Fantasy football rankings: wide receiver tiers 🏈
Fantasy football rankings: Eric Karabell's wide receiver tiers
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The wide receiver position rarely seems to give fantasy football managers headaches, certainly not in any true comparison with running backs. There is constant running back churn, with new names introduced seemingly at random and roles changing all the time. This rarely happens at wide receiver. We generally know whom to trust, and while surprises and disappointments -- thanks a lot, Antonio Brown -- still pop up on occasion, this is a deep, reliable position until the latter rounds of most drafts.
Still, a tiered system makes sense not only at running back but at other positions as well -- and fantasy managers should have this information at their disposal well ahead of drafts and in a format simple enough to make quick decisions. So many wide receivers produce similar statistics that it might seem disingenuous to separate them into so many sections, but there are degrees of trust too. Receiving numbers often go hand in hand with quarterback play, but each of those positions has a far longer shelf life than running back, and it is not even close.
As noted in my running back tiers article, always prepare well in advance of your drafts. The ultimate reason for a tiered system is so a fantasy manager can make quick decisions about proper value during a draft and when it feels like the value drops off. If three running backs of similar value remain on the board in Round 6 -- well, in theory, at least -- and only one wide receiver of a certain tier, go with the receiver. In many cases, of course, the running backs are the ones to reach for, since wide receiver depth is so ample, but you know this only if you figure out your own wide receiver tiers as well.
Tier 1: Round 1
Michael Thomas, Saints
DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals
Julio Jones, Falcons
Tyreek Hill, Chiefs
Davante Adams, Packers
Notes: Four of these fellows comprised the top tier a season ago, with only Hill joining and Odell Beckham Jr. leaving. You can switch the order of these fellows and it makes perfect sense. They should all be great again.
Tier 2: Rounds 2/3
Chris Godwin, Buccaneers
Kenny Golladay, Lions
Mike Evans, Buccaneers
DJ Moore, Panthers
Notes: Two Buccaneers? Well, Godwin and Evans finished second and fifth in average PPR points per game among wide receivers, though volume should be lower for this duo in 2020 with a new quarterback and more weaponry. Remember, we project ahead, not backward. Still no real concerns at this position in this tier, whereas at running back, concerns come early!
Tier 3: Rounds 3/4
Allen Robinson II, Bears
Adam Thielen, Vikings
Courtland Sutton, Broncos
A.J. Brown, Titans
JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers
Odell Beckham Jr., Browns
Amari Cooper, Cowboys
Notes: This is a rather large tier, and since the running backs who might go in these rounds are far from reliable, chances are you might miss them. I have in recent mocks. Quarterback play could be an issue for several receivers in this tier too. It was last year.
Tier 4: Round 5
Keenan Allen, Chargers
Robert Woods, Rams
Notes: Allen's main selling point is his receptions volume, but he has a new quarterback. I think he will be fine. One could argue whether Woods is even the top Rams wide receiver, but he sure looked like it late last season.
Tier 5: Round 6
DJ Chark Jr., Jaguars
Cooper Kupp, Rams
T.Y. Hilton, Colts
Calvin Ridley, Falcons
DK Metcalf, Seahawks
Tyler Lockett, Seahawks
Notes: Pick a Seahawk! I think Metcalf, entering his second year with huge upside, is worth taking the chance on first. Hilton gets Keenan Allen's former quarterback, but if he cannot stay healthy, it might not matter.
Tier 6: Rounds 7/8
Jarvis Landry, Browns
Julian Edelman, Patriots
Tyler Boyd, Bengals
Terry McLaurin, Washington
DeVante Parker, Dolphins
Marquise Brown, Ravens
Michael Gallup, Cowboys
Notes: This tier features several players slipping too far in drafts. Nobody seemed to want Landry or Edelman last year, and they both performed well. They can again. Boyd gets the next quarterback star to target him. Many people think Brown will be even better this season, and it makes sense.
Tier 7: Round 8
Marvin Jones Jr., Lions
Diontae Johnson, Steelers
Notes: Here we find relative sleepers in sweet situations to succeed, at least now that their starting quarterbacks are healthy, and I seem to keep moving them up. Jones will not catch 80 passes, but he has scored nine touchdowns in two of the past three seasons. Johnson might catch 80 passes.
Tier 8: Rounds 9/10
Stefon Diggs, Bills
John Brown, Bills
Emmanuel Sanders, Saints
Brandin Cooks, Texans
Christian Kirk, Cardinals
Darius Slayton, Giants
Will Fuller V, Texans
Hunter Renfrow, Raiders
Mike Williams, Chargers
Notes: Our first Bills and Texans come off the board, which might surprise some. Diggs did fine in Minnesota, but Buffalo is a far different offense. Houston's Fuller struggles to stay healthy. The tier ends with my favorite late-round PPR sleeper in Renfrow and perhaps my favorite non-PPR sleeper in Williams.
Tier 9: Round 10
A.J. Green, Bengals
Notes: Yep, he is all alone. Look, Green has had a terrific career and a normal season gets him to 10,000 career receiving yards, but what is normal for him now? He missed 2019 and plenty of games before that. If you want to believe he is healthy and a top-25 receiver, go for it. I am avoiding, as his tier and round clearly denote.
Tier 10: Rounds 12/13
Anthony Miller, Bears
Breshad Perriman, Jets
Jamison Crowder, Jets
Curtis Samuel, Panthers
Sterling Shepard, Giants
Deebo Samuel, 49ers
Golden Tate, Giants
Notes: Hey, we have Jets and two more Giants! It's the New Jersey tier! Seriously, though, Samuel might seem to belong in a higher tier, but it also seems he will be missing September games, at the least.
Tier 11: Rounds 15-plus
Justin Jefferson, Vikings
Jerry Jeudy, Broncos
Preston Williams, Dolphins
N'Keal Harry, Patriots
Jalen Reagor, Eagles
Henry Ruggs III, Raiders
Notes: Ah, the rookies finally join us. Quite a bit different from running back, where one rookie might go in Round 1 and several others figure to command important roles right away. At wide receiver, where it is tougher for a first-year player to make an immediate impact, and probably more so in a pandemic, one is just guessing at 2020 value, so try to avoid relying on more than one in any league.
ESPN PLUS ($ MATERIAL)
The wide receiver position rarely seems to give fantasy football managers headaches, certainly not in any true comparison with running backs. There is constant running back churn, with new names introduced seemingly at random and roles changing all the time. This rarely happens at wide receiver. We generally know whom to trust, and while surprises and disappointments -- thanks a lot, Antonio Brown -- still pop up on occasion, this is a deep, reliable position until the latter rounds of most drafts.
Still, a tiered system makes sense not only at running back but at other positions as well -- and fantasy managers should have this information at their disposal well ahead of drafts and in a format simple enough to make quick decisions. So many wide receivers produce similar statistics that it might seem disingenuous to separate them into so many sections, but there are degrees of trust too. Receiving numbers often go hand in hand with quarterback play, but each of those positions has a far longer shelf life than running back, and it is not even close.
As noted in my running back tiers article, always prepare well in advance of your drafts. The ultimate reason for a tiered system is so a fantasy manager can make quick decisions about proper value during a draft and when it feels like the value drops off. If three running backs of similar value remain on the board in Round 6 -- well, in theory, at least -- and only one wide receiver of a certain tier, go with the receiver. In many cases, of course, the running backs are the ones to reach for, since wide receiver depth is so ample, but you know this only if you figure out your own wide receiver tiers as well.
Tier 1: Round 1
Michael Thomas, Saints
DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals
Julio Jones, Falcons
Tyreek Hill, Chiefs
Davante Adams, Packers
Notes: Four of these fellows comprised the top tier a season ago, with only Hill joining and Odell Beckham Jr. leaving. You can switch the order of these fellows and it makes perfect sense. They should all be great again.
Tier 2: Rounds 2/3
Chris Godwin, Buccaneers
Kenny Golladay, Lions
Mike Evans, Buccaneers
DJ Moore, Panthers
Notes: Two Buccaneers? Well, Godwin and Evans finished second and fifth in average PPR points per game among wide receivers, though volume should be lower for this duo in 2020 with a new quarterback and more weaponry. Remember, we project ahead, not backward. Still no real concerns at this position in this tier, whereas at running back, concerns come early!
Tier 3: Rounds 3/4
Allen Robinson II, Bears
Adam Thielen, Vikings
Courtland Sutton, Broncos
A.J. Brown, Titans
JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers
Odell Beckham Jr., Browns
Amari Cooper, Cowboys
Notes: This is a rather large tier, and since the running backs who might go in these rounds are far from reliable, chances are you might miss them. I have in recent mocks. Quarterback play could be an issue for several receivers in this tier too. It was last year.
Tier 4: Round 5
Keenan Allen, Chargers
Robert Woods, Rams
Notes: Allen's main selling point is his receptions volume, but he has a new quarterback. I think he will be fine. One could argue whether Woods is even the top Rams wide receiver, but he sure looked like it late last season.
Tier 5: Round 6
DJ Chark Jr., Jaguars
Cooper Kupp, Rams
T.Y. Hilton, Colts
Calvin Ridley, Falcons
DK Metcalf, Seahawks
Tyler Lockett, Seahawks
Notes: Pick a Seahawk! I think Metcalf, entering his second year with huge upside, is worth taking the chance on first. Hilton gets Keenan Allen's former quarterback, but if he cannot stay healthy, it might not matter.
Tier 6: Rounds 7/8
Jarvis Landry, Browns
Julian Edelman, Patriots
Tyler Boyd, Bengals
Terry McLaurin, Washington
DeVante Parker, Dolphins
Marquise Brown, Ravens
Michael Gallup, Cowboys
Notes: This tier features several players slipping too far in drafts. Nobody seemed to want Landry or Edelman last year, and they both performed well. They can again. Boyd gets the next quarterback star to target him. Many people think Brown will be even better this season, and it makes sense.
Tier 7: Round 8
Marvin Jones Jr., Lions
Diontae Johnson, Steelers
Notes: Here we find relative sleepers in sweet situations to succeed, at least now that their starting quarterbacks are healthy, and I seem to keep moving them up. Jones will not catch 80 passes, but he has scored nine touchdowns in two of the past three seasons. Johnson might catch 80 passes.
Tier 8: Rounds 9/10
Stefon Diggs, Bills
John Brown, Bills
Emmanuel Sanders, Saints
Brandin Cooks, Texans
Christian Kirk, Cardinals
Darius Slayton, Giants
Will Fuller V, Texans
Hunter Renfrow, Raiders
Mike Williams, Chargers
Notes: Our first Bills and Texans come off the board, which might surprise some. Diggs did fine in Minnesota, but Buffalo is a far different offense. Houston's Fuller struggles to stay healthy. The tier ends with my favorite late-round PPR sleeper in Renfrow and perhaps my favorite non-PPR sleeper in Williams.
Tier 9: Round 10
A.J. Green, Bengals
Notes: Yep, he is all alone. Look, Green has had a terrific career and a normal season gets him to 10,000 career receiving yards, but what is normal for him now? He missed 2019 and plenty of games before that. If you want to believe he is healthy and a top-25 receiver, go for it. I am avoiding, as his tier and round clearly denote.
Tier 10: Rounds 12/13
Anthony Miller, Bears
Breshad Perriman, Jets
Jamison Crowder, Jets
Curtis Samuel, Panthers
Sterling Shepard, Giants
Deebo Samuel, 49ers
Golden Tate, Giants
Notes: Hey, we have Jets and two more Giants! It's the New Jersey tier! Seriously, though, Samuel might seem to belong in a higher tier, but it also seems he will be missing September games, at the least.
Tier 11: Rounds 15-plus
Justin Jefferson, Vikings
Jerry Jeudy, Broncos
Preston Williams, Dolphins
N'Keal Harry, Patriots
Jalen Reagor, Eagles
Henry Ruggs III, Raiders
Notes: Ah, the rookies finally join us. Quite a bit different from running back, where one rookie might go in Round 1 and several others figure to command important roles right away. At wide receiver, where it is tougher for a first-year player to make an immediate impact, and probably more so in a pandemic, one is just guessing at 2020 value, so try to avoid relying on more than one in any league.