Dynasty Rankings Pre-Draft: WRs

 

A shiny crop of new rookies will finally get their landing spots at the end of April. But until then, we’ve seen plenty of movement since the new League Year began in March. Now feels like a great time to look at where we stand in dynasty. I’ll be updating my positional rankings—QB, RB, WR, and TE—in a series of posts this next week. Today, I continue with my Top 50 WRs.

Wide receiver is crazy deep and, at the same time, hard to rank. There is a lot of opportunity and it seems like no position has been in more flux this year—from quarterbacks changing teams to coaches and the movement of receivers themselves. It’s also the deepest position in the upcoming draft so I’ll be curious to see how this impacts people in drafts. I know in my current start up, I punted WR to later because I could still get value—guys I have in the Top 24 on this list—in the seventh round or later.

1. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings—As a Broncos fan, I can’t help but wonder if the team should have grabbed Jefferson. He followed up an amazing rookie year with a great second season and seems to be an ideal fit in the Vikings’ offense. The addition of Kevin O’Connell doesn’t change that.

2. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals—Chase had an amazing rookie season, seemingly beating the Chiefs in December by himself. His pairing with Joe Burrow is great. Those that got him as the fourth to sixth pick in superflex rookie drafts lucked out.

3. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams—Kupp is coming off the best season for a receiver in NFL history. He’s an ideal fit in the Rams’ scheme with Matthew Stafford.

4. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders—Adams has been the cream of the crop at the receiver position for a while. Some are doubting his move to the Raiders but I still expect a banner year. He’s got plenty of life left as an elite producer.

5. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys—I love the talent and the situation. With Amari Cooper in Cleveland, I think Lamb takes another big step forward in 2022.

6. A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans—Brown is a great receiver and also one of the most efficient receivers. That helps since he’s in a run-first scheme. He’s still a great bet for production.

7. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers—Deebo’s seeming frustration with the 49ers’ Front Office bears watching, as does the quarterback situation. But he’s a dual threat and a weapon. He will produce.

8. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills—This is a marriage of a great receiver with a great quarterback in a great situation. I missed on Diggs when he went to Buffalo but I’m glad he’s on a number of my rosters.

9. Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team—I love McLaurin and the production he’s had. Washington’s offense hasn’t been explosive but that hasn’t limited Terry. Carson Wentz might not be the top tier of quarterbacks, but he could be the best passer that McLaurin has had.

10. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers—The Buccaneers are in for another big season with Tom Brady back. Godwin’s long-term team provides security and his production makes him a receiver worth investing in. He might not start the regular season in 2022, but he’s got a bright future ahead of him.

11. Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins—Waddle quietly had an exceptional rookie year. He has good chemistry with Tua Tagovailoa and even with the addition of Tyreek Hill, I think he gets the volume and remains a PPR machine.

12. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers—Allen has quietly been one of the best producers at wide receiver for years. He’s paired with an elite quarterback in Justin Herbert. He’s under-rated in fantasy. I like him as a Top 12 option on my roster.

13. Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers—I get that the signing of Mitch Trubisky didn’t light the world on fire, but Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t incredible in 2021 and Johnson did fine. He’s the clear No. 1 in Pittsburgh.

14. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals—Chase was amazing, which overshadowed another strong season from Higgins. I think the offense is good enough to support two good receivers. I’m not afraid of Higgins.

15. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins—Hill is talented, no question. But even with the Chiefs he was more of a boom-bust option in 2021. I don’t think that improves in Miami. I’m betting on Waddle being the safer choice.

16. D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers—He’s got WR1 talent but he’s trapped in a tough situation. The Matt Rhule era hasn’t been particularly fruitful, so I’m moderating expectations for Moore.

17. Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos—Sutton is the Alpha in Denver. Jerry Jeudy will step up too but I can’t wait to see Sutton unleashed with the arrival of Russell Wilson.

18. D.K. Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks—Continuing the trend here, I like the talent but the situation isn’t great. If he remains in Seattle, his value week-to-week will take a hit. If he’s traded, I could see him moving back toward WR1.

19. Elijah Moore, New York Jets—Moore was everything we could hope for when he got a chance to shine for the Jets. I like the offense that the team is building and I think Moore will take another step up in 2022.

20. Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns—Cooper was very productive in Dallas and he’ll be the man for the Browns. If Deshaun Watson plays most of the season, he could have another big year. This might even be too low.

21. Michael Pittman, Jr., Indianapolis Colts—Another player who is the clear No. 1 option in the passing game. Matt Ryan is aging, but he’s still capable of supporting good receivers. Pittman should benefit.

22. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers—Evans has Tom Brady slinging him the rock, for now. He’s a big Red Zone threat but Godwin seems to be the No. 1 in Tampa Bay. Evans is still a nice piece but I like him better as a WR2.

23. Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos—It’s been two frustrating years for Dynasty players who drafted Jeudy high and watched him languish in the Broncos’ offense. With Wilson in town, his value should pump up and we should see him at least consistently in the WR2 range.

24. DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals—The Cardinals’ receiving corps is still a bit in flux, and Hopkins remains the dominant target but we’re starting to see the first signs of decline. He missed time in 2021 and seemed mortal. He’s still a good receiver but he slides down my dynasty ranks.

25. Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers—Williams had some huge moments for the Chargers in 2021 but also some games where he disappeared. Returning to the team on a long-term deal is good, but I need to see more consistency to boost him up further.

And the Rest:
26. Marquise Brown, Baltimore Ravens
27. Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
28. Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys
29. DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles
30. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
31. Brandin Cooks, Houston Texans
32. Hunter Renfrow, Las Vegas Raiders
33. Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears
34. Allen Robinson, Los Angeles Rams
35. Juju Smith-Schuster, Kansas City Chiefs
36. Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars
37. Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens
38. Robert Woods, Tennessee Titans
39. Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh Steelers
40. Gabe Davis, Buffalo Bills
41. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
42. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
43. Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons
44. Odell Beckham, Jr., UFA
45. Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings
46. Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals
47. Kadarius Toney, New York Giants
48. Tim Patrick, Denver Broncos
49. Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals
50. Kenny Golladay, New York Giants