/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65002566/usa_today_11918415.0.jpg)
At times last season, the wide receiver position was a bit of a headache, though not as painful as running backs and tight ends continue to be. Despite the musical chairs of WR2s and WR3s that many fantasy managers went through, the WR1s were generally as expected. Tyreek Hill, DeAndre Hopkins, Antonio Brown, Julio Jones and other big-name receivers achieved what they were drafted to achieve. Many of those same names are being drafted highly in 2019, but the mid-range receivers pose more question marks than answers.
2019 WR Rankings
Rank | Player | Team | ADP | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | Player | Team | ADP | Notes |
1 | DeAndre Hopkins | HOU | 5.7 | Preseason injury to Coutee solidifies Nuk as the overall WR1. He's finished as overall WR1 and WR2 the past 2 yrs. |
2 | Davante Adams | GB | 8 | Was one of the most consistent fantasy players in 2018, hitting double digit PPR fantasy points in every single game. Little competition for targets again. |
3 | Julio Jones | ATL | 11.3 | Ranked in the top 6 in fantasy points per game for the SIXTH straight season. Sure, more TDs would be nice, but the RECs/YDs floor is elite. |
4 | JuJu Smith-Schuster | PIT | 16.7 | Was an absolute monster with AB on the team and his numbers with AB inactive were that of a top 5 WR. He's only 23 and will be used even more this yr. |
5 | Odell Beckham Jr. | CLE | 12.7 | OBJ has been a top 6 WR in fantasy points per game every yr of his career. Now will catch passes from the best QB he's ever played with. |
6 | Michael Thomas | NO | 11.3 | Has posted a 321/3787/23 line through his first 3 seasons, missed just a single game and is coming off of a 125-catch season. |
7 | Tyreek Hill | KC | 18 | TD regression is bound to happen and the Chiefs drafted a like-for-like insurance policy in Mecole Hardman, but Hill will be a WR1 again. |
8 | Mike Evans | TB | 22 | Somewhat quietly put up a 1,500 yard season in 2018. Now has Arians as HC and Jackson/Humphries are gone. Much more RZ targets coming. |
9 | Keenan Allen | LAC | 25.7 | After being somewhat injur prone, Allen has played in all 32 games the last two yrs and put up a 199/2589/12 line. |
10 | Adam Thielen | MIN | 26.7 | Two top 10 years in a row and shouldn't be fazed by a more run-oriented approach from the new OC. Cousins wasn't paid to be a game manager. |
11 | Brandin Cooks | LAR | 41 | Was outscored by Woods last year, but Cooks led all LAR WRs in RZ targets and his TDs should positively regress. |
12 | Amari Cooper | DAL | 31.3 | Was fed as a bonafide WR1 after being traded to DAL last season. Still had a few duds, but showed in the postseason that he and Dak have chemistry. |
13 | T.Y. Hilton | IND | 27.7 | The additions of Funches and Campbell are a bit concerning, but Hilton should remain Luck's go-to target and build on a WR11 season (by FPPG). |
14 | Stefon Diggs | MIN | 35.3 | The WR12, WR13 and WR17 over the last three seasons showed a great rapport with Cousins last season and broke the 100 RECs and 1,000 YDs mark. |
15 | Robert Woods | LAR | 41 | Led LAR in overall targets last season and put up a top 10 season. Return of Kupp might ding him a bit, but this offense can support 3 high-level WRs. |
16 | Antonio Brown | OAK | 22 | Nearly impossible to properly rank AB at this point given his foot and helmet issues. He also won't produce like he has in the past with Carr. |
17 | Julian Edelman | NE | 41.7 | Gronk gone, only rookies and cheap veterans added at WR. Targets will be up for grabs for the WR14 in fantasy points per game last yr. |
18 | Chris Godwin | TB | 47.3 | Humphries and D-Jax are gone, Godwin posted a fringe WR2 season in 2018 and Arians has said he'll feature him. |
19 | Tyler Lockett | SEA | 55.3 | Baldwin retiring means Lockett will step in as SEA's main slot WR. TD rate is unsustainable, but RECs and YDs will go way up. |
20 | Tyler Boyd | CIN | 59.3 | Boyd was actually more productive last year with AJG on the field last year, but AJG's early season injury gives Boyd a high floor. |
21 | Cooper Kupp | LAR | 50 | Wary of a player coming off a torn ACL, but Kupp was the WR11 in fantasy points per game last season. |
22 | Allen Robinson | CHI | 65.3 | Tough to rank A-Rob this high with Trubisky, but he is now two years removed from injury (camp reports glowing) and should cash in more on 16 RZ targets. |
23 | Kenny Golladay | DET | 44.3 | The Lions have a really thin target tree, which helped Golladay finish as a WR2 last season and should do the same in his third season. |
24 | Sammy Watkins | KC | 84 | Seems to be undervalued in early drafts. If you want cheap exposure to Mahomes and the Chiefs offense, Watkins is the way in. |
25 | Calvin Ridley | ATL | 59.3 | TD rate from his rookie season is probably unsustainable and Sanu is still there, but Ridley should fully take over as the WR2. |
26 | Robby Anderson | NYJ | 76 | Showed a nice rapport with Darnold at the end of last season (24/360/3 from W13-16) and already has a WR2 season under his belt (2017). |
27 | Emmanuel Sanders | DEN | 124.7 | Sanders' ADP makes no sense to me. He's already recovered from the Achilles injury and was WR17 last season in fantasy points per game. |
28 | Corey Davis | TEN | 88.3 | Nearly reached 900 yards last season despite offensive dysfunction/Gabbert making appearances. Humphries/Brown/Walker should open things up for him. |
29 | D.J. Moore | CAR | 63.3 | Funchess' targets are up for grabs and CAR didn't bring in anyone of note outside Chris Hogan. Moore is just 22 and put up 960 YFS as a rookie. |
30 | A.J. Green | CIN | 46 | AJG is likely to miss maybe the first quarter of the season, but he's a fringe WR1 whenever he's back. Treat him as if he's suspended 4 games. |
31 | Alshon Jeffery | PHI | 68 | Many have soured on him, but he was a fringe WR2 in fantasy points per game last season. D-Jax, JJAW and Ertz should get him more open looks. |
32 | Jarvis Landry | CLE | 63.3 | As is the case every year, he's a much better pick in full PPR formats. Beckham should open things up for him in the MOF. |
33 | Will Fuller | HOU | 81.7 | If we're going by production in limited action, Fuller might be the most dynamic WR in the NFL, but he has missed 15 games over the past two seasons. |
34 | Marvin Jones | DET | 92 | Golladay has all the hype, but Jones was only 0.6 fantasy points per game behind Babytron and produced like a solid flex when active. |
35 | Mike Williams | LAC | 59.7 | The 10 TDs last year are nice, but he did it on 66 targets and 43 total receptions. Hunter Henry, a big RZ target, is now back. Will have to improve RECs/YDs. |
36 | Sterling Shepard | NYG | 97.7 | Giants extended him, OBJ is gone and Tate is suspended for the first quarter of the season. Shepard should be a target hog for most of the season. |
37 | Geronimo Allison | GB | 128.3 | Averaged double digit fantasy points per game in the 5 games he played last year and the Packers didn't bring in competition at WR. |
38 | DeSean Jackson | PHI | 129.3 | PHI has been able to scheme WRs open deep without having an elite deep threat. Enter D-Jax, one of the best deep threats in the game. |
39 | Curtis Samuel | CAR | 107.7 | The hype train is building, but he's still relatively unpolished as a WR and doesn't have the size to be a RZ factor like Funchess was. Solid upside pick. |
40 | Christian Kirk | ARI | 83.7 | Kirk was usable in plenty of weeks last year despite being on the worst offense in the league with one of the worst QBs. Much better breakout situation now. |
41 | Dante Pettis | SF | 84 | Hoping the talent wins out at some point, but the reports out of camp haven't been glowing and SF appears to have a logjam at WR now. |
42 | Devin Funchess | IND | 142 | Should be Luck's new "Moncrief", who was a reliable WR3 in Indy a few years ago. Funchess will be the main target in the RZ for a high-level QB. |
43 | Donte Moncrief | PIT | 155.3 | A lot of people will probably have James Washington or Diontae Johnson in this spot, but Moncrief is an established veteran that Big Ben will trust more. |
44 | Larry Fitzgerald | ARI | 98 | Should get much better QB play than last year, but a lot of new pass-catching faces were brought in and Kyler might rather run than take short throws. |
45 | Albert Wilson | MIA | 218 | Was a WR2 in fantasy points per game last season, which was cut short by injury. Has always been electric and will be MIA's WR1 with whoever at QB. |
46 | Dede Westbrook | JAX | 100.7 | Westbrook seems like the obvious candidate to be Foles' go-to guy, especially considering he's the primary slot WR and the Jags don't have any good TEs. |
47 | Adam Humphries | TEN | 175.5 | Was heavily featured in TEN's first game and Mariota will love him, but Davis is the WR1 and there are other mouths to feed on a run-first offense. |
48 | John Brown | BUF | 151.5 | Love the fit with Allen's big arm and his speed, but the week-to-week output is likely to be erratic. Much better best ball pick than redraft. |
49 | N'Keal Harry | NE | 116.3 | Josh Gordon being reinstated would negatively affect Harry, but for now it looks like he'll start on the boundary. Situation is great, but I'm wary of rookie WRs. |
50 | Mohamed Sanu | ATL | 191.5 | We can keep trying to relegate Sanu to no role, but he continues to produce. Better real life player than fantasy, but could be useful in a pinch. |