Top 40 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings
I’ve recently put out my quarterback and running back fantasy football fantasy rankings, and now its time for the wide receivers. Curious to see where Titans WRs Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter are ranked among their peers? Let’s find out as we dive right into the rankings, starting with the top 10:
1. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
2. Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos
3. A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals
4. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons
5. Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears
6. Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys
7. Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers
8. Alshon Jeffrey, Chicago Bears
9. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers
10. Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers
– I don’t see a huge difference between #2 and #6, so if you can get any one of the WR’s ranked in that range then you’re in good shape.
– I like both Nelson and Cobb this season. And with the departures of WR James Jones and TE Jermichael Finley, there should be even more targets coming for the Packers WR duo.
– Antonio Brown should rank among the league leaders in targets and receptions yet again this upcoming season.
On to 11-20
11. Keenan Allen, San Diego Chargers
12. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
13. Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14. Pierre Garcon, Washington Redskins
15. Andre Johnson Houston Texans
16. Percy Harvin, Seattle Seahawks
17. Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers
18. Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota Vikings
19. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons
20. DeSean Jackson, Washington Redskins
– I wouldn’t worry too much about Jackson taking away targets from Garcon in Washington. If anything, this just opens up even more space for Pierre to work the underneath routes.
– I am aware of Percy Harvin’s injury history, he is just too talented for me to rank him any lower. If he can manage to survive a 16 game schedule, we’re looking at top 10 WR.
– Patterson is interesting. He is a raw athlete and he can’t run a full route tree just yet. That being said, he has rare explosiveness, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he finished inside the top 15 even with a low reception total.
– I expect Roddy White to have a bounce-back season. With Julio Jones commanding double teams, a fully healthy White should reap the rewards.
21-30
21. Wes Welker, Denver Broncos
22. Victor Cruz, New York Giants
23. Michael Floyd, Arizona Cardinals
*****24. Kendall Wright, Tennessee Titans*****
25. Torrey Smith, Baltimore Ravens
26. Julian Edelman, New England Patriots
27. Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles
28. Golden Tate, Detroit Lions
29. T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts
30. Mike Wallace, Miami Dolphins
– Wes Welker could easily be ranked inside the top 20, but his history of concussions scares me. He is one or two away from having to consider an early retirement.
– The perception around Kendall Wright in his young career is that he is a possession receiver. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. He has been underutilized by the former Titans coaching staff and this is the first year that he will be asked to run a more diverse route tree. He has Antonio Brown-like potential.
– Edelman should be the #1 wide receiver in New England, and if TE Rob Gronkowski can’t stay on the field, Edelman will be the center of attention.
– Golden Tate should see a ton of single coverage playing alongside Megatron, and with the pass heavy attack in Detroit, he should approach the 1000 yard mark for the first time in his career.
31-40
31. Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos
32. Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills
33. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts
34. Terrence Williams, Dallas Cowboys
35. Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints
*****36. Justin Hunter, Tennessee Titans*****
37. Eric Decker, New York Jets
38. Anquan Boldin, San Francisco 49ers
39. Marvin Jones, Cincinnati Bengals
40. Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints
– I’m not thrilled with the offensive environment and the QB throwing to rookie WR Sammy Watkins, but he should see a lot of targets in Buffalo. Consistency might be an issue, but expect a few huge games out of Watkins this year.
– Justin Hunter has as much potential as any young wide receiver in the NFL. If everything breaks right, Hunter could vault all they way inside the top 25. I honestly believe that he will breakout this season barring injury. The only reason I don’t have him ranked higher is because you can draft him as your #3 or #4 WR, which means you don’t have to reach for him in fantasy drafts.
– Brandin Cooks is an intriguing rookie receiver. He could be utilized in a variety of ways in New Orleans and he does have a top-notch QB at the helm. I just feel like they spread around the ball too much, which lowers Cooks’ ceiling.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned as I will soon unveil my tight end and defense/special teams rankings.