By John Sarianides
The wide receiver position is now the most coveted skill position in fantasy football. Wide receivers have replaced running backs as the top position players in fantasy football. The Steelers Antonio Brown was drafted first overall in thousands of drafts last season and will once again be in the running to be the first player taken in most drafts this season.
Here are my top 20 wide receivers heading into the 2017 season.
1. Antonio Brown, Steelers: Brown will once again be in the running to be the first overall player drafted. Brown finished with 1,284 yards and 12 touchdowns last season but he might struggle to match those numbers this season with Martavius Bryant and JuJu Smith-Schuster in the fold. Projected Round: 1st
2. Odell Beckham Jr. Giants: Beckham is the most explosive playmaker in the NFL. You can justify taking first overall in your league if you had to. Beckham finished with 1,367 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. He might not hit those numbers this season but he will still be the number one option in the Giants passing game. Projected Round: 1st
3. Julio Jones, Falcons: Jones proved just how much of a monster he is with a dominant Super Bowl performance. Jones can be injury prone but that aside, he is as good as any receiver in the league and a surefire top ten pick. Look for Jones to pick up where he left off in the playoffs. Projected Round: 1st
4. Mike Evans, Bucs: Evans took another step towards being an elite receiver last season by finishing with 1,21 yards and 12 touchdown passes. Even with the addition of DeSean Jackson and rookie tight end O.J Howard, I think Evans will approach similar numbers in 2017. He is uncoverable especially in the red zone. Projected Round: 1st
5. A.J Green, Bengals: People have forgotten about Green but that would be a mistake. I still think he is a top ten player in most fantasy drafts and now that he is healthy, he should return to the form that we are accustomed to. Projected Round: 1st
6. Jordy Nelson, Packers: Nelson came back from a major knee injury in 2015 with a vengeance. Nelson caught 97 passes for 1,457 yards and 14 touchdown passes in 2016. I think he can approach those numbers again given how much the Packers throw the ball. The addition of tight end Martellus Bennett will create more one on one opportunities for Nelson down the field. Projected Round: 1st
7. Mike Thomas, Saints: If you are willing to wait until the second round to draft a number one type receiver, then wait and grab Thomas. I think this kid is on the brink of becoming a star. You saw glimpses of it last season. I think Thomas busts out in 2017. He is the undisputed number one receiver in a pass first offense. Projected Round: 2nd
8. T.Y Hilton, Colts: Hilton is a great value pick in my opinion. He will productive and more importantly, he’ll be on the field. He is durable. Obviously much of Hilton’s success will depend on the health of Andrew Luck but if Luck is healthy, Hilton will put up big numbers. Projected Round: 2nd or 3rd
9. Dez Bryant, Cowboys: Dez is still a number one receiver despite a dip in production last season. Dak Prescott is entering year two as the Cowboys starter. He will be more comfortable in the offense and will get more opportunities to throw the ball. Bryant will bounce back statistically. Don’t forget about Dez on draft day. He is still a number one wide receiver in fantasy football. Projected Round: 2nd or 3rd
10. Amari Cooper, Raiders: Cooper finished with 1,153 yards receiving last season but only caught 5 touchdown passes. Cooper is a number one receiver but he will need to score more touchdowns to justify taking him before the second round. Based on previous production, I think Cooper would be a better value in the third round. Projected Round: 3rd
11. DeAndre Hopkins, Texans: Hopkins is not the surefire number one receiver he was two years ago but if you are willing to take a chance on him and roll the dice that he will bounce back, take him. Right now Hopkins projects as a productive WR2 but he is still talented enough to be an WR1 if the Texans get any kind of quarterback play. Projected Round: 3rd Round
12. Brandin Cooks, Patriots: Cooks will go earlier than this in a lot of drafts. People are going to over draft him because he plays with Tom Brady. That is understandable. Cooks projects as a WR1 based on the numbers her posted last season. I wouldn’t take him in rounds one or two but Cooks could be a steal in round 3. He has put big numbers in his first three years in the NFL and could put up even bigger numbers this season. Projected Round: 3rd Round
13. Alshon Jeffery, Eagles: You would think that Alshon Jeffery’s numbers will improve playing with Carson Wentz but I don’t buy it. Jeffery has been injury prone the last two seasons and he has been wildly inconsistent. The talent is there and Jeffery can be a WR1 but fantasy owners might want to look elsewhere before making Jeffery their number one option in the passing game. Projected Round: 4th or 5th
14. Demaryius Thomas, Broncos: Thomas’ numbers took a hit last season because of the Broncos quarterback situation. New offensive coordinator Mike McCoy is tasked with getting more out of either Trevor Siemien and Paxton Lynch. Regardless of who wins the quarterback job, they’ll look to Thomas more this season so expect a spike in production. Thomas will fly under the radar but take a flier on him as either a WR1 or WR 2. Projected Round: 4th or 5th
15. Allen Robinson, Jaguars: Robinson will not go as high as he did in the past two years so there is a chance you could snag him in the 5th or 6th round. I think Robinson is primed for a bounce back season but I am not going to make him my WR1. I made that mistake last season and I won’t do it again. Projected Round: 5th or 6th
16. Jarvis Landry, Dolphins: Landry caught 94 passes for 1,136 yards last season but only scored 4 touchdowns. I like Landry as a WR2 or a flex but anyone who thinks he is a WR1 is delusional. Landry doesn’t score enough in my opinion to be the number one receiving option on a roster. Projected Round: 5th or 6th
17. Keenan Allen, Chargers: If Allen could ever stay healthy, he would be a top ten receiver statistically every year. Alas, he cannot so he will drop to the middle rounds and be a steal for someone who has the guts to draft him as a starting receiver. If he stays healthy, Allen will put up WR1 numbers so gambling on him could be worth it. Projected Round: 6th or 7th
18. Julien Edelman, Patriots: Edelman will catch 90-110 balls and be a monster in PPR leagues. Unfortunately, he doesn’t score enough to be a factor in standard scoring leagues. Despite that, he might be the best FLEX option at the receiver position in your draft so grab him if he is still on the board in the sixth or seventh round. Projected Round: 6th or 7th
19. Golden Tate, Lions: Tate is another guy that will catch 90 passes and surpass the 1,000 yard mark but he doesn’t reach the end zone enough. Tate only scored 4 touchdowns last season so he projected more as a WR2 than a WR1. Projected Round: 7th or 8th
20. Doug Baldwin, Seahawks: 94/1128/7 was Baldwin’s stat line last season. He is a number one receiver but most fantasy owners don’t see him as such. If you decide to go quarterback early and load up on running backs, you could get a potential steal in Baldwin in the middle rounds. He is a number one receiver folks but his production is always iffy because of Seattle’s desire to run the football. Projected Round: 7th or 8th