Each year, we see players take a step towards greatness by having that breakout season nobody expected. In 2021, there are many players that could make that jump, but here are 12 guys I think are at the top of that list.

QB

1. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert had an excellent rookie season in LA last year. He threw for 4,336 yards and 31 TDs in 15 games, and threw just 10 INTs, which isn't too bad for a rookie. The 6'6", 240 QB is just 23 years old, and will have Austin Ekeler back for this season, which is nice, and new TE Jared Cook is stepping into the shoes left by Hunter Henry. I think Justin Herbert will finish the season easily in the MVP conversation.

2. Daniel Jones, New York Giants
New York has gotten much better on offense this off-season. With Saquon coming back this year after his SCL injury in 2020, Kenny Golladay and John Ross joining the WR corps, and another year of experience under his belt, Daniel Jones looks like he'll have no excuses to keep him from being a solid fantasy option in 2021.

3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow's gruesome injury in 2020 was definitely a heartbreaker. This year, Cincy is back with Some new weapons like Ja'Marr Chase, Burrow's buddy from LSU. The real question mark on Burrow's future is how he plays post-injury, and also how he's able to be protected by the Bengals' questionable offensive line. There's no denying Chase's talent, but only time will tell whether or not the Bengals picked the wrong guy by not selecting Penei Sewell instead. That being said, Joe Burrow should have every other weapon he could need: young and fast WRs and a steady workhorse RB in Joe Mixon.

RB

1. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
No, I'm not being biased. Mixon's slow start in 2020 ended after a historic 36 point outing in Week 4, and he produced for the next three weeks afterwards, but ultimately, injury kept him off the field from Week 7 on. This year, a lot of the focus defensively will be on Joe Burrow and the passing game in Cincy, which puts Mixon in position to rack up some fantasy points. We've been saying and expecting him to have this season for several years now, so it's his last shot at this and I think he knows it.

2. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs
One of the hottest offenses in the NFL has a second-year RB with no starting competition. After a slower start in 2020, and a lot of focus on the trio of superstar talents Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce in the passing game, CEH may be liable to have a real breakout season in Kansas City.

3. Myles Gaskin, Miami Dolphins
Another guy in the same position as CEH, Gaskin was surprisingly not replaced by a Free Agent this off-season. Now, he's the guy in Miami, another team that's going to have a lot of expectations and playoff hopes. Their great defense, and many tools on offense put him in position to have a great season and take it to the next level.

WR

1. A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans
With the signing of Julio Jones, Titans WR A.J. Brown is poised to have even more success as a WR in the NFL. With the split attention between these two stud wideouts and rising star Anthony Firkser (more on him later), A.J. Brown could be entering the top tier of star receivers this season.

2. Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
Aiyuk was a good surprise for the 49ers last season, active in both the receiving and rushing game (which is super great for a starting WR). With the 49ers team back from tons of injury, and George Kittle back in the offense, that means that Aiyuk will be in prime position to establish himself as not only the go-to wide receiver in San Fran, but also as a top WR option in fantasy.

3. Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos
Another sophomore on the list, Jerry Jeudy didn't have the season everyone thought he would have in 2020. Especially with CeeDee Lamb, Brandon Aiyuk and Justin Jefferson having immediate impact on their teams and the league, Jeudy left the Broncos wanting more. We know he has the talent, and if Denver is able to sort out the QB situation, Jeudy could take that next step this season as a go-to pass catcher in Denver.

TE

1. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
You knew this one would be here, and Kyle Pitts has HIGH expectations as he's entering the league. With Julio gone, Calvin Ridley and Kyle Pitts are the No. 1 and No. 2 receivers in ATL. With Pitts sheer physicality, he should have success in the NFL quickly. He'll get a lot of targets and that means good things for his fantasy value.

2. Anthony Firkser, Tennessee Titans
Anthony Firkser has had a hot start to training camp in Tennessee. He may have some competition for the starting role before Week One arrives, but ultimately, I believe he'll get the starting job and have it for this season. With a lot of the focus going to Julio and Brown, Firkser could be poised to be a steady option in the Tennessee offense.

3. Irv Smith Jr., Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings had a huge boost last season when Justin Jefferson stepped into the shoes left by Stefon Diggs. Now, with longtime offensive captain Kyle Rudolph out of the picture, another young gun has a chance to step up, and I believe he will. At 22 years old, Irv Smith Jr. offers another option for Kirk Cousins in their offense. He caught 5 TDs last season, and will likely get more looks in 2021.

Grayson Wingfield, League Commissioner, Commissioner's List

The League of Legends is a beautiful thing. A game to enjoy, a platform to stay connected, an outlet to compete, and even a stream of income (for some of us).

Because our league is made up of a close circle of friends, we can debate, argue, and at time belittle one another knowing that at the end of the day things won’t be taken personally.

1. It’s about fantasy football, so if you’re getting made fun of for a game you should never take that personally.

2. Our relationships with each other should be strong enough to know that at the end of the day we’re brothers. So we can overlook minor offenses. Just because someone makes fun of another person doesn’t mean they are not friends. Many times it’s quite the contrary (for example, Team Warren loves to give Kam shit... but it’s largely based on the fact that they have a strong foundation to their friendship and understand they can take shots at each other. It actually affirms their friendship.

HOWEVER, there are two scenarios where things can (and have) gone wrong in our league:

1. The trash talking goes from being centered around fantasy football to something else entirely. (Athleticism, relationship status, or anything else...). That is not wrong! That’s what makes us boys. We have insight into each others lives and that’s great! So when you’re arguing about fantasy football and someone diverts the conversation to something else, just know you won the debate. “If you’re arguing with your girl and she changes the topic to say you have a little dick, you won the argument”- Bill Burr. But sometimes when the debate takes a turn into real world stuff it can eventually go too far. That’s happened. And it may happen again. So if you find yourself hurt in that way, just privately talk to that person and let them know and work it out.

2. There is only one scenario in which the conversation is 100% fantasy related yet someone still ends up hurt. And that’s when they feel ganged up on. We can all take shots from each other, but nobody wants to take shots from everyone all at once. So we should just be careful about how many of us kick someone while they are down.

I just wanted to clarify this so that we can all continue talking shit in peace and good fun.

James Warren, Assistant Commissioner, Team Warren

Team Warren: Initiative. Crafty. Discernment.

Team Warren is officially a lunching his campaign to be on the trade council in 2021. For Warren, the council is not a popularity contest or strategic reach for power. But rather, an opportunity to serve this great league we find ourselves in. Team Warren has the initiative, crafty creativity, and discernment to serve in this roll unlike anyone else. Additionally, Warren has the experience from previous years. In his former elections, Warren has brought historic contributions to the league.

This year, Team Warren is leading his campaign unlike ever before and will be posting his policies on the message board throughout the season. These policies have the potential to revolutionize our league and bring new and exciting elements to a league we all deeply cherish.

#WARREN2021

James Warren, Team Warren

There’s never been a great team that hasn’t faced adversity. In fact, any veteran of the game would tell you there has never been a coach who hasn’t overused the word “adversity”.

The year 2020 may turn out to be the year of adversity for Team Warren. Coming off three straight championships, will his team be able to dig deeper? Will they stay hungry for more? Will they compete with the same chip on their shoulder as their competitors who have never come close to experiencing the riches of victory?

On top of their mental discipline as a team, Team Warren’s roster has made some monumental shifts this offseason. In some of the biggest blockbuster trades our the League of Legends has ever witnessed; trading away the likes of Stefan Diggs, AJ Green, and Patrick Mahomes while acquiring Nick Chubb, Tom Brady, Chris Godwin, and three 2022 first round picks, there will inevitably be a shift in the culture of the locker room heading in to the LOL’s sixth season.

All this adversity and we haven’t even mentioned the Corona Virus. How will this pandemic effect the NFL and the performance of players? The renowned owner of Good JuJu has trademarked the phrase “who’s to say?”, and I must agree... Who is to say? Nobody has any idea what to expect as we head into these uncharted waters.

Lastly, 2020 has not only brought new adversity, but raised to the surface the adversity in which black men and women have continued to face due to systematic racism and police brutality in this country. Team Warren is proud to have a roster stacked with players who have spoken up against such injustices in our country; lead by team captains Lamar Jackson and Michael Thomas. We’ve seen Jackson use his platform to bring social justice and seek change. And we’ve witnessed Thomas bring transformation to Drew Brees in his perspective on how to fight against this devastatingly broken system.

Do all great teams face adversity? Or is overcoming adversity what makes teams great? With all the uncertainty in our world, if there’s one thing we can still remain certain about, it’s that three time champion Team Warren is great.

James Warren, Team Warren

Alabama’s football program is known for many things: coaching, recruiting, and not only winning, but dominating. One thing Alabama’s football program is NOT known for however, is their uniforms. Many teams use elaborate jerseys, helpmates, and accessories as way to add hype, create culture/traditions, or even as a marketing tool. Some teams (such as Oregon) are renowned to have hundreds of different colored uniforms, helmets, shoes, socks, and accessories. Could Alabama choose to have such uniforms? Certainly! It’s not like they don’t have enough money in their booster program to afford such uniforms! Alabama chooses to wear simplistic, traditional, and “boring” uniforms because they don’t want any distractions. They show up, kick ass, and go home. No need for playing dress up. The biggest difference between Oregon and Alabama is not their uniforms, but their level of success. Year in and year out Alabama competes at a higher level.

Similarly, when it comes to fantasy football, many owners choose to have elaborate team names. They use their team name to build hype, talk trash, and incorporate humor. Teams like “Bill Cosby’s Sleepers” or “Dick Slap Some Tallywacks” are a couple current examples. “Team Warren” however, seems to follow in the footsteps of Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide. As the owner of the most successful fantasy team in the League of Legends, he has not been distracted or dismayed by the option to change his team name and has always kept the name of his team “Team Warren”. Love or hate his methods, you can’t deny his success.

James Warren, Team Warren