Countdown to 2021 fantasy football drafts: Stefon Diggs No. 7

We knew Stefon Diggs was good. He showed us that in Minnesota. But last year in his first season with the Buffalo Bills, he really took things to a new level, leading the league in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,535). With that showing, expectations are high this season for Diggs, and that’s why he’s the top receiver on our list headed into 2021.

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 fantasy football drafting tiers can be found here.

No. 7, Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills, WR

Being the top dog in a pass-heavy offense is not a bad spot to be for a receiver of Diggs’ caliber. He and quarterback Josh Allen formed an instant connection that should only be stronger in their second season together. They’ll need it to be because this is a team with designs on challenging the Chiefs for the AFC title.

Competition for touches

There’s more than enough love to go around in an offense that throws this much. Diggs’ 166 targets were the most on the team, followed by Cole Beasley with 107. The Bills replaced John Brown with Emmanuel Sanders during the offseason, which could eat into Diggs’ targets, but not enough to push him off his spot in our rankings.

Team offensive expectations

The Bills are a Super Bowl contender, and anything less than a deep run into the postseason will be a disappointment. To get there, they know that they’re going to need to once again get close to or better than the 31. 3 points per game the team averaged last year.

What’s his upside?

It’ll be hard to top 1,535 receiving yards, but even shaving a few off that total would still make Diggs one of the best receivers in fantasy football. He scored eight times last year, which is one off his career high.

What’s his downside?

If the Bills do spread the ball out more, that would eat into Diggs’ overall production. And while his totals from last year were impressive, the occasional defense did find a way to bottle him up from time to time.

Projection

113 receptions; 1,400 yards; 10 touchdowns.