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Dan Fornek evaluates the best and worst offensive lines in the NFL to provide insight to fantasy football managers ahead of Week 6 of the 2021 season.
The NFL season is flying by and we are starting to get a great feeling for the contenders and pretenders in the 2021 NFL season. More importantly, we are starting to see offensive line units begin to gel and establish themselves across the league. Through five weeks, the Washington Football team has been the best pass-blocking team in the NFL according to PFF (71.9 average grade among the offensive line through five weeks). Cleveland leads the NFL in run blocking average (71.4) and the Dallas Cowboys have paced the NFL in terms of average overall offensive line grades in five weeks (71.2).
Offensive lines across the league continue to get tested on the injury front as well. The Patriots led the walking wounded in Week 5 missing four of their starting offensive linemen for a variety of injuries or COVID-related problems. Four other teams were missing at least two starters from when the season began. Eight teams saw an offensive lineman get injured across the league in Week 5, headlined by big names like left tackle Laremy Tunsil (Houston) and right tackle Jack Conklin (Cleveland).
The purpose of this article is to break down the different impactful offensive line performances (good or bad) to make a decision on which teams we should be targeting for starts, sits, or waiver wire pickups. Now that we are nearly a quarter of the way through the season, there is a significant amount of information at our disposal to best inform fantasy football decisions going forward.
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Fantasy Football Champs
Champ of the Week: Tennessee Titans
The Titans' offensive line was an absolute force in the run game against Jacksonville in Week 5. Derrick Henry was able to put the game out of reach on the ground, carrying the ball 29 times for 130 yards and three touchdowns behind an offensive line that paved the way on the ground. According to PFF, all five Titans offensive linemen had a run-blocking grade of at least 75.8 and an overall grade of 74.
The Titans struggled in pass protection (average pass-blocking grade of 58.6) which makes their high overall grades even more impressive in retrospect. Unfortunately, left guard Roger Saffold was lost halfway through the game with a shoulder injury. Saffold is one of the better run-blocking interior linemen in the league, so a long-term injury could cause a ripple effect among the offensive line.
The Titans will have a massive test on Monday night in Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have allowed just 249 rushing yards and zero touchdowns to running backs on the year thanks to the combination of an explosive offense and a stout run-stopping front-7. Derrick Henry is a must-start in all formats but could be in store for a long day against the Bills in Week 6.
Chicago Bears
For the second consecutive week, the Chicago Bears' offensive line was up to the challenge of slowing down an opponent that relied on defensive line pressure to disrupt the passing game. Coming into Week 5, the Raiders were living off pressure from Yannick Ngakoue and Maxx Crosby on the edges forcing quarterbacks to dump passes underneath. Chicago was able to slow them down in Week 5, allowing just one sack, one quarterback hit, and two pressures (all given up by left tackle Jason Peters) in a Chicago upset. Four of the Bears’ linemen had at least a 77-pass blocking grade and all five linemen registered at least a 64-run blocking grade. The Bears’ offensive line combined to average a 71.9 overall grade, the fifth-highest grade in Week 5.
Chicago will have a huge divisional game against the Packers in Week 6. Green Bay has struggled to get after the quarterback this season, so Chicago should have an excellent chance to stay in the playoff race with a big win. Damien Williams has fantasy value as the lead running back and primary pass-catcher out of the backfield, but Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney can’t be ignored in a game where Chicago could be playing from behind against Aaron Rodgers.
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland’s offensive line is an absolute machine even when navigating a key injury. Left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. was out for a huge game against the Chargers with potential playoff implications, but the Browns' offensive line just kept on rolling. Blake Hance, Cleveland’s backup left tackle, scored a 70.2 overall grade and gave up zero sacks, quarterback hits, pressures, or hurries according to PFF. The rest of the offensive line did their job, with three linemen registering a 60-pass blocking grade, four linemen scoring a 73-run blocking grade and a combined average of 74.44 across the board. The Browns took a tough loss in the fourth quarter against the Chargers, but they shouldn’t be discouraged with their offensive line play in Week 5. It is worth noting that right tackle Jack Conklin did miss 21 snaps due to a knee injury, but there is a chance he avoided a long-term absence.
The Browns will need all hands on deck in Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona is the last remaining undefeated team in the NFL thanks to a stout front featuring Chandler Jones and J.J. Watt. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are must start in a game Cleveland will look to control the clock to keep Kyler Murray off the field. Cleveland will need another top-tier day from their offensive line unit to pull off an upset against another explosive offense.
Underrated Champ: New York Jets
A lot of space in this article has been used calling the Jets’ offensive linemen chumps over the first four weeks. However, they finally got some positive momentum in Week 5 against Atlanta in London. The Jets' offensive line combined for a 78 average overall grade according to PFF, led by a 92.4 by rookie left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker. Vera-Tucker had a phenomenal game in his fifth career start is quickly growing into one of the better young guards in the NFL.
In total, three of the Jets’ linemen had at least a 78-pass blocking grade and four had a run-blocking grade of at least 75. Atlanta was able to get some pressure on Zach Wilson (nine pressures and 12 hurries), but that only turned into one sack and two hits on the day. Zach Wilson struggled once again throwing the ball in a Jets loss, but his offensive line can’t take the brunt of the blame this week.
The Jets have a Week 6 bye, giving them a chance to analyze the offense and try to find a way to get the ball moving in the right direction. Luckily the offensive line looks like it is starting to gel, so it may be one less problem that needs solving.
Fantasy Football Chumps
Chump of the Week: Carolina Panthers
Carolina had some solid offensive line performances during their hot start, but everything seemed to fall apart in a brutal loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5. Philadelphia was able to generate significant pressure with Javon Hargrave, Derek Barnett, Josh Sweat, and Fletcher Cox to force Sam Darnold into quick decisions, leading to a three-interception day. Only one offensive lineman (Taylor Moton) scored above a 50-pass blocking and run-blocking grade in Week 5. In total, the Panthers' offensive line allowed three sacks, two quarterback hits, 16 hurries, and 21 pressures on the day. Carolina was especially brutal on the interior of the line, allowing inside pressure that allowed Philadelphia to keep Sam Darnold contained and limiting big plays.
Carolina will hope to bounce back against an equally formidable Minnesota Vikings’ defensive line. Danielle Hunter (27 total pressures) and Everson Griffen (16 total pressures) have been stellar generating pressure off the edge and Dalvin Tomlinson and Michael Pierce have helped control the run game on the interior. Carolina should get Christian McCaffrey back this week to help take pressure off Sam Darnold so he can hit some big throws down the field to D.J. Moore and the other Panthers passing weapons. Until the Panthers show that the league has adapted to their offense with Sam Darnold, their major players are good starts.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders shuffled their offensive line around ahead of Week 5’s matchup against the Chicago Bears, but it did little to help with their pass protection woes. The left side of the offensive line did their part in the passing game, led by left tackle Kolton Miller (72.4 pass-blocking grade) and Andre James (71.2 pass-blocking grade). However, the right side continued to struggle to keep pressure off Derek Carr. Alex Leatherwood moved into the right guard position and finished with a 37.7 pass-blocking grade. His replacement at right tackle Brandon Parker fared just as bad, finishing with a 38-pass protection grade. In total, Leatherwood and Parker combined to give up one sack, one hurry, four hurries, and six pressures on the day. In total, the Raiders finished with a 51.7 average overall grade across their offensive linemen, the third-lowest mark of any team in Week 5.
The Raiders have a tough divisional test in Week 6 against the Denver Broncos and their pass-rushing duo of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb. Las Vegas will be playing under a new interim coach, so it may be best to wait and see how they respond before inserting their offensive players into your fantasy lineups this week if you can. Josh Jacobs and Darren Waller are safe volume plays in a bad situation at the moment.
Detroit Lions
The Lions' offensive line came into 2021 as one of the top units to watch, but injuries are starting to take hold and impact their offensive production. The season began with an injury to Taylor Decker, but the toe injury to center Frank Ragnow could have a massive impact now that he has been shut down for the season. Three linemen (Penei Sewell, Jonah Jackson, and Matt Nelson) failed to score above a 40 pass-blocking grade according to PFF. Those three combined to allow three sacks, one quarterback hit, six hurries, and 10 pressures. The Lions scored a combined average grade of 55.3 against the Vikings and end Week 5 as the 31st team in the NFL in terms of PFF’s pass-blocking averages (53.5 combined average on the year).
The Lions have a potential bounce-back game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6. Cincinnati has a solid but unspectacular defensive line that has struggled to get consistent pressure this season. The Lions are currently working with a patchwork offensive line, so anything is possible. D'Andre Swift, T.J. Hockenson, and Jamaal Williams remain the only Lions offensive players that can be started with any confidence as the season goes on.
Overlooked Chump: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers had an impressive win against the Broncos in Week 5, but their offensive line struggled to get much momentum against a stout Broncos’ front-7. Two Steelers linemen failed to record a pass-blocking grade above 51 and only one linemen had a run-blocking grade higher than 65. Left tackle Dan Moore Jr. had the best day, finishing as the only Steeler with an overall PFF grade of 70.6 in Week 5. No other offensive lineman was able to break a 57.
Thankfully for the Steelers, they get an easier matchup against the Seahawks in Week 6. Seattle was able to generate just one quarterback hit, six hurries, and seven pressures on Thursday night against the Rams on Thursday night in Week 5. Seattle has struggled to generate consistent pressure and has a secondary that struggles to cover anybody behind them. Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, and Chase Claypool are all strong starts this week with the Steelers looking to climb back into the AFC playoff picture.
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