Fantasy Football: 2019 Post-NFL Draft WR Depth Chart
2019’s rookie class is highly regarded as a deep wide receiver class and a relatively weak running back class. There is some intriguing talent entering the league at the wide receiver position this season. The NFL Draft never disappoints, providing excitement and intrigue about your NFL’s team’s new additions to the roster. Now that the dust has settled, I’ve provided an updated depth chart for each team’s wide receiver group. I’ll highlight a few of the biggest changes for fantasy purposes in more detail below, but for a more detailed view of the depth chart before the NFL Draft, check out my article here. You can also view my Post-NFL Draft running back depth chart here.
Want more wide receiver content? Check out the landing spots article series (Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3) written by Eric Ludwig and Kyle Yates.
[lptw_table id=”159467″ style=”default”]Veteran Winners
I’ll preface the ‘veteran winners’ section with saying that these “winners” may not be top tier options in fantasy leagues. However, these players find themselves with either more opportunity or another opportunity to produce in 2019 after a down 2018. So, here we go!
Buffalo Bills Wide Receiver Group
I was going to pick just one guy, but really the whole WR room is a group of winners after the NFL Draft. Many predicted that the Bills might go after a top tier receiver in this class, but they chose to pass on the position altogether. Josh Allen lacks a true number one at the receiver position, but he will again look to be a strong fantasy option at the quarterback position with his new receiver group, which added John Brown and Cole Beasley.
Geronimo Allison, Green Bay Packers
Allison showed flashes in 2018, but his season was cut short by injury, allowing 2018 rookies, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown, to get on the field. After losing Randall Cobb in free agency, the Packers were a team who were rumored to add to the WR position. However, they will enter 2019 with Allison as the likely #2 behind Davante Adams. As we’ve seen throughout Aaron Rodgers‘ career, he has the ability to support multiple fantasy relevant receivers. If Allison can take control of the #2 job, he should be a value in fantasy drafts.
DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins
Remarkably, Parker will get another shot at being a #1 receiver in the NFL. It’s been an extremely frustrating career thus far for Parker, but after the Dolphins passed on the best receivers in the draft, Parker remains atop the Fins’ depth chart. He will also get a fresh start with Adam Gase now in New York and Brian Flores at the helm in Miami. Oh, and he gets a new quarterback with Josh Rosen landing in Miami after the draft-day trade that sent a second-round pick to Arizona for the former top-10 draft pick in 2018.
Rookie Winners
Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
Kyle Shanahan gets another weapon in the form of South Carolina wideout, Deebo Samuel. Samuel should fit in very nicely in Shanahan’s offense and gives Jimmy Garoppolo another solid receiving option alongside George Kittle and Dante Pettis. Deebo should start immediately for the Niners and will be a force in the short to intermediate passing game.
N’Keal Harry, New England Patriots
The Patriots were desperately in need of weapons at the receiver position. Edelman has the slot position locked down, and James White will again be a security blanket out of the backfield, but aside from these two, Tom Brady‘s pass catchers are largely unproven. Harry is likely to start right away and provides a dynamic option for Brady and offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels.
Andy Isabella and Hakeem Butler, Arizona Cardinals
After drafting Kyler Murray with the #1 overall pick, Kliff Kingsbury has his guy to run his air raid offense. Entering the NFL Draft, Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk were pretty much the only options at the receiver position. That quickly changed, as the Cardinals drafted Andy Isabella and Hakeem Butler in the second and fourth rounds, respectively. Isabella and Butler should be able to contribute right away, and in dynasty formats, both should see the field even more in 2020 with Fitzgerald likely to retire at the end of 2019.