2017 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings
SteemSports Presenter: Scott Frank,@scottybuckets
It is time to rank the best Wide Receivers in the NFL for the upcoming season! I can't wait to watch these guys catching bombs on the NFL Redzone Channel in September. Let's get it started!
1. Antonio Brown - There was no one better last year and there is no reason to expect a slowdown this year. He led all WRs with 20.5 Fantasy Points last season. Brown caught 106 passes for over 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns. Ben Roethlisberger loves to focus on Brown and when the two of them get hot at the same time, the numbers explode. One stat that I love is that Brown played 96% of all snaps last year, meaning, he is always on the field and always is a target. He is in phenomenal shape and in the prime of his career and I expect BIG numbers this year.
2. Julio Jones - A bitter taste is in Jones mouth after blowing the Super Bowl along with his teammates. When I broke down the Quarterbacks last week, I was high on Matt Ryan as I think he will bounce back with avengence. And one of the biggest reasons why is Julio Jones. He is in the middle of averaging over 100 yards per game for 4 years now and I expect him to find the end zone frequently this season. Jones is 28 years old and has a few more seasons at this peak. I would feel safe drafting him in the top 10 overall picks. I'm high on the Atlanta Offense and they will be firing on all cylinders right out of the gate.
3. Jordy Nelson - He is entering this season 100% healthy. Nelson actually was the best Fantasy WR the second half of last year. Aaron Rodgers loves throwing him the ball. In fact, the duo hooked up for 14 Touchdowns last year as Rodgers targeted Nelson in the end zone more than any other QB/WR duo. The Packers seem poised for a big season and their offense should be strong as long as Nelson remains healthy.
4. Mike Evans - Not many WRs got more help in the offseason than Evans. The Tampa Bay Bucs added home run deep threat, DeSean Jackson and also drafted OJ Howard with their #1 pick. Another year in the Bucs offense for Jameis Winston is also going to help Evans numbers. Last season he had 7 games with over 20 Fantasy Points. He has hit 12 TDs in two of his first three years. I would feel good picking him at the beginning of the second round.
5. A. J. Green - Last season, Green was on fire for the first 9 games. He almost reached the 1,000 yard mark by that time. Unfortunately, he was badly hurt in week 11 and that ended his season. His hamstring is all healed and he should fly past his season totals of 66 catches and 4 TDs this year. The Bengals drafted speedster John Ross in the first round that will drastically take pressure off of Green. This duo has the potential to be one of the best in the NFL. Green has big game talent and hit over 8 catches and over 120 yards 4 times last year. Andy Dalton should be a happy QB with Green healthy and Ross lined up on the other side.
6. Michael Thomas - He made his mark in New Orleans last year. Thomas and Drew Brees had instant chemistry as he put up big numbers in his rookie year. With 92 receptions and over 1,100 yards, he had one of the best rookie seasons at WR in NFL history. Although Brees likes to share the love to all of his weapons, he lost one when Brandin Cooks left. Thomas will be the main target and with the Saints bad defense, Brees will be playing from behind or in the middle of a shootout each week. That will bode well for Fantasy Points for Thomas.
7. Odell Beckham - Talent wise, he is #1 on my board. But for Fantasy Football purposes, I have him down here at #7. And even with that rating, I am still kind of skeptical on Beckham. Last year he put up good numbers with 101 catches, over 1,300 yards and 10 TDs. But this year he has a new teammate, Brandon Marshall. Marshall is a loud mouth on and off the field and is not much of a team player. He will demand the ball from Eli Manning and hurt Beckham’s numbers. Beckham has also made some grumblings about wanting out of New York. Will he be traded? The signing of Marshall and drafting of Evan Engram in the first round make it possible. Be careful if you mortgage the future on Beckham this year.
8. Amari Cooper - The soon to be Las Vegas Raiders have high expectations this year. The words Super Bowl and Raiders have not been mentioned in the same sentence for a LONG time. Cooper and Derek Carr will need to have big years if the Raiders are going to make a run. Last year Cooper has 82 catches and over 1,100 yards. He averaged 14.2 Fantasy Points last year and I expect an improvement on that number. The Raiders did ad Tight End Jared Cook that will help open up the field for Cooper.
9. Deandre Hopkins - There's FINALLY some talent at QB in Houston. Deshaun Watson’s new favorite target will be Hopkins. Last year, as the circus of bums took snaps for the Texans, Hopkins numbers suffered. It hard to say that 78 catches and just shy of 1,000 yards is a bad season, but compared to the monster year he had in 2015, it was. I am high on the long term duo of Watson and Hopkins but I would be skeptical of drafting him in a year long League. As far as Daily Fantasy, I think he will be a star again in the second half of the season. Hopefully Watson starts in week 1 and the sooner they play together, the faster his value will rise.
10. T. Y. Hilton - The question of Andrew Luck’s health is the main reason that Hilton isn't rated a few spots higher. Luck is yet to participate much Colts camp and rumors are swirling that he isn't close to 100%. Hilton has had a great 7 years in the league though. He averages 89.5 yards per game and has the potential for a big season if Luck is healthy. He has top 5 talent and is in his prime. Follow Luck’s preseason health and draft accordingly.
11. Dez Bryant
12. Demaryius Thomas
13. Doug Baldwin
14. Allan Robinson
15. Davante Adams
16. Jarvis Landry
17. Sammy Watkins
18. Alshon Jeffery
19. Larry Fitzgerald
20. Terrelle Pryor
21. Michael Crabtree
22. Golden Tate
23. Brandon Marshall
24. Emmanuel Sanders
25. Cameron Meredith
26. Donte Moncrief
27. Brandin Cooks
28. Kelvin Benjamin
29. Julian Edelman
30. Jamison Crowder
31. Stefan Diggs
32. Pierre Garçon
Who is #1 on your board? Who is the biggest sleeper and who is most overrated? Please tell me your thoughts! Follow @steemsports and find me @scottybuckets for the best Fantasy Football Information all season! Cheers!
I think you're low on Cooks and Edelman personally. That Pats passing offense is going to be fire this year. If they both stay healthy they could easily both be top 10-15 WR's. Obviously both a a little better in PPR, but even in standard scoring I think they're much higher than you have them ranked.
Brady is so good at spreading the ball around. I look forward to seeing how Cooks fits in to their offense. He is a great pick up for sure!
If all the Miami WR's stay healthy this year, Landry will crack Top 10...Big If...
After AJ Green went down last year, Dez Bryant was key in fantasy playoffs....dude was throwing TDs!
Cute pic!!!
Thanks for sharing.
Will be joining my first fantasy football league this year with some work colleagues. Tons of experience with hockey leagues but never tried American Football.
I highly recommend downloading the free app for DraftKings or Fanduel. You can play every week for free or for money but it will teach you the basics and value of every player.
Yeah I play fantasy hockey on draftkings and some nba.
Don't know enough about American football is all, have to start somewhere I guess :P
I told myself i wouldn't draft amari cooper again..that boy crabtree steals all the tds
I hear your concern, but I see him blowing up this year. So talented and Carr needs him.
77? Really?
77?
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Nice
You think Brown is Number One even with Big Ben's Health? His numbers are historically lower and bring him down a bit when Big Ben is kaput. WR rely so much on who is throwing them the ball and just worry about Big Ben this year.
I do agree that every WR is tied to the health of their QB. But Brown can put up 20 catches and 200 yards in a game. I'm hoping for Big Ben to be healthy. Thank you for reading and commenting!