Fantasy Football 2021: Three Reasons to Add Kalif Raymond

Kalif Raymond is not a flashy name. In his 5th year in the NFL, he is on his fourth team, and has never really made a name for himself. Through 33 games played before this year, he has 19 receptions for 369 yards, and 1 touchdown. He may never be a highly coveted fantasy football star; but often, it is the not flashy adds that make the difference between making the playoffs and an early offseason. Here are three reasons why you should add Kalif Raymond to your team this week.

He’s the Lions WR1

At 5′ 9″, Kalif is relatively small for a wide reciever. What he lacks in size, he makes up for with great speed. This year we’ve already seen him blow by safeties to score touchdowns. He may not have the best hands in the league, but he is being targeted enough to make up for it.

Admittedly, T.J. Hockenson and D’Andre Swift are the main targets in Detroit by a large margin. They will continue to be, but after seven weeks of football it is Kalif Raymond who leads the wide receiver group in targets, receptions, and yards.

	Targets	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns
Kalif Raymond	39	26	334	2
Amon-Ra St. Brown	33	24	204	0
Quintez Cephus	22	15	204	2

More damning for Amon-Ra St. Brown is that he received zero targets in Week 7 against the Rams – a game that Jared Goff desperately wanted to win. Goff, who has a reputation in the league for locking on to receivers, trusts Kalif Raymond. Maybe he sees a little of his old friend Cooper Kupp in him.

The Lions will Score More Points

Admittedly, Detroit has been a mess this year. Though I have to agree with Jared Goff’s statement in that the team is a lot better than their record shows. With a new cast of characters on the offense (following Stafford, Kenny Golladay, and Marvin Jones’ exit) they are still figuring out how to win.

Let’s not forget, two of Detroit’s losses are on last second, improbable field goals. The team has been competitive in every game this season, including that Week 7 game against a formidable Rams defense. I suspect they will compete in every game. Especially this week against the Eagles, where Raymond has a shot to score another touchdown.

The Price is Right

Currently Raymond is rostered in about seven percent of all fantasy football leagues. Despite having six catches for 115 this weekend against a great defense, I don’t expect that number to change much.

If you’re struggling to win and are scraping the waiver wire for startable assets, chances are you have already spent a good portion of your FAAB. In a week where everyone is spending big on Deshaun Watson, Randall Cobb, or other players, you can quietly add him after waivers run for a perfect Flex start. He’s a top-40 WR in fantasy football, and should be treated as such. The truth is, Kalif Raymond is not a stud, but right now he’s a better start than Julio Jones, Allen Robinson, or Odell Beckham Jr.