Fantasy football extravaganza: Tips to dominate your draft

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Friday, August 27

Despite playing in just three games last season, Christian McCaffrey is the favorite to be the top pick in the majority of fantasy football drafts.

Fantasy football extravaganza: Tips to dominate your draft

It's time for you to prepare for fantasy football domination and earn bragging rights among your circle of friends. We're here to help.

The expanded, 17-game 2021 NFL season is just a short two weeks away, and your fantasy football draft likely is looming over the horizon. You might have already set up a calendar event reminder on your phone.

We're here to help you prepare for fantasy football draft domination — or even if you need a team name rebrand — so you can earn bragging rights among your circle of league rivals/friends.

What you'll find here is everything you need to know to dominate your fantasy football draft.

Patrick Mahomes likely will be the first quarterback off the fantasy football draft board.

Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

Fantasy football rankings

This is the all-important cheat sheet to study carefully and memorize for your fantasy football draft day needs. Here are the top 200 overall player rankings:

•	1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers
•	2. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings
•	3. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
•	4. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans
•	5. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers
•	Nos. 6-200: From Travis Kelce to Darrel Williams

Another important guide to have handy is the position-by-position rankings for those all-important "best player available" draft-day decisions.

•	QB: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
•	RB: Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
•	WR: Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers
•	TE: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
•	Kicker: Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas Raiders
•	Defense: Los Angeles Rams
•	Complete position-by-position rankings

With Aaron Rodgers back in Green Bay, Davante Adams should have another huge statistical season.

Dan Powers, Appleton Post-Crescent

Fantasy football sleepers, busts, breakouts and more

Being better informed on potential sleepers in the mid-to-late rounds of the draft can be the key to fantasy football glory.

•	Joe Burrow, Henry Ruggs III lead all-sleeper team
•	One fantasy breakout candidate at every position
•	10 undervalued players to consider selecting
•	Biggest risk-reward picks for 2021
•	Potential busts to avoid in fantasy drafts
•	Rookies poised to contribute to your fantasy team
•	All-value team: Don't overlook boring, old veteran players
•	8 veterans whose fantasy value should soar after changing teams
•	Sleepers: QB \| WR \| TE \| Late-rounders
•	One fantasy sleeper from every NFL team

Joe Burrow, who is coming off a major knee injury, could be a fantasy sleeper in 2021.

Joseph Maiorana, USA TODAY Sports

Fantasy football draft strategy

•	See how an experts' 16-round mock draft played out
•	How to approach each first-round pick
•	Are the 2021 first-round picks worth drafting for your fantasy team?
•	5 players returning from injuries to target in your draft
•	9 players to consider not drafting at all
•	10 late-round sleepers who can help you win
•	Tips to help you win your fantasy football salary cap draft

Saints WR Marquez Callaway is having a standout preseason. Will that translate to fantasy football success?

Stephen Lew, USA TODAY Sports

Fantasy football advice on Facebook!

Each NFL Sunday before kickoff, USA TODAY Sports fantasy football guru Steve Gardner will do question-and-answer sessions via our NFL Facebook group, The Ruling Off the Field. If you're not already a part of the football fun, sign up here.