RADIO
The regular season is right around the corner and each team's depth chart is mostly complete! Before diving into the fantasy season, RotoBaller has you covered with some last minute wide receiver depth chart recaps for each team, including some useful bits of analysis for players you want to keep on your radar.
Please note that the charts below are based on individual team depth charts and come from RotoWire's projected starting units. The DCs project the real-life pecking order expected to be used by head coaches at the respective franchises, not where RotoWire projects those players to finish in fantasy leagues.
Here are the current preseason depth charts at wide receiver for each division in the NFC.
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NFC WEST
Find a Spot to Slot this Man: Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
I have spent some time studying snap-alignment data from the 2020 season in order to write some articles. All I can tell you is that Kupp's years, at the very least, a freakish one in terms of how and where he performed and did most of his damage. Kupp (24%) was the only receiver to appear in more than 43 plays, starting 17%+ of them off the tight-end position. The second-highest deployment at that position from a WR was Chris Godwin, at an already high seven percentage points of distance.
Kupp also manned the slot in 68% of his remaining offensive snaps. That didn't hurt Kupp's upside in the least, as he went on to close 2020 as the WR26 with a WR4 finish in 2019. Now with Matthew Stafford throwing him the rock, everything points in a tasty direction for Kupp to have a great 2021 campaign.
NFC NORTH
Viking Bargain: Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings
First things first: fade Justin Jefferson. I know, I'm crazy. Or at least that's what you think. But bear with me on this one, folks. Jefferson was fantastic in his rookie campaign, but he was one of the greatest freshmen in the past 20 years putting on a career season to kick his career off. Regression is coming hard, that's what I mean. Everybody is sky-high on Jefferson while forgetting about über-reliable veteran Adam Thielen, whose ADP of 67th overall and WR21 makes no sense for someone projected to a WR16 (at the very least) finish in 2021. Take advantage of the glitch in the fantasy football Matrix while it lasts.
NFC SOUTH
The Falcons Are Now Ridley's Property: Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons
This is definitely not going to blow you away, but I don't think there is a better price-production play out there with a higher ROI out there. See, the Falcons moved on from Julio Jones' era and are now putting all of their chances in the hands of Calvin Ridley. Fantasy GMs are yet to catch up to this man's upside: the ADP is at a "low" 30th overall to go with a WR6 positional ADP. That's absolutely crazy considering PFF--and every living being with a functioning brain--projects Ridley to an overall WR2 finish with 321+ PPR points over the upcoming season. Nothing crazy about that, if you ask me.
NFC EAST
More a Bad-Day than a Golla-Day: Sterling Shepard, New York Giants
The Giants bolstered their offense with the addition of the brightest FA in this summer class in Kenny Golladay. The former Lion signed with Big Blue to share the field with Shepard, Darius Slayton, and rookie Kadarius Toney. All of those wideouts will also have to share the cake with magnificent running back Saquon Barkley (seemingly healthy and ready to go in full force) and TE Evan Engram.
So Golladay's price (ADP) of 75th overall and WR26 feels a little high. Shepard's, though? The man is sitting at an ADP of 205th (!) overall and WR77 as I write these words while having a WR37 finish projection. That's immense value with no risk involved at all. Can't really understand how such a player is going absolutely under the radar being a last-round pick in most 12-team leagues--if drafted at all.
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