Countdown to 2021 fantasy football drafts: Terry McLaurin No. 30

Terry McLaurin has had two strong seasons to start out his career with the Washington Football Team, but there is still room for more from the excellent receiver. The quarterback situation in Washington has left plenty to be desired in his short career. He will have yet another quarterback in 2021 with Ryan Fitzpatrick joining the team. Can he take yet another step forward in 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. 30, Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team, WR

McLaurin caught 87-of-134 targets for 1,118 yards and four touchdowns. His touchdowns, just like Washington’s offense as a whole were lacking, but the hope is that Fitzpatrick can help move the offense more than Alex Smith and Kyle Allen were able to last season.

Competition for touches

Washington’s receiving group has talent, but McLaurin is clearly the No. 1 target. They added Curtis Samuel from the Panthers, who should quickly become the No. 2 target. Dyami Brown, Cam Sims, Steven Sims Jr., and Antonio Gandy-Golden all have upside as well, but McLaurin should be able to lead the way in targets without much trouble.

Team offensive expectations

Washington has a good young running back in Antonio Gibson and now a gunslinger in Fitzpatrick to throw to an improved receiving core. Tight end Logan Thomas also broke out last year, so there should be plenty of options offensively. Fitzpatrick isn’t a great quarterback, but has shown that he can help his offensive players fantasy points.

What’s his upside?

McLaurin’s upside is great this season. The addition of Fitzpatrick and his tendency to let his receivers go up for 50/50 balls should help McLaurin see more and deeper targets. There is little doubt that he should up his touchdown numbers and there’s a chance he could push that number into double digits this season.

What’s his downside?

McLaurin’s downside is tied to the offense as a whole. If Fitzpatrick and company get bogged down, there’s always a chance the offense just isn’t as good as we hope. McLaurin will be the No. 1 target without much doubt, but if his efficiency gets dragged down, we could see another low touchdown year.

Projection

90 receptions, 140 targets, 1250 yards, 10 touchdowns