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After doing running back rankings during the preseason and every week during the regular season, ranking wide receivers seems like the easiest task in the world.
Deciphering the running back position in fantasy football is like coal mining and trying to teach calculus simultaneously. Special shoutout to Fake Teams Editor Pete Rogers for letting me hop off the death trap that are running back rankings and letting me switch over to wide receivers.
Here’s to hoping we don’t have any Alshon Jeffery or John Brown or Randall Cobb situations this season.
Preseason WR Rankings
| Rank | Player | Team | Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Team | Analysis |
| 1 | Antonio Brown | PIT | Martavis Bryant returning actually helps him. WR1 in both years Bryant has played. |
| 2 | Odell Beckham Jr. | NYG | Has ranked in top 5 at position each year of his career. Lock for 90+ RECs, 1300+ yds, 10+ TDs. |
| 3 | Julio Jones | ATL | Foot problems and RZ usage the only concerns. Top 3 no-brainer. |
| 4 | A.J. Green | CIN | Was top fantasy WR before going down last season. |
| 5 | Jordy Nelson | GB | Top 2 WR in last 2 healthy seasons. TD machine. |
| 6 | Mike Evans | TB | D-Jax/Howard/Godwin additions plus improved defense means Evans won't see same target number as '16. |
| 7 | Michael Thomas | NO | The ceiling is the roof after stellar rookie season and with Cooks gone. |
| 8 | T.Y. Hilton | IND | Despite low TD totals, no better bet for 1000+ yds than Hilton. Better PPR asset than standard. |
| 9 | Doug Baldwin | SEA | 2 straight 1000 yd seasons and 21 TDs since taking over as go-to WR in SEA. |
| 10 | Dez Bryant | DAL | 6 TDs over final 7 full games of '16. Looks back to being prime Dez: a TD maven. |
| 11 | Amari Cooper | OAK | 2 1000 yd seasons under belt at just 23. Needs to take RZ looks away from Crabtree to fulfill potential. |
| 12 | Terrelle Pryor | WAS | Uncapped potential in D-Jax's old role. Goes from Kessler to Cousins. |
| 13 | DeAndre Hopkins | HOU | Just needs even mediocre QB play to be an every-week WR1. |
| 14 | Demaryius Thomas | DEN | Very safe WR2 with potential for more if Broncos open up offense in RZ. |
| 15 | Brandin Cooks | NE | Too many mouths to feed in NE to feel great about him as a consistent/reliable WR1. |
| 16 | Allen Robinson | JAX | Talent is absolutely still there. Atrocious QB play held him back, and could again. Upside pick. |
| 17 | Michael Crabtree | OAK | Has outscored teammate Cooper in back-to-back seasons despite going much later in drafts. |
| 18 | Larry Fitzgerald | ARZ | 2 straight 100 RECs, 1000 yd seasons as Palmer's favorite target. Criminally undervalued. |
| 19 | Tyreek Hill | KC | 3 return TDs helped, but he scored 9 total without them. Will benefit from lost Maclin targets. |
| 20 | Davante Adams | GB | 12 TDs is unlikely again on just 75 RECs, but locked in as Rodgers' #2 guy. |
| 21 | Emmanuel Sanders | DEN | Gap between him and Demaryius much smaller than perceived. Undervalued. |
| 22 | Jarvis Landry | MIA | Better in PPR. Lack of RZ looks and TDs hurt his cause. |
| 23 | Martavis Bryant | PIT | One of the most efficient TD scorers in the league when on the field. |
| 24 | Stefon Diggs | MIN | Inconsistency should even out in second year with Bradford. 100 catch potential. |
| 25 | Golden Tate | DET | Brutal start aside, finished as a back-end WR2 in '16. 3 straight 90+ RECs seasons. |
| 26 | Keenan Allen | LAC | Huge injury risk. Has missed 22 games over last 2 seasons. Target hog when healthy. |
| 27 | Sammy Watkins | LAR | Move to Rams could be detrimental unless Goff/offense drastically improves. |
| 28 | Alshon Jeffery | PHI | Surprised I'm even ranking him this high. He's killed me multiple years because of injuries. |
| 29 | Kelvin Benjamin | CAR | Painfully inefficient, but scored 7 TDs and was WR19 last season. Best RZ weapon for Cam. |
| 30 | Julian Edelman | NE | Despite Cooks addition, will remain Brady's preferred target on short routes. Better in PPR. |
| 31 | Kenny Britt | CLE | Went over 1000 yds with Keenum/Goff. Hue Jackson will find ways for him to replicate '16 success. |
| 32 | Pierre Garcon | SF | Will be a target hog in Kyle Shanahan's offense that peppers the No. 1 WR. |
| 33 | Jeremy Maclin | BAL | Should quickly become Flacco's favorite target. Just one year removed from 87/1088/8 season. |
| 34 | Cameron Meredith | CHI | 31/439/2 over final 5 weeks of '16. Will be WR1 for CHI, but concern is QB. |
| 35 | Tyrell Williams | LAC | One of my favorite WR targets to draft in 7/8 rd. He's one K. Allen injury from another top 12 finish. |
| 36 | Jordan Matthews | BUF | Was completely off my radar before trade. Huge opportunity with better offense/QB opens up. |
| 37 | Willie Snead | NO | Lack of TDs kill him in standard. Solid PPR WR3, but not a sexy fantasy prospect. |
| 38 | Jamison Crowder | WAS | Pryor addition will take away a lot of RZ looks. Bump up if Reed misses time. |
| 39 | Donte Moncrief | IND | Scored in 7 of 9 games played last season. If he doesn't score a TD, he gives you nothing. |
| 40 | DeSean Jackson | TB | Will be extremely volatile week-to-week with Jameis inaccuracy. Better best-ball pick than season-long. |
| 41 | Brandon Marshall | NYG | See: Jackson, DeSean. |
| 42 | Marvin Jones | DET | Can be a solid matchup-dependent flex. Won't be the guy he was during first 4 weeks of '16. |
| 43 | Eric Decker | TEN | If camp reports are anything to go by, has been Mariota's go-to target. |
| 44 | DeVante Parker | MIA | Looks great in camp/practice. Heard that one before. |
| 45 | Robby Anderson | NYJ | Someone has to catch passes for the Jets. But from who? Enunwa injury opens up huge opportunity. |
| 46 | Adam Thielen | MIN | Uninspiring yet reliable, both in fantasy and in real life. |
| 47 | Corey Coleman | CLE | Took a backseat to Pryor in '16. Expecting him to do the same with Britt in '17. |
| 48 | Rishard Matthews | TEN | New additions on offense will make TEN WRs volatile weekly. |
| 49 | John Brown | ARZ | Colossal injury/illness questions. After having so much of him last season, I'm staying away. |
| 50 | Ted Ginn | NO | Poor man's Brandin Cooks. Will have big games in the dome. Good luck predicting which ones. |