Wide Receiver Draft Rankings - Standard Scoring

The first pick in fantasy drafts is always the elite running back. Whether it be in PPR leagues or standard, this is the case and for good reason. It is important to have an elite running back when they are available. But this doesn’t mean you should forget about the wide receiver position.

Sure, it is good to build up your depth at the running back position. They are more likely to get hurt and therefore need to be replaced more often. Don’t forget though, you normally play more wide receivers in your lineup. This is somewhat mitigated in standard leagues as the values are much closer, but the new standard for leagues is three WR and two RB.

One good thing about the receiver position is the depth you can acquire even in later rounds. Whereas running backs may be more of a flier in late rounds, a player like David Moore or Hunter Renfrow has an easier path to be valuable. Especially on bad teams who will need to pass to catch up in games. Let us now take a look at the standard tier rankings at Rotoballer.com and highlight some players to consider, or maybe not in some of those tiers - both early-round studs and late-round prayers.

Updated Fantasy Football Rankings - Wide Receivers

Below are RotoBaller's consensus staff rankings for the 2019 fantasy football season. These rankings are compiled by Nick Mariano, Pierre Camus, Scott Engel, Bill Dubiel, Dominick Petrillo and Spencer Aguiar.

In case you missed it, our very own "Big Pick Nick" Mariano was the #11 overall most accurate industry expert ranker for the 2018 season, and #9 overall in 2017. Additionally, industry legend Scott Engel recently joined the RotoBaller team and provides his insights as well. Scott is an FSWA Hall Of Famer and award winner.

Tier One

There are only two players listed in tier one for the consensus ranks on Rotoballer.com. The first is DeAndre Hopkins and the second is Davante Adams.

Both are incredible players and should be the top two wide receivers in all formats for 2019. You will also be forced to take a mid-first-round pick if you want to get them. And you should be willing to do just this in your draft. With players like Ezekiel Elliott and Melvin Gordon holding out, Adams and Hopkins are both safer options when it is your turn to pick one or the other.

No matter which one you pick you cannot go wrong in this debate. Both are set to get monster workloads in their respective offenses and should be over 1,400 yards with double-digit touchdown receptions.

If you are looking for even the tiniest of tiebreakers the Green Bay offense should be somewhat better, so the slight edge goes to Davante Adams. But really, don’t agonize. Just close your eyes and choose. You will be happy either way.

Julio Jones is a stud and clearly the leader of this group. He will be close to the league lead in yardage and if he can recover some touchdowns with Dirk Koetter, he could easily finish among Adams and Hopkins in a tier above.

Tyrek Hill is another matter. He is a big-play receiver for sure. But if some of those big plays don't hit, he will bust based on rising ADP. Yes, yards are more important than receptions in standard leagues. But only having 75 receptions limits the upside of Hill. Although ranked in the consensus at WR4, there are many players below him who I would be more comfortable in taking at the same range.

Tier Two

Juju Smith-Schuster and Mike Evans, in the same tier, have the same potential for yardage and touchdowns and provide higher of a floor. If you are looking in this tier, it is hard to go wrong. But be wary of the man in Kansas City. Patrick Mahomes is set to regress a bit, and this means so are his weapons.

Tier Three

Two of the three receivers in the Rams offense reside in this tier. Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks will again have great seasons in Los Angeles. Even with Cooper Kupp back, the offense is explosive enough to have all of them finish in the top 20.

A big player to talk about in this tier is Julian Edelman. Some may think he takes a hit with the addition of Josh Gordon. But their games are totally different. Not only is Gordon a big-bodied downfield receiver but he will also draw coverages away from Edelman making it even easier for Tom Brady to find his favorite target. If he can get some open looks and gain yardage after the catch instead of employing the fire department motto of stop, drop and roll Edelman could find a huge amount of value in standard leagues to go along with his massive value in PPR formats.

The safest players in this tier are probably the teammates in Minnesota. Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen could cannibalize each other a bit. But even so they can still finish top-15 for your fantasy team. Both should have over 1,000 and should also reel in eight to 10 touchdowns. Kirk Cousins was not great last season. But with 30 touchdown passes he wasn’t bad either. In the second season together, all three of these players could take a further step up in production.

Tier Four

On the other hand, you have a player like T.Y. Hilton who is going to finish far worse than expected without Andrew Luck around.

There are many receivers to like in this tier but two stand out because of their opportunity.

Tyler Boyd in Cincinnati is going to be the man. A.J. Green is out for who knows how long. Tyler Eiffert can’t stay healthy either. This means whether by hook or by crook, Tyler Boyd will be force-fed the ball. The offensive line is just that. Offensive. This could and should limit the amount of run being given to Joe Mixon until they can figure this out. This means a big season, or at least start to the year should be in the cards for Tyler Boyd.

Tier Five

A lot of potential in this tier but not much actual production just yet from several young players. Some could break out, but figuring out who is the tricky part.

Robby Anderson and Sam Darnold had a strong connection during the final month of 2018. Anderson was the WR6 over this time. With a full offseason of work this relationship is only going to grow. Quincy Enunwa and Jamison Crowder are alright as underneath guys. But the big plays are going to go to Robby Anderson, and he should be a solid target in drafts.

With players like Josh Gordon, Corey Davis, Sterling Shepard and Curtis Samuel we have players who have been getting buzz this offseason. Add to this guy like Sammy Watkins and Dante Pettis and this tier is like AA baseball. They all look like the next big thing, but they need some work to pan out. If Josh Gordon is back and has his head on, he may have the highest upside. But he also clearly has the lowest floor for obvious reasons. Sammy Watkins is also intriguing if he remains on the field in the high-powered Chiefs offense.

All of these players could be worth a spot on your roster. But don’t go and overpay for any of them. Let them fall to you and take the one who presents the best value in the middle rounds as your WR3 or WR4.

Tier Six

There are two good answers when it comes to who to draft in this tier. The first is Dede Westbrook. The second is, whoever is the number two in Green Bay. My leaning is MVS and this would be my choice. But if you are drafting next week, it would be good to wait for the team reports to make sure.

As for Westbrook, he is the number one receiver in the Jacksonville offense. This may not seem like much, but all teams have to throw. At least they've upgraded their QB position somewhat. Plus, Nick Foles threw 40% of his passes last season to the slot receiver. Westbrook played over 90% of his snaps in the slot in 2018. This will be a match made in heaven. Or Duvall County which is far different than heaven. If there is a receiver this low in the rankings who could jump multiple tiers, it is Westbrook. By this time next season, he could be talked about as a top-30 receiver.

The Rest

There are a few guys later to also look at. As stated, the wide receiver position has a lot of talent and this is good as you use more of them on a weekly basis than any other position. Saying this let’s take a look at a couple of names later in drafts to keep an eye on.

David Moore is dealing with a shoulder right now. But when he comes back, he will be the number two receiver in Seattle. Everyone is in love with D.K. Metcalf, but rookie receivers do not usually do a whole lot. David Moore had some big plays with Russell Wilson last season and with Doug Baldwin gone and Tyler Lockett set for some regression, he could take a big step up.

Another player to keep an eye on is the “man” in Baltimore. I know the team is going to run but all teams need to throw some. This could lead to a late-round flier on Willie Snead having a chance to work out for you. Mark Andrews is a good sleeper tight end but the other player who had somewhat of a rapport with Lamar Jackson was Snead. This is more of a play in deeper leagues as none of the wide receivers should be drafted otherwise for the Ravens. But in deep 16-team leagues, or leagues with deep benches. Snead is worth a stash.

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