With the preseason fully underway, fantasy football managers are doing all of the research they can to figure out which players to draft, and the wide receiver position is full of value from top to bottom.
While the running back position might dominate the first round of fantasy football drafts, the wide receiver position produces its own crop of stars that find their way to the top of the draft.
There are a few philosophies in drafting wide receivers. You can target running backs heavy in the first two rounds while grabbing value through the middle rounds. There is also what is known as the “zero RB” approach where you can target wide receivers through the first two rounds while taking shots on high floor running backs afterward.
After ranking the quarterback and running back positions, here’s a tiered ranking of the wide receivers (half PPR) in fantasy football for the 2019 season:
Tier 1: Elite WR1
1. Davante Adams, GB (11)
2. DeAndre Hopkins, HOU (10)
3. Julio Jones, ATL (9)
Analysis: You know this group. The cream of the crop. Anyone of these three wide receivers could finish the 2019 season as the WR1. Adams was the most consistent wide receiver in fantasy football a year ago. He finished as a WR2 (top-24) or better in 93.3% of his games, per The Fantasy Footballers. Hopkins is arguably the best wideout in the NFL. Drafting him in the middle of the first round is a perfect foundation for a roster. Jones is paving his way to a Hall of Fame career having recorded at least 1,400 yards in each of the last five seasons. It’s his touchdown limitations that keep him from the No. 1 spot.
Tier 1 – Tier 2 – Tier 3 – Tier 4 – Tier 5 – Tier 6 – Tier 7 – Tier 8 – Tier 9
Tier 2: Strong WR1
4. Odell Beckham Jr., CLE (7)
5. Tyreek Hill, KC (10)
6. Juju Smith-Schuster, PIT (7)
7. Antonio Brown, OAK (6)
8. Michael Thomas, NO (9)
Analysis: This is a group that will give you consistent WR1 numbers with the occasional bust. There are some more concerns that keep them out of the top tier. Beckham Jr. was actually in Tier 1 initially, but his injury history is becoming a true narrative. He’s still an elite option and could finish near the WR1 with Baker. Hill gives managers week-winning performances but finished as a WR4 in five of his games last season. Smith-Schuster and Brown are now on different teams, but both are likely to be target hogs in their offense and would serve perfectly as a WR1 on the roster. Thomas could see some regression in terms of efficiency numbers and his touchdown upside is limited, but he’s still one of the best wide receivers in the game catching passes from a first-ballot Hall of Famer in Drew Brees, who is still the most efficient quarterback in the NFL.
Tier 1 – Tier 2 – Tier 3 – Tier 4 – Tier 5 – Tier 6 – Tier 7 – Tier 8 – Tier 9
Tier 3: Fringe WR1
9. Mike Evans, TB (7)
10. Keenan Allen, LAC (12)
11. Adam Thielen, MIN (12)
12. T.Y. Hilton, IND (6)
13. Robert Woods, LAR (11)
14. Amari Cooper, DAL (8)
Analysis: Anyone in this tier could anchor your roster if you went running back heavy in the early rounds. Evans should be in line for a massive year with Bruce Arians running the offense. How many touchdowns will he catch, though? That’s what’s making him a fringe WR1. Allen is a strong value at his current ADP and if Melvin Gordon holds out, he approaches the Elite tier. There are concerns with Thielen and the Vikings offense, but he’s a boss and will command a strong target share in an offense that should still be potent. Hilton is a concern with Andrew Luck’s current injury situation. If Luck is healthy, Hilton is a WR1 each week. Woods might be a little high here for some, but he was a WR2 or better in 43.75% of his games in 2018, the highest among wide receivers that played at least 13 games. Cooper is a risky move both with his scoring volatility and now with the foot injury he’s dealing with. But if you buy into the notion he can be a true WR1 in the Cowboys offense, it could pay off.
Tier 1 – Tier 2 – Tier 3 – Tier 4 – Tier 5 – Tier 6 – Tier 7 – Tier 8 – Tier 9
Tier 4: High-end WR2 with weekly upside
15. Julian Edelman, NE (10)
16. Brandin Cooks, LAR (11)
17. Stefon Diggs, MIN (12)
18. Chris Godwin, TB (7)
19. Tyler Lockett, SEA (11)
20. Tyler Boyd, CIN (9)
21. Calvin Ridley, ATL (9)
Analysis: These wideouts can be found in the middle rounds of drafts, providing a blend of upside and value. Edelman will be the top target in the Patriots offense. He was the WR8 in the final 12 games following his suspension. Cooks is a part of the trio for the Rams and while he’s more boom/bust, he’s the deep threat on arguably the league’s best offense. Diggs is an elite route runner on a strong offense and while his upside is capped somewhat, his floor should be steady. Godwin is a favorite to break out in the Bucs high-flying offense. Lockett’s historic efficiency totals call for massive regression, but he will fill the void left by Doug Baldwin. That should help. Boyd is likely to be Cincy’s WR1 with A.J. Green out. He isn’t the flashiest of players but was one of the most consistent wide receivers in the league. A second-year jump should be expected for Ridley in a strong Falcons offense, but his efficiency from 2018 (10 TDs on 64 catches) are likely to hit him hard with regression.
Tier 1 – Tier 2 – Tier 3 – Tier 4 – Tier 5 – Tier 6 – Tier 7 – Tier 8 – Tier 9
Tier 5: Solid WR2/High WR3
22. Cooper Kupp, LAR (11)
23. Robby Anderson, NYJ (4)
24. Kenny Golladay, DET (5)
25. Mike Williams, LAC (12)
26. Allen Robinson, CHI (6)
27. D.J. Moore, CAR (7)
28. Alshon Jeffery, PHI (10)
29. Marvin Jones, DET (5)
30. Christian Kirk, ARI (12)
31. Jarvis Landry, CLE (7)
Analysis: A mix here between high floors and high ceilings, these players are solid WR2s but serve better as a WR3. Kupp should be in the tier above, but I’d prefer to see how quickly he’s back from tearing his ACL. He was the WR2 before doing so in 2018. Anderson should be the deep threat for Sam Darnold. Without much in the passing game, that could be valuable but also volatile. My favorite value here is Jones, who returns after missing almost all of the second half in 2018. He’s a steal for where he’s currently going and should outproduce his ADP beautifully. A second-year jump could be in the cards for Kirk as the Cardinals offense takes a step forward with a new regime.
Tier 1 – Tier 2 – Tier 3 – Tier 4 – Tier 5 – Tier 6 – Tier 7 – Tier 8 – Tier 9
Tier 6: WR3 with upside to beat ADP
32. Will Fuller, HOU (10)
33. Curtis Samuel, CAR (7)
34. Sterling Shepard, NYG (11)
35. A.J. Green, CIN (9)
36. Dede Westbrook, JAX (10)
37. Larry Fitzgerald, ARI (12)
38. Sammy Watkins, KC (10)
39. Dante Pettis, SF (4)
40. Emmanuel Sanders, DEN (10)
41. Marques Valdes-Scantling, GB (11)
Analysis: These are the wideouts mostly coming at a value due to various reasons, but there is a high chance they outperform their upside. Fuller is a big-play machine when healthy, but he can’t stay on the field. Shepard should be a target hog now that Odell is out of New York. He’s one of my favorite wide receivers no one is really talking about. Sanders appears back from his torn Achilles, which seems incredibly quick. He was the WR3 during the first seven games of the season. If Valdes-Scantling is the true No. 2 for Aaron Rodgers, his upside is as high as anyone’s on this list.
Tier 1 – Tier 2 – Tier 3 – Tier 4 – Tier 5 – Tier 6 – Tier 7 – Tier 8 – Tier 9
Tier 7: Late-round WRs with upside
42. John Brown, BUF (6)
43. Corey Davis, TEN (11)
44. Courtland Sutton, DEN (10)
45. Anthony Miller, CHI (6)
46. DeSean Jackson, PHI (10)
47. Donte Moncrief, PIT (7)
48. Devin Funchess, IND (6)
49. Albert Wilson, MIA (5)
50. Geronimo Allison, GB (11)
Analysis: These are the ones to target in the late rounds. They all have concerns, but it could pay off. Brown could emerge as the deep threat for Josh Allen in Buffalo, which seems like a perfect match. While I love Allen Robinson, this could be where Miller begins to take some targets away in Year 2. Jackson is a perfect late-round target. He gives Carson Wentz another deep threat and is an absolute steal in the double-digit rounds. The drumbeat has been for Moncrief to be the WR2 in Pittsburgh, a team that has 168 vacated targets now that AB is in Oakland.
Tier 1 – Tier 2 – Tier 3 – Tier 4 – Tier 5 – Tier 6 – Tier 7 – Tier 8 – Tier 9
Tier 8: Volatility with limited upside
51. Keke Coutee, HOU (10)
52. Tyrell Williams, OAK (6)
53. DK Metcalf, SEA (11)
54. Kenny Stills, MIA (5)
55. N’Keal Harry, NE (10)
56. James Washington, PIT (7)
57. DaeSean Hamilton, DEN (10)
58. Michael Gallup, DAL (8)
59. Parris Campbell, IND (6)
60. Mohamed Sanu, ATL (9)
61. Golden Tate, NYG (11)
Analysis: This group will have their weeks, but there is too much volatility to trust weekly. From this group, Stills has a strong chance to make a tier jump. Washington could as well if he winds up being the WR2 in Pittsburgh (see: Moncrief). Gallup is also intriguing if Amari Cooper is to miss some time. He would likely step into the WR1 role there in Dallas.
Tier 1 – Tier 2 – Tier 3 – Tier 4 – Tier 5 – Tier 6 – Tier 7 – Tier 8 – Tier 9
Tier 9: Deep league dart throws
62. Paul Richardson, WAS (10)
63. Jamison Crowder, NYJ (4)
64. Marquise Goodwin, SF (4)
65. A.J. Brown, TEN (11)
66. Miles Boykin, BAL (8)
67. Danny Amendola, DET (5)
68. Adam Humphries, TEN (11)
69. Marquise Brown, BAL (8)
70. Trey Quinn, WAS (10)
Analysis: Good luck with this group. If you’re in best-ball leagues or a deep, deep league, these wide receivers could be targets, but it’s all just a dart throw. Goodwin is interesting seeing as no one has established themselves in San Francisco. Boykin could emerge as Lamar Jackson’s No. 1, but that’s a big “if.” Plus, he’s still a rookie. Amendola and Humphries could present high floors in deep leagues if they wind up becoming the safety blanket slot receiver on their respective offenses.
Tier 1 – Tier 2 – Tier 3 – Tier 4 – Tier 5 – Tier 6 – Tier 7 – Tier 8 – Tier 9
