Wide receivers are one of the most critical components, and a core building block, for all fantasy football teams. This is especially true in PPR formats, where fantasy owners are rewarded for every catch that a wide receiver makes. We are here to help you plan your wide receiver draft strategy, and to target the right players on each NFL team.
Below are our 2015 fantasy football wide receiver depth charts as of Week 9 of the NFL and fantasy football season. For each team you will find the primary wide receiver (WR1), the secondary wide receiver (WR2), the third wide receiver (WR3), and dynasty values. Players listed under "Dynasty Value" have added value in dynasty/keeper league formats and can be targeted on draft day.
It’s important to stay on top of the wide receiver situations and any depth chart changes throughout each week of the fantasy football season, so be sure to check back regularly. By staying on top of all the depth charts changes, preseason position battles, and in-season injuries, you can draft the right receivers, adjust your rosters off the waiver wire, find sleepers, potential breakouts, and dominate your fantasy football leagues.
All WR1/WR2/WR3 listings are based off current Fantasy Football projections, not NFL depth chart values. Players listed under "Dynasty Value" have increased value in a Dynasty league.
AFC EAST: Fantasy Football Wide Receiver (WR) Depth Charts
Baller Stability Rating | Team Name |
Primary Wide Receiver (WR1) | Second Wide Receiver (WR2) | WR3 & Longshots | Dynasty Value |
Questionable | Patriots | Julian Edelman | Brandon LaFell | Danny Amendola | N/A |
Solid | Jets | Brandon Marshall | Eric Decker | Jeremy Kerley | N/A |
Solid | Bills | Sammy Watkins | Robert Woods | Chris Hogan | Sammy Watkins |
Solid | Dolphins | Jarvis Landry | Rishard Matthews | Kenny Stills | DeVante Parker |
As Brandon LaFell gets back up to game speed, Tom Brady has been looking his way more often. There's no denying the chemistry the two have, particularly considering LaFell's breakout last year. Danny Amendola has officially been relegated to a supporting role, whereas LaFell can be a regular flex contributor in the seemingly unstoppable Patriots air attack.
The Jets situation is stable, with veterans Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker leading the way on a weekly basis. Marshall had a whopping 18 targets last week, many of which came when Geno Smith took over for the injured Ryan Fitzpatrick. Expect that trend to continue--while Marshall may not get 18 targets again, he will be relied on heavily by the younger, more unsure Smith.
I've officially removed Percy Harvin from the Bills' depth chart, as I'm not sure he'll ever play again. Sammy Watkins is trending towards starting in this week's tilt with the Dolphins, but he may still be limited as he recovers from injury. Robert Woods has proved himself a capable second option, but with Watkins back and Tyrod Taylor's preference for Charles Clay, I don't think he's flex-worthy in the run-first offense.
The Dolphins were rumored to be fielding trade offers for Rishard Matthews, but an injury to rookie DeVante Parker quickly killed any potential deals. Landry is the man to own in this offense, with Matthews providing flex value in weeks where the Dolphins have to throw a lot. Heading to Buffalo this week should yield a favorable game script for all Dolphins pass-catchers.
AFC WEST: Fantasy Football Wide Receivers (WR) Depth Charts
Baller Stability Rating | Team Name |
Primary Wide Receiver (WR1) | Second Wide Receiver (WR2) | WR3 & Longshots | Dynasty Value |
Solid | Broncos | Demaryius Thomas | Emmanuel Sanders | Bennie Fowler | Cody Latimer |
Solid | Chiefs | Jeremy Maclin | Albert Wilson | Chris Conley | Chris Conley |
Solid | Raiders | Amari Cooper | Michael Crabtree | Andre Holmes | Amari Cooper |
Solid | Chargers | Stevie Johnson | Malcolm Floyd | Dontrelle Inman | Keenan Allen |
Peyton Manning is clearly not a top-tier quarterback anymore, but even at his worst Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas are still finding their way to near-top-20 production in most weeks. It's essentially the two of them and then a massive cliff as far as targets go, and that should be the case for the rest of the season barring injury.
No one outside of Jeremy Maclin is startable on the Chiefs, but rookie Chris Conley is an interesting stash in deeper league. He has the raw talent and speed to make big plays, but any production this year will be entirely dependent on Maclin's health.
The Raiders offense is fantasy-relevant for the first time in recent memory, and as long as Derek Carr is playing well both Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree are low-end WR2s. While many expected the rookie Cooper to be the clear top option, this has evolved into more of a 1A/1B situation.
With Keenan Allen lost for the year to a lacerated kidney, everyone on the Chargers depth chart moves up a spot, with Dontrelle Inman likely sliding into three-wide sets with Johnson and Floyd. This is one of the most pass-heavy offenses in football, and Johnson should have WR2 value while Floyd becomes an every-week flex. It remains to be seen how much Inman will be involved, but he makes for an interesting stash.
AFC NORTH: Fantasy Football Wide Receivers (WR) Depth Charts
Baller Stability Rating | Team Name |
Primary Wide Receiver (WR1) | Second Wide Receiver (WR2) | WR3 & Longshots | Dynasty Value |
Solid | Ravens | Kamar Aiken | Marlon Brown | Chris Givens | Breshad Perriman |
Solid | Steelers | Antonio Brown | Martavis Bryant | Darrius Heyward-Bey | Martavis Bryant |
Solid | Bengals | A.J. Green | Marvin Jones | Mohamed Sanu | N/A |
Solid | Browns | Travis Benjamin | Andrew Hawkins | Brian Hartline/Taylor Gabriel | N/A |
Like with Keenan Allen in San Diego, the loss of Steve Smith for the year means that everyone else on the Ravens depth chart moves up a spot. However, Joe Flacco is not Philip Rivers, and Kamar Aiken becomes no more than a solid WR3. Nobody else is worth rostering right now.
With Ben Roethlisberger back, all of the Steelers pass-catchers are back to their original values. Antonio Brown is a clear WR1, and Martavis Bryant should become a low-end WR2 once Big Ben knocks the rust off.
Bad Andy Dalton showed up in Week 8 against the Steelers, but I don't expect him to return against the lowly Browns on Thursday Night Football. A.J. Green is still a locked-in WR1, and when Dalton is firing on all cylinders Marvin Jones should be a decent flex.
With Johnny Manziel under center, I'm not comfortable starting any Cleveland receiver. Travis Benjamin is flex-worthy, but he's still too reliant on the deep ball to trust.
AFC SOUTH: Fantasy Football Wide Receivers (WR) Depth Charts
Baller Stability Rating | Team Name |
Primary Wide Receiver (WR1) | Second Wide Receiver (WR2) | WR3 & Longshots | Dynasty Value |
Solid | Colts | T.Y. Hilton | Donte Moncrief | Andre Johnson | Phillip Dorsett, Donte Moncrief |
Solid | Texans | DeAndre Hopkins | Cecil Shorts III (INJ) | Nate Washington | Jaelen Strong |
Volatile | Titans | Kendall Wright (INJ) | Justin Hunter | Dorial Green-Beckham | Dorial Green-Beckham, Kendall Wright |
Questionable | Jaguars | Allen Robinson | Allen Hurns | Bryan Walters | Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Marqise Lee |
The Colts pecking order is pretty solid, with T.Y. Hilton re-establishing himself as the top receiver in the last few weeks. However, Donte Moncrief has touchdowns in five of seven games this season, and is likely going to remain a low-end WR2 as Andrew Luck continues to try to get his act together. Luck looked miserable for most of the game against the Panthers in Week 8, and things don't get any easier with a matchup with the Broncos on the horizon.
DeAndre Hopkins is still a top-three wide receiver in the highest-volume passing attack in the NFL, and Nate Washington will be a solid flex play as long as Cecil Shorts is injured.
The Titans depth chart is worth keeping an eye on. Kendall Wright is likely going to miss the Titans' Week 9 matchup with the Saints, leaving this depth chart in complete disarray. We have no clarity on who will receive the most looks with Wright out of the picture, meaning any Titans receiver is a complete dice roll, especially with a new head coach in the mix.
Allen Robinson is the most talented receiver in Jacksonville, and I still think he's their WR1, but Allen Hurns has been surprisingly great so far this season. He's going to have flex value as long as Blake Bortles is playing well, although that might be a tall order against the Jets defense this week. However, David Carr and the Raiders did just light them up for four scores, so it's not as if there's no hope for the Jags.
NFC EAST: Fantasy Football Wide Receivers (WR) Depth Charts
Baller Stability Rating | Team Name |
Primary Wide Receiver (WR1) | Second Wide Receiver (WR2) | WR3 & Longshots | Dynasty Value |
Solid | Giants | Odell Beckham | Rueben Randle | Dwayne Harris | Odell Beckham Jr. |
Questionable | Eagles | Jordan Matthews | Riley Cooper | Josh Huff | Josh Huff, Nelson Agholor, Jordan Matthews |
Solid | Cowboys | Dez Bryant | Terrance Williams | Cole Beasley | Dez Bryant |
Questionable | Redskins | Desean Jackson | Pierre Garcon | Jamison Crowder | N/A |
Victor Cruz doesn't look like he'll be fantasy-relevant anytime soon, and in his absence it appears Dwayne Harris has become Eli Manning's number three receiver. Beckham is a clear WR1, while Randle and Harris a flex options at best.
Jordan Matthews has been one of the biggest disappointments in fantasy so far, as he's barely a top-30 wide receiver while he was drafted as a WR1 by many fantasy owners. At the moment he's a WR3, while no one else is rosterable at the moment.
Dez Bryant is back, but there is little hope for any Cowboys receiver as long as Matt Cassel is under center. Cassel is an absolute train wreck of a quarterback, and while you have to start Dez based on his talent and upside, you can't feel good about it. Bide your time with these guys until Tony Romo returns in Week 11.
DeSean Jackson should return this week, and he'll immediately reclaim his role as the top receiving threat in Washington. However, Kirk Cousins has been bad enough to effectively neutralize the value of his receivers, and he certainly isn't good enough to make three of them relevant. Look for Jackson to be a WR3 as the main touchdown threat and Garcon to be a risky flex play as the possession receiver.
NFC WEST: Fantasy Football Wide Receivers (WR) Depth Charts
Baller Stability Rating | Team Name |
Primary Wide Receiver (WR1) | Second Wide Receiver (WR2) | WR3 & Longshots | Dynasty Value |
Solid | 49ers | Anquan Boldin | Torrey Smith | Quinton Patton | N/A |
Solid | Seahawks | Doug Baldwin | Tyler Lockett | Jermaine Kearse | Tyler Lockett |
Solid | Cardinals | Larry Fitzgerald | John Brown | Michael Floyd | John Brown |
Questionable | Rams | Tavon Austin | Stedman Bailey | Kenny Britt | N/A |
Blaine Gabbert, he of the lowest total QBR since 2011, is starting for San Francisco this week. I don't need to tell you to pass on all 49ers for the foreseeable future.
The Seahawks still don't throw enough for me to trust any wide receiver on a weekly basis. If I'm picking one it's Doug Baldwin. He'll see his four or five targets every week and should finish the year with five or six touchdowns, making him an average flex play. After him it gets sketchy, as neither Jermaine Kearse nor Tyler Lockett see enough action to be started in anything but the deepest of leagues.
Larry Fitzgerald is still the top dog in Arizona, but John Brown has become a reliable 1B in recent weeks. Michael Floyd is a solid WR3 when either misses time, but it's hard to trust him when both are healthy and active. The Cardinals are on bye this week, but they should pick up right where they left off in Week 10.
Todd Gurley is the focal point of the Rams offense, but Tavon Austin is not without value. He's actually second on the Rams in rushing yards, and is their clear top fantasy receiver. He's a legitimate WR3 these days, but he's still in an awful passing offense.
NFC NORTH: Fantasy Football Wide Receivers (WR) Depth Charts
Baller Stability Rating | Team Name |
Primary Wide Receiver (WR1) | Second Wide Receiver (WR2) | WR3 & Longshots | Dynasty Value |
Solid | Packers | Randall Cobb | James Jones | Davante Adams | Davante Adams, Ty Montgomery |
Solid | Lions | Calvin Johnson | Golden Tate | Lance Moore | N/A |
Solid | Bears | Alshon Jeffery | Eddie Royal | Marquess Wilson | Kevin White |
Questionable | Vikings | Stefon Diggs | Mike Wallace | Jarius Wright | N/A |
Randall Cobb has disappointed in recent weeks, but he's a major buy-low candidate for me. He's been dealing with a shoulder injury, but he seems to finally be back to 100% and that should show on the field. I'm writing off the Packers pathetic Week 8 showing as a fluke--they won't have to face the Broncos again anytime soon, and I like Aaron Rodgers' chances against anybody else in the NFL.
Calvin Johnson is no longer a fantasy superstar, but he is definitely still a high-end WR2 on a weekly basis. The offensive scheme under new OC Jim Bob Cooter looked atrocious in Week 8, but the Lions have this week's bye to figure things out. I have high expectations for Johnson and Golden Tate going forward.
Jay Cutler and Alshon Jeffery are a lethal tandem, but there's not much else to love after that. Eddie Royal is banged-up again, and in his absence it'll be on Marquess Wilson to step up. With Matt Forte likely out a few weeks, whoever the second receiver on the Bears is on Monday should have flex value.
Stefon Diggs is a legitimate superstar, and I have him as a top-20 wide receiver for the rest of the season. With that said, there isn't anything else to like in the low-volume Minnesota passing game. Teddy Bridgewater doesn't have the stuff to make any more than one receiver fantasy-relevant.
NFC SOUTH: Fantasy Football Wide Receivers (WR)
Baller Stability Rating | Team Name |
Primary Wide Receiver (WR1) | Second Wide Receiver (WR2) | WR3 & Longshots | Dynasty Value |
Questionable | Saints | Brandin Cooks | Willie Snead | Marques Colston | Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead |
Questionable | Falcons | Julio Jones | Leonard Hankerson | Roddy White | N/A |
Volatile | Panthers | Ted Ginn Jr. | Brenton Bersin | Philly Brown | Devin Funchess, Kelvin Benjamin |
Solid | Buccaneers | Mike Evans | Vincent Jackson (INJ) | Donteea Dye | Mike Evans |
Just when everyone was ready to write off Brandin Cooks, he's become fantasy-relevant again. Both he and Willie Snead has two touchdowns in the game for the ages against the Giants last week, but I don't expect them both to thrive on a weekly basis. This is likely going to be a 1A/1B situation, and it's difficult to trust either as more than a WR3 on any given Sunday.
The Falcons situation is simple--there's Julio Jones, and that's pretty much it. After a couple impressive performances, Leonard Hankerson has been disappointing. Roddy White is old and not fantasy-relevant at this point in his career.
The Panthers keep finding ways to pull out victories. While Cam Newton has put the team on his back, he hasn't been using his wide receivers to do it. None are must-starts, and all are far behind Greg Olsen as far as targets go. Ted Ginn is the closest to fantasy-relevant, but it's hard to trust him when his floor is literally two catches for 18 yards.
Mike Evans is still a very risky WR2, but he should have the workload to make something out of nothing every week. Austin Seferian-Jenkins should be back this week, and his return should take some of the heat off Evans. Vincent Jackson looks like he'll still be out, but I'm not dropping him just yet.
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