The Fantasy Footballers Rankings: Top 10 Wide Receivers Recap
The Fantasy Footballers have been rolling out their rankings on the most recent episodes of the podcast. Catch the Top 10 Running Backs show here and then be sure to check out the Top 10 WR Rankings show!
If you’re looking for even more WR discussion and analysis, don’t forget to check out Matt Harmon’s Reception Perception Profiles in the Ultimate Draft Kit.
1. Michael Thomas – Andy: 1 / Jason: 1/ Mike: 1
Current ADP: 1.06 / WR1
Michael Thomas’ consistency over the past couple of seasons is insane! In 2019, he finished as a WR1 or 2 in 14 out of a possible 16 games and finished with nine top-7 finishes at the WR position. Thomas gets consistency again playing with Drew Brees, and there’s little doubt he’ll be the focal point of the offense, but his targets could come down after seeing a whopping 185 targets last year. For reference, he saw 149 and 147 targets over the prior two seasons. Regardless, he’s every bit worthy of a top 10 selection in fantasy drafts.
2. Davante Adams – Andy: 3 / Jason: 3 / Mike: 2
Current ADP: 1.10 / WR2
Davante Adams may seem like a disappointment last year, but that’s only because he missed three games due to turf toe. In terms of fantasy points per game, he was still every bit as dominant as he always is, finishing the WR5 in fantasy points per game. From Week 10 on, he averaged 16.2 fantasy points per game as Aaron Rodgers‘ WR1. Volume should again be king for Adams, who is alone at the top of the WR depth chart in Green Bay after the franchise chose to pass on WR in the NFL Draft and in free agency. If Aaron Jones‘ insane 2019 TD efficiency comes down, look for Adams to find the end zone more in 2020.
3. Julio Jones – Andy: 2 / Jason: 4 / Mike: 3
Current ADP: 2.03 / WR5
Juliooooooooo! Per the Consistency Charts in the Ultimate Draft Kit, here are Jones’ WR finishes by year dating back to 2014: WR8, 2, 6, 5, 5, 3. The crazy thing about this consistency is that Jones has almost never done it by finding the endzone, he’s just a yardage and reception monster. Jones has at least 1,394 receiving yards each of the past six seasons, and he’s averaged 162 targets over that span. Jones also has the benefit of continuity here in 2020 as he’ll be playing yet again with Matt Ryan in an offense that has ranked top 5 in passing attempts each of the past two seasons.
4. Tyreek Hill – Andy: 6 / Jason: 2 / Mike: 6
Current ADP: 1.10 / WR3
The easiest argument for Tyreek Hill in fantasy football drafts is that he’s tied to the best passing QB in the NFL, Patrick Mahomes. Hill finished 2018 as the WR1 in fantasy on the back of four weekly WR1 finishes that season, but he finished as the WR30 last year due to missing time with a shoulder injury. Hill’s weekly upside is massive, but he might have some down weeks, as indicated by his WR15 ranking in consistency the year he finished as the WR1. Hill doesn’t need a ton of volume to return value for your roster, but he’s not the same consistent player that Michael Thomas is.
5. Chris Godwin – Andy: 7 / Jason: 7 / Mike: 4
Current ADP: 2.12/ WR6
Chris Godwin exploded onto the scene in 2019, finishing as the WR2 in fantasy despite going in the fourth round of drafts. The game scripts were fantastic for Godwin and Mike Evans last year, with Jameis Winston taking risk and aggressively targeting his WRs with volume. In 2020, will we get the same from 42-year-old Tom Brady? That remains to be seen, but if Godwin lines up in the slot at 63.4% rate that he did last year, he should continue to get peppered with targets given the tendency of Brady targeting Julian Edelman out of the slot for years in New England.
6. Kenny Golladay – Andy: 5 / Jason: 8 / Mike: 5
Current ADP: 3.01 / WR7
A Fantasy Footballers’ favorite, Kenny G produced at a high level both with and without Matthew Stafford last season, who missed half of the season last year. Prior to his injury, Matthew Stafford was playing at an MVP level, and if he can return to that form, Golladay’s ceiling is massive. However, regression in two major statistical categories could be coming for Golladay in 2020. He had a league-high 13 end-zone targets AND 37 20+ yard Targets. It’s hard to do BOTH, especially considering Marvin Jones Jr. missed a few games last year because of injury.
Getty Images / Leon Halip
7. Amari Cooper – Andy: 4 / Jason: 6 / Mike: 12
Current ADP: 3.11 / WR13
Amari Cooper’s consistency charts in the UDK look like a stoplight – lots of green, some yellow, and lots of red. He isn’t the most consistent WR, but at season’s end, Cooper should find himself inside the top 10. There’s a new head coach in town in Mike McCarthy, but the scheme should remain the same with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore still running the show on offense. Last season, the Cowboys led the NFL in yards per play, and if that trend continues and Dak Prescott continues to play at a high level, Amari Cooper should continue to produce.
8. DeAndre Hopkins- Andy: 8 / Jason: 5 / Mike: 14
Current ADP: 2.01 / WR4
A bit of disagreement here amongst the guys, as Mike has Nuk ranked as a WR2. Why? He’s going to a brand new offense and scheme in Arizona and leaving behind a 30% target share with Deshaun Watson in Houston. If Kyler Murray doesn’t target Hopkins at the same rate, does he still have the same ceiling? Hopkins has the second most targets through the first seven seasons of a career, behind only Marvin Harrison.
9. D.J. Moore – Andy: 12 / Jason: 10 / Mike: 7
Current ADP: 4.03 / WR15
D.J. Moore third-year breakout incoming? The second half of Moore’s 2019 season suggests it’s possible as he finished six top-20 finishes at the WR position over the second half of the year. Meanwhile, this was with Kyle Allen, who to be kind, was not the greatest QB in the league last year. The Panthers are an intriguing option for fantasy this year given the new scheme with head coach Matt Rhule and offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Moore figures to be the focal point of a passing game with Teddy Bridgewater, but there’s a lot of ifs in this offense. Will the talent win out?
10. Robert Woods – Andy: 9 / Jason: 15 / Mike: 10
Current ADP: 4.07 / WR17
Robert Woods seems like a massive value in fantasy drafts this year given his WR10 ranking and the fact that he’s going as a mid-range WR2 in current ADP. Woods saw 139 targets in 2019, but he only caught two TD passes all year, indicating that Woods should see some positive regression in the TD department in 2020. If Woods’ volume continues to be there, Woods would be a great selection as your WR1 in fantasy drafts if you decide to draft running backs early.
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