Who are some of my favorites manning the hot corner for the 2021 season? No, I’m not talking about baseball, I’m talking about cornerbacks!
The 2021 fantasy season is off and running. The common strategy in fantasy is to stream the cornerback position. After Week 1, I believe there are a few corners that you — as fantasy managers — should have on your rosters.
These will be plug-and-play players that I was high on before the start of the season and who I believe will be very good scoring options on a weekly basis. I have picked up these guys for free in a lot of my leagues, so don’t be afraid to scour your waiver wire and see if they’re available for your fantasy teams.
Let’s take a look and see who some of my favorite hot corner additions are.
Cameron Sutton, Pittsburgh Steelers
If you have been following my work, then you know that I have been high on Cameron Sutton since his college days at Tennessee. Why has it taken him so long to be an impact player? For those of you who have been patient, now is your time. Sutton was buried on the depth chart behind veterans Mike Hilton and Joe Haden who are no longer with the team.
With them out of the picture, the opportunity for Sutton to take over as a starter finally presented itself. This will be a perfect time for Sutton to prove himself heading into year five in the league.
While Sutton was a backup for the first four years of his career, he has plenty of on-field experience. He played in 47 games but made only one start. Sutton’s defensive snap counts have increased in each season, while he has continued to be a vital special teams guy.
Playing the hot corner is not an easy job, but Sutton can more than handle himself. In his first start, he made a big impact, recording five tackles, one tackle for a loss, and two PBUs. That type of production was a 23.8 point scoring week based on IDP Nation Listener League scoring.
Only 50% of managers in MyFantasyLeague.com leagues started Sutton last week, so he can be picked up off of waivers everywhere. He has filled the same role that Mike Hilton played, which was a score box filling role for fantasy managers. You can’t ask for a better value than that.
Sutton is a player that you can basically pick up for free and while providing your fantasy teams with tier one production at the cornerback position. If he’s already on a roster, don’t be afraid to ask for him as a throw-in in any trade that you try to complete. It’s the little upgrades that you make that can make the biggest impact.
Janoris Jenkins, Tennessee Titans
Veteran cornerback Janoris “Jack Rabbit” Jenkins has long been one of my favorite players in the fantasy world. In his time with the Rams, Giants, Saints, and Titans, Jenkins has been one of the top cornerbacks. In both the NFL and in fantasy, and I believe that will continue this year as well. Jenkins is the veteran in a team full of youngsters in the secondary who need his leadership.
Coming into this season, Jenkins has 26 interceptions, 118 PBUs, and 8 pick-sixes in his career. As you can see, he’s a high-impact player. Jenkins recorded eight tackles last week against the Cardinals, which was a 22 point scoring week based on IDP Nation Listener League scoring.
Jenkins was started in 77% of My Fantasy League.com leagues that he was rostered on. I have picked him up in a number of my leagues. This now gives me a “set it and forget it” option at the cornerback position.
Jenkins surprisingly lowered his missed tackle percentage (17.6, 12.9 & 6.8) over the past three years and is a good bet to give you 50 plus tackles and 10 plus PBUs for the season. See if he’s available in your leagues and add him to your rosters immediately. The Titans’ defense is still not good, but Jenkins will be one of the few bright spots that this unit has.
Byron Murphy, Arizona Cardinals
My final hot corner option that you’ll want to add to your fantasy rosters is third-year cornerback Byron Murphy of the Arizona Cardinals. While he may be a youngster, he has plenty of experience. Jenkins has played in 31 games while making 23 starts. He’s exactly the kind of player you want for your fantasy teams, which is young with experience.
Murphy also benefits from playing behind a couple of elite pass rushers in Chandler Jones and JJ Watt, who force a lot of bad throws with their ability to pressure the quarterback. He’s very talented and has a knack for breaking up passes, as he had 18 career PBUs coming into today. Speaking of today, Murphy recorded four tackles and three PBUs in a win over the Titans.
Murphy was started in 24% of My Fantasy league.com com leagues this week. I expect him to be among the league leaders in PBUs this season and easily give you fifty-plus tackles. That’s the type of top-end production that you want. Jenkins can be picked up off waivers, which makes him a perfect buy-low option.
Thanks for reading my article. I’m a member of the FSWA (Fantasy Sports Writers of America). You can read more of my articles on my author page at IDP Guys. Follow me on Twitter at @HollywoodTitan, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub — I’m user KingTitan1 — and tune in each week and listen to IDP Nation and Devy IDP Grind, the podcasts that I co-host, on several different platforms. Feel free to hit me up with any questions that you have, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy.
