Each and every season, there is hype surrounding some wide receivers that may not deserve it. It could be because of their name (Larry Fitzgerald) or because of what they did last year (Doug Baldwin).
Regardless, there are a group of player that are being highly overvalued and have a ring of caution wrapped around them this season. Let's take a look at 10 overvalued receivers.
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Overvalued NFL Wide Receivers & ADPs
Allen Robinson - Jacksonville Jaguars (Rotoballer Rank: WR #8)
In a lot of drafts, Robinson has been going in the last-first or early-second rounds. Yes, he finished with 14 TDs last season and he had 1,400 receiving yards. But, if you take away three games (Week 2 vs.MIA, Week 5 @ TB, Week 12 @ TEN), he finishes the season with just 1,020 yards and seven TDs. Most of Robinson’s damage was done in those three games and in garbage time (each game was decided by 7 points or less).
Kelvin Benjamin - Carolina Panthers (WR #19)
Injury is Benjamin's biggest issue. All anyone has to go on is an outstanding rookie season that started roughly 20 months ago. There is no predicting if he will be able to return to form, especially considering that his conditioning is being questioned. If he is able to revisit the player he was, then he may be worthy of this ranking. Although, until he proves that, he is certainly being overvalued.
Julian Edelman - New England Patriots (WR #20)
Even with Tom Brady missing the first four weeks (first third of the fantasy season), Edelman should still see a decent amount of targets that will make you want to start him each week. There is one, big reason why Edelman is being ranked too high: Rob Gronkowski. In the past two seasons, Gronkowski has found the endzone 23 times; Edelman has only scored 11 times. Brady, and probably Garoppolo, have fancied Gronkowski as of late.
Doug Baldwin - Seattle Seahawks (WR #23)
Do you trust him to be able to repeat the second half of last season? Do you think it is physically possible for him to keep up that pace ? Before Week 9, Baldwin only had two TD's. Is that the kind of production you want from your WR2 at the position he is being drafted? If Baldwin is able to increase the production from the first half of the season slightly, he may deserve to be a WR3, but for now, he is being overvalued.
Larry Fitzgerald - Arizona Cardinals (WR #28)
The name provides most of the value for this veteran who has finished in the top-12 of WR's six times in his career. But, for a season that started red hot in 2015, Fitzgerald certainly faded down the stretch. He plays alongside a talented group of WR's in John Brown and Michael Floyd, to go with a talented pass-catching RB in David Johnson. It would definitely be a surprise if Fitzgerald is able to finish the season inside the top-30.
DeVante Parker - Miami Dolphins (WR #30)
Parker has a lot of talent and potential heading into this season. The biggest question is the offense that he plays for in Miami. Last season, before Parker was healthy, the team had a hard time maintaining a fantasy-relevant WR other than Jarvis Landry. Parker now steps into the second WR role for the Dolphins, opposite Landry, who had 110 receptions in 2015. There are too many question marks surrounding this offense to draft Parker as your third WR.
Steve Smith - Baltimore Ravens (WR #42)
I have nothing against Smith, but Father Time does. While he was having a solid season in 2015 before tearing his achilles, there were no other proven WR's on the team. Now, Smith is a year older and the Ravens have more depth at WR (and RB). The team signed Mike Wallace, last season’s first-round pick, Breshad Perriman, is healthy, and Kamar Aiken proved he can be effective in Smith’s absence. There are many warning signs for most of the Ravens’ receiving core.
Sterling Shepard - New York Giants (WR #46)
Shepard has the same question marks surrounding him that Parker does. While the Giants’ offense has more talent than Miami’s, the team still struggled to make a fantasy-relevant WR opposite Odell Beckham Jr. The departed Rueben Randle (797 yards, eight TDs) finished as a WR3, but disappeared at times. Shepard, being drafted as a WR4, has the potential to finish as such in his rookie season, but many have seen him being drafted as much more.
Tavon Austin - Los Angeles Rams (WR #47)
The definition of a gadget player is not what you look for when rostering your fourth or fifth WR. Unfortunately, that is what Austin has become. While there has been occurrences over the years when Austin puts up productive games, it is impossible to know when those games will happen. He's a solid bye-week play or an injury replacement, but it is hard to trust Austin as a starter, even at this point in the draft.
Josh Gordon - Cleveland Browns (WR #50)
Yes, he has the potential to be the top WR in all of fantasy. Yes, he has done it before. No, we do not know how he will fit into the new-look Cleveland Browns offense. Let's just keep in mind that it was three years ago that he posted over 1,600 receiving yards. There is no knowing if he will be able to return to that form, especially since he is now playing alongside Corey Coleman, Terrell Pryor and Gary Barnidge.