Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings & Tiers
By Jason Lisk
The top of the 2018 Wide Receiver list features some familiar names, but if you want to create depth and upside, you’ll need to know all the new faces and old faces in new places that could swing your league.
There will be plenty of movement in the rankings as the preseason depth chart and usage results continue to emerge, so you’ll want to check back if you draft later in the month. Some that I’m keeping an eye on include the Jacksonville situation, which is unsettled but could produce a top 30 WR, and the Dallas depth chart.
TIER 1
Antonio Brown
DeAndre Hopkins
Julio Jones
Michael Thomas
Odell Beckham, Jr.
Of course, Antonio Brown is leading the way. Any of these five guys could carry your team in a PPR league. Hopkins is the second choice because of the possibility of a full year with Watson at QB.
TIER 2
Keenan Allen
Davante Adams
A.J. Green
T.Y. Hilton
Mike Evans
Keenan Allen had a bounce back year last year and the only issue with him has been staying healthy. Davante Adams hasn’t recorded a 1,000 yard season yet, but that should change, and he’s ready to be Rodgers’ #1 target. Hilton should also be primed for a return to top 10 status with Luck back. A.J. Green had a relative down year but is still among the league’s best.
TIER 3
Tyreek Hill
Adam Thielen
Doug Baldwin
Demaryius Thomas
This group could arguably join the tier above them, and you shouldn’t feel too bad if you wait on receiver and select one of these guys. Hill will face some increased competition with Sammy Watkins in KC, but Patrick Mahomes has a big arm to take advantage of Hill’s deep speed. Thielen has shown he is one of the league’s best over the last year and a half, and now gets Kirk Cousins at QB. Baldwin is battling a preseason knee injury, but with the team losing both Richardson and Graham he should get a lion’s share of the passing production. I’ve got Denver rebounding in the passing game, and Demaryius Thomas should lead the way.
TIER 4
Brandin Cooks
Juju Smith-Schuster
Stefon Diggs
Amari Cooper
Marvin Jones
Larry Fitzgerald
Allen Robinson
Jarvis Landry
Cooks joins his third team in three years and is again part of a top offense. Smith-Schuster and Diggs should be great second options on some good passing games. Amari Cooper looks to bounce back after a down 2017, and the team got rid of Crabtree and has new coach Jon Gruden expressing faith in Cooper. We’ll see.
I’ve got Marvin Jones ahead of Golden Tate in Detroit after last season, where Tate’s yards per catch took a tumble and Jones was a big play threat. Fitzgerald keeps producing, and now at age 35 will have another QB (which is why he’s down at 21). Allen Robinson has talent but missed all of last year and is with a new team, while Jarvis Landry has taken his talents to Cleveland.
TIER 5
Josh Gordon
Golden Tate
Corey Davis
Michael Crabtree
Devin Funchess
Josh Gordon would be in Tier 3 or 4 if he was actually in camp, but with the uncertainty I would have a hard time selecting him earlier. Golden Tate turns 30, and has had 90+ catches every year he’s been in Detroit. Corey Davis battled injuries and inconsistency as a rookie but could be primed for a breakout. Michael Crabtree is now in Baltimore, where he looks like the clear #1 option. Funchess seems to be a little undervalued, as the top receiver in Carolina, where he scored 8 touchdowns last year and is just 24 years old.
TIER 6
Sammy Watkins
Chris Hogan
Alshon Jeffery
Julian Edelman
Will Fuller
Cooper Kupp
Marquise Goodwin
Robert Woods
Jamison Crowder
Jordy Nelson
Robby Anderson
Randall Cobb
Kelvin Benjamin
Pierre Garcon
Emmanuel Sanders
Nelson Agholor
The big tier of receivers here are surely to produce some booms who end the year in the top 12, and a few busts. Sammy Watkins moves on to KC on a big free agent deal after one year in Los Angeles. He’ll try to connect on big plays with Pat Mahomes. Hogan and Edelman are the top New England options. Edelman, 32, has the history, but also the question marks with a suspension and a knee injury that cost him a season.
Kupp/Woods in LA, Jeffery/Agholor in Philadelphia, and Goodwin/Garcon in San Francisco form some pairs where identifying who will prove best is more difficult.
TIER 7
Mike Williams
Kenny Stills
Paul Richardson
D.J. Moore
Calvin Ridley
Rishard Matthews
Devante Parker
Marqise Lee
Sterling Shepard
Michael Gallup
Kenny Golladay
Dede Westbrook
This next tier has young guys and some veterans being challenged, where the roles are less clear. The Dolphins’ depth chart is unsettled, which is why I have Stills and Parker here. Rookies D.J. Moore, Calvin Ridley, and Michael Gallup show up here. Mike Williams, Kenny Golladay, and Dede Westbrook are breakout candidates worth a flyer. Someone from the Lee/Westbrook/Cole/Chark/Moncrief group in Jacksonville will prove to be a big value.
TIER 8
Dez Bryant*
John Brown
John Ross
Tyler Lockett
Ryan Grant
Keelan Cole
Cameron Meredith
Tyrell Williams
Courtland Sutton
Josh Doctson
Martavis Bryant
Anthony Miller
Christian Kirk
Ted Ginn
Allen Hurns
Chris Godwin
Some more depth chart questions in this group. I probably wouldn’t take a chance on Dez Bryant, who is still unsigned, before now unless his status changes by draft time. John Brown has battled injuries but has a chance to be the #2 WR in Baltimore. Cameron Meredith and Ted Ginn are possibilities in New Orleans, depending on who merits more playing time. Tyrell Williams could still be valuable with the Chargers because of the tight end situation.
Courtland Sutton has been garnering rave reviews in Denver, and while the path to early opportunity isn’t clear, he’s a potential sleeper, along with rookies Christian Kirk and Anthony Miller.
Others to watch: Antonio Callaway, CLE (with Josh Gordon situation); Geronimo Allison, GB (value goes up if clearly wins 3rd WR spot); Eric Decker and Philip Dorsett, NE (Edelman early suspension, opportunity); Jaron Brown, SEA (if he overtakes Lockett); Danny Amendola, MIA (if he continues to carve out a role as slot receiver and is starting); Quincy Enunwa, Jermaine Kearse, and Terrelle Pryor, NYJ (winner of 2nd WR battle could have value).
Proceed to the next page for a table listing all the wide receivers, with stat projections