Wideouts bounced back in a big way last year. As a whole, receivers scored a record-high 532 touchdowns to boost their Fantasy numbers. Their running back counterparts didn't average as many Fantasy points per game in PPR based on top-12 (0.3 higher), top-24 (1.9 higher) or top-36 averages (1.8 higher). Can't remember the last time that happened.
But it might not happen again. Due to training camp injuries to receivers like Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper, uncertain situations surrounding Antonio Brown and T.Y. Hilton and a lack of reliable stud-muffin pass-catchers, the position has not only become top-heavy but insanely popular! Between fourth and 20th overall, expect all of the top-8 receivers to be gone.
Jump to ...
The good news? The position is rich with receivers with a 900-1,200-yard profile. So missing out on those top-eight receivers isn't so bad.
In addition to knowing your lineup requirements and scoring system, you must answer these questions before you draft:
- How risk-averse are you?
- How badly do you want to fill your starting lineup with no-brainers?
- How deep do you think this position is?
- Are you good at finding replacement receivers off waivers?
The first two questions go hand-in-hand: Wide receivers are generally safer than their running back counterparts, but they typically don't score as much in non-PPR, and only the top guys come close to matching up in PPR. The more of those "safe" picks you want for your starting group, the more receivers you should target early in your draft. You won't get any of them if you have a top-3 pick.
You can use my tiers to determine how deep you think the position is, but after stewing on this for six months (that's right, while you were living your life, I was studying these guys), I feel real good about the wideouts in the first four or five rounds being good enough to start. I'm also confident that the receivers in the fifth and sixth tiers make up a bunch of breakout and sleeper candidates who carry enough upside to warrant starting. You should find the entire class to your liking and may even decide to wait to draft your third or fourth receivers.
That last question? I'm not you, so I can't exactly answer that. But if you've played Fantasy Football for a while, you know that there are receivers with at least decent upside on waivers every week. No one who will cement himself into a starting spot, but someone who offers a chance at scoring a touchdown, going for 70 yards, etc. The better you (and we) are at finding them, the less urgency you'll need to draft deep.
Just know that nearly every Fantasy manager will select at least one very good receiver before the end of Round 3. That doesn't mean it's a mistake to lock up two of them if you want to differentiate your lineup, but that is a move that's best saved for PPR formats and smaller leagues (10 or fewer teams).
But the safest plan on Draft Day is to pick enough receivers from the top-five or six tiers to cover your starting spots, then another two or three for the bench. And always remember that receivers who tend to play the best in Fantasy are those who regularly get a piece of the target share from good quarterbacks. When you're drafting a receiver who doesn't already carry stud status, ask yourself if he has the potential for 120 targets (to yield 70-plus receptions) and/or eight touchdowns. Those are the stats we're shooting for from the non-obvious guys in Round 6 and beyond. The more of those players you get, the more likely you'll compete for a trophy in December.
What about Zero WR?
Imagine not taking your first receiver until after 50th overall.That's the kind of plan you're going to have to follow if you insist on drafting two stud running backs and a stud tight end with your first trio of picks. This is do-able in smaller non-PPR formats and it carries a chance at being wildly successful, especially if you pull the lever on the right receivers starting in Round 5. Heath cummings lays out a blueprint for it here.
D. Hopkins
TEN
|
J. Jones
PHI
|
D. Adams
LV
|
O. Beckham Jr.
MIA
|
J. Smith-Schuster
NE
|
T. Hill
MIA
|
M. Thomas
NO
|
M. Evans
TB
|
A. Brown
TB
|
K. Allen
CHI
|
B. Cooks
DAL
|
A. Thielen
CAR
|
J. Edelman
NE
|
S. Diggs
HOU
|
A. Cooper
CLE
|
C. Godwin
TB
|
C. Kupp
LAR
|
C. Ridley
TEN
|
R. Woods
HOU
|
T. Lockett
SEA
|
K. Golladay
NYG
|
T. Boyd
TEN
|
D. Moore
CHI
|
J. Gordon
TEN
|
T. Hilton
DAL
|
A. Green
ARI
|
A. Robinson
NYG
|
C. Samuel
BUF
|
R. Chosen
MIA
|
A. Jeffery
PHI
|
M. Williams
NYJ
|
D. Westbrook
GB
|
C. Kirk
JAC
|
S. Shepard
NYG
|
E. Sanders
BUF
|
C. Davis
NYJ
|
W. Fuller
MIA
|
J. Landry
NO
|
S. Watkins
BAL
|
J. Brown
BUF
|
D. Jackson
BAL
|
L. Fitzgerald
ARI
|
M. Valdes-Scantling
BUF
|
J. Crowder
WAS
|
M. Jones
DET
|
T. Williams
DET
|
A. Miller
KC
|
D. Moncrief
HOU
|
G. Allison
ATL
|
M. Gallup
LV
|
K. Coutee
MIA
|
J. Washington
IND
|
D. Pettis
CHI
|
D. Hamilton
MIA
|
C. Sutton
DEN
|
A. Wilson
LV
|
M. Boykin
NYG
|
M. Brown
KC
|
D. Willis
PIT
|
D. Hopkins
TEN
|
J. Jones
PHI
|
D. Adams
LV
|
O. Beckham Jr.
MIA
|
T. Hill
MIA
|
J. Smith-Schuster
NE
|
M. Thomas
NO
|
M. Evans
TB
|
A. Brown
TB
|
K. Allen
CHI
|
B. Cooks
DAL
|
S. Diggs
HOU
|
A. Thielen
CAR
|
A. Cooper
CLE
|
J. Edelman
NE
|
C. Kupp
LAR
|
C. Godwin
TB
|
C. Ridley
TEN
|
T. Lockett
SEA
|
R. Woods
HOU
|
K. Golladay
NYG
|
T. Boyd
TEN
|
D. Moore
CHI
|
J. Gordon
TEN
|
T. Hilton
DAL
|
A. Green
ARI
|
A. Robinson
NYG
|
C. Samuel
BUF
|
R. Chosen
MIA
|
A. Jeffery
PHI
|
C. Kirk
JAC
|
W. Fuller
MIA
|
M. Williams
NYJ
|
W. Fuller
MIA
|
S. Shepard
NYG
|
D. Westbrook
GB
|
E. Sanders
BUF
|
C. Davis
NYJ
|
J. Landry
NO
|
S. Watkins
BAL
|
J. Brown
BUF
|
D. Jackson
BAL
|
M. Valdes-Scantling
BUF
|
M. Jones
DET
|
T. Williams
DET
|
D. Moncrief
HOU
|
L. Fitzgerald
ARI
|
A. Miller
KC
|
M. Gallup
LV
|
G. Allison
ATL
|
J. Washington
IND
|
C. Sutton
DEN
|
D. Pettis
CHI
|
M. Goodwin
CLE
|
J. Crowder
WAS
|
K. Coutee
MIA
|
D. Metcalf
SEA
|
G. Tate
TEN
|
M. Boykin
NYG
|
M. Brown
KC
|
D. Samuel
SF
|
D. Willis
PIT
|
So which Fantasy Football busts should you avoid in your draft? And which superstar QB isn't a trustworthy QB1 option? Visit SportsLine now to get Fantasy Football cheat sheets from the model that called Allen Robinson's disappointing season, and find out.