RADIO
The wide receiver position has taken over the first round of fantasy drafts. Despite Christian McCaffrey going first overall in most leagues this year, a whopping eight wide receivers have an ADP inside the top 13 in drafts this year (CeeDee Lamb, Tyreek Hill, Ja'Marr Chase, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Justin Jefferson A.J. Brown, Puka Nacua, and Garrett Wilson).
All eight of those wide receivers are great picks early in drafts. However, there are also wideouts going in the early to middle rounds who will bounce back in a big way in 2024. These playmakers struggled to be consistent fantasy options last season, but a better fantasy season should be in store for them.
So, let's take a look at four wide receivers who will bounce back in fantasy football this season. These four wideouts are solid picks at their respective ADP.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
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- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
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Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
Since Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp finished with the most fantasy points in a season by a wide receiver (439.5 PPR fantasy points) in 2021, things have gone downhill for the veteran. In 2022, he played in just nine games after suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 10. Then, last year, he suffered a hamstring injury in training camp that caused him to play in just 12 games.
Kupp has dealt with some injuries over the past two years, which has hurt his overall fantasy numbers. Last season, the 31-year-old finished as the WR40 in PPR formats while averaging 13.7 PPR fantasy points. Nonetheless, expect the veteran wideout to bounce back in fantasy this upcoming season.
Cooper Kupp, Rams
The rapport between Matthew Stafford and Kupp is undeniable.
▶️averaged 22.1 FPPG with Stafford
Kupp has had a 30.0% target share in games played over last 3 seasons (2nd-highest over that time frame).
Excellent value in fantasy drafts. pic.twitter.com/k5MSqRWXbv
— Moody (@EricNMoody) August 9, 2024
For starters, there have been reports that this is the healthiest Kupp has felt in recent years. That is certainly encouraging news for his fantasy value heading into the season. On top of that, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN said the offense "clearly runs through" Kupp. While it would be a shock to see the 31-year-old finish as the overall WR1 again, especially with Nacua in the picture, there is no reason why the veteran can't catch between 90 and 100 passes for over 1,100 yards in 2024.
He is still easily Matthew Stafford's favorite target in the passing game, and Kupp did average 18 PPR fantasy points over his final five games of the 2023 season. Of course, injuries have held him back from finishing as a strong fantasy option over the last two years, but given his potential in this Los Angeles offense, it's hard not to take him in the fourth round of drafts.
Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
It was a season to forget for Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins in 2023. He missed multiple games due to injuries, and Joe Burrow's injury-riddled season didn't help Higgins' case, either. The 25-year-old totaled a career-low 42 catches for 656 yards and five touchdowns while finishing as the WR51 in PPR formats.
Higgins failed to reach his fantasy expectations last year after he went in the third round of 2023 fantasy football drafts. He only averaged 11.5 PPR fantasy points per game and scored less than 10 PPR fantasy points in seven of the 12 games he played in. However, expect him to bounce back in fantasy this season and finish as a WR2/high-end WR3.
Tee Higgins going up over Dax Hill pic.twitter.com/X5VBFEyzjX
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) August 12, 2024
The biggest thing for Higgins is that this is a contract year for the young wideout. After being franchised tagged by the Bengals for $21.8 million this offseason, the 25-year-old will have a little more incentive to produce on the field. Burrow is also back and healthy following his season-ending wrist injury. The Pro Bowl quarterback has helped the wideout finish as a top-24 wide receiver in two of the past three years (2021 and 2022).
Higgins might not have the biggest upside in fantasy because he is the WR2 in Cincinnati's offense. But his floor makes him an appealing target in the fifth round of drafts. In 2022, he totaled double-digit fantasy points in PPR formats in 12 of 17 games. The Bengals wideout should finish with much better numbers in 2024 with his star quarterback back under center.
Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin didn't have a terrible season in 2023 by any means. However, fantasy managers were fairly disappointed with his fantasy production. He averaged just 10.9 PPR fantasy points in the first 14 weeks of the season while failing to score above 10 PPR fantasy points in six of those contests. Still, Godwin finished with 83 catches for 1,024 yards and two touchdowns. That helped him finish as the WR29 in PPR formats.
Managers likely expected a better fantasy finish from him last year, considering the Buccaneers wideout finished as the WR19 in 2022 and the WR16 in 2021. Nevertheless, there is a path for Godwin to finish around those marks in fantasy this upcoming season.
Godwin has seen at least 125 targets in three straight seasons, including 130 last year. In each of those seasons, the 28-year-old totaled at least 80 catches and 1,000 receiving yards. With the Buccaneers moving him primarily in the slot in 2024 -- where he has dominated in the past -- look for him to post much more consistent fantasy numbers. He should also catch more than two touchdown passes this year, which should raise his fantasy value tremendously.
Chris Godwin is moving back into the slot full-time.
New OC Liam Coen is a Sean McVay disciple.
Baker to Godwin from the slot last year:
Target per Route Run: 27.0%
Yards per Route Run: 2.40Both metrics are better than Christian Kirk with Trevor Lawrence last season from…
— Jordan Vanek (@JordanVanekDFS) May 31, 2024
Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was one of the bigger busts at the position last year after finishing as the WR8 in PPR formats in 2022. But Waddle couldn't build on that fantasy success last season and finished as the WR34 in PPR formats. He averaged 14.2 PPR fantasy points and missed three games due to injuries.
Waddle was more consistent than fantasy managers might remember from last year, as the speedy wideout saw at least eight targets in seven of the final nine games of the season. Across those last nine contests, he scored the 16th-most fantasy points at the position (120.9 PPR fantasy points) while averaging a solid 15.1 fantasy points per game.
Still, what managers will remember most about Waddle is that he finished outside the top 30 last season and missed most of the fantasy playoffs with an ankle sprain. He left Week 16 early with an ankle injury and then missed the fantasy football championship in Week 17. However, the 25-year-old playmaker should get back on track in 2024.
He is the WR2 on an electric Dolphins offense. Waddle has also totaled at least 1,000 yards in each of his three NFL seasons while finishing as a top-15 fantasy option in two of those three years (2021 and 2022). That's why he is a solid pick at his WR19 ADP on Sleeper.
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