If we were to turn back the clock just 10 years, zero wide receivers went in the first 10 picks. Seriously, in the 2013 fantasy mock draft, Calvin Johnson was the first WR off the board with pick 11.
Looking at current ADP data from real-money best ball leagues, 7 of the top 10 picks are wide receivers. There are several reasons behind this change in draft strategy, but the most obvious is that it is much more risk-averse.
Preseason WR rankings tend to hold up to end-of-season scoring leaders much more closely than any other position. For instance, only 3 of the preseason top 10 ranked RBs finished in the top 10 at the position.
The WR rankings held up better with 5 of the top 10 finishing in the top 10 and 8 of the top 10 finishing in the top 15.
Our top 10 WR rankings for 2024 include a surprise at #1, a rookie, and two Rams receivers.
Via our rankings using talent, trustworthiness, situation, ceiling, and floor, Amon-Ra St. Brown finished slightly above both Lamb and Jefferson coming into this campaign.
Amon-Ra has consistently improved each season in the NFL and with reports coming out of Lions camp that he’s already in preseason form, expect nothing less than double-digit receiving TDs for what we can call the most versatile wideout in the league.
Lamb is the consensus WR1 on most fantasy sites and we don’t have a problem with that. The Cowboys wideout is coming off his best season - over 1.7k yards and 12 TDs. While he’s holding out of training camp, a slight concern has arisen from our end.
The ‘Boys don’t have enough offense firepower to force good defenses to single-cover Lamb. Instead, expect CeeDee to produce some off-games where he’s doubled too much to make an impact. Brandin Cooks will need to have a big season in order to free the WR1 up.
This will be Jefferson’s first season without Kirk Cousins as his QB in Minnesota. Instead, either rookie J.J. McCarthy or Sam Darnold will take over the job. While we can’t expect a near 2,000 yard season from the most talented receiver in football, his red zone firepower shouldn’t take a hit. Short yardage gains will keep Jefferson’s value afloat but if neither McCarthy nor Darnold are serviceable by mid-season, there will be some tough decisions made up north.
Hill comes into another season as the favorite to take the WR1 crown due to his elite speed and offensive scheme he finds himself in. Coming off a 2023 where he reached the 150 yard mark five times, Mike McDaniel will continue to put his best player in great situations as the WR5 should be his finish at minimum. Of the top guys excluding Amon-Ra, Hill has the highest floor.
Chase and Burrow will finally look to play a full season together for the first time since what feels like their Super Bowl run a few years back. Ja’Marr has finished outside the WR10 spot two years in a row, but after going just one game with 10+ targets Week 9 and last season, Zac Taylor will provide him with 10 or more targets per game every time the Bengals head out on the field - which Chase will capitalize on. With Tee Higgins’ contract up in the air during and after the season, Ja’Marr should get the most volume of his career in 2024.
Nacua will get better during his second off-season, which is a scary sentence. Puka shocked the fantasy world last season finishing as the WR4. Although Cooper Kupp is back and healthy, this duo should be able to both finish as top 10 wideouts in this McVay offense. Their red zone usage should increase as Puka’s 6 TDs last season didn’t make sense if you look at his total volume through the pass and rush game. After losing about 10 pounds this offseason, the Rams wideouts will have a historical season as a duo.
As long as Jalen Hurts stays in Philly, AJ Brown will finish as a top 10 wideout. After finishing as the WR6 and 5 in back-to-back seasons, Brown signed a three year contract to stay with the Eagles. Although Saquon will take some touches away from the All-Pro WR, Brown is due to cross the 100-yard mark this season again while his YAC will boost his fantasy value with plenty of volume.
Even with the debacle in 2023 and a poor QB situation, Adams managed to average 15.6 PPG. If DA stays in Vegas or gets traded mid-season, we don’t see him dropping to a number below 15 PPG with his PPR value for any team, including the Raiders. One of the best wideouts in football, take the talent and high floor over a limited ceiling as your low end WR1 or high end WR2 in fantasy or best ball.
Marvin Harrison Jr. has a real chance to catch 100 balls from Kyler Murray in his rookie season. For reference, Nacua caught 105 passes last season. In a season where the Cardinals' offense has a chance to explode as an under-the-radar unit, Harrison Jr. should be the focal point of this team while commanding around 10 targets per outing. Also, Kyler won’t be afraid to throw him those DHop 1v1 redzone bullet jump balls.
Two Rams wideouts in our top 10? Yep. Nacua and Kupp are top ten in talent, situation, and both possess an extremely high floor. Although Kupp hasn’t replicated his record-breaking 2021 season, he’s still scored in half his games over the last two seasons while averaging over 61 YPG and nearly 5 catches per game last season. If we strip back the layer of concern regarding his injuries over the last few seasons, Kupp is still a top WR on the fantasy landscape.
Stroud’s 23 passing TDs will look like rookie numbers next season. The superstar Quarterback now has Stefon Diggs, Tank Dell, and Nico Collins to throw to. While Collins could be added to this list, Diggs as a short yardage, redzone threat and Dell as a deep threat is a perfect combination for best ball drafts and redrafts. If one is having an off-day, the other is probably around the 100 yard mark with a touchdown catch. Although ambitious, taking a RB first round and then stacking or smushing (whatever term you like) Diggs & Dell is a great play.
With the departure of Diontae Johnson and the arrival of both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, what’s stopping Roman Wilson - the Michigan standout - from putting up WR2 numbers with Pittsburgh in a wideout room with Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin, and Quez Watkins as the names behind him. This was an extremely Steeler pick in the 3rd round and due to volume and development within the Steelers wide receiver room, Wilson has a chance to breakout his rookie year and finish as a top 5 rookie WR.
With question marks swirling around Tee Higgins nearly every season, another rookie - this time Jermaine Burton - is on our radar to finish with WR2/3 numbers with Joe Burrow and the Bengals. Burton had a solid season coming out of Alabama, but playing some slot with Zac Taylor and Joe Burrow playcalling will open his potential up from his rookie season on.