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 maybe the best news of all for Fantasy drafters is that wide receivers aren't quite as top-heavy as they were last year.
In addition to knowing your lineup requirements and scoring system, you must answer these questions:
- 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 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 starters. 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.
PPR Wide Receiver Tiers
MEGA-ELITE | ELITE |
ROUND 1 | ROUND 2 |
DeAndre Hopkins | JuJu Smith-Schuster |
Julio Jones | Tyreek Hill |
Davante Adams | Michael Thomas |
Odell Beckham | Antonio Brown |
Mike Evans | |
| Amari Cooper |
| Keenan Allen |
| |
EXCELLENT | VERY GOOD |
ROUND 3 | ROUND 4 |
Stefon Diggs | Brandin Cooks |
T.Y. Hilton | Chris Godwin |
Adam Thielen | Cooper Kupp |
Julian Edelman | Robert Woods |
Kenny Golladay | |
HIGH-UPSIDE VALUE | Calvin Ridley |
ROUNDS 5-6 | |
Robby Anderson | MID-VALUE UPSIDE |
Tyler Lockett | ROUND 7 |
Tyler Boyd | Dede Westbrook |
Dante Pettis | Alshon Jeffery |
D.J. Moore | Allen Robinson |
Mike Williams | Will Fuller |
Christian Kirk | Corey Davis |
A.J. Green | Sterling Shepard |
Curtis Samuel | |
HIGH-POTENTIAL BACKUPS | Geronimo Allison |
ROUND 8 | Sammy Watkins |
Jarvis Landry | |
Courtland Sutton | MID-POTENTIAL BACKUPS |
DeSean Jackson | ROUNDS 9-10 |
Donte Moncrief | Larry Fitzgerald |
Marvin Jones | Anthony Miller |
Keke Coutee | Tyrell Williams |
Parris Campbell | |
BENCH DEPTH | DaeSean Hamilton |
ROUND 11+ | Golden Tate |
N'Keal Harry | John Brown |
Devin Funchess | Kenny Stills |
D.K. Metcalf | Marquez Valdes-Scantling |
Marquise Brown | Albert Wilson |
Emmanuel Sanders |
What about punting on receivers and not taking any 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 successful, especially if you pull the lever on the right receivers starting in Round 5.
Non-PPR Wide Receiver Tiers
MEGA-ELITE | ELITE |
ROUND 1 | ROUND 2 |
DeAndre Hopkins | JuJu Smith-Schuster |
Julio Jones | Michael Thomas |
Davante Adams | Mike Evans |
Odell Beckham | Antonio Brown |
Tyreek Hill | Amari Cooper |
| |
EXCELLENT | VERY GOOD |
ROUND 3 | ROUND 4 |
T.Y. Hilton | Brandin Cooks |
Keenan Allen | Chris Godwin |
Stefon Diggs | Julian Edelman |
Adam Thielen | Cooper Kupp |
| |
HIGH-UPSIDE VALUE | MID-VALUE UPSIDE |
ROUND 5 | ROUNDS 6, 7 |
Kenny Golladay | Tyler Boyd |
Robby Anderson | D.J. Moore |
Robert Woods | Mike Williams |
Calvin Ridley | A.J. Green |
Tyler Lockett | Christian Kirk |
Dante Pettis | Will Fuller |
| Alshon Jeffery |
HIGH-POTENTIAL BACKUPS | Dede Westbrook |
ROUND 8 | Allen Robinson |
Sterling Shepard |
|
Curtis Samuel | BENCH DEPTH |
Geronimo Allison | ROUND 11+ |
Sammy Watkins | John Brown |
Jarvis Landry | Marquez Valdes-Scantling |
Corey Davis | Larry Fitzgerald |
| Golden Tate |
MID-POTENTIAL BACKUPS | Emmanuel Sanders |
ROUNDS 9-10 | DaeSean Hamilton |
DeSean Jackson | N'Keal Harry |
Courtland Sutton | D.K. Metcalf |
Donte Moncrief | Albert Wilson |
Marvin Jones | Marquise Brown |
Anthony Miller | Devin Funchess |
Parris Campbell |
|
Keke Coutee | |
Tyrell Williams |
|
Kenny Stills |
|
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.
