Wide Receiver Tiers, Targets, and Players to Avoid

Photo: Michael Chow, USA Today Sports

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Getting your wide receiver tiers in order is one of the most important parts of your draft strategy.

ELITE WR1

Cooper Kupp, LAR
Justin Jefferson, MIN

TARGET AT ADP: Kupp, Jefferson

Jefferson over Kupp is a thing now, and I get it with the concerns about Matthew Stafford’s elbow. A top-four pick is a wonderful thing this year.

NEARLY ELITE WR1

Ja’Marr Chase, CIN

TARGET AT ADP: Chase

Austin Ekeler, even Dalvin Cook or Travis Kelce over Chase is understandable, but that’s about as far as Chase should fall in any PPR draft. His season relied on big plays, but like his college teammate Jefferson, he could get even better in year two.

SOLID WR1

Stefon Diggs, BUF
CeeDee Lamb, DAL
Davante Adams, LV
Mike Evans, TB
Tyreek Hill, MIA
Deebo Samuel, SF

AVOID AT ADP: Samuel

This group is there for you if you don’t love any running backs in the late first-late second range. Evans' hamstring is better now (fingers crossed), Adams' Week 1 matchup just got better with J.C. Jackson hurt, and Hill has been dominant in Miami camp. Samuel is the only fade because it’s hard to know if his run game involvement will be as extensive and Brandon Aiyuk is emerging.

HIGH CEILING WR2

Tee Higgins, CIN
Courtland Sutton, DEN
A.J. Brown, PHI
Michael Pittman, IND
D.J. Moore, CAR

TARGET ABOVE ADP: Sutton
TARGET AT ADP: Higgins, Brown, Pittman, Moore

It won’t be a surprise to see any of these receivers in the Top 10, even though most of them will go outside of the Top 10 in drafts. Your third-round PPR pick should probably be one of this group, Kyle Pitts or Nick Chubb.

CITY OF ANGELS WR2

Keenan Allen, LAC
Allen Robinson, LAR
Mike Williams, LAC

TARGET AT ADP: Robinson

The Los Angeles common thread is somewhat arbitrary. Still, this group is together because they have a lower ceiling (without serious injury to another starting wide receiver on their team) than the group above.