I wasn’t expecting my wide receiver fantasy rankings to be over four thousand words, but it happened.
Wide receiver is quite deep this year and there is just a lot of information you need to swallow to make educated decisions on draft day. I’d rather write a few extra sentences than to omit some information you may need to make your decision.
Quarterback fantasy numbers have been through the roof the last few seasons. Wide receiver numbers are trending higher due to pass-friendly offenses. Teams are also lining up in more four and five-receiver formations. Also, the popularity of PPR leagues have made picking wide receivers that much more important.
Which sleeper wide receivers are we expecting big things from this year?
Here are our top 100 wide receivers for the 2018 fantasy football season.
- Antonio Brown – Pittsburgh Steelers – Brown was the consensus #1 fantasy wide receiver last preseason. He finished the season with 101 catches and led the NFL with 1,533 receiving yards. Brown was getting a ton of attention from cornerbacks and safeties and JuJu Smith-Schuster emerged as a solid #2 WR. I believe that helped Brown later in the year since teams had to start paying more attention to Smith-Schuster. Brown will once again be a top fantasy receiver this year.
- DeAndre Hopkins – Houston Texans – Hopkins didn’t have a very good quarterback for half the season and he still caught 13 touchdowns with 1,378 receiving yards. Hopkins could see an improvement on those totals with a healthy Deshaun Watson for an entire year. There is a chance he could be the top fantasy wide receiver this year. I’m high on Hopkins this year.
- Julio Jones – Atlanta Falcons – Jones had 1,444 receiving yards last year, but only caught three touchdown passes. That hurt his end-of-the-year fantasy numbers, but was still a solid PPR receiver with 88 receptions. I think he should find the endzone more this year as Mohamed Sanu and Calvin Ridley will receive some attention and free up Jones with more man-on-man coverage.
- Odell Beckham Jr. – New York Giants – OBJ was injured in Week 5 last year and missed the remainder of the season. The Giants had issues finding healthy receivers the rest of the year and had one of the worst records in the NFL. OBJ arguably has the best hands in the NFL and he will be a very good fantasy receiver. Eli Manning will be looking for him all year, but he will be double-teamed most of the time. The Giants need a solid #2 receiver to take some of the attention away from OBJ. I worry Sterling Shepard isn’t good enough to do that.
- Keenan Allen – Los Angeles Chargers – I was a bit hesitant about placing Allen this high due to two factors, his health and the possible emergence of Mike Williams. Allen missed most of the 2015 an 2016 seasons. He put up crazy number in his first healthy season in a long time. I worry he won’t be able to stay on the field. Secondly, Mike Williams had a forgettable rookie year, but has look very good so far this preseason. Let’s not forget about Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin. The Chargers have four solid receivers and could eat into Allen’s targets. I still listed him this high due to his upside. His hands are great and he has the ability to get open.
- A.J. Green – Cincinnati Bengals – Green has ‘top wide receiver’ ability, but his fantasy stock takes a slight hit due to QB Andy Dalton. He has been regressing and it is probably time to go looking for a new franchise quarterback. Dalton has great chemistry with Green, so at least he has that going for him. The other reason his fantasy takes a slight hit is due to the Bengals not having a legit #2 receiver to take some of the double-teams off him. He has missed that since Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu left via free agency. I still think Green will catch 85+ balls for 1,100+ yards.
- Michael Thomas – New Orleans Saints – Thomas is really the only Saints wide receiver worth drafting. There are some possible Flex plays, but Thomas is really the lone fantasy-relevant wide receiver on the Saints. New Orleans have transferred their focus from a pass-heavy offense to a run/swing pass offense. A lot of their offense comes from their backfield. This brings the safeties in and Thomas can break a big plays a game. Thomas is a great WR1 in fantasy.
- Adam Thielen – Minnesota Vikings – I’ve been a fan of Theilen for a few seasons. He’s an underrated receiver with great hands. He has been used mostly as a possession receiver, so his fantasy value is greater in PPR leagues. I still think he will play a possession role in Minnesota with their ‘home run’ plays going to Stefon Diggs. Thielen is a great route runner and will make Kirk Cousins look like a million bucks.
- Davante Adams – Green Bay Packers – Everyone expects Adams will take over a larger role now since Jordy Nelson is out of town. Adams has been a redzone target and is among the lead leaders in receiving touchdowns over the last two seasons. The Packers still have Randall Cobb and QB Aaron Rodgers feel comfortable with both receivers. I predict Adams will get a bump in receptions and will still be a redzone target for Rodgers, although the addition of tight ends Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis may hurt his redzone target share.
- Mike Evans – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Evans is a big dude and is a match-up nightmare on the outside. He can often out-jump his defender and turn an overthrown pass into a long gain. He will be without Jameis Winston the first couple games of the season, but I don’t see that being a huge issue. Backup QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is known to air it out and I don’t see the Bucs handcuffing the veteran quarterback while he’s starting.
- Tyreek Hill – Kansas City Chiefs – Hill improved in his second season with the Chiefs and turn into the team’s best playmaker. His speed and ability to make defenders miss made him stand out. I expect Hill could see another increase in his fantasy numbers thanks to the change in quarterback. Alex Smith excelled with short passes and may air it out once or twice a game. His new quarterback, second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes, has one of the biggest arms in the NFL. Hill could see some deep passes and we’ve already seen a couple this preseason.
- T.Y. Hilton – Indianapolis Colts – Hilton has been a fantasy stud since his rookie season. His numbers do wildly swing week-to-week. He does have a penchant for disappearing in games. He would have a few 150+ receiving yard games sandwiched in-between games with just one reception. Hilton had QB Jacoby Brissett throwing to him last year and will have QB Andrew Luck back this season. He should see an increase over last season, especially since the Colts are very thin at wide receiver. They need Hilton to produce every game.
- Demaryius Thomas – Denver Broncos – Over the past seven seasons, Thomas has been one of the most consistent wide receivers in the NFL. He has finished the 16th-best fantasy wide receiver, or greater, every year. His numbers could even increase this year with an upgrade in his quarterback. Case Keenum was able to make magic with wide receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, so I expect Thomas to stay as a WR1 or WR2 this year.
- Doug Baldwin – Seattle Seahawks – I haven’t been very high on a Seahawks wide receiver in a few years. QB Russell Wilson likes to spread the ball around and only Baldwin has been able to string together good fantasy seasons since Golden Tate left to Detroit. Baldwin is the Seahawks #1 receiver with Brandon Marshall, Tyler Lockett and Jaron Brown filling out the receiving corps. It’s unknown if Father Time has finally hit Marshall, but if he is still has 80% of his peak ability, he could eat into Baldwins targets, but that’s a big ‘if’ this season. Baldwin will be the possession receiver and solid redzone target for Seattle this season.
- Stefon Diggs – Minnesota Vikings – Diggs can do damage when he has some space. Kirk Cousins will learn to love throwing to him. He can turn a five-yard pass into a long gain. Diggs does have some health concerns since he has yet to play all sixteen games in a season. He has missed a total of eight games over his first three seasons. I still think the upside is there as a WR2 this season.
- Allen Robinson – Chicago Bears – I’ve had Robinson in many spots while finalizing my rankings. The Bears played most of last season without much receiving talent, so I’d like to see more of Mitchell Trubisky with talented receivers. I think Robinson will do well with a learning Trubisky, but he could have a few weeks with limited targets if the young quarterback struggles against talented secondaries. The upside is still there with Robinson since teams will stack the box with running backs Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen being a large part of their offense. Robinson should have some favorable match-ups without too many double teams.
- Amari Cooper – Oakland Raiders – Amari Cooper had his worst season as a pro in 2017. He dealt with injuries and also starting to drop a lot of balls. He only had more than five receptions in just one game last year. He could be a post-hype stud depending how new head coach Jon Gruden uses him. I know Gruden was a big fan of QB Derek Carr, so he could be passing more this season. Cooper was a consistent, solid fantasy receiver up until last season, so the odds are great that he bounces back.
- Larry Fitzgerald – Arizona Cardinals – People slept on Fitzgerald going into last season. I guess we just assumed age was finally catching up to him. He had one of his best fantasy seasons to date and only trailed DeAndre Hopkins in target share. He has a new quarterback throwing to him this season and if it is rookie Josh Rosen, the dude loves to air it out. Fitzgerald is about as consistent as you can get and should be a top-20 fantasy receiver and could even crack the top-10 again.
- JuJu Smith-Schuster – Pittsburgh Steelers – As I said earlier, Smith-Schuster emerged as the #2 receiver in Pittsburgh and benefited from all the attention Antonio Brown would draw. Smith-Schuster’s production didn’t fall off once teams ‘found out’ about him. He continued to produce and also helped keep the double-teams off Brown at times. He will be a solid WR2 this year.
- Golden Tate – Detroit Lions – QB Matthew Stafford likes to spread the ball around to his receivers, but Tate had at least seven receptions in eight games last year. He’s the possession receiver, but does get some deep balls as well. He’s a good WR2 as he will get you some points every week.
- Jarvis Landry – Cleveland Browns – If Landry stayed in Miami, he would have been higher on this list. I’m not sure about the quarterback situation in Cleveland. QB Tyrod Taylor isn’t known for throwing it 40 times a game. Rookie QB Baker Mayfield has looked great so far and think Jarvis Landry and Josh Gordon’s fantasy stock would improve with Mayfield starting. I doubt Landry will see as many targets as he did in Miami with Josh Gordon lining up on the other side. Landry is talented and should still make the most his targets.
- Brandin Cooks – Los Angeles Rams – Cooks is another guy that stumps me a little. The Rams traded for him, so they clearly wanted to upgrade that position, but Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp both had breakout seasons a year ago. QB Jared Goff appeared to feel very comfortable with them. Cooks is talented and will have more success than Sammy Watkins had there. I’m not sure how the target share will play out. I do believe there could be weeks when Woods or Kupp will have more targets than Cooks.
- Josh Gordon – Cleveland Browns – Gordon was one of the most dynamic receivers in the NFL…but it’s been a long time since he was that kind of receiver (or any type of receiver). I pointed out the quarterback situation in Cleveland and how it may affect Landry and Gordon. There is more risk attached to Gordon due to his past substance abuse issues. He just recently appeared at training camp. He’s a talented guy and there will be a few weeks when he will be a top-five fantasy wide receiver, but I don’t know how productive he will be the weeks when Landry gets more targets.
- Chris Hogan – New England Patriots – Hogan is expected to reap the benefits of Julian Edelman’s suspension and the Brandin Cooks trade. Hogan has great hands, but hasn’t had the chance to really put them to work. His career high for receptions in a season is just 41, which was back in 2014 as a member of the Buffalo Bills. The Patriots have a ton of solid wide receivers, but not many with Hogan’s specific skill-set. I might be a little higher than most on Hogan, but I think he will be a top-25 fantasy wide receiver this season.
- Will Fuller V – Houston Texans – Before Deshaun Watson went down with a season-ending injury, Fuller appeared to be his second-favorite target (very close behind DeAndre Hopkins). Fuller is a big guy and is a natural deep threat. Watson will be looking for him deep all season. Fuller is a sneaky sleeper this year.
- Robert Woods – Los Angeles Rams – Woods is another wide receiver that had a breakout year in 2017. QB Jared Goff was looking for Woods often by mid-season. He was getting some work in the middle of the field and his YAC was trending upward. The Rams traded for Brandin Cooks this offseason, but there’s still a big role for Woods in the offense.
- Robby Anderson – New York Jets – Anderson was a sneaky fantasy stud last season. The Jets didn’t do much to upgrade the position this offseason (Terrelle Pryor is not an upgrade). He has good hands and get can separation. At one point last season, he had a touchdown in five-straight games. I expect him to have a similar numbers this year (if he avoids a suspension).
- Marvin Jones Jr. – Detroit Lions – Jones is one of the best #2 receivers in the NFL. He will get just about as much work as Tate, but Tate is much more valuable in PPR leagues. Lions QB Matthews Stafford will look to Jones and Kenny Golladay for more ‘home run’ plays, so their total fantasy totals will swing up and down all season. Jones is a solid WR3/Flex this season.
- Alshon Jeffery – Philadelphia Eagles – Jeffery is the first Eagles receiver to appears on the list. He would have been a handful of spot higher if not for this slow-to-improve shoulder that he had surgery on in February. He’s still on the PUP list, but many think he will be ready for Week 1. Even if he misses the first two weeks of the season, he is still a 50+ catches, 800+ yards, redzone target receiver.
- Emmanuel Sanders – Denver Broncos – The Broncos upgraded their quarterback position this offseason by signing Case Keenum. Sanders disappeared in many games last season due to their lack of a quality quarterback. He only had four games last season in which he caught more than six passes. I expect his overall numbers to improve with Keenum under center.
- Corey Davis – Tennessee Titans – Davis started his rookie year injured and it took him awhile to catch-up to the speed of the NFL when he did return. He’s a big target and with wide receiver Rishard Matthews dealing with his own injuries, Davis is a favorite to have a breakout season.
- Michael Crabtree – Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens needed to upgrade their receivers this offseason and snagged Michael Crabtree, Willie Snead and John Brown. Crabtree is the most talented receiver in the group and has been a redzone target for his entire career. Flacco will be looking for Crabtree towards the endzone this year.
- Pierre Garcon – San Francisco 49ers – Garcon suffered an injury, so he wasn’t on the field with the Niners traded for QB Jimmy Garoppolo late last year. He is a big upgrade over the quarterbacks that were throwing to him at the start of last year. Garcon is a speedy receiver with improved hands. His fantasy stock will bounce back to what it was when he was in Indy and Washington.
- Devin Funchess – Carolina Pathers – After the Panthers traded Kelvin Benjamin last season, Funchess took over the #1 receiver role. He ended the season with a career-best 63 catches and 840 yards. The Panthers drafted WR D.J. Moore and signed WR Torrey Smith in free agency, but I still think Funchess will get near last season’s totals. I don’t think he will exceed 2017 numbers, but the addition of Moore and Smith shouldn’t hurt his fantasy stock too much.
- Randall Cobb – Green Bay Packers – Just a couple years ago, Cobb was one of the best fantasy wide receivers. He just hasn’t posted a great fantasy season since 2014. His stock has taken a hit each year. This is a year of transition in Green Bay as Jordy Nelson left via free agency and Geronimo Allison and Equanimeous St. Brown are expected to battle for the #3 wide receiver role. Davante Adams appears to be a lock for the #1 job and Cobb should be slated as the #2 this year.
- Cooper Kupp – Los Angeles Rams – Kupp may have only had five touchdown catches last year, but he was one of the most targeted wide receivers in the endzone. Rams QB Jared Goff is clearly looking for Kupp’s sure hands to put points on the board. Kupp is the slot receiver for the Rams with Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods line up on the outside. Kupp is a solid Flex play as he will catch 70-ish balls and should continue to get some redzone looks.
- Marquise Goodwin – San Francisco 49ers – Goodwin appeared to be fast friends with QB Jimmy Garoppolo. He was his favorite target after arriving in town. Goodwin has continued his good relationship with Garoppolo this preseason as he is doing well this preseason. The more I see of him, the more I feel like placing him at #37 is a bit low.
- Kelvin Benjamin – Buffalo Bills – The Bills have some questions at quarterback this preseason. A.J. McCarron fractured his collarbone and that just leaves Nathan Peterman and rookie Josh Allen. I’m a pessimistic about his upside, but he should still be a flex option this season.
- DeVante Parker – Miami Dolphins – The Dolphins have QB Ryan Tannehill back, but they let his favorite target walk to the Browns. Parker has the most upside of the receiving corps, but has been dealing with a finger injury this preseason. Kenny Stills is a close #2 receiver and could eclipse Parker if the finger injury lingers into the season.
- Julian Edelman – New England Patriots – Edelman will miss the first four games of the season after failing a PED test this offseason. This is after missing all of last season with a torn ACL. The Patriots will be just fine without Edelman and it’s unknown if he will jump right back into his go-to possession receiver when he returns. Chris Hogan could take over that role if he gets off to a hot start. There is also the chance that Edelman turns into a fantasy WR1 the first game he’s eligible. I won’t be targeting him in any leagues, but if he falls far enough, I’ll snag him late.
- Sammy Watkins – Kansas City Chiefs – We’ve all been waiting for Watkins to turn into a Steve Smith-like fantasy stud. Injuries stunted his progress early in his career with the Bills and he only shown flashes of athletic ability with the Rams. Many have Watkins ranked much higher than me. Tyreek Hill is a better version of Watkins, so I don’t see the Chiefs really skipping him on the depth chart. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes does have a huge arm, so there could be a need for another deep threat.
- Jordy Nelson – Oakland Raiders – Nelson gives the Raiders a sure-handed, reliable receiver for QB Derek Carr. He should help free up WR Amari Cooper, as the Raiders have more weapons than a year ago. I don’t expect Nelson to be very fantasy-relevant, but he could be a flex play against weak secondaries.
- Sterling Shepard – New York Giants – Shepard turned a corner last year, but it took nearly the entire Giants wide receiver corps to go down with injuries. He ended up with his own injury issue, but still had three games of over 25 fantasy points. Odell Beckham Jr. will get double-teamed and Shepard will get some open looks.
- Marquise Lee – Jacksonville Jaguars – The Jaguars have a group of young receivers that are all battling for a piece of the target share. Lee appears to be the favorite to get the most targets based on last year’s performance. Keelan Cole, Dede Westbrook, Donte Montcrief and DJ Chark are all battling for the remainder of them. Lee missed four games due to injury last year or he may have eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving, a total he could get close to again this season.
- Kenny Stills – Miami Dolphins – Stills is the biggest deep threat on the Dolphins, so his overall fantasy point total will bounce up and down every week. Last year he had a 31-point week against the Bucs and also 2.3 and 1.8 point total weeks. Sometimes the deep ball isn’t there and that will hurt Stills week-to-week fantasy stock.
- DeSean Jackson – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jackson has largely been overrated in fantasy. His fantasy stock was lower than usual going into last season and he actually beat expectations for the first time in his career. He had double-digit fantasy points in seven games in 2017, an increase over the 2016 season. Jackson should be the #2 receiver in Tampa Bay, behind Mike Evans.
- Mohamed Sanu – Atlanta Falcons – People have been all over the place when ranking Sanu. I guess it all depends how big of a role you expect rookie Calvin Ridley will have this season. Sanu had ten games with double-digit fantasy points last year and didn’t do anything to turn off the coaches from playing him more. The one issue with Sanu is that he is rarely targeted in the redzone. He’s a much better PPR receiver than in standard leagues.
- Jamison Crowder – Washington Redskins – In my opinion, the Redskins don’t really have a go-to receiver. Crowder may be the #1 receiver on the depth chart, but I don’t have much confidence in him. Josh Doctson probably has the most upside, but I don’t think he will get as many targets as Crowder. He’s dealing with a groin injury, but has been practicing with the first team.
- Nelson Agholor – Philadelphia Eagles – Agholor is #2 on the depth chart and is also the second-best receiver on the team that is also dealing with an injury. The Eagles haven’t come out with the exact injury, but it is a lower body ailment. Agholor is at best a week-to-week flex play or bye week fill-in this season.
- Josh Doctson – Washington Redskins – As I said earlier, Doctson might have the biggest upside of any Redskins receiver, but I don’t see him getting enough targets to be fantasy-relevant. He is a deep threat, but I worry about his hands. Also, new quarterback Alex Smith isn’t exactly known for throwing deep, which cuts into Doctson’s fantasy stock.
51. Allen Hurns – Dallas Cowboys
52. Cameron Meredith – New Orleans Saints
53. Calvin Ridley – Atlanta Falcons
54. DJ Moore – Carolina Panthers
55. Kenny Golladay – Detroit Lions
56. Dez Bryant – Free Agent
57. Mike Williams – Los Angeles Chargers
58. Tyler Lockett – Seattle Seahawks
59. Paul Richardson – Washington Redskins
60. Michael Gallup – Dallas Cowboys
61. Eric Decker – New England Patriots
62. John Ross – Cincinnati Bengals
63. Ted Ginn Jr. – New Orleans Saints
64. Danny Amendola – Miami Dolphins
65. Rishard Matthews – Tennessee Titans
66. James Washington Pittsburgh Steelers
67. Chris Godwin – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
68. Christian Kirk – Arizona Cardinals
69. Jermaine Kearse – New York Jets
70. Brandon Marshall – Seattle Seahawks
71. Ryan Grant – Indianapolis Colts
72. Quincy Enunwa – New York Jets
73. Geronimo Allison – Green Bay Packers
74. Cole Beasley – Dallas Cowboys
75. Dede Westbook – Jacksonville Jaguars
76. John Brown – Baltimore Ravens
77. Courtland Sutton – Denver Broncos
78. Tyrell Williams – Los Angeles Chargers
79. Keelan Cole – Jacksonville Jaguars
80. Anthony Miller – Chicago Bears
81. Albert Wilson – Miami Dolphins
82. Martavis Bryant – Oakland Raiders
83. Keelan Cole – Jacksonville Jaguars
84. Zay Jones – Buffalo Bills
85. Willie Snead – Baltimore Ravens
86. Curtis Samuel – Carolina Panthers
87. Taylor Gabriel – Chicago Bears
88. Corey Coleman – Buffalo Bills
89. Mike Wallace – Philadelphia Eagles
90. Kenny Britt – New England Patriots
91. Chester Rogers – Indianapolis Colts
92. Tyler Boyd – Cincinnati Bengals
93. Taywan Taylor – Tennessee Titans
94. Terrelle Pryor – New York Jets
95. Antonio Callaway – Cleveland Browns
96. Terrance Williams – Dallas Cowboys
97. Travis Benjamin – Los Angeles Chargers
98. Dante Pettis – San Francisco 49ers
99. D.J. Chark – Jacksonville Jaguars
100. Trey Quinn – Washington Redskins
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About the Author…
Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.