The QB's were the big topic of this year's NFL draft. However, the WR's were not far behind. This class is loaded at WR. There are easily players that did not make the top ten that can easily be solid fantasy contributors.
Here are our WR dynasty rankings before your next rookie draft.
Ja'Marr Chase- Cincinnati Bengals
Mike- In 2019, we saw an elite class of WR's entire the NFL. Guys like Ceedee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, and Justin Jefferson all were highly sought after prospects. Of all of them, Ja'Marr Chase was still the best WR in the country. That is the last time we have seen Chase play, and some people may be worried about a year off, but at the WR position, I think it helps Chase more than it hurts him. He was given an entire year to get his body into the best shape of his life, and he is entering the NFL with fresh legs and minimal usage. He is back with his former college teammate Joe Burrow, and the Bengals offense will be throwing the ball a ton. I expect Chase to be a legit WR1 in fantasy for the next decade, and there is a chance that begins as early as this season.
Adam- If Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase can pick up right where they left off and have unbelievable connection, than Chase is about to have a great career. Even if the connection takes a year, Chase and Burrow played so well together and they racked up a lot of points at LSU. Burrow loves to throw the deep ball to Chase, and he will rack you up a lot of yards and TDs. When you look at the entire WR class from this season, there is no hiding that Chase is the clear #1. His speed and ability to make plays is next to none. I expect the connection between Burrow and Chase to start slow, but once they rekindle the LSU magic, expect to see similar numbers to college.
Rashod Bateman- Baltimore Ravens
Mike- Bateman is one of my favorite players from this class. He has the perfect combination of size, speed, and skill to dominate in the NFL. He is very underrated because of the lack of attention for his team in college. Some may be worried about the landing spot, but I think it is a great fit. The Ravens are going to have to throw the ball more if they want to find success into the playoffs. The Ravens have been missing a legit WR for Lamar to throw to, and they found it here with Bateman. The elite running game of the offense will help open up Bateman and the passing game as well.
Adam- Bateman's best quality is being able to separate from the CB, and that helps him get receptions and extra yardage. Now add in his landing spot in this years draft. Lamar Jackson has not had a true WR1 as long as he has been the starter, and Bateman is the best WR he has ever had. The Ravens have not been able to solidify the passing game in a long time, and Bateman's talent will help them do that.
Jaylen Waddle- Miami Dolphins
Mike- Waddle is an elite playmaker, and a tremendous football player. Will that transfer over to fantasy production? That is yet to be determined. Good football players don't always find success in fantasy because of the way the points work, and sometimes not so great players are elite in fantasy. Based on talent alone, Waddle is one of the best of the best, and we will see if the connection between Tua and Waddle can continue into the NFL. He is walking into a WR room that lacks a legit playmaker. The Dolphins signed Will Fuller, but he is rarely able to stay healthy for a full season, and he is starting the season serving a suspension. Waddle was the 6th pick in the draft, and the Dolphins traded up to ensure they can get him. He will be a key player in that offense. His elite speed and quickness will be a matchup nightmare for opposing DBs.
Adam- The second QB and WR college reunion we get to talk about. Tua and Jaylen had a great connection in college, and I believe that connection will resume in the NFL. Tua's biggest struggle in the NFL was his WR's inability to break free from defenders. I expect Jaylen to play in the slot and if he does, he will break away with ease and Tua has a brand new favorite target.
DeVonta Smith- Philadelphia Eagles
Mike- DeVonta Smith is walking into an organization with very little talent in the WR room. The Eagles face a lot of high powered offenses this season with a very suspect defense. The Eagles may need to throw the ball more than they would like to this season, which is a tremendous thing for fantasy purposes. Jalen Hurts is out to prove himself this season, and I expect him to feed a WR that he is very familiar with. Smith will be the go to WR Philly has needed for a long time.
Adam- If you are a follower of All About The Birds, I am assuming you are a big follower of the Philadelphia Eagles. If you are a fan, you know the Birds have not had an elite in a very very long time. DeVonta Smith is that guy. His speed is next to none, and the idea that he is Jalen Hurts's new favorite weapon is intriguing. I expect Hurts to throw to him as much as he can and that should make fantasy owners happy.
Rondale Moore- Arizona Cardinals
Mike- Rondale Moore is such an elite athlete. The landing spot for a guy like him is everything, and I really like the fit here. He will do a multitude of things for the Cardinals. I expect him to get touches in the slot, the backfield, screens, etc.. I also think he is more than just a swiss army knife. He is a legit WR. He runs great routes, can jump through the roof, and has tremendous speed. He is a small WR, but he has some good size, and he puts up tremendous numbers in the weight room. Size will not be a concern for him. He is one of the most underrated players in the class.
Adam- Moore's landing spot is going to cause his productivity for year 1 to be slow, but after his rookie season I expect him to be a top tier WR in this class. Arizona has a lot of different WR's, but many of them are aging. Once he is given his fair share of throws his way, Kyler Murray will be in heaven. When he is on the field, he is going to be productive. There is no other way to say it. He will rack up plenty of fantasy points, it just may take a year for him to find his role within Arizona's offense.
Terrace Marshall Jr- Carolina Panthers
Mike- Marshall enters a system in Carolina that he is very familiar with under Joe Brady. The anthers have a new QB in town, Sam Darnold, and the fit here could be very interesting. Sam Darnold's most targeted WR every season in the NFL has been his slot WR, which has taken about 25-27% of the targets. In 2020, Terrace Marshall played 73% of his offensive snaps from the slot. If the Panthers use Marshall in the slot, he could be a steal in fantasy.
Adam- I like to call Terrace Marshall Jr the forgotten member of the LSU Tigers. He played behind the best rookie WR in NFL history and the best WR in this year's class. Even playing behind those two, he put up some insane numbers that would have made him WR1 on almost every other college football team. In 2020, his numbers were almost similar but he only played in half the amount of games. The fact that he played in the shadow of Jefferson and Chase in 2019, makes him very appealing to me. He is not the big name player, but will make your FLEX position very happy.
Elijah Moore- New York Jets
Mike- Moore was a guy I couldn't wait to see his landing spot, and I think the Jets allow for him to be fantasy relevant this season. He might be the best route runner in the draft. He is always open, and he creates separation consistently. Being a slot WR, he is going to be a mismatch nightmare for defenses. I think Moore can be one of those guys that in a few years we look back and wonder how he wasn't drafted earlier.
Adam- The Jets have found their new franchise QB and also have their brand-new WR1. Elijah Moore is entering a very crowded WR room. Fortunately for him, he is clearly the superior player even without playing a single snap in the NFL. The best thing Moore has for him is his ability to create mismatches and that is why he will be a solid fantasy player. The idea that Wilson will have a young WR to build around and Moore's ability to create mismatch makes this a fantasy owner's dream.
Tylan Wallace- Baltimore Ravens
Mike- There are 2 Ravens rookie WR in the top 10? Yes there are! The Ravens need all the help they can get in the passing game, and Wallace is instantly slotted into their WR3 spot. He is probably the biggest question mark on this list strictly because I'm not sure if the Ravens can have that many players be fantasy relevant. They are a run first team with an elite tight end as well, so his production is yet to be determined. He is still worth decent draft capital based on the fact that he will see plenty of action early.
Adam- Mike stole my opening line. Lamar Jackson has not had a solid WR1 or a WR2 since he's been in Baltimore. The Ravens have yet to solidify the passing game with Lamar, and I feel it is because of his receivers. I feel Tylan Wallace is the 2nd best receiver on the team behind Bateman. However, Baltimore revamped their passing catching room by also adding Sammy Watkins. Wallace may have a bad landing spot, but if the Ravens can solidify the passing game, Wallace will be used a lot.
Amon-Ra St. Brown- Detroit Lions
Mike- As weird as it is to say, St. Brown may be walking into the best situation as any player on this list. The Lions have absolutely nobody at the WR position, and he has the chance to be their #1 guy this season. He has been a very highly rated player since his high school days, and I am not really sure why he fell as far as he did because he produced at the college level. I think he will shock a lot of people, and he is a guy I am grabbing as many shares of as possible.
Adam- Who does Jared Goff have to throw the ball to? If you only named TE TJ Hockenson, you are correct. I will be honest. Any receiver the Lions picked would have made this list for me, simply because Detroit has no one else. They lost their WR1 and WR2 to free agency this off-season and brought him veteran Jared Goff to play QB. If Goff is the future, he will rely on heavily for St. Brown's help to keep the job. St. Brown was a five star recruit out of high school, and now that he is the lone receiver he should be getting his fair share of throws his way.
Dyami Brown- Washington Football Team
Mike- I am a bit disappointed where Brown ended up. I thought he could have gone to a team like the Chiefs or Ravens where he would be a lot higher on my rankings. I think his talent alone lands him easily in the top 10, but the landing spot makes him fall a bit. He is a guy that I am taking strictly based of talent and hoping he gets the usage to become fantasy relevant, but the offense in Washington is getting a bit crowded.
Adam- Please remember this is dynasty fantasy football. You are always looking out for the future. Dyami Brown is 100% a pick for the future. If you are trying to "win now" you may want to look the other way. Brown is easily one of the better rookie receivers, but this may be one of the worst landing spots for him. He is entering a very successful and crowded WR room, but he has the ability to overtake them all, it just may take some time.
The receivers are always one of my personal favorite positions to talk about. One of the most unappreciated positions in all of fantasy is the TE position. They can be the key to your teams success. Solid TE's come around very rarely. There is at least 1 elite TE could their be 2? Check back soon for our TE rankings!
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