Utilizing tiers in fantasy football provides several strategic advantages beyond simple rankings. Rankings are linear, but tiers group players of similar value together. This helps you recognize when there's a big drop-off in talent, so you don't overreact to slight differences in rank. For example, suppose multiple wide receivers are left in a tier but only one player in the current running-back tier. In that case, you're more likely to take the running back before that tier is eliminated.

We'll cover every positional tier as the offseason moves on; today, we wind up with wide receivers.

RELATED: See Quarterback Tiers and Value Picks here.
RELATED: See Running Back Tiers and Value Picks here.
RELATED: See Tight End Tiers and Value Picks here.

Elite WR1

• Ja'Marr Chase, CIN
• CeeDee Lamb, DAL

Elite skill combined with likely high volume pass offenses. Barring injury, the #1 overall wide receiver will be one of these two.

Chase had nearly 500 yards and five scores in the two games against Baltimore, and even if you take those two out, he was the #1 wide receiver last year. We are watching a special connection between him and Joe Burrow that will go down as one of the best quarterback to wide receiver connections in NFL history. 

Lamb was banged up last year and lost Dak Prescott to a season-ending injury, but he still managed to be a top 10 wide receiver. This year, he'll have the most legit running mate of his career in George Pickens, while playing in an offense that will likely have to lean pass-heavy by necessity.

Strong WR1

• Justin Jefferson, MIN 
• Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET 
• Puka Nacua, LAR 
• Nico Collins, HOU 
• Brian Thomas Jr., JAX 
• Malik Nabers, NYG 
• Garrett Wilson, NYJ **VALUE PICK**
• A.J. Brown, PHI 

Take in that list of players in or approaching their peak years. The next generation of great receivers is here.

Jefferson was quiet (for him) for most of 2024, but finished strong and has produced through lots of quarterback transitions in Minnesota. There will be another one this year to J.J. McCarthy, and the offense will be more run-heavy with inexperience at the helm. Jefferson is a little overrated in drafts.

St. Brown had fewer big plays in 2024 than he did in 2023, but he still lived up to his mid-first ADP with a top-five finish among wide receivers in PPR leagues. He did this even while the Lions' pass attempts dropped significantly and a #2 threat at wide receiver emerged in Jameson Williams. He's still a rock-solid first-round pick.

Nacua looked like a wasted pick when knee issues wiped out the first half of his season, but only Ja'Marr Chase was more productive in the second half of the season. His arrow is still pointing up, and he could easily finish in the top 3 this year.

Collins lost five games to a hamstring injury last year and was brought down by an inept Texans pass offense, but he still was top 10 on a points-per-game basis. The offense has nowhere to go but up, so there's upside to taking Collins in the late first.

Thomas was a revelation down the stretch with Mac Jones and a lame duck coaching staff, so we should have even higher expectations with Trevor Lawrence and Liam Coen. Travis Hunter is just as likely to help Thomas's production as he is to hurt it. Thomas should be available in the late first.

Nabers transcended the Giants' quarterback play to put up a top 6-8 season as a rookie. Russell Wilson and Jaxson Dart don't exactly represent upgrades, but there's always a chance that Jameis Winston gets to start a significant number of games. Nabers' ADP is closer to his ceiling than his floor.

Wilson is going a round later than he did last year, even though Justin Fields might be the best quarterback for his fantasy stock that he has played with in his NFL career. Fields and Wilson were teammates back at Ohio State, and Fields fueled DJ Moore's most productive season when the two were together in Chicago. Wilson is one of the best value picks early at wide receiver.

Brown missed three games with a hamstring injury, and his targets per game dropped off along with the Eagles' team passing attempts, so he was a slight disappointment as a first-round pick who returned low WR1 value. His ADP has dropped a half-round to match the value he returned in 2024, so Brown is a solid redraft investment.

Budding WR1s

• Ladd McConkey, LAC
• Drake London, ATL
• Jaxon Smith-Njigba, SEA

All of these guys were fantasy WR2s last year, but their arrows are pointing up, and they could be first-round fantasy picks in 2026. They won't cost a first this year.

McConkey emerged quickly as Justin Herbert's favorite target and should only get better in year two. He is being drafted closer to his ceiling than his floor, as he only missed one game in his pro season after missing five in his last college campaign due to ankle and back injuries.

London is being drafted where he was last year, when expectations were high with Kirk Cousins taking over. Save for one big Thursday night game vs. Tampa Bay, he didn't exactly break out, although he still very much looked the part of an NFL #1 wide receiver. The last two games of 2024 with Michael Penix Jr. were promising, but still below the scoring level that is being assumed with London going in the second round.

Smith-Njigba was a target magnet in his second season and leveled off as a consistent low WR1 in the second half of 2024. New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is going to establish the run, and Sam Darnold is probably a downgrade from Geno Smith. However, Smith-Njigba's ADP is discounted a round from the other players in his tier.

WR2s With WR1 Game

• Tee Higgins, CIN
• DeVonta Smith, PHI

These guys aren't the most productive wide receivers in their offenses, but they are more valuable than the #1s on most teams.

Higgins was actually #3 on a points per game basis last year (barely edged out by Chris Godwin for #2), but he did miss five games with two different injuries. He's available right after the reliable WR1 tier dries up, which feels correct.

Smith had some boom/bust weekly stretches and missed three contests, but his per-game fantasy scoring actually increased from 2024, even though the Eagles' passing attempts took a dip. His redraft ADP remains very affordable for a high-floor WR2 with WR1 upside.

Aging WR1s

• Mike Evans, TB
• Davante Adams, LAR
• Terry McLaurin, WAS
• Tyreek Hill, MIA

All of these receivers will be in their 30s when the season ends. One or more could start to slide as evidence to avoid aging receivers, but we have also seen elite wide receivers' top production persist into their football golden years. One or more of them will deliver value because of the age discount.

Evans produced at a WR1 level in 2023, but fantasy drafters still let him fall into the WR2 ranks because he's in his 30s. Evans did miss three games with a hamstring injury, but remained in the top 10 on a points-per-game basis despite a slow start. His ADP is still hovering in the mid-WR2 range.

Adams should get a massive upgrade in offense and quarterback quality in Los Angeles. He didn't look washed up last year and benefited from Aaron Rodgers favoring him over Garrett Wilson. His ADP is down a round from last year despite going into 2024 with Gardner Minshew II and Aidan O'Connell as his quarterbacks.

McLaurin crushed his career high in touchdowns with 13 and rode the resurgence of the passing game with the arrival of Jayden Daniels to the best fantasy season of his career. He showed no signs of slowing down last year, but is turning 30 during the season. His ADP is up significantly from last year, and he is being drafted at his ceiling. 

A wrist injury and a toothless Dolphins offense last year hampered Hill. The wrist was surgically repaired, but the offense may be the same bum joint it was last year. Hill's ADP is down two rounds from last year's top 5 heights, but that might not be pessimistic enough.

High-Ceiling WR2

• Travis Hunter, JAX
• Xavier Worthy, KC
• Marvin Harrison Jr., ARI
• Tetairoa McMillan, CAR

There's reason to believe that this tier will produce a WR1, but there's also downside here. Where the previous tier is about betting on experience, this one is about betting on youth.

Hunter is concentrating on wide receiver after winning the award as the best at the position in college while majoring in cornerback. He could have some growing pains against NFL corners, but Liam Coen's offense produced two fantasy WR1s in Tampa last year.

Maybe the most overlooked story for fantasy from the Super Bowl blowout was Worthy finally looking like the dreamy deep threat we imagined when the Chiefs moved up for him in last year's first round. He's not the first Chief wide receiver off the board in most drafts, but he should be.

Harrison was misused last year. He and Kyler Murray couldn't get on the same page, which might be as much about Murray's inconsistency as a passer as it was about the targeted route and play design. We could (and should) see a year two improvement in the connection and Harrison's effectiveness, but his ADP has only dropped a round from last year's second-round disaster, so the risk might not be fully baked in.

McMillan's price isn't quite as steep as Harrison's was last year, but he's only going a few spots after Mike Evans, who, while in the autumn of his career, is the player we *hope* McMillan becomes in his prime. Unless Bryce Young and McMillan click from day one, he's overpriced.

High-Floor WR2

• Courtland Sutton, DEN
• DK Metcalf, PIT
• DJ Moore, CHI
• Zay Flowers, BAL

This group is comprised of players who have the potential to exceed the low WR2/strong WR3/Flex level they achieved in 2024, but structural factors will likely limit their ceilings to a similar level of production.

Sutton showed that it was offensive design and quarterback play, not lack of skill and talent, that were holding him back in Denver. He has the most potential to outproduce last year because of the growth of his second-year quarterback, Bo Nix.

With the trade of George Pickens, DK Metcalf is cleared to dominate downfield targets for the Steelers. There's the question of who will quarterback, and the Arthur Smith limiting factor looms. The aesthetics of Metcalf in black and gold are likely to outshine Metcalf's fantasy prospects as a Steeler.

Moore should be helped by the addition of Ben Johnson to the offensive staff and improvement on the offensive line, but the Bears' pass offense is still crowded, and we don't know if Caleb Williams is good yet. We know Moore is good, but there's only one football, and this team will try to establish the run to assist in Williams' growth.

Flowers' ceiling was lowered by the emergence of secondary targets Rashod Bateman and Isaiah Likely in a low-volume pass offense, but he did take a step forward in efficiency and posted his first 1000-yard season. He'll give you some spike weeks with his ability to get behind the defense.

Big-Play WR2

• George Pickens, DAL **VALUE PICK**
• Jameson Williams, DET **VALUE PICK**

If you want a WR2 who can make your week with a long touchdown (or two), but could also disappear on any given Sunday, these guys are for you. 

Pickens could be unleashed if the Cowboys lean pass-heavy and CeeDee Lamb draws more attention from opposing defenses. His ADP is about the same as last season, even though his quarterback and surrounding offensive quality are significantly improved.

Williams delivered on offseason buzz with a breakout season, going over 1000 yards despite missing two games and catching only 58 balls. He could continue to grow and is already undervalued if he just reproduces what he did last year.

Injury Recovery WR2

• Chris Godwin, TB
• Rashee Rice, KC **AVOID**
• Chris Olave, NO

This group could deliver WR1 production, but there are significant questions about injury recoveries that need to be addressed first.

Godwin was a WR1 when he went down with a dislocated ankle. The Bucs believe enough in his recovery to sign him to a three-year, $66 million deal this offseason, but they also drafted Emeka Egbuka with the #19 overall pick, so they won't have to rush Godwin back. You won't have to count on production from him early either, since he only costs a low WR3 price tag in drafts.

Rice has a triple whammy of coming back from a serious knee injury, a possible suspension from a 2023 drag racing incident, and having a developing Xavier Worthy and hopefully healthy Marquise Brown as target competition. You wouldn't know it from his ADP, which assumes he'll pick up where he left off when Brown was hurt and Worthy was green.

Olave missed time with concussions twice last year, and the second in Week 9 ended his season. Not that he was doing much for fantasy before that - three of his last four games were for one or two catches for 13 yards or fewer. The Saints quarterback situation isn't getting better, but Kellen Moore could work some magic to make the offense viable and Olave a hit at a depressed ADP.