X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Early 2021 PPR Rankings Analysis - Wide Receiver

As we roll into our season draft, it’s time to take a glance at the seasonal rankings to see where players are being valued before things get hot and heavy come draft season. The wide receiver position is deep with talent. Many fantasy gamers will be able to fade the position during the first few rounds of the draft to capitalize on getting talent at other positions and still be able to foster a very talented stable of wide receivers.

The rankings that are being referenced are from RotoBaller’s 2021 Staff Rankings.

 

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

Tier One Analysis

Davante Adams was the most consistent wide receiver in the NFL last year with nine WR1 weeks. He had six top-three performances at the position. There’s a lot of ambiguity with his situation going into the 2021 season. His fantasy value and production are tethered to Aaron Rodgers. If Rodgers decides he is not going to take another snap with the Packers, then Adams might experience a drop in his production. On the contrary, Jordan Love could perform better than expected, allowing Adams to maintain most of his player value.

Tyreek Hill is one of the most explosive wide receivers in the NFL. He finished 2020 as the WR2 with seven WR1 weeks. The Chiefs have a very efficient offense that can easily move the ball down the field. Patrick Mahomes will sling the ball all over the yard and as we know, he pairs perfectly with Hill’s skill set. As long as Hill is healthy and the offense is clicking, we should expect similar production this season.

 

Tier Two Analysis

Tier 2 is the tier where we have three veterans who will provide consistent production combined with A.J. Brown who is a young wide receiver who is blossoming into one of the best alpha wide receivers in the league. He had five WR1 weeks while averaging 17.39 PPR fantasy points per game in 2021. Julio Jones will be adding a little bit of firepower to the offense. The extra competition for targets could impact Brown’s ceiling or it could provide the opposite effect by allowing him to see softer coverages, making it easier for him to rack up yards after the catch on a more consistent basis.

Stefon Diggs, DeAndre Hopkins, and Michael Thomas are veterans who will command a large share of the passing targets in their respective offenses. Diggs and Hopkins played with new quarterbacks last season and still owned a 29 percent target share. Thomas suffered an ankle injury that prevented him from providing his typical WR1 output for fantasy gamers. This was his first non-WR1 season as he ended the 2020 season as the WR93. With Drew Brees out of the picture, it will be interesting to see if Thomas can continue to be one of the top wide receivers in the league with Jameis Winston and/or Taysom Hill at quarterback.

 

Tier Three Analysis

Tier 3 is a large tier and all of the receivers listed have the chance to produce in a big way this year. All of these receivers are key target hogs in their offenses. All of them also have their risks. D.K. Metcalf’s output is dependent on the Seahawks' passing volume. If they decide to go with a run-heavy approach, then we could see a dip in his numbers. Jefferson had a historic rookie season with five WR1 weeks. He was also second in the NFL with 2.66 yards per route run.

Julio Jones just experienced a major change in his situation. With him now playing with the Tennessee Titans, we don’t know how the distribution of targets is going to play out. The team’s overall passing volume is below the league average, which could create a negative impact on his production. He’s still an alpha talent, and there’s a good chance he could deliver top-tier results.

Terry McLaurin and Keenan Allen have some similar characteristics in their player profile. Both players are tremendous route runners. They are often undervalued regarding their potential output. We should see both players deliver steady production throughout the entire season.

With Jones out of the picture, Calvin Ridley is expected to see a major uptick in production. He is a candidate to finish the year as the WR1 for fantasy. The team is still going to have a high-volume passing offense and Ridley is expected to be the team’s main threat in the passing game.

Allen Robinson and Mike Evans are the grizzled veterans in this tier. They are both bigger wide receivers who garner a large share of their team’s passing targets. Robinson will be playing with a mix of Justin Fields and Andy Dalton. Considering he is known for playing with subpar quarterbacks throughout his career, there shouldn’t be much of a drop-off in his production. If anything, we could see an improvement. Evans is paired with the greatest quarterback in NFL history. As long as he is healthy, he will be receiving the deep targets.

Diontae Johnson had 10 games where he owned at least a 20 percent target share. He also has five games where he surpassed the 100-yard-mark in air yards. This led to him producing six WR1 weeks. There’s a lot of mouths to feed in Pittsburgh, but it appears Johnson is going to continue to have a key role within the offense.

Amari Cooper, Cooper Kupp, and Robert Woods are wide receivers who provide consistent production but tend to fail to hit their ceilings. All of these players have the chance to produce low-end WR1 numbers. If everything goes right, we could see them at the top of the rankings at the end of the season.

 

Tier Four Analysis

Tier 4 is a bit smaller, but it has a lot of potential. The WRs are considered relatively safe assets with some risk. Most of the risk associated with these players is coming from the fact that they are sharing the field with other talented pass-catchers. If they were the lone stud receiver in their offense, they would be ranked higher.

Chris Godwin shares the field with Mike Evans and Antonio Brown. When he was on the field, he commanded a 19 percent target share while leading the team with an average of 10 yards per target. That usage equated to one WR1 week and five WR2 weeks. Injuries impacted his production last season, but as long as he’s healthy, he’s a dependable option in fantasy.

Even with Justin Jefferson as the main target in the Vikings' offense, Adam Thielen can still hold value in fantasy football. The 30-year-old veteran is a very crafty route runner. He has produced three WR1 seasons in the last four years while sharing the field with Jefferson and Stefon Diggs. Even with him being one of the older wide receivers in the league, there’s still a chance he provides value for your fantasy team.

The Cowboys spent their first-round pick on CeeDee Lamb in 2020. He has WR1 written all over him. Even with him sharing the field with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, he still managed to own an 18 percent share of the team’s passing targets. He also played 93.2 percent of his snaps in the slot. Dak Prescott will be back this season, which will provide a big boost to the offense. Lamb is a candidate to hit WR1 production in his second year with the Cowboys.

The Carolina Panthers added Sam Darnold this offseason. The change at quarterback could be a good thing for D.J. Moore, who is an under-the-radar fantasy option this season. He commanded a 24 percent target share while averaging 13.1 yards per target. Even with the hefty workload, Moore left a lot of fantasy points on the field as he finished the season as the RB25 with four RB1 weeks.

If you want to take a swing at the pinata with hopes to land a consistent fantasy producer, then JuJu Smith-Schuster is a player you might want to take a look at. It’s been three years since Smith-Schuster was the WR8 in 2018. He’s still a very talented player in a high-volume passing offense. There’s a lot of ambiguity in the Steelers' offense. One of these wide receivers could breakout. Smith-Schuster is generally the cheaper option of the three.

 

Tier Five Analysis

Tier 5 is filled with wide receivers who present plenty of upside but also carry some risk. A lot of these players are sharing the field with another good wide receiver or have experienced a change in the situation, whether it be playing with a new team or a new quarterback.

Kenny Golladay is now with the New York Giants. He will be catching passes from Daniel Jones. Golladay gives the team the true alpha wide receiver they desperately needed. It’s going to be interesting to see how Golladay transitions to his new team.

The Cincinnati connection between Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, and Ja’Marr Chase is going to be a fun show to watch. There’s plenty of room for more than one of these wide receivers to be fantasy-relevant.

Courtland Sutton’s 2020 season ended early due to a gruesome knee injury. He will be back on the field as the Broncos’ WR1. Sutton was a key component to the offense in 2019, owning a 26 percent share of the passing targets while seeing 1,407 air yards on the year.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

DeMar DeRozan17 mins ago

Intends To Make His Return Friday Versus Clippers
Frederik Andersen18 mins ago

To Miss 8-12 Weeks
Jake Ferguson19 mins ago

Still Not Practicing
Sam LaPorta23 mins ago

Looking Good For A Week 12 Return
Terry Rozier35 mins ago

Could Return For Sunday's Matchup With Dallas
Sam Darnold36 mins ago

Upgrades To Full Participation, On Track To Play
Isiah Pacheco45 mins ago

Remains Limited On Thursday
D'Andre Swift53 mins ago

Upgrades To Limited Participant On Thursday
Luka Doncic57 mins ago

Expected To Miss At Least A Week
CeeDee Lamb1 hour ago

Sidelined During Thursday's Practice
Ladd McConkey1 hour ago

Does Not Practice On Thursday
Mike Evans1 hour ago

Logs Full Practice On Thursday
DeVonta Smith2 hours ago

Misses Another Practice
Cody Bellinger3 hours ago

Cubs Looking To Trade Cody Bellinger?
Brandin Cooks3 hours ago

Preparing To Play In Week 12
CeeDee Lamb3 hours ago

Not Seen At Thursday's Practice
3 hours ago

Blake Snell Has Met With Red Sox, Dodgers
Aaron Rodgers4 hours ago

Jets Owner Suggested Benching Aaron Rodgers
Mike Evans5 hours ago

Practicing Again On Thursday
Chandler Stephenson6 hours ago

Registers Three Assists Versus Predators
Jason Robertson7 hours ago

Totals Three Points In Wednesday's Win
Nils Lundkvist7 hours ago

Exits Early With A Lower-Body Injury
Matthew Knies7 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury
Mikael Granlund7 hours ago

Exits Late With Injury Wednesday
Patrik Laine7 hours ago

Returns To Practice
Ausar Thompson7 hours ago

Listed As Doubtful For Thursday
Walker Kessler8 hours ago

Still Missing For Jazz
Jordan Clarkson8 hours ago

Questionable To Face Spurs
Devin Vassell8 hours ago

To Miss Third Consecutive Game
Chris Paul8 hours ago

Considered Probable For Thursday's Game
Khris Middleton8 hours ago

Medically Cleared To Play
Chris Sale18 hours ago

Wins National League Cy Young Award
Tarik Skubal19 hours ago

Wins 2024 American League Cy Young Award
Paul George19 hours ago

Exits Game On Wednesday, Hyperextends Left Knee Again
Scoot Henderson19 hours ago

Leaves Game On Wednesday, Won't Return
Jalen Johnson20 hours ago

Active On Wednesday Night
Zach Collins20 hours ago

Uncertain To Play On Thursday
Austin Eckroat20 hours ago

Heads To The RSM Classic After Win
Harris English20 hours ago

Finding Form Heading To The RSM Classic
Ben Griffin20 hours ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To The RSM Classic
Denny McCarthy20 hours ago

Returns to The RSM Classic
Patrick Williams20 hours ago

Likely To Miss At Least One Week
Kyle Anderson21 hours ago

Available For Matchup With Hawks
Victor Wembanyama21 hours ago

Out Again On Thursday
Jusuf Nurkic21 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Stephen Curry21 hours ago

Will Play Against Atlanta
De'Anthony Melton21 hours ago

To Undergo Season-Ending ACL Surgery
Tre Mann21 hours ago

Probable For Thursday Night Matchup Against Detroit
Mike Conley21 hours ago

Appears On Injury Report For Thursday With Toe Injury
Josh Jacobs21 hours ago

Limited With Multiple Injuries
DeVonta Smith22 hours ago

Misses Practice On Wednesday
Seth Jones23 hours ago

Expected To Miss Four Weeks
Sam Darnold23 hours ago

Limited With Foot Injury
Max Domi24 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Jalen Hurts24 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Connor Ingram24 hours ago

Out Day-To-Day With An Upper-Body Injury
Jake Ferguson24 hours ago

Picks Up A DNP On Wednesday
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen24 hours ago

Returns To Action Versus Kings
CeeDee Lamb24 hours ago

Listed As Limited, Dealing With Two Injuries
Alex Tuch24 hours ago

Available Wednesday
Tage Thompson1 day ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Sam LaPorta1 day ago

Practicing In Full
Jordan Eberle1 day ago

To Remain Out On Wednesday
George Kittle1 day ago

Will Play In Week 12
Ludvig Aberg1 day ago

Looks To Defend RSM Classic Title
Si Woo Kim1 day ago

An Intriguing Option At RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy1 day ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of RSM Classic
Eric Cole1 day ago

Chasing First Tour Victory At RSM Classic
Connor Bedard1 day ago

Ends Drought With Two Assists
Sam Reinhart1 day ago

Pushes Point Streak To 11 Games
Mark Scheifele1 day ago

Celebrates Ninth Career Hat Trick
Evan Bouchard1 day ago

Rocks Senators With Three-Point Period
Connor McDavid1 day ago

Nets Two Goals During Three-Point Night
TB1 day ago

Nicholas Paul Exits Early With Injury Tuesday
Zach Hyman1 day ago

Sits Out Third Period Versus Senators
2 days ago

Guardians' Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager Of The Year
Milwaukee Brewers2 days ago

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager Of The Year
2 days ago

Nick Pivetta Declines Boston's Qualifying Offer
Jose Siri2 days ago

Mets Acquire Jose Siri From The Rays
2 days ago

Phillies To Meet With Juan Soto
2 days ago

Luis Severino Rejects Qualifying Offer From Mets
2 days ago

Willy Adames Declines Brewers Qualifying Offer
2 days ago

Teoscar Hernandez Declines Qualifying Offer From Dodgers
2 days ago

Juan Soto Declines Yankees' Qualifying Offer
Luis Gil3 days ago

Wins AL Rookie Of The Year Award
Paul Skenes3 days ago

Named 2024 NL Rookie Of The Year
Brady Singer3 days ago

Reds, Royals Discussing Jonathan India, Brady Singer
3 days ago

Sean Manaea To Reject Mets' Qualifying Offer
3 days ago

Braves Have Interest In Walker Buehler
3 days ago

Astros Interested In Willy Adames
Charles Oliveira3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Chandler3 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 309
Karine Silva3 days ago

Suffers Her First UFC Loss
Viviane Araujo3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Mauricio Ruffy3 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Six
Nick Martinez4 days ago

Signs Qualifying Offer With Reds
4 days ago

Luis Severino Likely To Decline Qualifying Offer From Mets
James Llontop4 days ago

Loses Clear-Cut Decision In Thrilling Fight At UFC 309
Paul Craig4 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC 309
Bo Nickal4 days ago

Remains Undefeated With Lackluster Performance At UFC 309
Stipe Miocic4 days ago

Retires After UFC 309 Loss
Jon Jones4 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 309 To Defend Heavyweight Title

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
TJ Watt - IDP, Pittsburgh Steelers, DST, Defense, Fantasy Football Def

Week 12 Fantasy Football Team Defense Rankings: Steelers D/ST, Chiefs D/ST, Vikings D/ST, Eagles D/ST, Commanders D/ST, Texans D/ST, Broncos D/ST

Fantasy football defenses are largely matchup-dependent, so many fantasy managers opt to stream a different defense each week. If you're in that boat, use our Week 12 fantasy football defense (D/ST) rankings for 2024 to find the top available option. There are just three weeks of the fantasy football regular season left, so it's never […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Steelers vs. Browns TNF Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Jameis Winston, Nick Chubb, David Njoku, Jerry Jeudy, Russell Wilson, Najee Harris, George Pickens

The Week 12 TNF game between two bitter AFC North rivals (Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers) is not likely to end up like the Thursday night game from two weeks ago when two different AFC North teams (Bengals and Ravens) battled to a 35-34 shootout. Somewhere deep in the charter of the Pittsburgh Steelers, I […]


DJ Moore - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 12 - Thursday Updates for Deebo Samuel, D.J. Moore, Jerry Jeudy, Jonathon Brooks, Jauan Jennings, Tank Dell

Many fantasy managers are in must-win situations down the stretch, so it's never been more important to ace your start-or-sit calls. Our Week 12 TNF fantasy football overall rankings for 2024 are here to help. Ahead of the critical Week 12 slate of action, let's find out where players on the start-sit bubble such as […]


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Fantasy Football FLEX Rankings (RB, WR, TE) - Week 12 Thursday Updates for Chuba Hubbard, Calvin Ridley, Cedric Tillman, Jonnu Smith, Austin Ekeler

It's always tough to compare two flex options at different positions, but bye weeks and key injuries have made those start-sit decisions even tougher. We're here to help guide you with your lineup calls with our Week 12 TNF fantasy football FLEX rankings for 2024. Navigate the rankings below to find out where top flex […]


Tua Tagovailoa - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Fantasy Football Superflex 2QB Rankings for Week 12 - Thursday Updates for Tua Tagovailoa, Bo Nix, Russell Wilson, Austin Ekeler, Jayden Reed

Time is running out to collect "Ws" before the fantasy football playoffs begin, and if you need assistance, our Week 12 fantasy football Superflex rankings (2QB) for fantasy football can assist your start-or-sit efforts. Let's get to it! To begin Week 12 preparation, let's dig into the rankings to find out where key Superflex options […]


Bucky Irving - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Running Back Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 12 Thursday RB Updates for Jonathon Brooks, J.K. Dobbins, Bucky Irving, Najee Harris, Kareem Hunt

We're onto Week 12 of the NFL campaign, which can only mean the fantasy football playoffs are just ahead. Whether you're at the top of your league standings, fighting for a playoff spot, or are just trying to play spoiler, our Week 12 TNF fantasy football running back rankings for 2024 are here to help you […]


Cedric Tillman - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

TNF Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 12 Thursday WR Updates for Cedric Tillman, Jauan Jennings, Josh Downs, Jerry Jeudy, DJ Moore

At the wide receiver spot especially, bye weeks and injuries are major factors in Week 12. If you don't have an excess of must-start WRs and need help identifying the top available options, we're here to help with our Week 12 TNF fantasy football wide receiver rankings for 2024. Let's dive in below to see […]


Jonnu Smith - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Tight End Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 12 Thursday TE Updates for George Kittle, David Njoku, Will Dissly, Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry

In most leagues, only three weeks of the fantasy football regular season remain. If you desperately need a win to clinch a first-round bye or quality for the playoffs, use our Week 12 TNF fantasy football tight end rankings to help you with tough start-or-sit calls at the challenging TE spot. Ahead of the critical Week […]


Tommy DeVito- Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Not All Heroes...Play On Good Teams - Giants, Patriots, and Cowboys Fantasy Football Outlooks

It's well-known at this point that good offenses can help their players light up the scoreboards in fantasy football leagues. The mantra "trust in good players on good offenses" rings true, and some of the best seasons in fantasy football history have been aided by things like good playcalling and a good supporting cast. The […]


Baker Mayfield - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

TNF Quarterback Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 12 Thursday QB Updates for Anthony Richardson, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Bo Nix, C.J. Stroud

It's a critical week for fantasy football, as the playoffs are just around the corner. If you need help to nail your optimal lineups this week, our Week 12 TNF fantasy football quarterback rankings for 2024 are here to assist. Ahead of the all-important Week 12 slate, let's navigate the rankings below and find out […]


Jaylen Waddle - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Jaylen Waddle Fantasy Football Outlook - What's Wrong With Waddle?

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was widely pushed as a potential league-winner in fantasy football in 2024 due to a variety of factors. The explosiveness and big-play ability of the Dolphins offense, the good play of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and his talent were a few of them. It's not worked out that way. It's […]


Isiah Pacheco - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Running Backs

Fantasy Football Injury Reports: Week 12 Updates for Isiah Pacheco, Tyreek Hill, Mike Evans, Jalen Hurts, CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Hurts, George Kittle, Calvin Ridley, more

Week 12 of the NFL's 2024 slate is coming up, and as the fantasy football playoffs draw closer, it's becoming more important than ever to stay ahead of injury news for key players. Leaving a hurt player in your lineup can result in disaster. The author of this article missed out on the fantasy playoffs […]


Jauan Jennings - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Wide Receiver Sleepers, Risers, Breakouts for Fantasy Football - Targets, Air Yards, Snaps Trends for Week 12 (2024)

Wide Receiver Sleepers, Risers, Fantasy Football Breakouts - Targets, Air Yards, Snaps Trends Analysis For Week 12 by Kevin Tompkins Targets are paramount when it comes to evaluating pass-catchers for fantasy football. There are no air yards, receiving yards, receptions, or touchdowns without first earning a target. There’s a reason the biggest and most consistent […]