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

Draft A Wide Receiver In The First Round In 2023? How To Win Your Fantasy Football Drafts

Cooper Kupp - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

My fantasy football strategy changes every year depending on how the draft board shakes out. For instance, I think you must draft a running back in the second round this year. I also think for the first time there is an advantage to be had paying up for a quarterback

But if there is one approach you do not want to do, it is to ignore the wide receiver position in the early rounds. In the past when running backs were largely consuming the first round and receivers would get pushed down, it was a good approach to wait. But that is not the case anymore. You do not want to wait too long and you will be left holding the bag. 

Let's break down why you should scoop up a WR in the first round in 2023 fantasy football drafts.

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

 

Why You Must Draft A Wide Receiver In The First Round

Wide receivers are getting pulled up the board more aggressively than ever before. Join any draft on any site, and the first round is loaded with wide receivers. Right now on FFPC, just three running backs are going in the first round. On the other hand, TE Travis Kelce and seven to eight wide receivers are going in the first round. This is consistent with what you see on other sites as well.

Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, Cooper Kupp, Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs, A.J. Brown, and CeeDee Lamb all go in the first round. You will often see Amon-Ra St. Brown, Garrett Wilson, and Davante Adams go in the late first or early second round as well. That means that the top 10 receivers are quickly off the board. At the same time, there are usually just five running backs drafted. 

What slot you are drafting from may determine the receiver you can nab in the first round, as you typically need the first pick to get Jefferson. You need a top pick to land Chase, Kupp, or Hill -- which is the order I would take them in. That is the elite tier, but Diggs, A.J. Brown, and Lamb are all strong fallback options and are all worthy of taking in the first round. There is another gap after that, which is ideally why I stress grabbing one of the top seven in the first round.

By the middle of the second round, you are left with receivers like Jaylen Waddle, Chris Olave, DeVonta Smith, and Tee Higgins. These are all very talented receivers who are strong fantasy options. But there is a clear drop-off from the elite production you get in the first round.

Meanwhile, at running back, there are still names available like Nick Chubb, Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, Tony Pollard, Josh Jacobs, and Derrick Henry. There may be a drop-off from Christian McCaffrey, Austin Ekeler, and Bijan Robinson in the first round, but it is not nearly as large as the dip at receiver. 

The elite talent just gets gobbled up at receiver in the first round and my approach this season is to get a top option at all four of the skill positions. And it is very possible as I spoke about it on Florio’s Football Show. Pair that with the articles I have linked above and the plan and how to put it into place comes to life. 

But what should you do at receiver after the first round?

 

You Have To Keep Paying Up For Receivers

Wide receivers are not just being pulled up in the first round but throughout the entirety of the draft. While it is a deep position, it does still thin out and you do not want to be drafting WR3s as your top option. Looking at Underdog ADP, there are 27 receivers selected compared to 15 running backs, five quarterbacks, and two tight ends in the first 50 picks. By the time the top 24 running backs are drafted, there are on average 40 receivers already off the board. 

In the top 100 picks on average, half of them are receivers. This is not a hot take by saying you do not want to have a receiving group largely filled with late-round dart throws. In the first eight rounds of my drafts, I like to have four receivers -- including one in the first round. 

Calvin Ridley and Amari Cooper are two receivers that I love to target as my WR2 in the third or fourth rounds of my drafts. Both are receivers that have the potential to make the jump into WR1 territory. Ridley brings a very high ceiling as the best field stretcher and red zone threat on a pass-happy offense.

It also doesn't hurt that he has looked the part early in camp. Cooper was a WR1 last season in overall points and has been extremely consistent year-to-year for a while now. But he gets a potentially huge QB upgrade if Deshaun Watson can return to form.

In the fourth or fifth round, I will often target Terry McLaurin as my WR3. McLaurin is extremely talented and now gets a play-calling upgrade with new OC Eric Bieniemy. Plus, I expect the QB play to potentially improve this year.

Targeting these receivers still allows me to take a running back in the second round, and maybe another a little later on. It also allows me to take a QB early potentially, and still get one of the top seven tight ends. At times, I will even take a fifth receiver in the first eight rounds. With receivers getting pulled up the board, there is still running back value to be had later in the draft and this approach allows me to load up on them in the later rounds. 

Receivers you can target in Round 7 or later: Brandin Cooks, Gabe Davis, Jordan Addison, Quentin Johnston, Jahan Dotson, Jameson Williams, Zay Flowers, Elijah Moore, Michael Thomas, Courtland Sutton, Nico Collins

Late-Round Fliers (Round 12 or later): Rashee Rice, Alec Pierce, D.J. Chark, Rashid Shaheed, Jayden Reed, Jalin Hyatt, Jonathan Mingo, DeVante Parker, Terrace Marshall Jr., Puka Nacua

There is a way to navigate the draft so that you come away with a top option at each position without sacrificing your depth too much. To do so, you need to prioritize receivers in the early rounds.

Make sure to follow Michael on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio. 



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!




Win More With RotoBaller

Be sure to also check out all of our other daily fantasy football articles and analysis to help you set those winning lineups, including this new RotoBaller YouTube video:

More Fantasy Football Analysis




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

Nico Collins12 mins ago

Takes Part In Thursday's Practice
Tank Bigsby28 mins ago

Sitting Out Another Practice
Tampa Bay Rays53 mins ago

Rays To Play Home Games In 2025 At Steinbrenner Field
Dalton Kincaid1 hour ago

Not Present On Thursday
Davante Adams2 hours ago

Not Seen At Thursday's Practice
Sam LaPorta2 hours ago

Sidelined Again At Practice
Caleb Williams3 hours ago

Bears Reiterate That Caleb Williams Will Start In Week 11
Mikko Rantanen4 hours ago

Grabs Four Points Against Kings
Aliaksei Protas4 hours ago

Enjoys Multi-Point Outing Versus Maple Leafs
Patrick Kane4 hours ago

Notches Two Points In Overtime Win
Blake Lizotte4 hours ago

Suffers Another Injury
Pyotr Kochetkov4 hours ago

Suffers Injury Versus Utah
Caleb Jones5 hours ago

Hurt On Wednesday
Darcy Kuemper5 hours ago

Exits With Injury Wednesday
LeBron James5 hours ago

Makes History With Third Consecutive Triple-Double
Jaxson Hayes5 hours ago

To Be Re-Evaluated In 1-2 Weeks
Walker Kessler5 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Thursday
P.J. Washington5 hours ago

Considered Doubtful For Thursday
Luka Doncic5 hours ago

Expected To Remain In The Lineup Thursday
DeMar DeRozan5 hours ago

Exits Win With Back Problem
Aaron Rodgers5 hours ago

Leaning Toward Return In 2025
Grayson Allen17 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus Kings
D'Angelo Russell18 hours ago

Suiting Up On Wednesday
Bradley Beal18 hours ago

Unavailable Wednesday
DK Metcalf20 hours ago

Puts In Full Practice On Wednesday
Henrik Norlander20 hours ago

Needs Strong Showing At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Michael Kim20 hours ago

Playing Well Down The Stretch
Nick Taylor20 hours ago

Returns To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Jhonattan Vegas20 hours ago

Playing Well Heading To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Matthias Schmid20 hours ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Patrick Rodgers20 hours ago

Heads To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Mackenzie Hughes20 hours ago

Debuts At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Maverick McNealy20 hours ago

Seeking Back-To-Back Top-10 Finishes In Bermuda
Lucas Glover20 hours ago

In A Groove Ahead Of Bermuda Championship
Andrew Putnam20 hours ago

A Player To Watch In Bermuda
PGA20 hours ago

Nico Echavarria In Top Form Heading To Bermuda
Jusuf Nurkic20 hours ago

Back On Wednesday Night
Anfernee Simons20 hours ago

Won't Suit Up Against The Timberwolves
Robert Williams III21 hours ago

Resting In Rematch With Minnesota
Deandre Ayton21 hours ago

Out Again On Wednesday
Andre Drummond21 hours ago

Out Sick On Wednesday
Paul George21 hours ago

Won't Play Versus Cleveland
Joel Embiid21 hours ago

Sitting On Wednesday
Tage Thompson21 hours ago

Labeled As Day-To-Day
Mattias Samuelsson21 hours ago

Out Indefinitely
Gabriel Landeskog21 hours ago

Remains Without A Timeline
Jonas Brodin21 hours ago

Considered Questionable For Thursday
Tank Bigsby22 hours ago

Listed As DNP On Wednesday
Andre Drummond22 hours ago

Listed As Questionable On Wednesday
Tyreek Hill22 hours ago

Misses Wednesday's Practice
Hampus Lindholm22 hours ago

Expected To Miss "Weeks"
Jani Hakanpaa22 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Tee Higgins22 hours ago

Officially Limited On Wednesday
Marcus Smart22 hours ago

Set To Play Wednesday
Seth Jarvis22 hours ago

Set To Miss A Second Consecutive Game
Michael Pittman Jr.22 hours ago

Practicing In Full
Brian Thomas Jr.22 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Josh Jacobs22 hours ago

Limited During Wednesday's Practice
Mike Conley22 hours ago

Resting Wednesday Versus Portland
Kirk Cousins22 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Najee Harris23 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Wednesday
Christian McCaffrey23 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
George Kittle23 hours ago

Not Practicing On Wednesday
Brian Robinson Jr.23 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
DK Metcalf23 hours ago

To Be Limited In Wednesday's Practice
Sam LaPorta24 hours ago

Misses Practice, Remains Day-To-Day
Nick Hardy1 day ago

Looks To Find Consistency On The Greens In Bermuda
Carson Young1 day ago

Hopes To Carry Recent Form To Bermuda
Brandon Clarke1 day ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Action
Kevin Yu1 day ago

A Name To Watch At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Marcus Smart1 day ago

Picks Up Questionable Tag Ahead Of Wednesday
Connor McDavid1 day ago

Leads Oilers To Victory With Four-Point Effort
Neal Pionk1 day ago

Records Three Assists In Historic Win
Linus Ullmark1 day ago

Records First Shutout As Senator
Hampus Lindholm1 day ago

Taken Out By A Lower-Body Injury
Sam Bennett1 day ago

Battling An Upper-Body Injury
Lars Eller1 day ago

Returns To Washington
Shohei Ohtani2 days ago

Among NL Silver Slugger Winners
Aaron Judge2 days ago

Headlines AL Silver Slugger Winners
Dante Fabbro2 days ago

Makes Blue Jackets Debut Tuesday
Wander Franco2 days ago

Now Facing Weapons Charges
Travis d'Arnaud2 days ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Angels
Brendon Todd2 days ago

A Hard Sell At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Greyson Sigg2 days ago

May Surprise In Bermuda
Jacob Bridgeman2 days ago

In For Adventure At Port Royal Golf Course
Mark Hubbard2 days ago

Plays Solid In Bermuda
Andrew Novak2 days ago

Tries To Build Off ZOZO Championship
Daniel Berger2 days ago

Looks To Continue His Consistent Run At Port Royal Golf Course
Justin Lower2 days ago

Looks To Continue His Hot Play At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
2 days ago

Blue Jays, Red Sox To Meet With Juan Soto
Jasson Domínguez3 days ago

Yankees Expect Jasson Dominguez To Have A Big Role In 2025
Carlos Correa3 days ago

Progressing
Carlos Prates3 days ago

Gets Higlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC Vegas 100
Neil Magny3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 100
Cortavious Romious3 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 100
Gaston Bolaños3 days ago

Gaston Bolanos Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Joey Logano3 days ago

Holds On At Phoenix To Win His Third Cup Series Championship
Los Angeles Dodgers3 days ago

Dodgers Considered Favorites For Roki Sasaki
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Falls Short Of The 2024 Cup Series Title At Phoenix
Dusko Todorovic3 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Vegas 100
Wander Franco3 days ago

Arrested On Monday After Altercation
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Lacks Speed Of Other Championship 4 Contenders But Drives Well
William Byron3 days ago

Finishes Third In Phoenix Race And Championship
Miami Marlins4 days ago

Marlins Hire Clayton McCullough As New Skipper
Mansur Abdul-Malik4 days ago

Gets First-Round Finish At UFC Vegas 100
Luana Pinheiro4 days ago

Falls Short At UFC Vegas 100
Gillian Robertson4 days ago

Extends Win Streak At UFC Vegas 100
Gerald Meerschaert4 days ago

Gets Finished At UFC Vegas 100
MMA4 days ago

Reinier de Ridder Gets Submission Win In UFC Debut
4 days ago

Rays Have Interest In Juan Soto
NASCAR4 days ago

Bubba Wallace Is A Top DFS Recommendation With Upside For Phoenix
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Is Expected To Compete For The Title At Phoenix
Joey Logano4 days ago

Is One Of The Favorites To Win At Phoenix
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Could Be A Favorable DFS Option For Phoenix Lineups
Corey Lajoie4 days ago

Corey LaJoie Will Start 20th At Phoenix
Brad Keselowski4 days ago

Is A Solid Recommendation For Phoenix DFS Lineups
Erik Jones4 days ago

Will Start 19th At Phoenix This Week
Carson Hocevar4 days ago

Will Compete For A Top-10 Finish At Phoenix
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Should DFS Players Fade Ty Gibbs At Phoenix?
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Is Chase Elliott A Solid DFS Pick For Phoenix Lineups?
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

The Championship Favorite Despite Qualifying Blunder
William Byron4 days ago

Will Be Strong In Fight For Championship
Austin Cindric4 days ago

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Is Great At Phoenix
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Looking To Go Back-To-Back At Phoenix After Championship Snub
Chase Briscoe4 days ago

Can Be Worth Rostering In Tournaments At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Could Contend At Phoenix
5 days ago

Nick Martinez Expected To Accept Qualifying Offer
MLB5 days ago

Roki Sasaki Will Be Posted, Opens Door For 2025 MLB Debut
Nolan Arenado6 days ago

Could Be On The Trade Block
Zach Neto6 days ago

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Could Miss Start Of 2025

RANKINGS

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

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Houston Texans Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Derek Stingley Fantasy Football IDP

D/ST Strength of Schedule Analysis - Fantasy Football Defense/Special Teams Matchups (2024)

Ahh, the good old Defense/Special Teams (DST) position in fantasy football. It is a controversial inclusion in fantasy lineups for some fantasy players, but strategizing around DSTs is one of my favorite aspects of the in-season fantasy football experience. In the article below, I will present the strength of schedule (SOS) for the fantasy Defense/Special […]


Russell Wilson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Sneaky Starts, Pivot Plays, and Post-Waiver Pickups for Week 11 - Russell Wilson, Audric Estime, Dawson Knox, and more

There are just four weeks left of the fantasy football regular season. Enjoy it while it lasts because before you know it, it’ll be gone. It also means you have four weeks to get your team into the playoffs. In many of my leagues, the last playoff spot is around .500. In some, a team […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

2024 Fantasy Football Rankings (Weekly Rankings)

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.


dawson knox fantasy football rankings NFL DFS lineup picks

Tight Ends Fantasy Football Start 'Em and Sit 'Em For Week 11

The tight-end position has never been easy to navigate. This year was supposed to be where tight ends returned to glory, with a deep group of players ready to take the position to new heights. Unfortunately, that didn't come to pass, and fantasy managers have been left with one of the more depressing groups in […]


Ja'Marr Chase - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS and Betting Picks

Wide Receiver Sleepers, Risers, Breakouts for Fantasy Football - Targets, Air Yards, Snaps Trends for Week 11 (2024)

Wide Receiver Sleepers, Risers, Fantasy Football Breakouts - Targets, Air Yards, Snaps Trends Analysis For Week 11 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 […]


Jordan Love - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Targets, NFL Injury News

High-Powered Offenses: Players to Target in Week 11 Lineups Including Jordan Love, Demarcus Robinson, Patrick Mahomes, Tucker Kraft, DeAndre Hopkins, More

Hello, RotoBallers, and welcome to our column High-Powered Offenses for Week 11 of the 2024 fantasy football season. Below, you’ll find a recap of the last week's offenses to target, a sneak peek of the offenses to target, a breakdown of the methodology, a snapshot of each metric in a data table, a few key […]


Amon-Ra St. Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Survivor Pool Picks: Week 11 Targets and Avoids (2024)

Welcome to our NFL Survivor Pool Picks for Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season! There are so many different pools, fantasy leagues, weekly bets, and futures bets that it's hard to decide what to do with these choices. But survivor pools are the oldest and simplest leagues out there. All you have to do is […]


David Montgomery - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Pick'em Pool Picks (Week 11) - Targets, Avoids, Predictions for Pick'em Contests (2024)

The Cardinals, Buccaneers, Panthers, and Giants will all be on a bye during Week 11. There are still some great matchups on the board, including when the Steelers host the Ravens. Each week of the NFL season, I’ll share my picks for each game and rank their selections for those who play in a format […]


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

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 11 Include Drake London, Justin Herbert, Joe Mixon, George Pickens, Chase Brown

Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson lit the world on fire on Thursday Night Football to send fantasy managers into a love/hate frenzy heading into the weekend. Unfortunately, the weekend did not deliver the same level of goodness that fantasy managers were hoping for. There were several duds from players fantasy managers have come to expect […]


Russell Wilson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 11 Fantasy Football Sleepers - Alexander Mattison, Russell Wilson, Elijah Moore, Jonnu Smith

Zeroing in on the right sleepers each week can be the secret to fantasy football success. Some players come out of nowhere, ready to save your lineup when you least expect it. It could be a quarterback with a soft matchup, a running back stepping in, or a receiver getting extra looks. The challenge? Deciding […]


Tampa Bay Bucs Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Vita Vea Fantasy Football IDP

Top Fantasy Football D/ST Rankings (Weeks 11, 12, 13, 14) - Defense Streamers and Starts

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our fantasy football D/ST streamers and starts for Weeks 11, 12, 13, and 14 -- looking at the next four weeks and identifying the best D/ST matchups. Streaming defenses each week is a strategy that some fantasy managers have adopted over the years, and looking ahead weeks in advance could give you an […]


Austin Ekeler - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL News

High-Value Touches and Opportunities - Fantasy Football Underperformers, Overperformers (Week 11)

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to my weekly series, "High-Value Touches and Opportunities" for Week 11 of the 2024 fantasy football season. We're nearly a month before the fantasy football playoffs begin, depending on if leagues go through Week 17 or 18. It's crunch time, and we'll want to pay attention to the news, noise, and trends, […]


Houston Texans Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Derek Stingley Fantasy Football IDP

Week 11 Defense (DEF) Streamers and Starts - 2024 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Week 11 fantasy football defense streamers and D/ST rankings for the 2024 fantasy football season. Every week, I'll go through the best and worst fantasy defenses. There are four more teams on bye this week (Cardinals, Panthers, Giants, and Buccaneers), so I'll be ranking defenses from No. 1 to No. 28.  There's […]