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Fantasy football season is almost here! While fantasy managers should be focused on nailing their early-round picks and identifying late-round picks with upside, be sure not to forget about the middle rounds. Everyone picks up high-ceiling players in the first three-to-five rounds, but drafts usually get chaotic and unpredictable when the middle rounds begin.
We're here to help you pinpoint a few targets in that realm of your draft. This article examines some mid-round wide receivers that could be league winners. Also, check out our late-round wide receive league-winners article, which lists later-round receiver options with upside.
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Tank Dell, Texans - Fantasy Football Outlook
Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell is the forgotten man in Houston's offense, with an ADP behind Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins. However, Dell could be the best fantasy finisher among the three. Diggs will likely be the first read to start the season, but he will be on the wrong side of 30 this year, and we could see a regression in his game.
Additionally, Dell proved in 2023 that he is at least, if not a slightly more talented player than Collins. Most importantly, C.J. Stroud loves to target Dell.
If not for his missed time due to his concussion in Week 5 and his broken fibula in Week 13, Dell likely would have finished his rookie season with over 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. Even so, Dell finished the season with 709 yards and seven scores. Once Stroud got going in 2023, he was absolutely locked on to Dell, who is now healthy.
CJ ➡️ TANK ARE YOU KIDDING pic.twitter.com/t0TLxy1Cru
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 24, 2023
Collins, Diggs, and Dell all occupy different portions of the field. Each of them should be able to provide some level of fantasy value. It is hard to say which player will clearly emerge in fantasy, but Dell will cost substantially less than the other two, and given all the unknowns, he should be your target in the Houston wide receiving core.
- Quincy Milton III, RotoBaller
Xavier Worthy, Chiefs - Fantasy Football Outlook
Former Texas WR Xavier Worthy was taken 28th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2024 NFL Draft. Any receiver who gets to play with Patrick Mahomes is automatically intriguing, let alone one who the team deems worthy of a first-round pick. And especially one who set the NFL Combine record for the 40-yard dash at 4.21 seconds.
Worthy is more than a strict burner as well, posting low drop rates around 5-6% outside of 2022 when he played through a broken hand (and a change at QB).
Xavier Worthy's just too fast 🔥
📺: #DETvsKC on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/VFIZfdQ9x7— NFL (@NFL) August 17, 2024
Worthy gives them another shot at filling Tyreek Hill's sprinter shoes. Ideally, it would be without the inconsistency of Marquez Valdes-Scantling or Mecole Hardman. KC doesn't typically give rookies starting runs out of the gate, but Worthy might be an exception. The big-play threat mixed with Patrick Mahomes' arm makes Worthy enticing in best ball as a fourth or fifth wideout.
- Nick Mariano, RotoBaller
Christian Kirk, Jaguars - Fantasy Football Outlook
In 2022, Christian Kirk finished as WR19 in PPR, averaging 14.2 fantasy points per game. With Calvin Ridley in the mix in 2023, Kirk averaged just 12.5 fantasy points per game, which was just WR33 on a per-game basis.
He showed he could be a viable number-one wide receiver in 2022, and he was rewarded as such by Trevor Lawrence. That season without Ridley, he saw 22 red zone targets, which led to eight touchdowns. In 2023, Ridley was Lawrence's guy in the red zone, which lowered Kirk's red zone targets to just six last season.
As a result, he scored just three touchdowns. The Jags added Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis this offseason, but neither guy is Ridley. Kirk (along with Evan Engram) will be a top target-earner in Jacksonville in 2024. As such, we should see him re-establish himself as WR1 for the Jaguars.
However, with Engram's emergence in 2023 and Thomas Jr. and Davis' arrivals this offseason, there's probably a bit more target competition this season than there was in 2022.
Regardless, Kirk should be considered a low-end WR2 with top-20 upside in 2024 due to his established rapport and chemistry with Lawrence. It's worth noting Kirk is dealing with a calf injury this preseason, but he shouldn't be in danger of missing Week 1.
- Adam Koffler, RotoBaller
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