fantasy football consistency rankings – Page 2

Consistency Rankings – Tight Ends

A difference-maker at tight is rare, but a consistently good tight end is even more advatageous

This ranking considers tight ends that started at least 11 games in 2021. Fantasy points were derived using 1 point per 10 yards rushed or received, six-point touchdowns rushed and one point receptions. Given that the position supplies only around ten players of any fantasy note, there aren’t a lot of surprises here.

Tight Ends – 10 FF Pts	Consistency	Gms	10 pt	20 pt	5 Catches	50 Yds	TD
Mark Andrews	76%	17	13	10	13	13	7
Travis Kelce	75%	16	12	8	11	10	7
Rob Gronkowski	67%	12	8	6	6	8	3
T.J. Hockenson	67%	12	8	4	6	5	4
Dalton Schultz	65%	17	11	5	10	9	6
Darren Waller	64%	11	7	4	6	6	2
George Kittle	57%	14	8	6	7	6	5
Dallas Goedert	53%	15	8	3	6	8	3
Zach Ertz	53%	17	9	4	7	7	4
Pat Freiermuth	50%	16	8	1	5	2	6
Hunter Henry	44%	16	7	3	4	3	7
Noah Fant	44%	16	7	3	7	6	4
Kyle Pitts	41%	17	7	3	5	9	1
Dawson Knox	40%	15	6	4	3	3	7
Gerald Everett	40%	15	6	1	3	4	4
Tyler Higbee	40%	15	6	2	9	4	4
Dan Arnold	40%	10	4	0	3	5	0
Mike Gesicki	35%	17	6	4	7	6	2
Evan Engram	33%	15	5	0	2	2	3
Foster Moreau	33%	12	4	1	2	3	3
Jared Cook	31%	16	5	1	2	3	4
Tyler Conklin	29%	17	5	2	5	4	2
David Njoku	27%	15	4	1	1	2	4
Albert Okwuegbunam	23%	13	3	1	1	2	2
C.J. Uzomah	19%	16	3	2	2	3	3
Jimmy Graham	18%	11	2	0	0	0	3
Ricky Seals-Jones	18%	11	2	1	2	2	2
Cole Kmet	18%	17	3	0	5	3	0

The best positive here is that Darren Waller’s down season still provided over ten points in two-thirds of his matchups. Still, this is a position that offers precious few difference-makers, and Kyle Pitts rookie season didn’t look near as strong only No. 13 in consistency. He ended the year on a stronger note which at least gives promise to 2022, even if he lost his quarterback.

Rob Gronkowski is currently still undecided about playing, but last year he scored 20+ fantasy points in half of his games played, so he’ll shoot up the rankings once (if) he signs.

Gms with 5 Catches		Gms with 50 Yards		Gms with a TD
Mark Andrews	13	Mark Andrews	13	Mark Andrews	7
Travis Kelce	11	Travis Kelce	10	Travis Kelce	7
Dalton Schultz	10	Dalton Schultz	9	Hunter Henry	7
Tyler Higbee	9	Kyle Pitts	9	Dawson Knox	7
George Kittle	7	Rob Gronkowski	8	Dalton Schultz	6
Zach Ertz	7	Dallas Goedert	8	Pat Freiermuth	6
Noah Fant	7	Zach Ertz	7	George Kittle	5
Mike Gesicki	7	Darren Waller	6	T.J. Hockenson	4
Rob Gronkowski	6	George Kittle	6	Zach Ertz	4
T.J. Hockenson	6	Noah Fant	6	Noah Fant	4
Darren Waller	6	Mike Gesicki	6	Gerald Everett	4
Dallas Goedert	6	T.J. Hockenson	5	Tyler Higbee	4
Pat Freiermuth	5	Dan Arnold	5	Jared Cook	4
Kyle Pitts	5	Gerald Everett	4	David Njoku	4
Tyler Conklin	5	Tyler Higbee	4
Cole Kmet	5	Tyler Conklin	4

Dalton Schultz was a surprise last season and while that may seem like an aberration, he ranked third in games with at least five catches. And the Cowboys lost Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup returns from his knee injury. Schultz is still in a good spot.

Tyler Higbee also enjoyed a higher number of games with at least five receptions now that Matthew Stafford is with the Rams. He’s expected to be healthy after an MCL sprain led to surgery in the offseason. Mark Andrews ruled everything last year while Travis Kelce was just one step behind. Notable that Hunter Henry and Dawson Knox tied for the most games with a touchdown.

Consistency Rankings – Quarterbacks

It’s not how many points, but how often can a quarterback help your fantasy team win?

This ranking considers quarterbacks that started at least 11 games. Fantasy points were derived using 1 point per 20 yards passed or 10 yards rushed, six-point touchdowns rushed and four-point passed. There are not a lot of surprises since there are only 32 starting quarterbacks, and it is notable even when there isn’t a dramatic difference between quarterbacks.

Quarterback	Consistency 25 Pts	Gms	25 FF pts	300 Yards	2+ TD
Aaron Rodgers	75%	16	12	4	14
Tom Brady	71%	17	12	9	13
Matthew Stafford	71%	17	12	7	13
Josh Allen	71%	17	12	6	14
Patrick Mahomes	71%	17	12	5	12
Dak Prescott	69%	16	11	5	11
Joe Burrow	69%	16	11	6	13
Kyler Murray	64%	14	9	3	7
Jalen Hurts	60%	15	9	2	10
Justin Herbert	59%	17	10	9	12
Lamar Jackson	58%	12	7	2	3
Russell Wilson	57%	14	8	1	9
Kirk Cousins	56%	16	9	6	12
Sam Darnold	42%	12	5	3	5
Derek Carr	41%	17	7	6	8
Jared Goff	36%	14	5	1	7
Carson Wentz	35%	17	6	2	9
Mac Jones	35%	17	6	2	7
Jimmy Garoppolo	33%	15	5	5	8
Taylor Heinicke	31%	16	5	1	5
Davis Mills	31%	13	4	4	5
Zach Wilson	31%	13	4	0	4
Matt Ryan	29%	17	5	4	6
Teddy Bridgewater	29%	14	4	2	8
Daniel Jones	27%	11	3	1	4
Justin Fields	25%	12	3	0	2
Ryan Tannehill	24%	17	4	2	8
Tua Tagovailoa	23%	13	3	1	6
Ben Roethlisberger	19%	16	3	2	5
Taysom Hill	18%	11	2	0	3
Trevor Lawrence	18%	17	3	2	3
Baker Mayfield	7%	14	1	2	7

Quarterback fantasy points are influenced by monster games, so this breakdown shows how well they helped your fantasy team from week to week. Aaron Rodgers was only the No. 8 fantasy quarterback overall, but he was the most helpful in cranking our games with at least 25 fantasy points.

The only surprises are that Justin Herbert ranked just No. 11 here, but was the No. 3 fantasy quarterback thanks to five efforts that topped 30 points and as high as 44.80 points in Week 5. He missed the mark by only a few points in those other weeks though.

This also suggests that owning a Top-6 quarterback should usually net you right around 70% of your games with at least a healthy 25 fantasy points.

300 Passing Yards		2+ Touchdowns
Tom Brady	9	Tom Brady	13
Justin Herbert	9	Matthew Stafford	13
Matthew Stafford	7	Josh Allen	14
Josh Allen	6	Justin Herbert	12
Joe Burrow	6	Aaron Rodgers	14
Kirk Cousins	6	Dak Prescott	11
Derek Carr	6	Joe Burrow	13
Dak Prescott	5	Patrick Mahomes	12
Patrick Mahomes	5	Kirk Cousins	12
Jimmy Garoppolo	5	Jalen Hurts	10

Hard to believe, but only Tom Brady and Justin Herbert threw for over 300 yards in more than half of their games. A bit surprising too that Jimmy Garoppolo threw as many 300 yards games as Patrick Mahomes who started the season with two such performances.

Maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise, but the age-less Brady hangs out at the top of most categories.

Consistency Rankings – Tight Ends

Fantasy Football consistency rankings for tight ends

Below is each tight end that played at least eight games and scored at least ten fantasy points in at least 20% of their games. The fantasy scoring used was 1 point per 10 yards rushed or received and with six-point touchdowns and one point per reception.

HOW OFTEN TE SCORED AT LEAST 10 FANTASY POINTS

Tight ends are notoriously bad at scoring fantasy points relative to the other positions and last year only Travis Kelce and Darren Waller made any significant difference on fantasy rosters. About a dozen that produced at least ten fantasy points in half or more of their games.

George Kittle and Zack Ertz were top players in 2019 but suffered through injury and offensive problems. Austin Hooper was one of the most consistent tight ends (77%) in 2019 but changed teams and dropped significantly.

The surprises from last season were Logan Thomas (63%) and Robert Tonyan (60%) who were both Top-5 for consistency and yet had never done much in their previous careers. The Top-5 tight ends are all that matter in fantasy but one or two usually surprise each season.

BEST IN CATEGORY

The position did not fare as well as it had in 2019. There were only two tight ends with more than three 75-yard games for 2020 and yet seven players with four or more the previous year. There were a few tight ends that excelled at scoring – like Robert Tonyan – but fewer turning in high yardage. Again – there are so few tight ends that make any difference in fantasy but at least a couple that surprise.

BEST over last three years

Hunter Henry did well ignoring his lost 2018 season, but he’s never played all 16 games in any season so his consistency gets an asterisk. Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Darren Waller have run away with the value in the position. Zach Ertz spent several seasons in the top grouping but looked like he was heading downhill and gaining speed last year.

Notable too is that the scoring is much less in the position with just 10 points considered as a “good” game. Kelce, Kittle, and Waller have been both consistent and highly productive, so they’ll deservedly remain as the top drafted in the position again this year.

Consistency Rankings – Wide Receivers

Fantasy Football consistency rankings for wide receivers

Below is each wide receiver that played at least eight games and that scored at least 15 fantasy points in at least 25% of the games that they played. The fantasy scoring used was 1 point per 10 yards rushed or received and with six-point touchdowns and one point per reception.

HOW OFTEN WR SCORED AT LEAST 15 FANTASY POINTS

2020 had a slight uptick in the number of wideouts that scored at least 15 fantasy points in over half of their games. 2019 only managed nine players while 2020 saw 12 hit that mark. More notable was that Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs, and Calvin Ridley managed more than 70% while the previous season only witnessed Michael Thomas with more than 67%.

Julio Jones, Will Fuller, Chris Godwin, and Brandon Aiyuk all missed at least four games so their high rating may have been easier, especially for Will Fuller and Brandon Aiyuk.

There are around 25 receivers that hit roughly at around half of their games with 15 fantasy points. That’s enough for two for each fantasy team so there is depth at the position.

BEST IN CATEGORY

2020 may have been a pandemic year that added to the normal attrition of players, but the wide receivers actually were better than they were in 2019 when only one player (Michael Thomas) had more than nine 15-point games, while 2020 served up five. Thomas was also the only receiver with more than six 100-yard games, while another five hit that mark last season.

The benefit for fantasy owners is that there were more fantasy points from the top players. That could reflect defenses struggling more with their opt-outs and COVID-19 absences. The position always experiences a constant churn of which players are best each year, but the consistency overall has been better.

BEST over last three years

Davante Adams deserves the high mark, but it is surprising how many “off seasons” even elite receivers experience. Remember too, players like quarterbacks and running backs have their consistency boosted from heavy workloads relative to all other positions. A wide receiver that averages five catches a game only ends with 80 receptions. Anytime a receiver can turn in a good game more than half the time is a difference-maker. He does that while two to four other wideouts on his own team are also attracting targets.

Changing quarterbacks also makes a difference. DeAndre Hopkins fell a bit when he switched from Deshaun Watson to Kyler Murray, while Stefon Diggs went from good to great switching over to Josh Allen in 2020.

Consistency is most impressive with wide receivers, and yet that is heavily influenced by their quarterback. A high ranking says as much about who is throwing the ball as who is catching it.

Consistency Rankings – Running Backs

Fantasy Football consistency rankings – running backs

Below is each running back that played at least eight games. The fantasy scoring used was 1 point per 10 yards rushed or received and with six-point touchdowns and one point per reception.

HOW OFTEN RB SCORED AT LEAST 15 FANTASY POINTS

The decline in “good games” was fairly steep as it is in every season. There were 13 backs that turned in at 15+ fantasy points in at least half of their games played. And the previous year? It was 14. So names change, but about the same thing happens from year to year, even in a COVID-19 season.

Nick Chubb seemed to be a slight disappointment but only from missing games. When he played, he was one of the most consistent. Jonathan Taylor really distanced himself from the other rookies, while D’Andre Swift did well enough to promote optimism for 2021 with the coaching change.

The best surprises in this metric were Myles Gaskin (60%), Austin Ekeler (60%), and James Robinson (50%). The more problematic was that there were only two of the Top-20 in consistency that played all 16 games. That number was six in 2019 and that included four of the top five backs playing in every game that season (Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, Aaron Jones, and Austin Ekeler). And none of those four lasted every game in 2020.

BEST IN CATEGORY

Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara, and Derrick Henry were the ones to own in 2020. They dominated in every category and yet only Cook was that good last year.

BEST over last three years

I excluded certain years for the above backs when they were injured for most if not all of that year. Notable that Dalvin Cook, Derrick Henry, and Nick Chubb have improved each year. If Barkley could just stay healthy, he’d dominate but most of the these running backs would have one off year.

Consistency Rankings – Quarterbacks

Fantasy Football consistency rankings for quarterbacks

Below is each quarterback who played at least eight games. The fantasy scoring used was 1 point per 20 pass yards and four-point touchdowns. Rushing scores were six points and with one point per rushing yard.

HOW OFTEN A QB SCORED AT LEAST 20 FANTASY POINTS

This shows why you can wait on a quarterback. The Top-10 turned in solid games most of the time. Patrick Mahomes remains a top scorer but otherwise the most consistent fantasy quarterbacks were rather different from 2019. Aaron Rodgers had an unexpected resurgence and youth was well represented with Josh Allen, Kyler Murray, Justin Herbert, and Joe Burrow were all difference makers when they played.

There were some impacts from COVID-19 in both quarterbacks and his receivers. But the reality is that you almost have to try not to find a quarterback that can score 20 fantasy points or more in at least two of every three games.

BEST IN CATEGORIES

The biggest surprise was how well Aaron Rodgers played in a season where the Packers drafted his replacement and he never found great success with more than just Davante Adams. Deshaun Watson benefitted from always playing from behind so he led in 300-yard games. The position shifted in which players were the best. The league has never produced so many high-scoring quarterbacks only in their first few years, if not their rookie season.

BEST Over the last Three years

No real surprises here other than Carson Wentz seems better than he played last year. This yields an interesting view of the progress (or not) that quarterbacks had over the last three seasons. Deshaun Watson and Josh Allen both have improved each year.

Consistency Rankings – Tight Ends

Fantasy Football consistency rankings

Below is each tight end that played at least eight games. The fantasy scoring used was 1 point per 10 yards rushed or received and with six-point touchdowns and one point per reception.

HOW OFTEN TE SCORED AT LEAST 10 FANTASY POINTS

Last season was better than usual with ten tight ends turning in at least 10 fantasy points per game – there were only five in 2018 and that is much closer to the standard. Travis Kelce and George Kittle topped the list the last two seasons and Zach Ertz ended as fifth-best in both. The difference in what a top tight end provides is even starker considering how many 15 point games that they delivered.

The same hold true every season – grab a top five or six tight end if you want any advantage at the position and realize that one or two of those picks won’t meet expectations. Kelce, Kittle, and Ertz rule this position each season and that should hold for at least a few more.

BEST IN CATEGORY

Consistency Rankings – Wide Receivers

Fantasy Football consistency rankings

Below is each wide receiver that played at least eight games. The fantasy scoring used was 1 point per 10 yards rushed or received and with six-point touchdowns and one point per reception.

HOW OFTEN WR SCORED AT LEAST 15 FANTASY POINTS

2019 was not a banner year for stud wideouts with only nine players managing to score at least 15 fantasy points (with reception points) in over half of their games. 2018 witnessed 17 exceed that mark and there were eight with at least two-thirds of their games over 15 points. Only two from last season and that should devalue the position even more in fantasy drafts that strongly reflect the previous season.

The overall pattern was very much like 2017 that only had three with more than 67% and just one with more than 70% (DeAndre Hopkins 87%). Last season it was Michael Thomas, then Davante Adams in 2018. Beyond that top wideout (that changes annually), you are doing well enough just getting a good game from your receivers half of the time.

BEST IN CATEGORY

Consistency Rankings – Running Backs

Fantasy Football consistency rankings

Below is each running back that played at least eight games. The fantasy scoring used was 1 point per 10 yards rushed or received and with six-point touchdowns and one point per reception.

HOW OFTEN RB SCORED AT LEAST 15 FANTASY POINTS

The decline in “good games” was fairly steep as it is in every season. There were notable surprises in Dalvin Cook, Aaron Jones, Austin Ekeler and Chris Carson. But that is not unusual – 2019 served up similar results for James Conner, Phillip Lindsay, Tarik Cohen and Sony Michel that were not replicated. But the known studs of Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, Saquon Barkley, Todd Gurley, and Alvin Kamara still turned in production that merited a higher draft pick. 2019 only had 23 backs that managed 15+ fantasy points in at least a third of their games. There were 27 such in 2018 but only 19 in 2017 so the position is faring slightly better.

BEST IN CATEGORY

Consistency Rankings – Quarterbacks

Fantasy Football consistency rankings

HOW OFTEN A QB SCORED AT LEAST 20 FANTASY POINTS

It isn’t too hard to find a quarterback with a good game at least half the time. The drop for Patrick Mahomes was a surprise but he dealt with injury and the Chief’s defense improved. Dak Prescott certainly impressed in numerous categories though he slowed near the end of the season. Lamar Jackson was this year’s Mahomes and there will be another quarterback with a monster season in any year. But this measurement shows so far as weekly contributions go, there is probably not as much variation in the position as it might seem.