Countdown to 2021 fantasy football drafts: Kenny Golladay No. 54

Kenny Golladay’s 202 season was riddled with injuries, but he had shown he can be a No. 1 receiver in this league, which pushed the New York Giants to give him a big contract in free agency. The Giants have missed a true No. 1 receiver since they traded away Odell Beckham Jr. Can Golladay thrive in the role?

To commemorate the 2021 NFL season, we’ll be counting down the 75 best fantasy football players in the league. Picking a Top 75 is subjective, especially when you are projecting a whole season of accumulated fantasy points, but that’s part of the fun. We’ll assume what I see as an average league, which is 12 teams, .5 PPR scoring and a roster of 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, & 1RB/WR/TE. Kickers and defenses need not apply.

Change is the nature of the NFL beast, so trades and injuries will likely impact this list as we go along, but hey, this isn’t rocket science. We’re here to have a little fun and build up some much needed anticipation for a league cast in the shadow by baseball, soccer, hockey, etc. Sarcasm aside, the NFL is addictive and we’re here to give your daily fix as we close in on the season.

The official and often updated fantasy football drafting tiers can be found here.

No. 54, Kenny Golladay, New York Giants, WR

Golladay only played in five games in 2020, accumulating 338 yards and two touchdowns on 20 receptions. The season before he caught 65 passes for 1,190 yards and 11 touchdowns on a poor Lions team. He’ll join a Giants team that should be champing at the bit to make their high-priced free agent the go-to receiver in 2021.

Competition for touches

The Giants did add a first round wide receiver in Kadarius Toney to go along with Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton. They will also get Saquon Barkley back, who is a big piece of the receiving game. But in the end, Golladay should get all the targets he can handle as the No. 1 receiver.

Team offensive expectations

Without Barkley and a healthy and strong set of receivers, the offense scuffled all of 2020. Much of the blame can be put on quarterback Daniel Jones, but there’s no doubt that he could have used more help.Expectations for the offense are higher with Barkley healthy and Golladay in the fold. Even if Jones doesn’t take a big step forward, the offense will be better.

What’s his upside?

Golladay’s upside is of a Top 10 No. 1 wide receiver who gets 140-150 targets. Those targets won’t be the same as if Aaron Rodgers is throwing him the ball, but opportunity is king and he’s set up for plenty of opportunity.

What’s his downside?

Golladay’s downside is tied to the offense as a whole. If Jones continues to have trouble with pressure and put his team in holes that give the offense little room for efficiency, Golladay would likely end up as a decent PPR receiver but his touchdowns and yardage would take a big hit from his possible upside.

Projection

90 receptions, 130 targets, 1150 yards, 7 touchdowns