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A fantasy draft is all about obtaining the most value with each selection. There is value available throughout a draft, and grabbing it is one of the most important keys to a successful fantasy team. In an attempt to point out this value, we asked our staff to look through the Top 150 and identify players that should outperform their draft position.
Here are the players who received the most votes:
And here are all of the payers mentioned and the reasons why.
Players Receiving 8 Votes
Tyler Lockett, Seattle | Consensus Rankings WR16X | Consensus Projections WR16
Ben Cummins: New offensive coordinator, Shane Waldron, was the passing game coordinator for Sean McVay from 2018-2020. There’s a chance he could elevate this offense, which is an extremely scary thought for the rest of the NFL. Russell Wilson is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, there once again projects to be narrow target distribution within this offense, and Lockett is an extremely talented player. Despite routinely being drafted after DK Metcalf, Lockett finished the 2020 season with more targets per game, more receptions per game, and the same amount of touchdowns per game compared to his teammate.
Andrew Davenport: In PPR leagues the last two years, Lockett has finished WR8 (2020) and WR13 (2019). Yet, he languishes in 2021 drafts at the bottom of WR2 territory. DK Metcalf will always be the top option in Seattle, but Lockett's finish last year has fantasy drafters overreacting to his inconsistency. The competition for targets is still weak as the Seahawks lack a strong third option at wide receiver and don't have a tight end who commands targets. Lockett should far outperform his ADP yet again this year.
Pat Fitzmaurice: He's averaged 1,025 yards and 9.3 touchdowns over the last three years, and his target count has increased year over year during that span. Yes, DK Metcalf is a freakish talent whose star is still ascending, but Lockett has proven to be a high-quality pass catcher, and the Seahawks still don't appear to have a credible third receiver. I love the idea of getting Lockett as a second, third, or even fourth receiver late in Round 5.
Dave Kluge: Lockett has a reputation as a boom-or-bust wide receiver and certainly lived up to that bill in 2020. Although he finished as the WR8, 34% of his points came in two outings where he totaled 300 yards and six touchdowns. A high-variance player like Lockett isn't for the faint of heart, but his team-high 132 targets and offseason contract extension point to him remaining an integral part of the team's offense. While he may lack the season-long ceiling of his teammate, DK Metcalf, he's almost assuredly set up to outperform his fifth-round draft stock. He’s finished as the WR8, WR13, and WR16 over the last three seasons and is getting drafted as the 22nd receiver off the board.
Jordan McNamara: Is DK Metcalf better than Tyler Lockett? Maybe. Is he three rounds plus rounds better than Lockett? No. Lockett is typecast as a small boom-bust wide receiver because he does not look like Metcalf, which gives you plenty of value. Some will point to the weekly consistency of Lockett's scoring, but this is the ultimate red herring for fantasy owners distracting from what is more important: year-to-year consistency. What matters to winning is scoring points, not the group nor order of which they are scored. Lockett is really good at scoring points, with WR17, WR13, and WR8 finishes the past three years. Add in the fact Seattle extended him this offseason, and you have an excellent picture of who Lockett is: a value in fantasy drafts.
Chad Parsons: Lockett is priced at his floor based on his past two seasons of work. What has changed? WR3 is still a question mark for Seattle, and the tight end (while Gerald Everett was added) remains similar. This passing game will funnel through Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. Lockett is an ideal WR3 target for fantasy team builds with a WR1/2 seasonal outcome.
Matt Waldman: It should be inevitable to expect opposing defenses to pay more attention to DK Metcalf after his explosive 2020 campaign. This should tip the scales more in Lockett's favor, especially if DWayne Eskridge or Penny Hart continues his minicamp play into the season and allows Seattle to mix and match Eskridge and/or Hart and Lockett inside and outside to create mismatches. Just as Lockett's 2019 play opened up things for Metcalf in 2020, we'll see another shift. Both receivers are strong options with no worse than WR2 floors when healthy. I just like Lockett a little more this year. Lockett has been a fantasy WR1 for two of the past three years with little change in his production even without the shift.
Jason Wood: Where is the disconnect? Lockett's ADP doesn't align with either his established baseline or trend analysis. He's being drafted as though he's on the downward trajectory of his career. Yet, he's not 29 years old. He has an elite quarterback in Russell Wilson with an undeniable rapport. Lockett has finished 11th, 16th, and 11th in the last three seasons, and there's been no discernible change to his role or his supporting cast. If anything, there's upside from the 2018-2020 seasons because of new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who comes over from Los Angeles with a modern, aggressive passing system.
Player Receiving 6 Votes
Antonio Brown, Tampa Bay | Consensus Rankings WR39 | Consensus Projections WR51
Phil Alexander: Brown finished as a weekly WR3 (Top 36), or better, in exactly half his games with the Buccaneers. Considering he was playing for the first time in a year-and-a-half and joining a new team mid-season, we should take 2020 as proof Brown still has plenty in the tank. You'll be able to confidently start him as your third wide receiver despite Tampa Bay's crowded offense. And if Chris Godwin or Mike Evans miss a game, Brown can safely be projected for weekly top-15 numbers.
Anthony Amico: The Buccaneers passed the ball 61% of the time during the first half of the year and then climbed to 66.6% after signing Brown. The mercurial wideout took on 19.2% of the targets and averaged 14.6 PPR points per game -- which would have made him a WR2. Now he's being drafted outside of the top-35 of the position. Brown stands to beat out his ADP in a neutral situation, and should anything happen to either Chris Godwin or Mike Evans, a top-16 finish is in play.
Jeff Haseley: We get a full season of Antonio Brown this year, and it seems like people forget how good of a player he can be, especially in an offense that features Tom Brady and his demand for precision. Brown could easily carve out a consistent role in the Buccaneers offense. One worthy of being an every-week fantasy starter that you can select as your WR4 or WR5.
Chad Parsons: Brown became one of my guys this offseason due to his half-season flourish in Tampa a year ago, far removed from his previous significant playing time. Brown, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin were in a close heat for the team target lead over that span of time, and Brown, not Evans or Godwin, profiles most like Brady's previous security blankets in Wes Welker and Julian Edelman. Brown has SIX top-6 aPPG seasons in his career and is a critical element to exploiting the wide receiver market in 2021.
Matt Waldman: Brown emerged down the stretch, and I don't think that production is going away in 2021. In fact, I think Brown, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin are all capable of no worse than fantasy WR2 value with Tom Brady under center. Peyton Manning did it with Eric Decker, Wes Welker, and Demaryius Thomas during his second season in Denver. In fact, two of the three were fantasy WR1s in 2013. Brown still has elite skills and the surrounding talent to earn highly efficient mismatches. There are always enough targets to go around for 3-5 top receiving talents when the corps has an elite quarterback supporting them.
Ryan Weisse: While I love Chris Godwin and like Mike Evans, it's hard not to see Antonio Brown as the biggest value of this group. Mainly because you can draft him four rounds after the other two, and he is likely to put up similar numbers. Brown might be a league-winner in that he is being drafted as a fantasy WR3 and has legitimate WR1 upside weekly. He may not be the Antonio Brown of years past, but at this price, he doesn't need to be close to that to be a value.
Player Receiving 4 Votes
Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati | Consensus Rankings WR33 | Consensus Projections WR34
Sigmund Bloom: Boyd was well on his way to a 100 catch season before Joe Burrow went down last year. He's the high percentage target Burrow can lean on as he gets his legs under him. Burrow threw to wide receivers 28.4 times a game last year, so there's plenty to go around for Boyd, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins. All three can hit if Burrow is good, but Boyd is the cheapest by far.
Ben Cummins: The Bengals have leaned pass-heavy in head coach Zac Taylor’s early tenure, and I expect that to continue thanks to a questionable defense and after the selection of JaMarr Chase fifth overall. Chase and Tee Higgins are receiving a lot of love in drafts, and rightfully so. But Tyler Boyd is my favorite value of the trio. Boyd is a solid player and proved he has plenty of chemistry with Burrow last season. Burrow will be plenty motivated to keep that connection humming since the Bengals still don’t have a viable tight end on the roster, and Boyd dominates the middle of the field.
Jeff Haseley: Tyler Boyd is slipping in drafts because JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins are presumably ahead of him on the depth chart. That may be the case on paper, but Boyd occupies a role in that offense that won't be swept under the rug just because of the presence and emergence of Chase. Boyd has 100+ targets in each of the last three years with at least 75 receptions. The Bengals offense will feature a heavy presence of three wide receivers, and Boyd is a trusted piece that will see plenty of involvement. You don't find many WR4s with 100+ target potential, but Boyd is one of them.
Ryan Weisse: We get shiny new toys and forget about our old favorites. That's what is happening here. Tee Higgins trailed Boyd by two targets last year. He's going in the 6th Round. Ja'Marr Chase did not play football last year and steps into A.J. Green's spot. Green trailed Boyd by six targets last year. Chase is going in the sixth round. Tyler Boyd led the team in targets and receptions, by 12 receptions to be exact, and can be had in the ninth round. The return of Joe Burrow and a still bad defense should mean more passing volume; Boyd will get the biggest piece of that pie and is horribly undervalued in drafts right now.
Amari Cooper, Dallas | Consensus Rankings WR12 | Consensus Projections WR13
Andrew Davenport: Last year, the #1 wide receiver in fantasy football after Week 4 was none other than Amari Cooper. Now he finds himself pushed down draft boards below second-year man CeeDee Lamb. Even with backup quarterbacks in 2020, he still posted 90 catches and over 1,100 receiving yards. Keep an eye on the health of quarterback Dak Prescott, but assuming both he and Cooper are healthy when Week 1 rolls around, Cooper shouldn't be on draft boards as late as he is.
Victoria Geary: Cooper is severely undervalued in favor of the intense CeeDee Lamb hype train, which will be getting stronger with every episode of Hard Knocks that airs. Though he hasn't been the most consistent wide receiver throughout his career, his stat lines with Dak Prescott at the helm are undeniable. Before Prescott was injured last season, Cooper was the overall PPR WR1 from Weeks 1-4, scoring 21.3 points per game and only one touchdown in that time span. He was also hyper-targeted in those games, accumulating 51 total targets - an average of 13 per game. A carousel of four different quarterbacks still couldn't stop Cooper from finishing as the PPR WR15 on the season. It's time we change our biased mindset on the narrative of Cooper's erratic production.
Ryan Weisse: There are years of stigma attached to Amari Cooper, so his ADP makes sense. But it makes no sense! Cooper was the WR15 last year with Andy Dalton and Ben DiNucci at quarterback. He now has Dak Prescott back, and we are drafting him at WR16 in the fourth round? Cooper is a virtual lock for 120+ targets, and his inconsistency woes look to be behind him. He is a WR1 that you can land in the 4th Round and makes loading up on running backs early feel so much better.
Jason Wood: Amari Cooper proved again last year he's not giving up his spot as Dallas' No. 1 easily. Last year, he was on pace for a monstrous 1,600-yard season with Dak Prescott healthy but managed a 77-catch, 1,003-yard, 6-touchdown mark without him. Dallas' offense should be at or near the top of the league with Prescott and the offensive line healthy. Cooper was the No. 8 fantasy receiver in 2019 when things were clicking. That's his baseline expectation this year, yet he's being drafted several rounds later.
Corey Davis, NY Jets | Consensus Rankings WR46 | Consensus Projections WR50
Victoria Geary: While all of the camp hype is hyper-targeted toward rookie Elijah Moore, Davis remains a quiet value in drafts. He should see the most targets on the Jets and be a safety blanket for quarterback Zach Wilson, which he has proven he can be after having his best NFL season as the Titans WR2 in 2020. He is one of my favorite late-round values for 2021.
Jeff Haseley: Elijah Moore is getting a lot of camp attention, but Corey Davis is the veteran that I believe Zach Wilson and the Jets offense, in particular, will turn to as the example-setter. He is coming off his best season as a pro and is capable of being the top target in the Jets offense, which is exactly where I believe he'll end up. His consistent effort and ability to reel in 7-10 target games will keep him an every-week fantasy play that you can get as your WR4 or WR5.
Jordan McNamara: Of wide receivers not on rookie deals, Corey Davis ranks 10th in guaranteed contract money, which is well deserved from an NFL perspective. Davis ranked 4th in yards per route run last season (2.67) and the 6th most fantasy points per route run (0.52). While much of the attention has shifted to Eliah Moore's training camp performance, Davis is lurking as a major value.
Jason Wood: Corey Davis is probably miscast as a No. 1 receiver. But the Jets paid him to be their lead receiver, and the new coaching staff will give him every opportunity to be the lead pass catcher. Rookie quarterback Zach Wilson will be thrown into the deep end, which means a high-volume passing attack. It's hard to model a Jets season without Davis having at least 100 targets, and history tells us 100+ target receivers demonstrably outperform Davis' current ADP. He's not going to be a league winner, but he's going to be a usable piece in your lineup most weeks.
Players Receiving 3 Votes
Mecole Hardman, Kansas City | Consensus Rankings WR56 | Consensus Projections WR43
Anthony Amico: Hardman has burned fantasy owners in the past but now seems primed to take the WR2 role for the Chiefs, who surprisingly don't have much behind Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce in the passing game. Hardman has been efficient thus far in his short career, averaging 10.7 yards per target. More volume from Patrick Mahomes II gives him tremendous breakout upside at a low price.
Sigmund Bloom: We're hearing all of the right things about Hardman's growth in training camp, and now Sammy Watkins is gone to free up a larger role for Hardman. He'll get enough opportunity with the best quarterback in the game to matter in fantasy leagues because Hardman should get a steady stream of targets in the vertical passing game that can make your week when they hit.
Ryan Hester: Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill will command massive target shares, but Hardman is third in the pecking order this season. With the team's somewhat murky depth chart at running back behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire, expect Hardman to see multiple rushing touches per week as well. He has plenty of appeal at this double-digit round price tag.
Tee Higgins, Cincinnati | Consensus Rankings WR23 | Consensus Projections WR20
Phil Alexander: Higgins is one of just nine wide receivers to top 900 yards as a 21-year-old rookie. JaMarr Chase will command targets, but Higgins is in zero danger of being marginalized. In Joe Burrow’s ten starts in 2020, Cincinnati averaged 40.4 pass attempts per game. Only Pittsburgh (42.6) finished as a pass-heavier team last season. With A.J. Green’s 104 targets and team-leading 1,310 air yards now up for grabs and the Bengals defense once again shaping up as one of the league’s worst, Higgins and Chase are capable of coexisting as top-12 fantasy receivers in the same offense.
Andrew Davenport: Since head coach Zac Taylor arrived, the Bengals have thrown the ball a lot. They threw it the 4th most times in 2019 despite starting Andy Dalton and Ryan Finley. In 2020 Joe Burrow averaged over 40 attempts per game before being injured. That many attempts extrapolated over 16 games would've smashed the second-place team. On top of that, similar to mentor Sean McVay, Taylor uses a high percentage of 3-WR sets (11 Personnel), and they did so 76% of the time last season. Yes, JaMarr Chase will demand targets, but Higgins is no slouch himself, and all three wide receivers will play plenty. Expect Higgins to step forward in his second year and perform well above his current draft slot. The competition from Chase is real but shouldn't have Higgins pushed so far down draft boards.
Pat Fitzmaurice: He wasn't a universally beloved prospect coming out of Clemson, but Higgins had an impressive rookie season that would have looked even better if not for the Joe Burrow injury. The late-sixth-round price tag is a bit puzzling. Sure, Higgins will have to compete for targets with stud rookie Ja'Marr Chase and ace slot man Tyler Boyd, but the tight ends are almost nonfactors in the Cincinnati passing game, and Zac Taylor has proven to be a pass-happy play-caller. I'm excited about buying this exciting young talent at an affordable price,
Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh | Consensus Rankings WR22 | Consensus Projections WR26
Victoria Geary: Though injuries plagued roughly 25% of Diontae Johnson's 2020 season, he was a PPR monster when he was on the field. From Weeks 1 through 16, Johnson averaged 12 targets, 75 yards, and 18.72 PPR points per game in his healthy games. Those stats would have slotted him in at the WR5 in points per game, right between Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins. The good news about Johnson leading the league in dropped passes with 16 last year? Dropped passes are a completely volatile, unpredictable statistic that should not scare us off. With Ben Roethlisberger back at the helm, we should expect Johnson to garner the most targets for the Steelers once again. Johnson remains a screaming value in PPR formats.
Ryan Hester: Johnson was Pittsburgh's top producer last season, and he left some room for further upside. Whether he reaches that upside on a team with a poor offensive line that is also trying to be more balanced this year remains to be seen. But Johnson is being drafted near his floor. If drops are a concern, consider that Pittsburgh's offense struggled mightily without Johnson, who only had one game after Week 6 in which he failed to catch 8 or more passes and gain fewer than 60 yards. That game was against Buffalo when he was benched for drops. The following two weeks, he caught 16 passes for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns. The team needs Johnson to be a chain-mover. He'll have a longer leash this season, and he might not require it.
Dave Kluge: People are quick to write off Diontae Johnson after leading the leagues in drops throughout the 2020 season. Despite the drops, Ben Roethlisberger's faith in Johnson never wavered as he peppered him with a team-high 9.6 targets per game. Davante Adams, Keenan Allen, Stefon Diggs, and DeAndre Hopkins were the only receivers to command more targets on a per-game basis. Although not known for his game-breaking ability, his role as a short-yardage pass-catcher and ability to break tackles in the open field make him a screaming value in the fifth round.
Mike Williams, LA Chargers | Consensus Rankings WR45 | Consensus Projections WR38
Phil Alexander: Trying to decipher coach speak is often a fool's errand, but sometimes separating the signal from the noise doesn't have to be difficult. New Chargers' offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi has told us to "bet on nice numbers coming from Williams on the stat sheet" and said, "there will be some natural production that comes Williams' way because of the nature of the offense." These quotes are oddly specific and shouldn't be ignored given Williams' pedigree, association with Justin Herbert, and the target volume opened up by the departure of Hunter Henry.
James Brimacombe: The former seventh-overall pick has yet to really break out into a star in the NFL but now, with a top-end quarterback in Justin Herbert and a potentially healthy season in front of him, 2021 seems like the perfect spot for Williams to prove himself. He showed glimpses of his big-play ability back in 2018 when he snagged 10 touchdown passes but since has finished as WR37 and WR43. I am looking for Williams to take the next step and crack a top WR20 season.
Ben Cummins: The Chargers had one of the best offseasons in the entire league. Head Coach Brandon Staley is an extreme coaching upgrade over Anthony Lynn. Their offensive line received significant upgrades, including first-round draft pick Rashawn Slater and free-agent additions Corey Linsley and Matt Feiler. This organization has created a solid environment around the exciting second-year quarterback, Justin Herbert, who lit the league on fire from the get-go last season, throwing for 4,336 yards and 31 touchdowns in only 15 games. Mike Williams, the clear-cut #2 WR, stands to benefit. Williams is a former first-round pick who already has a 10-touchdown and a 1,000-yard receiving season on his resume. The coaching staff, Staley included, won’t stop talking about the big role Williams will have this year, and I’m inclined to believe them.
Players Receiving 2 Votes
Odell Beckham, Cleveland | Consensus Rankings WR31 | Consensus Projections WR37
Ryan Hester: Beckham avoided the PUP to start Training Camp, which suggests he'll be "all systems go" in Week 1. A player of Beckham's talent level and place on his team's depth chart shouldn't be drafted in the WR3 ranks. Cleveland likely won't have enough passing game volume to launch Beckham into the WR1 ranks, but his explosiveness typically provides a couple of weeks in the top-10 each season. Beckham offers a high weekly ceiling at an affordable price.
Andy Hicks: At his best, his current ADP would make Odell Beckham an absolute steal for your draft. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been a fantasy WR1 since 2016. Three injury-interrupted seasons in his last four Is not a good sign. He has had every opportunity to sulk his way out of Cleveland but has been resolute. 2021 is the season that pays off. Take him as a flex player. If it all works out, he can carry you high in your league standings. If he doesn’t, the price is worth the risk. He will be worth monitoring during training camp and preseason as his ADP could skyrocket with positive press.
Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh | Consensus Rankings WR26 | Consensus Projections WR22
James Brimacombe: I think how good Claypool's rookie season was often gets overshadowed by Justin Jefferson's massive rookie season. The fact is Claypool finished as the WR14, showing an ability to have a knack for big plays. All Steelers offensive players feel discounted this season based solely on a potential bad offensive line and an aging quarterback. Claypool broke out as a rookie with 62/873/9 stat line, and his current ADP isn't even reflecting those numbers and the potential to improve on them.
Andy Hicks: Despite serious competition from a stacked receiving corps, Chase Claypool had an impressive rookie season. Claypool was also a raw prospect heading into 2020, so his rookie season was all about ability. With a solid training camp and further development, he can be one of the most dominant receivers in the NFL. It may not be this year, but it will be soon. He has a rare size and speed combination, with his work ethic championed by teammates. It will be hard for him to fail at his current draft price, but the upside is best in the business.
Brandin Cooks, Houston | Consensus Rankings WR32 | Consensus Projections WR30
Jordan McNamara: Brandin Cooks is a perennial WR2, and at this point in his career, he is a WR3-4 type valuation. Houston probably will not be good, and there is the Deshaun Watson question looming, but there are no established weapons at the receiving position other than Cooks. Cooks has been plug and play 110+ targets and WR2 finish outside of his rookie season and his injury-shortened season with the Rams. Given all that is going on in Houston, Cooks should push his career-high in targets and return a value.
Jason Wood: Is there a more misunderstood player? Every year fantasy managers come up with reasons to ignore Brandin Cooks, and every year he demolishes his ADP. It makes no sense. How many other receivers can deliver 1,000-yard seasons in five out of six years? How many can do that playing on four different teams? With four different quarterbacks? In the last six years, Cooks has finished 12th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 62nd, and 16th. While the Texans situation has many questions, including who'll be under center, Cooks has proven he can be a top-20 fantasy asset regardless of system or signal-caller. He's also in line for a career-high target share given the lack of compelling alternatives on the roster.
Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay | Consensus Rankings WR17 | Consensus Projections WR18
Andy Hicks: Chris Godwin missed four regular-season games in 2020 and played injured in others. After a dynamic season in 2019, he may have a higher upside than Mike Evans if he is fully fit. He is playing on the franchise tag. Unusually everyone involved seems fine about that. Godwin is the guy to target in Tampa Bay if you are looking to win your league.
Ryan Weisse: One injury-riddled season, and we all forget the excitement that followed Chris Godwin around after Tom Brady joined the team. Brady loves his slot wide receivers, and Godwin is the most talented one he's ever had. In just 12 games last year, Godwin caught 65 balls for 840 yards and seven touchdowns. When he, Mike Evans, and Antonio Brown all played together, he led the team in targets. There are not too many mouths to feed, and even if there were, Godwin eats first.
Jerry Jeudy, Denver | Consensus Rankings WR34 | Consensus Projections WR27
Phil Alexander: Jeudy is primed for a second-year breakout, especially if Teddy Bridgewater is Denver's starting quarterback in 2021. Reports of Bridgewater and Jeudy connecting on big plays have been steady since voluntary minicamp, which makes sense due to Bridgewater's accuracy on short and intermediate throws and Jeudy's elite separation skills. Only one wide receiver had more unrealized air yards than Jeudy in 2020 -- a problem Bridgewater's 69% completion rate immediately solves.
Pat Fitzmaurice: This has been my favorite buy in early drafts. My case for him is mostly "seeing is believing," which may not sway the numbers/metrics crowd. Jeudy is a sublime route runner and simply explodes after the catch. We saw it when he was at Alabama, and it was on display last year as well, even if Jeudy's rookie numbers weren't great. There's something for the numbers/metrics crowd to chew on, too: Jeudy had a league-high 26 uncatchable targets in 2020, according to PFF, leading to a 46% catch rate. The Broncos' quarterbacking can't be any worse in 2021. They'll either get improvement from Drew Lock, or they'll insert the limited but semi-capable Teddy Bridgewater. I think we'll see Jeudy turn into a star this year, and we might be regarding him as a second- or third-round pick a year from now.
Elijah Moore, NY Jets | Consensus Rankings WR66 | Consensus Projections WR59
Sigmund Bloom: Moore continues to steal headlines in training camp. The opening chapter of his career points to big things in his future; we just don't know how big or how soon. The rookie wide receiver has a chance to immediately become the #1 target for a rookie quarterback and rack up targets and catches on a team likely to play from behind a lot this year.
James Brimacombe: The Jets have a whole new offense, and it looks to be led by Elijah Moore at the wide receiver position as the buzz continues on the second-round pick all off-season. Rookie quarterback Zach Wilson will be looking for a go-to target in the offense, and from Day 1, it looks like there is a decent shot that it can be Moore.
Players Receiving 1 Vote
Robby Anderson - Carolina | Consensus Rankings WR29 | Consensus Projections WR35
Jordan McNamara: Robby Anderson finished 20th in PPR scoring in 2020 but 9th in non-touchdown scoring. Anderson is a high-floor player on a contract year who could see a positive touchdown regression to push him higher at the position.
JaMarr Chase, Cincinnati | Consensus Rankings WR24 | Consensus Projections WR25
Ryan Hester: Due to opting out of the 2020 college football season, it's been a while since football fans have seen Chase play. That year-plus off can make it easy to forget how dominant Chase was during his sophomore season at LSU. Chase caught 84 passes for 1,780 yards (21.2 yards per catch) and 20 touchdowns. He also ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. Chase can catch passes at all levels of the field. And he'll once again be catching passes from his college quarterback. Chase's physical tools give him top-12 positional upside in any given week, and he's being drafted outside of the WR2 ranks in 12-team leagues.
Will Fuller, Miami | Consensus Rankings WR37 | Consensus Projections WR45
Pat Fitzmaurice: He's brittle, and you can't use him in Week 1 because of a PED-related suspension, but Fuller is way too good to be going in the 10th round. He's always been an explosive playmaker, but Fuller took on a bigger role for the Texans last year and came through with five 100-yard performances and eight touchdowns in 11 games. This is a deep discount I can't pass up.
Russell Gage, Atlanta | Consensus Rankings WR53 | Consensus Projections WR56
Chad Parsons: While I question the probability of a top-12 season, Gage is a strong bet to outproduce his wide receiver hierarchy (deep in the WR40s at best). Kyle Pitts is a notable addition in Atlanta, but Julio Jones leaves a cavern of available targets. Gage collected 110 looks a year ago, with Jones having four games of 10+ targets amidst his time in and out of the lineup. Gage is the clear WR2, with a questionable-at-best WR3 situation in Atlanta, for a team run by a quality quarterback (Matt Ryan) with shaky running back depth and a defense likely to lead to higher scoring if Atlanta is to stay in games. The equation makes sense for Gage to finish in the top-36, if not higher, in PPR leagues.
Michael Gallup, Dallas | Consensus Rankings WR40 | Consensus Projections WR29
Ben Cummins: The Cowboys’ offense looks ready to explode in 2021 as long as Dak Prescott is healthy. Dak averaged 422.5 passing yards per game and threw for nine total touchdowns in four healthy contests before getting injured in 2020. Michael Gallup will greatly benefit from Dak and the offensive environment, yet drafters don’t seem to agree, which creates a buying opportunity. CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper are routinely selected very early in drafts. Yet, Gallup tied both of them for the team lead in reception touchdowns (5) and still averaged a very respectable 6.47 targets per game in Weeks 1-16. I believe greatly in Gallup’s talent and am excited about the reports he will be used more creatively this season, aligned both inside and out.
Darnell Mooney, Chicago | Consensus Rankings WR54 | Consensus Projections WR49
Sigmund Bloom: Mooney's quickness and straight-line speed translated in his rookie year. He's garnering rave reviews in camp, and now he'll get an improvement in quarterback play, whether it's Andy Dalton's boring steady execution in structure or Justin Fields' deep arm to unlock Mooney's jets. Mooney is an ascendant player in a developing situation.
Allen Robinson, Chicago | Consensus Rankings WR10 | Consensus Projections WR14
Dave Kluge: After back-to-back years as a top-10 receiver, Allen Robinson is getting drafted in the late-third round as the 12th receiver off the board. It's easy to get distracted by up-and-coming receivers with high upside, but Robinson is as steady as they come, with 150-plus targets in consecutive seasons. He accomplished these numbers with a carousel of Mitchell Trubisky, Nick Foles, and Chase Daniel as his quarterbacks. Be it Andy Dalton or Justin Fields under center in 2021, either is likely to be the best quarterback Robinson has ever played with. Robinson relies on his size and route-running to accumulate his stats and probably doesn't have the athleticism to push himself into the elite tier of receivers. He's essentially a lock to finish as a WR1 and can be drafted at a great value.
Henry Ruggs, Las Vegas | Consensus Rankings WR55 | Consensus Projections WR44
James Brimacombe: The fantasy world is ready to throw Ruggs to the curb after a disappointing rookie season that was riddled with injury. Ruggs was the 12th overall selection just a year ago and now looks to be the top wide receiver on his team, with Nelson Agholor in New England. Ruggs is a perfect target for your team to look for that later-round wide receiver breakout. Ruggs only played in 13 games, and some of those he was banged up in and finished with 26/452/2 stat line. It will be hard to see Ruggs with fewer than 60 receptions in a full second season. Betting on him at his ADP just feels right.
Curtis Samuel, Washington | Consensus Rankings WR41 | Consensus Projections WR31
Andy Hicks: Moving from Carolina to Washington will be Curtis Samuel's best move in his career. Stuck behind D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson, Samuel still registered over 1000 combined yards and five touchdowns. That appears to be the tip of the iceberg for his potential. The key to his success is versatility and with offensive weapons all around in this offense, look for Samuel to be the vital part that makes this offense work. I would monitor his groin and Covid situation closely before you draft.
Deebo Samuel, San Francisco | Consensus Rankings WR38 | Consensus Projections WR41
Dave Kluge: How quick we are to forget Deebo Samuel's rookie season. Deebo had all of the makings to be a premier receiver and often flashed in 2019. His injury-plagued 2020 campaign has caused his draft stock to plummet. Although playing in seven games, he played 62% of snaps or fewer in three games. In the four games that he was healthy, though, he saw a healthy target share: 8, 6, 11, and 9. Brandon Aiyuk certainly earned a share of the target pie last season, but the two-round gap in their draft positions appears to be an overcorrection. Samuel's aggressive playstyle leads to a lot of injuries, and that's baked into his value. However, a healthy Samuel should easily outperform his eighth-round price tag.
Jaylen Waddle, Miami | Consensus Rankings WR47 | Consensus Projections WR42
Jeff Haseley: His ankle injury history is a deep-down concern. However, he is performing well in training camp and has emerged as a threat while others in Dolphins camp are sinking. Will Fuller is dealing with a foot injury, and DeVante Parker, who recently came off the PUP list, appears to be going through the motions, trying to avoid getting hurt. Waddle is playing to be the team's top target, and he may just get there.
Robert Woods, LA Rams | Consensus Rankings WR15 | Consensus Projections WR12
Andrew Davenport: Another summer and another vote for Robert Woods as a value play. While Jared Goff's play tailed off the last two seasons measurably, Woods was still able to fight his way to a PPR WR14 finish in both campaigns. Before that, with a better Rams offense, Woods finished PPR WR11 in 2018. The arrival of Matthew Stafford should at the very least give the offense a boost with his veteran savvy and ability to push the ball down the field. But oddly, Woods is being drafted well below any of his previous three years' fantasy finishes. And should Stafford bring the offense back to form? Woods has a chance to equal or better his WR11 production from a few years back. That's fantastic value.
