Let’s just get this out of the way: I pounded the table for Ezekiel Elliott last year, and he came through... sort of. Zeke finished as a top-7 fantasy running back in 2021, in both standard and PPR formats. This was despite barely reaching 1,000 yards on the ground (1,002) and bringing in just 47 receptions (lowest total since 2017) — in 17 games!
His stat line was very similar to that of a down 2020 season, but he scored four more touchdowns, and was just flat-out more durable than some of his contemporaries. But high TD totals can be fool’s gold, and there were signs that Elliott could be in decline as a fantasy asset.