It's go time for the 2023 season and Fantasy managers have mostly healthy wide receiver options.
Jamey Eisenberg has his Start and Sit calls for WR here. His waiver and late-round sleepers column also can direct you to the best options that may be available in your leagues. And don't forget to check out Heath Cummings' wide receiver preview for more help with matchup notes, Week 1 numbers to know and more. Plus, SportsLine data analysis shows huge Week 1 upside for one particular NFC East team.
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START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Wide Receivers
WRs to Start
Projections powered by
Sportsline
When Williams is healthy you should plan to start him, and he's ready to go for Week 1. Last year in Week 14 against Miami, Williams went off for six catches for 116 yards and a touchdown on six targets. I'm excited to see the Chargers move their receivers around, and Williams should see time in the slot, meaning he can avoid Xavien Howard if that's a concern. This game should light up the scoreboard with a projected over-under of 51, and Williams has top-15 upside this week. Keenan Allen is also worth starting in all leagues as well.
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Lockett and DK Metcalf should get a boost this week with Jaxon Smith-Njigba (wrist) likely limited, and Lockett absolutely destroyed the Rams in 2022. In two games against Los Angeles, Lockett had 13 catches for 182 yards and two touchdowns on 19 targets, and he should have the chance for another big outing in Week 1. Metcalf had 11 catches for 167 yards and a touchdown on 16 targets against the Rams last year as well.
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We'll find out the status for Terry McLaurin (toe) later in the week, but he returned to practice Wednesday, which is a good sign. But even with McLaurin active I would still start Dotson as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. He's looked great in the preseason, and he caught five of seven targets for 76 yards in his final outing against Baltimore. He's poised for a breakout campaign this season, and it starts this week against a suspect Arizona defense.
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Calvin Ridley is a must-start Fantasy receiver in all leagues in his debut with the Jaguars, but don't forget about Kirk. And he did great against the Colts last season with 10 catches for 102 yards and three touchdowns on 11 targets in two games. I'm expecting Trevor Lawrence to have a huge game this week, and Ridley and Kirk should both have outstanding performances. Kirk has top-20 upside in all leagues in Week 1.
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I like Godwin and Mike Evans this week against a revamped Minnesota secondary. We'll see how new defensive coordinator Brian Flores does with this group, but there are a lot of moving parts, which could lead to some mistakes. And this game could be a shootout if Baker Mayfield doesn't implode. The projected point total is 45.5, and I think the Buccaneers will hold up their end of the bargain. Godwin should be the leader in targets for Mayfield, but Evans could also make some big plays in this matchup. Both have top-20 upside in Week 1.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Sutton and rookie Marvin Mims have the chance to play well this week against the Raiders with Jerry Jeudy (hamstring) either out or limited. Sutton is coming off a strong training camp, and Mims has been impressive as a second-round rookie out of Oklahoma. Russell Wilson should lean on this duo, and the matchup isn't daunting, especially with pass rusher Chandler Jones (undisclosed) potentially out for Las Vegas. Sutton is a borderline top-24 receiver in all leagues, and I like Mims as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in his NFL debut.
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As long as Thomas is healthy then he's worth using as at least a No. 3 Fantasy receiver or flex in all leagues. While Chris Olave is now the alpha receiver for the Saints, you can still expect Thomas to get plenty of targets in a plus matchup. He only appeared in three games last year, but in two of them he scored at least 18.5 PPR points. He has that type of upside, and Thomas could go off for a big game in his return to action in Week 1 at home.
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We're waiting to find out the status for Travis Kelce (knee), but if he's out against the Lions then Moore could have a big game. Even if Kelce plays then I would still start Moore as at least a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. He is going to get plenty of attention from Patrick Mahomes this season, starting this week, and Moore has the potential for plenty of production each week. I also wouldn't worry about Kadarius Toney (knee) this week if he plays because I expect his snaps to be limited in his return to action.
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Addison should have the chance for a big game in his NFL debut against the Buccaneers. My only concern is how much he'll play if the Vikings plan to stick with K.J. Osborn as the starter ahead of Addison in two-receiver sets. But if Addison gets enough targets -- Adam Thielen averaged 6.3 targets per game last year for Minnesota -- then he should showcase his skills. For this week, be conservative with Addison and only start him in three-receiver leagues or as a flex. But don't be surprised if his first game is a big one against the Bucs.
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The first time we saw Moore in a Browns uniform in the preseason against Washington he lined up in the backfield, as well as a receiver. I love that coach Kevin Stefanski plans to move Moore around, and Stefanski said "we want to use the kid in a bunch of different ways." That starts this week against the Bengals, who have a revamped secondary, and Deshaun Watson will hopefully lean on Moore quite a bit. He's worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver, and I'm also counting on Amari Cooper to play well this week. Remember, this is a home game for the Browns, and Cooper scored at least 13.2 PPR points in all but one game in Cleveland last year.
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WRs to Sit
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Davis was bad in two games against the Jets last season with a combined five catches for 64 yards on nine targets. This is a great secondary with Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed and Michael Carter II, and Davis could struggle once again on Monday night. I'd still start Stefon Diggs despite the tough coverage, but it's easy to get away from Davis in this matchup. At best, he should be considered a low-end No. 3 receiver in three-receiver leagues.
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Smith-Schuster should be a good source of receptions this year as the No. 1 receiver for the Patriots, but I wouldn't start him this week against the Eagles, even in three-receiver leagues. Mac Jones should struggle for time to throw against Philadelphia's pass rush, and the Eagles secondary will likely blanket Smith-Schuster this week. Let's not forget, Smith-Schuster riled up several members of Philadelphia's defense following his Super Bowl win with the Chiefs, especially cornerbacks James Bradberry and Darius Slay, and they should be looking to shut down Smith-Schuster in their first meeting since that game.
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We're still waiting to find out who will start at quarterback for the Cardinals between Joshua Dobbs or Clayton Tune, but I don't want to start Brown in most leagues this week no matter who is under center for Arizona. The Commanders secondary is tough, and Brown might not see a lot of quality targets in this matchup. Hopefully for Brown, Kyler Murray (ACL) will return to action when he's eligible to come off the PUP list in Week 5. Until then, Brown is just a low-end starter at best in three-receiver leagues.
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Pittman had his best game of the 2022 season in Week 6 against Jacksonville with 13 catches for 134 yards on 16 targets. Matt Ryan was locked in on Pittman in that game, and Ryan attempted 58 passes in that outing. Anthony Richardson isn't going to throw that much, and Pittman will probably need a hefty amount of volume to be successful. I'd love to see Richardson connect with Pittman for some big plays down the field, but I need to see it first. Until that happens, Pittman is just a low-end starter at best in three-receiver leagues.
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I'm expecting Flowers to be a solid Fantasy option in his rookie campaign, and he should be the No. 1 wide receiver in Baltimore ahead of Rashod Bateman and Odell Beckham Jr. But this isn't a great matchup for the Ravens receivers. The Texans secondary was awesome last year and should be tough again, and Houston was No. 1 in fewest touchdowns to receivers with six. Flowers is only worth using as a low-end starter in three receiver leagues in Week 1.
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Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Pickens should have the chance for a big sophomore campaign, but I would only use him in three-receiver leagues this week. Now that the 49ers have Nick Bosa back, this San Francisco defense should be tough on Kenny Pickett, and he could struggle to get the ball down the field to Pickens. Diontae Johnson is also a questionable starter, but he should still get his share of receptions. If Pickens doesn't find the end zone then he should have a minimal stat line in Week 1 at home.
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