Fantasy Football: Pre-NFL Draft WR Depth Chart
About a week ago, I released my Pre-NFL Draft RB depth chart, and next up is the wide receivers! Free agency has come and gone, and some teams spent big money in free agency to acquire the services of big-time talent. Guys like Allen Robinson, Sammy Watkins, Michael Crabtree, and Jordy Nelson will all be in a new city in 2018. Other teams chose to spend money on other team needs, leaving them with a lack of WR depth. For these teams, they will rely on youth from the NFL Draft (set to begin on April 26) in order to round out their receiver depth chart. Will guys like Courtland Sutton, D.J. Moore, Calvin Ridley, and James Washington find themselves in fantasy relevant situations this year? Once the Draft is complete, come back to The Fantasy Footballers for my updated RB and WR depth charts.
What I’ve decided to do is summarize each team’s current running wide receiver depth chart as it stands today. These are sure to change, and I will put together an updated depth chart and article once the draft is complete. The three colors used are explained below.
A team listed in green is a team that I believe will be an excellent landing spot for a rookie. If drafted to this team, he should have a chance to push for the team’s WR2 spot, and for some teams, the WR1 position. A few teams lack a true WR1 including the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and San Francisco 49ers.
On the other hand, a team listed in red is a team that has a strong receiving corps with a group of proven pass catchers. They have several receivers who are assets to their team, and the WR1 on these teams is a proven stud. Examples include the Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Rams, and Kansas City Chiefs. If a rookie lands on this team, he will struggle to find playing time behind these proven vets.
A team in yellow is a team that’s somewhere in the middle. They have a solid group of pass catchers and a proven WR1, but their WR2/WR3 situation is more fluid. A rookie WR drafted by this team has a chance to earn a role and potentially become a starter for that team as the year goes by. If we were looking at guys from the 2017 draft who found themselves in similar situations, guys like Corey Davis, Zay Jones, and JuJu Smith-Schuster would fit this mold.