RADIO
Wide receivers are one of the most critical components, and a core building block, for all fantasy football teams. This is especially true in PPR formats, where fantasy owners are rewarded for every catch that a wide receiver makes. We are here to help you plan your wide receiver draft strategy, and to target the right players on each NFL team.
Below are our 2015 fantasy football wide receiver depth charts as of Week 5 of the NFL and fantasy football season. For each team you will find the primary wide receiver (WR1), the secondary wide receiver (WR2), the third wide receiver (WR3), and dynasty values. Players listed under "Dynasty Value" have added value in dynasty/keeper league formats and can be targeted on draft day.
It’s important to stay on top of the wide receiver situations and any depth chart changes throughout each week of the fantasy football season, so be sure to check back regularly. By staying on top of all the depth charts changes, preseason position battles, and in-season injuries, you can draft the right receivers, adjust your rosters off the waiver wire, find sleepers, potential breakouts, and dominate your fantasy football leagues.
All WR1/WR2/WR3 listings are based off current Fantasy Football projections, not NFL depth chart values. Players listed under "Dynasty Value" have increased value in a Dynasty league.
AFC EAST: Fantasy Football Wide Receiver (WR) Depth Charts
| Baller Stability Rating | Team Name |
Primary Wide Receiver (WR1) | Second Wide Receiver (WR2) | WR3 & Longshots | Dynasty Value |
| Solid | Patriots | Julian Edelman | Danny Amendola | Aaron Dobson | N/A |
| Solid | Jets | Brandon Marshall | Eric Decker | Quincy Enunwa | N/A |
| Solid | Bills | Sammy Watkins (INJ) | Percy Harvin | Robert Woods | Sammy Watkins |
| Questionable | Dolphins | Jarvis Landry | Rishard Matthews | Kenny Stills | DeVante Parker |
The Patriots wide receivers are pretty much set in stone, with all three players listed here falling behind Rob Gronkowski as the primary pass-catcher on the team. Brandon LaFell is a few weeks away from a return, so this shouldn't change any time soon.
The Jets situation is also stable, with veterans Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker leading the way on a weekly basis. Decker is dealing with a knee injury but looked healthy in the Week 4 win over the Dolphins in London. Marshall is a target hog and is bordering on WR1 status.
Percy Harvin has actually made his way up the depth chart to the number two spot, as it appears the Bills do have some intention of making him an actual wide receiver versus a pure gadget guy. Sammy Watkins is still dealing with an injury, and may not play in Week 5, making Harvin a low-ceiling WR3.
The Dolphins seem to like Rishard Matthews a bit more than anyone anticipated, as he's been a solid flex play through the first few weeks. He's seemingly become the number two behind Jarvis Landry (who is still a target hog), and likely won't be challenged for the role until DeVante Parker starts to see more snaps. Kenny Stills was featured a bit more last week, but with the Miami offense struggling he's still not fantasy-relevant.
AFC WEST: Fantasy Football Wide Receivers (WR) Depth Charts
| Baller Stability Rating | Team Name |
Primary Wide Receiver (WR1) | Second Wide Receiver (WR2) | WR3 & Longshots | Dynasty Value |
| Solid | Broncos | Demaryius Thomas | Emmanuel Sanders | Jordan Norwood | Cody Latimer |
| Solid | Chiefs | Jeremy Maclin | De'Anthony Thomas | Jason Avant | Albert Wilson |
| Solid | Raiders | Amari Cooper | Michael Crabtree | Andre Holmes | Amari Cooper |
| Solid | Chargers | Keenan Allen | Stevie Johnson (INJ) | Dontrelle Inman | Keenan Allen |
While the top receivers on each of these teams is unquestioned, the back end of each corps has a few question marks. Peyton Manning hasn't looked great so far this season, but Demaryius Thomas will be relevant regardless (12 targets in Week 4). With Peyton struggling, Manny Sanders becomes no more than a low-tier WR2.
It's the damnedest thing--Alex Smith has discovered the value of the wide receiver. Jeremy Maclin is now an every-week WR2, but there is still isn't enough reliability to start anyone else in this offense besides him and Travis Kelce.
The Raiders offense is fantasy-relevant for the first time in recent memory, and as long as Derek Carr is playing well Amari Cooper is a WR2 and Michael Crabtree has flex consideration.
Keenan Allen is clearly going to be the main object of Philip Rivers' affection, but with Antonio Gates returning this week I think he becomes no more than a high-end WR2. Dontrelle Inman became a key factor in the Chargers offense in Week 4, and should be the number two in this offense as long as Johnson and Malcolm Floyd deal with injuries.
AFC NORTH: Fantasy Football Wide Receivers (WR) Depth Charts
| Baller Stability Rating | Team Name |
Primary Wide Receiver (WR1) | Second Wide Receiver (WR2) | WR3 & Longshots | Dynasty Value |
| Questionable | Ravens | Steve Smith (INJ) | Kamar Aiken | Michael Campanaro | Breshad Perriman |
| Questionable | Steelers | Antonio Brown | Martavis Bryant | Darrius Heyward-Bey | Martavis Bryant |
| Solid | Bengals | A.J. Green | Marvin Jones | Mohamed Sanu | N/A |
| Questionable | Browns | Travis Benjamin | Andrew Hawkins | Brian Hartline/Taylor Gabriel | N/A |
With Steve Smith likely out for Week 5, Kamar Aiken and Michael Campanaro will need to step up to help Joe Flacco keep the ball moving. I'm not relying on either for fantasy purposes, although maybe Kamar Aiken could be a contrarian DFS play.
Martavis Bryant will see his first snaps of the season this week, and should immediately become the second option on the Steelers behind Antonio Brown. However, with the seemingly ultra-conservative Michael Vick under center I'm not ready to trust anyone but Brown.
Travis Benjamin is the only Cleveland wide receiver you can rely on for any sort of fantasy production on a weekly basis, but even his value is trending downward. Josh McCown seems to be relying more on Duke Johnson and tight end Gary Barnidge, and should continue to do so as long as the offense is clicking.
AFC SOUTH: Fantasy Football Wide Receivers (WR) Depth Charts
| Baller Stability Rating | Team Name |
Primary Wide Receiver (WR1) | Second Wide Receiver (WR2) | WR3 & Longshots | Dynasty Value |
| Solid | Colts | T.Y. Hilton | Donte Moncrief | Phillip Dorsett | Phillip Dorsett, Donte Moncrief |
| Solid | Texans | Deandre Hopkins | Cecil Shorts III (INJ) | Keith Mumphrey | Jaelen Strong |
| Volatile | Titans | Kendall Wright | Dorial Green-Beckham | Harry Douglas | Dorial Green-Beckham, Kendall Wright |
| Questionable | Jaguars | Allen Robinson | Allen Hurns | Marqise Lee | Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Marqise Lee |
The Colts pecking order is pretty solid, with Donte Moncrief appearing to have a firm grip on the number two role. Andre Johnson is no longer a factor and can be dropped in all leagues.
With Cecil Shorts dealing with a dislocated shoulder and Nate Washington still ailing, Keith Mumphrey has all of a sudden found himself behind DeAndre Hopkins behind the depth chart. He's not worth rostering, but it's interesting nonetheless. Hopkins had 22 (!) targets in Week 4, and is one of the top five most matchup-proof receivers in the league. A little garbage time never hurts, am I right?
The Titans depth chart is worth keeping an eye on. Kendall Wright is likely the firm number one, but after that it gets a bit hazy. Harry Douglas and Justin Hunter have been virtually non-existent, but Dorial Green-Beckham had a touchdown in consecutive weeks before the bye. A breakout may be on the horizon for him, and Wright is an every-week low-end WR2.
Allen Robinson is the most talented receiver in Jacksonville, and I still think he's their WR1, but Allen Hurns has been surprisingly great so far this season. He's had at least 60 receiving yards in every game this season, and has scored a touchdown in each of the last two weeks. I'm officially declaring him a flex play in 10- and 12-team leagues.
NFC EAST: Fantasy Football Wide Receivers (WR) Depth Charts
| Baller Stability Rating | Team Name |
Primary Wide Receiver (WR1) | Second Wide Receiver (WR2) | WR3 & Longshots | Dynasty Value |
| Solid | Giants | Odell Beckham | Rueben Randle | Dwayne Harris | Odell Beckham Jr. |
| Questionable | Eagles | Jordan Matthews | Nelson Agholor | Riley Cooper | Josh Huff, Nelson Agholor, Jordan Matthews |
| Solid | Cowboys | Terrance Williams | Cole Beasley | Devin Street | Dez Bryant (INJ) |
| Solid | Redskins | Desean Jackson (INJ) | Pierre Garcon | Jamison Crowder | N/A |
Victor Cruz doesn't look like he'll be fantasy-relevant anytime soon, and in his absence it appears Dwayne Harris has become Eli Manning's number three receiver. I'm not rostering him yet, but he's worth keeping an eye on.
Sam Bradford spread the ball around a ton in Week 4, hitting eight different players with passes (none of whom had more than three receptions). Jordan Matthews is still the number one, but after that I imagine we'll see a carousel of Agholor, Cooper and possibly Miles Austin. I'm not trusting anyone besides Matthews.
With Dez Bryant and Tony Romo both injured for quite some time, I don't see any fantasy value here outside of Terrance Willams, who MIGHT warrant flex consideration. However, with Lance Dunbar out for the season there should be some extra targets to go around, and perhaps another player can rise from the depths of irrelevance.
The Redskins are officially a run-first team, with Matt Jones, Alfred Morris and Chris Thompson all playing roles in the offense. Garcon is still the number one while DeSean Jackson is hurt, but rookie Jamison Crowder seems to be challenging him for the role. The Redskins are very high on Crowder, and I have an eyebrow raised as well--he's worth monitoring over the next week or two, and could already be worth a speculative add-and-stash.
NFC WEST: Fantasy Football Wide Receivers (WR) Depth Charts
| Baller Stability Rating | Team Name |
Primary Wide Receiver (WR1) | Second Wide Receiver (WR2) | WR3 & Longshots | Dynasty Value |
| Questionable | 49ers | Anquan Boldin | Torrey Smith | Quinton Patton | N/A |
| Solid | Seahawks | Doug Baldwin | Tyler Lockett | Jermaine Kearse | Tyler Lockett |
| Solid | Cardinals | Larry Fitzgerald | John Brown | Michael Floyd | John Brown |
| Questionable | Rams | Tavon Austin | Stedman Bailey | Kenny Britt | N/A |
Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith are sort of a 1A/1B in San Francisco, with Boldin gathering more targets and Smith having the higher touchdown potential. I like Boldin's consistency more, and he'll be a WR3 on most weeks. At the moment, the 49ers offense is a hot mess, and I'm not playing any of them.
The Seahawks still don't throw enough for me to trust any wide receiver on a weekly basis. If I'm picking one it's Doug Baldwin. He'll see his targets every week and should finish the year with five or six touchdowns, making him an average flex play. After him it gets sketchy, as neither Jermaine Kearse nor Tyler Lockett see enough action to be started in anything but the deepest of leagues.
Larry Fitzgerald is still the clear number one in Arizona, and John Brown is the clear number two. A Michael Floyd breakout doesn't appear imminent, so I'm only trusting Fitz as a low-end WR1 and Brown as a high-end WR3.
I don't think we can ignore Tavon Austin any longer. After a huge Week 4 in which he caught six passes for 96 yards and two scores, he's emerged as the top option for Nick Foles on a surprisingly good Rams team. With Todd Gurley looking like a legitimate threat to opposing defenses, there should be more room for Austin to utilize his blinding speed in. He's now a flex play in all leagues.
NFC NORTH: Fantasy Football Wide Receivers (WR) Depth Charts
| Baller Stability Rating | Team Name |
Primary Wide Receiver (WR1) | Second Wide Receiver (WR2) | WR3 & Longshots | Dynasty Value |
| Solid | Packers | Randall Cobb | James Jones | Ty Montgomery | Davante Adams, Ty Montgomery |
| Solid | Lions | Calvin Johnson | Golden Tate | Lance Moore | N/A |
| Solid | Bears | Alshon Jeffery (INJ) | Eddie Royal | Marquess Wilson | Kevin White |
| Solid | Vikings | Mike Wallace | Stefon Diggs | Cordarrelle Patterson | N/A |
James Jones has such a remarkable rapport with Aaron Rodgers that it's impossible to ignore him in fantasy--he's a low-end WR2 when the Packers have good matchups. With Davante Adams still out, Ty Montgomery will likely occupy the WR3 role on the team.
The Lions offense is just plain bad right now, and it's becoming increasingly hard to trust any member of it. Megatron is still Megatron, but poor offensive line play hasn't given Matthew Stafford time to breathe much less find Johnson down the field for big plays. He's a WR2 at best, and Golden Tate is a desperation flex.
The Bears under Jay Cutler are significantly better, but with Alshon Jeffery still dealing with injuries I have a hard time trusting any pass-catcher on that team as more than a flex. Eddie Royal is the only player here worth rostering (besides Jeffery of course).
With Charles Johnson injured, Stefon Diggs stepped in and produced in a big way against the Broncos in Week 4, tying for the team lead in targets and hauling in six catches for 85 yards. Even when Johnson returns the Vikings will be hard-pressed to deactivate Diggs, who might be worth a dynasty stash. Mike Wallace is the only startable receiver here, and only as a high-end WR3.
NFC SOUTH: Fantasy Football Wide Receivers (WR)
| Baller Stability Rating | Team Name |
Primary Wide Receiver (WR1) | Second Wide Receiver (WR2) | WR3 & Longshots | Dynasty Value |
| Questionable | Saints | Brandin Cooks | Willie Snead | Marques Colston | Brandin Cooks |
| Questionable | Falcons | Julio Jones | Roddy White | Leonard Hankerson | N/A |
| Volatile | Panthers | Ted Ginn Jr. | Brenton Bersin | Philly Brown | Devin Funchess, Kelvin Benjamin |
| Solid | Buccaneers | Mike Evans | Vincent Jackson | Louis Murphy | Mike Evans |
Brandin Cooks is the de facto number one in the Saints offense, but it's actually been Willie Snead who's emerged as the second option. Snead led the team's wide receivers in targets in Week 4, and seems to have established himself as the go-to slot option for Drew Brees. He may be gaining flex eligibility already.
The Falcons situation is simple--there's Julio Jones, Leonard Hankerson...and that's it. Julio is the WR1 in the league, and Hankerson has developed into a low-end WR2 in the high-flying Falcons offense. Roddy White is no longer relevant.
The Panthers just won't stop winning. With that being said, there's still nobody in this receiving corps I feel comfortable starting. Ted Ginn had a pair of short touchdowns last week, but they were his only catches. This offense runs through Cam Newton, but I'm afraid it's going to be a crap shoot each week as to who finds the end zone.
Mike Evans was drafted as a WR1 in most leagues, and has done nothing but disappoint. Veteran Vincent Jackson has outperformed him at every turn since Evans returned from injury in Week 3, but I believe it's only a matter of time before Evans turns it on. Jameis Winston is still getting acclimated to the NFL, and as he improves Evans should follow suit. I would still dial him up every week in any format.
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