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

Ranking The Top Fantasy Receiving Corps - Full AFC Rankings Part 2

It's time to take a look at the second part of the full AFC ranking of fantasy receiving corps. You can catch up on the complete list, starting with part one right here.

This top-seven grouping is one filled with some of the league's top offenses so expect a lot of fantasy firepower. Be sure to stay tuned to RotoBaller for the switch over to the NFC followed by the final NFL ranking of 1-32.

These rankings may help fantasy owners preparing for preseason drafts as NFL training camps get underway.

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

 

AFC Fantasy Receiving Corps Ranks

7. Cincinnati Bengals

Notable Players: A.J. Green, John Ross

The presence of A.J. Green alone is enough to significantly bump the Bengals up in the AFC rankings. Specifically, Green is clearly locked into a top-seven spot at the position overall with some nitpicking amongst those around him. His 2016 season was marred by injury so you'll have to look to his previous few years in order to get a sense of what he's capable of. Rattling off his strong numbers isn't going to do much for you; virtually everyone who participates in fantasy is well aware of just how good Green can be.

The wildcard for Cincinnati is the addition of rookie John Ross. Ross was one of the top prospects at wide receiver and the Bengals were truly desperate for a legit No. 2 option at the position. While this isn't exactly an "air it out" offense, Ross gives Cincy some flexibility in their play calling. Andy Dalton could use another weapon at his disposal, especially considering his inconsistencies. Tyler Boyd could be flex-worthy in PPR leagues, but doesn't possess the highest ceiling around. The dual threat of Green and Ross is enough to net them the seventh spot in the AFC.

6. Denver Broncos

Notable Players: Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders

When Peyton Manning was at the helm, Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders boasted one of the most stellar stat lines to come from a wide receiver tag team in NFL history. Unfortunately, those days are long gone. Instead, Denver has one of the shakiest quarterback situations out there, hindering both Thomas and Sanders. These are still two very talented receivers who can contribute to your fantasy team albeit on a much smaller scale.

Thomas in particular still has the ability to net himself a mid-to-high WR2 type of year. He did just that in 2016 with 1,083 yards and five touchdowns on 90 receptions. Not quite the level of when he floated around 1,500 yards and had three consecutive years of double digit touchdowns. Nevertheless, Demaryius remains a solid piece in all formats.

Sanders isn't some throwaway receiver either. In fact, his numbers were almost identical to that of his WR counterpart. Sanders finished the year with 1,032 yards and five scores. So we're not really talking about a world of difference here. The combination of an unknown quarterback and insane depth at wide receiver across knocks the Broncos down a peg.

5. Los Angeles Chargers

Notable Players: Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams

Let me be up front about this: I am a sucker for Keenan Allen. I am going to hammer this home until I am blue in the face. Allen is currently being labeled as injury prone thanks to having his last two seasons derailed by season ending injuries. The first of which was a lacerated kidney injury followed by a torn ACL. Any kind of internal organ injury is such a fluke thing that it's really unfair to chalk that up as "injury prone." It's not a severe ligament tear or a soft tissue injury. It's a very rare ailment that came during a strong season for Allen. Through eight games in 2015, Allen was on pace for 1,450 yards, eight touchdowns, and 134 receptions. That is top-five level production in PPR. With his injury history already baked into his ranking and ADP, Allen could be one of the biggest steals of the year.

The duo of Mike Williams and Tyrell Williams is one that is sure to make the Chargers offense as strong as ever in 2017. The cloud of mystery surrounding Mike Williams' back makes things a heck of a lot murkier, although the most recent update is that he does not need season ending surgery. Since that's the most up-to-date information we have, that's what we have to work with here. Mike Williams might not see a strong dose of targets to start his rookie year, but that doesn't mean he can't contribute. He's worth a late round look come draft time.

Tyrell Williams, on the other hand, is a sneaky pick who can creep up into WR3/flex status in any format. He's going fairly late in early drafts. Philip Rivers knows how to utilize his weapons as good as anyone in the league. Tyrell Williams should have no problem maintaining a role in the offense regardless of what happens with Mike Williams.

4. Indianapolis Colts

Notable Players: T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief

T.Y. Hilton had a huge year last year so that alone bumps the Colts up quite a bit. Throw in a presumed healthy Donte Moncrief and we're once again looking at a strong offense at wide receiver. With Andrew Luck under center as one of the better quarterbacks in the league, the one-two punch of Hilton and Moncrief warrants strong fantasy attention.

Hilton himself is a strong WR1, floating around the round one/two border as it currently stands. Moncrief is one of those later round picks with nice upside. Whether it's securing a top-10 receiver or adding depth to your team, ending up with either of these two receivers puts you in good shape coming out of a fantasy draft. Our lone AFC South representative in part two, the Colts deserve some praise at four.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

Notable Players: Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant

Speaking of depth, the Pittsburgh Steelers have an embarrassment of riches at wide receiver. The likes of Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, Sammie Coates, Eli Rogers, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Darrius Heyward-Bey give the team an insane assortment of usable assets. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger can't even feed them all if he wanted to. Having said that, there are only a few receivers who can actually contribute within a fantasy context.

Antonio Brown ranks as the top receiver in the entire NFL so there really isn't much to say you don't already know. He's locked in as a top-five pick in drafts. Martavis Bryant returns after a year-long suspension, putting him in WR3/flex territory. Bryant's upside is huge as he can easily become a strong WR2 if he keeps his head straight. He doesn't have the best hands in the world but his combination of size and speed make him one of Pittsburgh's best weapons.

JuJu Smith-Schuster has the advantage of not having to do much to surpass Sammie Coates and Eli Rogers. Both Coates and Rogers struggled to find consistency last year, leaving the door wide open for JuJu to lock down the No. 3 spot on the depth chart. He's not someone you should draft with the hopes of starting him in the first few weeks. Instead, he's the type of rookie who can have mid-season impact, giving the Steelers the rare opportunity to produce three usable fantasy wide receivers. That's enough to slot them at third in the AFC rankings. How about that, this gives us our second division to produce two top-seven teams in the AFC.

2. New England Patriots

Notable Players: Brandin Cooks, Julian Edelman

I am certain there will be some Patriots fans out there who scream blasphemy that they aren't ranked No. 1. The truth of the matter is that their depth chart has the misfortune of having too many mouths to feed within a fantasy context. The addition of Brandin Cooks is essentially a lateral move in terms of fantasy. It makes the Patriots even more difficult to defend in real-life football, but it doesn't really affect much for those of us interested in fantasy points. Cooks already had issues with target share in New Orleans and that isn't going to change in New England. He'll still be looking to break big plays, something he should have no problem doing with Tom Brady as his quarterback.

Julian Edelman is one of the better PPR options in the game, another aspect of this offense you can count on. His touchdown totals aren't great, however, with his career high coming in 2015 with seven. Edelman takes a hit in standard scoring with PPR being his strong suit.

The Patriots certainly have depth as well with Chris Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell, and Danny Amendola hanging around. Again, this five-way death squad gives NFL defenses a major problem but it doesn't automatically translate to fantasy. Cooks and Edelman are the real contributors here and a strong one at that. Ranking second in the AFC coincides with blowing the rest of their division out of the water.

1. Oakland Raiders

Notable Players: Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree

The reasoning behind ranking the Oakland Raiders No. 1 in the AFC is pretty simple; Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree was the absolute best tandem in the entire conference last season. With an only-getting-better Derek Carr under center, Cooper and Crabtree can easily repeat what they did in 2016.

There was some controversy about whether or not Crabtree had leapfrogged Cooper as the top option for Carr, but for the purposes of this article it doesn't matter. If anything, the fact that it was even close is proof for how strong this team's receivers really are. Cooper had the edge in yards with 1,153 to Crabtree's 1,003 while Crabtree outscored Cooper eight to five. In short, this is as good as it gets in terms of fantasy receiving tandem. Seth Roberts wasn't the most efficient WR3 around, posting a 49.4% catch rate, but he will be entering his third NFL season and is athletic enough to make plays.

There's a case to be made for the each of the top-three teams at No. 1. In the end it comes down to splitting hairs with which team can balance talent, depth, and fantasy scoring the best. The Raiders absolutely accomplish that with their top-two pass-catchers. Crazy to think that the AFC West produced three top-seven teams.

 

More 2017 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

Ladd McConkey20 mins ago

Returns To Practice On Friday
CeeDee Lamb33 mins ago

Cleared To Play In Week 12
Sam LaPorta44 mins ago

Off The Injury Report, Cleared For Week 12
Jake Ferguson53 mins ago

Ruled Out With Concussion
DeVonta Smith1 hour ago

Ruled Out For Week 12
Brock Purdy1 hour ago

Not Seen At Friday's Practice
T.J. Hockenson2 hours ago

Expects To Be More Involved In Week 12
Alexander Mattison2 hours ago

Zamir White Doubtful To Face Broncos
Nico Collins2 hours ago

Set For Increased Workload Against Titans
Mike Evans2 hours ago

Officially Listed As Questionable
Malik Nabers2 hours ago

Questionable For Week 12, Intends To Play
Coby White2 hours ago

Listed As Probable On Friday
Jordan Hawkins2 hours ago

Set To Return On Friday
Sam Darnold2 hours ago

Cleared For Sunday
Brandon Ingram2 hours ago

Available On Friday
Stephen Curry3 hours ago

Probable On Friday Against Pelicans
D'Andre Swift3 hours ago

Gets Questionable Tag For Week 12
Keenan Allen3 hours ago

Lands On Injury Report, Questionable For Week 12
Isiah Pacheco3 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 12
CeeDee Lamb3 hours ago

Practices Friday, Expected To Play Sunday
Tyjae Spears4 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 12
Mike Evans4 hours ago

Will Return In Week 12
Jalen Hurts4 hours ago

"Good To Go" For Week 12, Remains A Must-Start QB
Adam Thielen4 hours ago

Tommy Tremble Will Play On Sunday
Jonathon Brooks4 hours ago

Set To Make NFL Debut In Week 12
Cam Thomas5 hours ago

Available Against 76ers
Shohei Ohtani5 hours ago

In Early Stages Of Recovery From Shoulder Surgery
Joel Embiid5 hours ago

Added To Injury Report On Friday
Tabatha Ricci5 hours ago

Looks To Extend Her Win Streak
Yan Xiaonan5 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Nicolas Claxton5 hours ago

Now Listed As Probable Against 76ers
Dorian Finney-Smith5 hours ago

Upgraded To Probable On Friday
Muslim Salikhov5 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Macau
Chris Sale5 hours ago

To Have Normal Offseason
Garrett Crochet5 hours ago

Drawing Plenty Of Interest
Song Kenan5 hours ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Zhang Mingyang5 hours ago

Set For His Second UFC Fight
Ozzy Diaz6 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Macau
MacKenzie Weegar8 hours ago

Notches Three Assists Against Rangers
Macklin Celebrini8 hours ago

Tallies Two Assists In Thursday's Loss
Nikita Kucherov9 hours ago

Comes Up With Three Assists Versus Blue Jackets
Sean Monahan9 hours ago

Finishes Thursday's Win With Four Points
Zach Werenski9 hours ago

Enjoys Career Night With Five Points Against Lightning
Jack Hughes9 hours ago

Posts Three Assists Versus Hurricanes
Joonas Korpisalo9 hours ago

Records 21-Save Shutout Versus Utah
Wendell Carter Jr.19 hours ago

Out Against Lakers
Anthony Davis20 hours ago

Available Versus Magic On Thursday
Rui Hachimura20 hours ago

Unavailable Thursday
Carlos Ulberg20 hours ago

Looking To Cement Himself As A Title Contender At UFC Macau
Volkan Oezdemir20 hours ago

Eyes Another Knockout At UFC Macau
Gabriella Fernandes20 hours ago

A Big Underdog At UFC Macau
MMA21 hours ago

Cong Wang Puts Undefeated Record On The Line At UFC Macau
Deiveson Figueiredo21 hours ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC Macau
Petr Yan21 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Macau
Yves Missi21 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
CJ McCollum21 hours ago

Not Likely To Play Friday
Brandon Ingram22 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Shohei Ohtani22 hours ago

Named National League MVP In 2024
Aaron Judge22 hours ago

Wins American League MVP Award
Ja'Kobe Walter22 hours ago

Ready To Go Thursday
Donte DiVincenzo22 hours ago

Available Thursday
Mike Conley22 hours ago

Will Not Play Thursday
Jordan Clarkson22 hours ago

Sits Out Thursday's Game
Ausar Thompson22 hours ago

Won't Play On Thursday
Zach Collins22 hours ago

Cleared To Play Thursday
Domantas Sabonis22 hours ago

Gets Through Full Practice
Alex Ovechkin23 hours ago

To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Fractured Fibula
Zach Hyman23 hours ago

Expected To Miss 4-7 Days
Kent Johnson23 hours ago

Back For Blue Jackets Thursday
Yaroslav Askarov24 hours ago

Makes Sharks Debut Thursday
Mikael Granlund24 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
Alexandar Georgiev24 hours ago

Returns To Action Versus Capitals
TB24 hours ago

Nicholas Paul Will Miss Thursday's Game
Frederik Andersen1 day ago

To Miss 8-12 Weeks
Cody Bellinger1 day ago

Cubs Looking To Trade Cody Bellinger?
1 day ago

Blake Snell Has Met With Red Sox, Dodgers
Chandler Stephenson1 day ago

Registers Three Assists Versus Predators
Jason Robertson1 day ago

Totals Three Points In Wednesday's Win
Nils Lundkvist1 day ago

Exits Early With A Lower-Body Injury
Matthew Knies1 day ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury
Mikael Granlund1 day ago

Exits Late With Injury Wednesday
Patrik Laine1 day ago

Returns To Practice
Chris Sale2 days ago

Wins National League Cy Young Award
Tarik Skubal2 days ago

Wins 2024 American League Cy Young Award
Austin Eckroat2 days ago

Heads To The RSM Classic After Win
Harris English2 days ago

Finding Form Heading To The RSM Classic
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To The RSM Classic
Denny McCarthy2 days ago

Returns to The RSM Classic
Ludvig Aberg2 days ago

Looks To Defend RSM Classic Title
Si Woo Kim2 days ago

An Intriguing Option At RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy2 days ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of RSM Classic
Eric Cole2 days ago

Chasing First Tour Victory At RSM Classic
3 days ago

Guardians' Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager Of The Year
Milwaukee Brewers3 days ago

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager Of The Year
3 days ago

Nick Pivetta Declines Boston's Qualifying Offer
Jose Siri3 days ago

Mets Acquire Jose Siri From The Rays
3 days ago

Phillies To Meet With Juan Soto
3 days ago

Luis Severino Rejects Qualifying Offer From Mets
3 days ago

Willy Adames Declines Brewers Qualifying Offer
3 days ago

Teoscar Hernandez Declines Qualifying Offer From Dodgers
3 days ago

Juan Soto Declines Yankees' Qualifying Offer
Luis Gil4 days ago

Wins AL Rookie Of The Year Award
Paul Skenes4 days ago

Named 2024 NL Rookie Of The Year
Brady Singer4 days ago

Reds, Royals Discussing Jonathan India, Brady Singer
Charles Oliveira4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Chandler4 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 309
Karine Silva4 days ago

Suffers Her First UFC Loss
Viviane Araujo4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Mauricio Ruffy4 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Six
James Llontop5 days ago

Loses Clear-Cut Decision In Thrilling Fight At UFC 309
Paul Craig5 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC 309
Bo Nickal5 days ago

Remains Undefeated With Lackluster Performance At UFC 309
Stipe Miocic5 days ago

Retires After UFC 309 Loss

RANKINGS

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

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

Video: Week 12 Booms, Sleepers, and Streamers - 2024 Fantasy Football Start 'Em Analysis

And here...we...go... The YouTube team is dropping fresh fire content for the weekend ahead with our top Week 12 booms, sleepers, and streamers! NFL Network and RotoBaller contributor LaQuan Jones gives in-depth fantasy football advice, breaking down some of his high-upside, sleeper, and value plays as we head into Week 12 of the new fantasy […]


RotoBaller NFL Betting Picks Stock

2024 NFL Week 12 Betting Picks (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools and Content can be accessed on the premium dashboard. To see ALL of Jamie's bets (and others from RotoBaller experts) then head over to the RotoBaller Discord. You'll find every bet and prop in the #NFL-BETTING-PROPS channel there!   Background My name is Jamie Calandro (@jac3600 on X) and I have […]


DeVon Achane - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Injury News

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Week 12 Matchups Analysis

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to another start'em and sit'em piece as we look ahead to Week 12! There will be a whopping six teams on bye this week (Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets), so that means fantasy managers might need to look deeper on their benches. This Week 12 matchups […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

WR/CB Matchups to Upgrade and Downgrade - Fantasy Football Week 12 (2024)

Welcome back to our WR/CB Matchups for Week 12 of the 2024 fantasy football season. For those unfamiliar, this weekly series looks at fantasy football matchups for wide receivers versus the cornerbacks who are projected to cover them. The data we access for offensive and defensive players continues to skyrocket. Though we mainly focus on offensive […]


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

D/ST Strength of Schedule: Best Fantasy Football Defense Streamers and Matchups (Weeks 12-17)

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 […]


NFL DFS: FanDuel Daily Fantasy Football Picks for Week 12 - Top Lineup Plays Include Jayden Daniels, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jared Goff, Puka Nacua

It’s already Week 12, although the end of the 2024-25 campaign can’t come soon enough for teams like the Jaguars, Raiders, Giants, and Panthers, to name a few. On the other hand, clubs like the Bills, Chiefs, and Lions are only a few weeks away from officially punching their tickets to the postseason.   In […]


Braelon Allen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Best/Worst Fantasy Football Playoff Schedules: Streamers and Starts To Win A Championship (2024)

Planning too far in advance to align your fantasy football players for an optimal playoff performance comes with many pitfalls. However, positioning yourself for good fortune in Weeks 15 through 17 should be a key piece of your strategy if you're in line to make the bracket. Fantasy players still have time to trade for […]


Bo Nix - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

The King's Week 12 Lineup Rankings and Analysis (Premium Content)

RotoBaller senior writer Scott "The King" Engel shares his Week 12 fantasy football lineup rankings for PPR, half PPR, and standard scoring league participants. He also provides an analysis of the rankings at every skill position. Regular starting options are included to highlight that some of your must-start players have a good chance of supplying […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 12 DraftKings NFL DFS Picks - Main Slate (2024): Anthony Richardson, Brian Robinson Jr., Courtland Sutton, and more

How's it going, RotoBallers? Welcome back to our DraftKings Main Slate article. Known around the fantasy football world as "Bye-Mageddon," Week 12 certainly offers up some unique challenges from a DFS perspective. Don't worry, we'll work through those difficulties to find the best plays we can on this slate. These DraftKings lineup recommendations are based […]


Brian Robinson Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings Running Backs, Waiver Wire Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Bold Predictions for Fantasy Football Week 12: Tua Tagovailoa, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brian Robinson Jr., Ladd McConkey, Will Dissly

Week 12 is here, and I’m back with another edition of fantasy football bold predictions. This week’s list of bold predictions will include Tua Tagovailoa, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brian Robinson Jr., Ladd McConkey, and Will Dissly. Every week, I will provide some fun and bold fantasy football predictions. While these bold predictions aren’t the most likely […]


Ladd McConkey - Fantasy Football Rankings, Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Booms and Busts - Fantasy Football Starts and Sits for Week 12 Lineups Include Tua Tagovailoa, J.K. Dobbins, Ladd McConkey

Week 11 was pretty kind to us in this space. We correctly labeled Justin Herbert as a boom pick. He threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 65 yards on the ground. It culminated with a QB8 finish. We also nailed Kirk Cousins and Tony Pollard as busts. Cousins and the Falcons […]


Chuba Hubbard - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Week 12 Fantasy Football Busts? Players Who May Disappoint Include D'Andre Swift, JK Dobbins, Tank Dell, Chuba Hubbard, Mark Andrews, Jakobi Meyers

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Week 12 fantasy football busts, or players who may disappoint for fantasy lineups this week. It's a strange week in the NFL with six teams taking their bye week. That could mean lineups are gridlocked and fantasy managers don't have the luxury of analyzing matchups to decide their starters. Potential […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

PrizePicks NFL DFS Prop Picks - Over/Under Props for Week 12 (Sunday Main Slate)

Hello everybody, and welcome to our PrizePicks NFL DFS prop picks for Week 12 - Sunday Main Slate! The 2024 NFL season is now past the midpoint, and our friends over at PrizePicks have a TON of great DFS plays we can look to take advantage of. Our partners at PrizePicks offer some of the […]