Josh Allen is coming off a career year in which he led the Buffalo Bills to the AFC Championship Game. Allen, a fantasy football star, finished second in NFL MVP voting this past season, only trailing Aaron Rodgers.
The Bills brought in superstar wide receiver Stefon Diggs before the 2020 season, which was a big reason for Allen's takeoff.
An underrated signing the Bills made in the offseason was bringing in wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.
Sanders struggled in the 2020 season, but his career could be revitalized in the Bills offense. He was a vital part of the San Francisco 49ers playoff run back in 2019 and could get back to that level with Allen as his quarterback. The addition of Sanders should help Allen have great production again in 2021.
2020 Fantasy Statistics with Bills
Allen was dynamic in both the pass and run game in 2020, which led to his monumental season. He was voted into his first Pro Bowl and was a gem for any fantasy owner that drafted him.
Allen improved in nearly all aspects of his game from 2019 to 2020. In 2020, he had a high completion percentage at 69.2% (396 for 572) while throwing for 4,544 yards. Allen also threw for 37 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. A big part of Allen's game is what he can do in the run game. He rushed for 421 yards and 8 touchdowns on 102 attempts. Allen also had 1 reception for 12 yards and a touchdown on a trick play.
The Bills and Allen are looking to build upon their 13-3 season as they head into 2021. They are a true Super Bowl contender and will likely be even better this season. Offensively, it will be another year in the pass-heavy offense for Allen, which will be to the benefit of any fantasy owners.
2021 Fantasy Projections
ESPN projects a slight decline in numbers for Allen coming into this season. They have him throwing for about the same amount of yards but 5 fewer touchdowns and 2 more interceptions. ESPN does however have Allen increasing in rushing yards by about 100 yards, but having 1 less touchdown. He is one of if not the best fantasy quarterbacks to go after in 2021.
A vital part of a fantasy quarterback is the weapons that they throw to. Allen has one of the best weapons at his disposal in Diggs. Diggs had a tremendous first season with the Bills putting up a league-leading 127 receptions and 1,535 yards. He also had 8 touchdowns and really cemented himself as a top receiver in the league. The other targets for Allen this season will be Sanders, Cole Beasley, and tight end Dawson Knox. These three players are not elite targets like Diggs, but are all solid and will make a big impact on the Bills offense this season.
Although ESPN projects a slight rejection, it still puts him as a great fantasy quarterback. The Bills pass-heavy scheme will keep his production level up for fantasy owners.
A safe projection for Allen is to be a top 3 fantasy quarterback in 2021. He may be behind Patrick Mahomes and Kyler Murray but will be in the top tier with them.
Rank at Position
Josh Allen projects to be a top quarterback in fantasy yet again this season. Following his breakout season, ESPN projects Allen to be the number 1 quarterback in fantasy football. Allen is primed to have another great campaign and be an MVP candidate once again.
He is clearly in the same tier with Mahomes who he competed with in the AFC Championship game. Mahomes is one of the only quarterbacks to consider over Allen. Since getting time on the field, Mahomes has been unreal, which has led him to accomplish a lot in his young career. A big plus for drafting Mahomes is that you know he is going to have elite weapons at his disposal in Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill.
Murray is the other one in the tier with them as he was electric with the Arizona Cardinals last season. His team didn't make the playoffs but their offense was tough to stop due to Murray's tremendous skill set. He rushed for over 1,000 yards while passing for nearly 4,000 yards.
So, what is the benefit of taking Allen over Mahomes and Murray? Well, Allen is the most pass-heavy scheme out of all these quarterbacks according to ESPN, and will have another year for familiarity in the system. Although he isn't as great as a rusher as Murray, Allen is still great at it, especially in the red zone. Those red zone rushing attempts result in multiple touchdowns throughout the season.
Allen will be a reliable quarterback for anyone that drafts him and could put your fantasy team over the top.
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