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Having completed 26 of my eventual 150 teams in the Underdog Best Ball Mania II contest, I thought it was a good time to take an early look at my fantasy football exposures for the 2021 NFL season. I try to spread my entries out over time to adjust to both news and ADP, and while I may be overexposed to some guys now, that doesn't mean I will be when it's all said and done.

Here are my highest-rostered players at each position as of late June.

Justin Fields is a strong late best ball pick

I am swinging for the fences with Justin Fields on 34% of my current best ball teams. While yes, Andy Dalton is the starter today, I don't anticipate that lasting too long and the Konami code that is Fields has a chance to be a top-five-level quarterback, despite his ADP being 131.3 overall and coming in as QB14. The Mania is all about trying to capture upside and being comfortable with uncertainty. Fields ran a 4.4 flat and is an elite dual-threat prospect whose ability on the ground makes him a dynamic weekly playmaker. People are willing to take a chance on Jalen Hurts with an ADP of 78 overall, but the second Fields becomes the starter he offers as much if not more weekly upside at half the price. I am willing to bet he takes the starter's job early and smashes his current price tag. I love pairing him with Allen Robinson early and Darnell Mooney/Cole Kmet late.

Javonte Williams could be a fantasy difference maker in 2021

The king of the running back dead zone, Javonte Williams’ ADP is a gift I plan to continue to take advantage of. Going 62.7, a spot earlier than a week ago, Williams should end up in the early 50s before all is said and done, and I currently have him ranked 56th overall. He is already said to be ahead of Melvin Gordon on first and second downs, and if he can handle pass protection duties could easily be a three-down back. Last year, Gordon saw 215 carries and 44 targets, so the lead back in Denver can get serious volume. There is no guarantee Gordon will even be with the team when the season begins. Denver GM George Paton was hired just a few weeks after Gordon’s DUI case concluded, and Paton’s first free agency signing was running back Mike Boone. He followed that up by drafting Williams 35th overall after trading up to get him. Gordon missed most of minicamp, while Williams was the clear frontrunner, and when Gordon returned for OTAs, he was running behind Williams. More reasons Gordon could be cut? He counts $8.9 million against the cap, while Boone and Williams combined for $3.4 million. Add it all up, and Gordon may be third in the pecking order and out of a job by the time the season comes around.

James White remains a best ball bargain

James White is one of my top zero-RB targets, but for him to hit his ceiling I am looking for Mac Jones to become the starter. The good news is Jones is said to have outperformed Cam Newton thus far in camp and the odds shift has mirrored those reports, with Newton dropping from -270 to be the Week 1 starter to -185. The Patriots have a lot of backs in the backfield who are similar to one another in Damien Harris, Sony Michel and Rhamondre Stevenson, but White is the only pass catcher. White is a huge part of this Patriots passing attack and led all running backs in targets per snap last season at 31%. When White was Tom Brady’s top pass-catching back, he was a sixth-round pick; now, you can get him in Rounds 14/15, making him an excellent value.

D.J. Moore has elite fantasy WR potential

D.J. Moore is the first player I listed in my best ball strategy piece as a player to target, so it should be no surprise he ends up as one of my highest-exposure players. Moore has a massive ceiling with even slightly improved QB play and has a much higher floor than given credit for. He had a 23% target share in 11 of 15 games last season, with 93 or more yards in eight games (one of just three receivers to do that). If Moore is able to have positive touchdown regression, after being second in the league in end zone target share a year ago, he could end up as a top-five receiver this year — he is that good.

Michael Thomas is primed for a bounceback fantasy season

Surprise, another player I have written up, this one from my favorite stacks to target. I know we rip on Michael Thomas for being a slant-only receiver, but I don’t think we acknowledge how washed Drew Brees’ arm strength has been the last two years either. Thomas has less competition for targets than any other receiver in football and will be the focal point of this offense. The Saints lost Emmanuel Sanders and Jared Cook and didn’t add anyone of note in free agency or the draft. Thomas is a year removed from scoring 67 more points than the next-closest receiver after he caught the most passes of any receiver in NFL history. Jameis Winston is the favorite to start — he has a long history of supporting top receivers, with Chris Godwin being WR2 overall in Winston’s last full year as a starter.

Travis Kelce is the old reliable top fantasy pick

The cheat code himself, Travis Kelce is such an edge on the field. Only Darren Waller and maybe George Kittle have the chance to compete with his weekly upside. He scored 35 more points than Waller last year and 110 more than Robert Tonyan, who finishes as the TE3. To put that into perspective, at the receiver position, 110 points was the difference between Davante Adams at No. 1 and Amari Cooper at WR16. Kelce would have finished as WR4 overall last year, meaning having him on your roster is a massive edge over the field. Last year, teams that drafted Kelce advanced to the playoffs in 38% of leagues, the ninth-highest rate among all players. With five straight 1,000-yard seasons and the best quarterback in football still throwing him the ball, Kelce should have another monster season.

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