as a passer. If the Eagles move off Hurts and get one of the elite veteran quarterbacks that are available, Smith would easily shoot up these rankings.

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1.07 Elijah Mitchell

RB 49ers 23 y.o.

One of the biggest surprises in the football world this season was the emergence of Elijah Mitchell. When Raheem Mostert went down in Week 1, many assumed that 49ers 3rd round pick, and fellow rookie, Trey Sermon, would take over the starting role. Wrong. Kyle Shanahan opted to go with 6th round rookie Elijah Mitchell and it seems to have worked out just perfect. Mitchell took advantage of the starting opportunity and went on to record 963 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns in just 11 games.

When healthy, Mitchell was a fantasy stud, averaging 15.65 PPR points (excluding Week 18). Late in the season, Shanahan decided to use Deebo Samuel as a running back also. If Mitchell is able to dominate the carries and take full control of the backfield as he did during the regular season, then his value at 1.07 is fantastic.

1.08 Travis Etienne

RB Jaguars 23 y.o.

This pick is risky, taking a chance on a player who has not played in the NFL yet over rookies who have had success already. Travis Etienne was selected 25th overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars, to pair him with his college quarterback, Trevor Lawerence. Etienne suffered a Lisfranc injury on his left foot, costing him his entire rookie season. James Robinson, the other Jaguar running back suffered a torn Achilles late in the season, opening the door for Etienne to rule this backfield in the 2022 season. With an opportunity to dominate the touches in the Jaguars backfield next season, expect the former first-round pick to produce solid RB2 numbers.

1.09 Amon-Ra St.Brown

WR Lions 22 y.o.

90 receptions, 912 receiving yards, six total touchdowns, and finishing as the WR21, Amon-Ra St.Brown had a rookie season to remember! From Weeks 13-18, St. Brown dominated, racking up 151.1 PPR points! That is about 25.2 points per game! D’Andre Swift and T.J. Hockenson were both out for most of St. Brown’s incredible stretch of games. If St.Brown can carry over his late-season dominant stretch he will be the steal of this draft class.

1.10 Elijah Moore

WR Jets 21 y.o.

Much like the pick before, Elijah Moore had his great run of games this season. From Weeks 7-13, Moore was great for fantasy averaging 17.6 points per game. Moore was placed on the IR with a quad injury following his Week 13 game versus Philadelphia. Moore proceeded to miss the rest of the season with this quad injury but should be 100% healthy for the start of Training Camp in 2022. He should continue to be an effective receiver for Zach Wilson next season.

1.11 Michael Carter

RB Jets 22 y.o.

The Jets took North Carolina running back Michael Carter in the 4th round of the 2021 NFL Draft to try and solidify the running back position. When Carter got over 50% of the snaps for the Jets, he was a productive fantasy running back. Some of Carter’s games were not very efficient on the ground, averaging under 3.5 YPC in half of his games. Even with poor efficiency in some games, Carter seemed to salvage his fantasy days with receptions or touchdowns. Carter will most likely be the lead back for the Jets next season, I expect him to produce mid to low RB2 numbers next season with the potential for more.

1.12 Rashod Bateman

WR Ravens 22 y.o.

Rashod Bateman was not that much of a fantasy factor this season, but he did show flashes of being a reliable wide receiver in years to come. Bateman missed the first five weeks of the season with a groin injury. In the 12 games he played, he recorded 46 receptions, 515 receiving yards, and one touchdown. Superstar quarterback, Lamar Jackson, missed six games in the back half of the season which ultimately derailed Baltimore’s season. With a healthy Jackson, and an entire offseason to work together, Bateman has the potential to be a strong fantasy wide receiver next season and for seasons to come.

Round 2 – Coming soon

2 Comments on “Redrafting The 2021 Rookie Class: Round 1”

Alex B says:

February 14, 2022 at 9:24 pm

Great article, I like Najee over Pitts but I see the argument for him at 1.02. Looking forward to seeing him next year

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Dick Cole says:

February 14, 2022 at 9:26 pm

Amon-Ra 💪

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