2021 Season Preview & Roster Breakdown

With the 2021 Season underway, we take a look at each roster heading into the season. With it’s 4th year running, the SFI is down to 7 managers. Unlike Who’s Line, the points REALLY DO MATTER this season, being the primary determinate of playoff contention.

1. Odell’s Rusty Hip

Roto trade Projected Record: 10-3, 2nd in point

Injuries were a considerable blight against the 2019 Runner-Up, leaving her with a 7-8 finish in 2020. However, an incredible draft gave her team a much needed hip replacement, looking poised to dominate like she did in 2019. If some of her key pieces can rebound this season, she may be the frontrunner.

According to ESPN, ORH is the #1 overall team after the draft, which is not much of a surprise by looking at the names. According to FantasyPros Power Rankings, she is the #2 overall team. By positional rankings, she’s consitently #2 at every position but RB, Flex, and Kicker. Her individual starters rankings also consistently put her at #2-#3 across the board, except for her RB2-3 and Flex spot. Considering the value of when she drafted them, she might just have the best QB duo in the league. Much of her strengths come from her 1st stringers, having top 2-3 players (and even #1 with CMC) in every positional category. The only thing that could prove troublesome is positional depth if Jacobs/Saquon don’t return value. Even without them, she’s still boasting a top 2 roster. If they do return top 15 value? Get your rust removal ready, because playoffs will only be the beginning.

2. PEYTON’S FOREHEAD SHINER

Roto Trade Projected Record: 11-2, 1st in points

Following a devastating sub 3 point loss in the 2020 Finals, Peyton is looking to SEEL the deal on his first SFI championship. He spent considerable capital on RB depth, a similar strategy to last year. However, will strategies of days gone by be enough for him to win? Or has he sacrificed too much depth trying to replicate his 2020 roster?

ESPN has Peyton ranked 2nd, with FantasyPros ranking him in 1st. Despite his TE & QB duo being ranked 4th, he’s top 2 in 4/7 categories. When it comes to individual positional rankings, he’s top 3 in 10/14 categories. His RB-core is extraordinary. Unlike 2020, it doesn’t appear Peyton has given up too much depth to take 3 consecutive running backs. While he doesn’t have a big splash at each position like Odell’s Rusty Hip, he has a very consistent roster, with no glaring weaknesses. He’s in a good spot to contend for another SFI championship, but passing on clear QB & TE1’s could come back to haunt him.

3. Is This Soccer?

Roto trade Projected Record: 8-5, 4th in points

A promising rookie campaign was cut short in agonizing fashion, as the Brit lost an intense 1st round thriller to the eventual champion. With some talented power running backs on his team, is he capable of smashing through that 1st round blockade?

ESPN has Is This Soccer as the #3 overall team, with FantasyPros placing him in 4th on their ROS power rankings. Having Kelce alone locks him in with the best TE group, with his next best grouping being with his RB-core, ranked 3rd, which may be his most underrated quality. From there on, he’s ranked 4-6th in every other category. His QB’s and Flex spots appear to be dragging him down significantly. He is ranked #1 in both his TE1 and WR3, and D/ST spots, but fails to make the top 3 in any other category. He’ll have to rely on a big season from his cornerstone players to make a deep playoff run.

4. Sledge Hammer

Roto Trade Projected Record: 7-6, 3rd in points

In 2021, Thanos sits in his cabin at the edge of the universe to rest, knowing his work is done. Will this year crown a new champion? The other managers and his roster analysis would say yes. But don’t get too complacent, or he may just snap his fingers again and turn his enemies to ash.

Sledge Hammer is ranked 4th in ESPN’s rankings and 3rd in FantasyPros PR. He has the clear-cut WR1 and a fearsome QB duo. Additionally, his entire WR-core ranks in the top 3. However, his depth is quite questionable. He is near dead last in aggregate TE and Flex rankings. While he’s still always a contender, MVP campaigns from his QB-duo and big years from his WR corp will be needed if he wants to see the playoffs for a 4th consecutive year.
5. Pull the Lever, Gronk!

5. Pull the Lever, Gronk!

Roto Trade Projected Record: 8-5, 5th in points

After a postseason-less, but successful rookie season, Gronk secured the #1 OVR pick in the 2021 draft and stole away Mahomes for a hefty Patrick-price. An incredibly deep and reliable roster may lull her to foes to sleep, only to find out they’ve drank the poison intended for Kuzco.

Gronk is the first team in which both ESPN and FantasyPros have a consensus on her rank; 5th. While it’s only by a technicality as she’s tied for 4th in FP PWR Points, it’s still notable. The pros? Well, it’s the potential of this roster that is intriguing. Gronk boasts the #1 ranked QB-duo, a seriously important factor considering this season is solely based on points. While she may not have the best PFP team by individual position, there’s a reason she’s also ranked #1 in Flex; she has depth. A string of reliable RB2-s and an entire fleet of WR1-2s on her roster ensures that injuries won’t be what ends her season. Other than Mahomes, there’s nothing too flashy, but don’t be surprised if she manages to pull the lever for a playoff appearance and Gronk-Spike her opponents on their heads.

6. Bradshank Redemption

Roto Trade Projected Record: 6-7, 6th in points

Bradshank saw a first round exit after having the most successful regular season in SFI history. However, she’s reloaded with a solid RB-core and some high-flying stars in her receiving core and flex positions. Though there’s quite a lot of boom-or-bust happening on her roster, a few bombs in the right places will launch her into postseason play.

Bradshank is ranked squarely at 6th by ESPN and FantasyPros, a farcry from last season, but Week 1 hasn’t even ended yet. Make no mistake, team with Dalvin Cook is capable of making the postseason. While Bradshank does not rank 1st in any overall category, she’s top-3 in quite a few of them. In addition, she has what most teams this year don’t; 2 TE’s with top-8 potential. Depth is a tough thing to have at that position and she’s got it. While she’ll need Najee Harris to breakout and ease the workload of Cook, Waller, and Cooper in order to make the postseason, don’t count a manager that just went 10-3 out of it.

7. Team G-Men

Roto Trade Projected Record: 4-9, 7th in points

The G-Men are in need of a significant bounce-back season. While his draft capital at the 2nd overall pick was a surefire way to do it, taking Tom Brady & Trevor Lawrence as the first two selections was a questionable way to proceed. Although an MVP year from Brady, a major breakout from Lawrence, and a career year from Hopkins aren’t entirely out of the cards, he’ll need all three to secure a playoff spot.

Unfortunately, both ESPN and FantasyPros have the G-Men at the worst team in the league. Does this mean anything prior to Week 1? Not really, but further investigation raises some glaring questions about his draft choices and overall roster strength. We’ll start with the cons and end on a positive outlook: His biggest strength is his Kicker, per FantasyPros, which is the only category he’s ranked top 3 in. He’s also ranked last in 7 positional categories, the most of any team. The problem isn’t necessarily his players, it’s primarily when he got them. The likes of Lawrence, Michel,Thielen, Hunt, probably survive outside of the first 7-9 rounds. While Brady, Godwin, Andrews, and DHop are strong choices and round out a good team, much of his early draft capital could have been used on other players, and he still would’ve ended up with them later. The lack of RB talent is another concern. While there is certainly a path to a postseason appearance, a lot will need to go right for him.