Daily Dr. Roto — August 22, 2018
Dr. Roto’s Exclusive Tiered Visionary Wide Receiver Rankings
Tiered Visionary Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE
We learned in 2017 that running backs could make all the difference in winning or losing Fantasy championships. I think that you MUST have one running back by the end of round 4 or your team will have zero chance of winning your league. In fact, because running backs are going to be flying off the board so quickly in most drafts, you might need two by that time!
Tier 1: The absolute studs
- Antonio Brown — He’s a lock for 100 receptions and 1400+ yards.
- Odell Beckham Jr. — OBJ can win you three Fantasy weeks on his own.
- DeAndre Hopkins — Was there a better tandem in the league last year than Watson and Hopkins?
- Michael Thomas — Thomas is the only sure thing in the New Orleans passing attack.
- Keenan Allen — With no Henry this season, expect Allen to see about 10-12 targets per game.
- Julio Jones — He is an outstanding receiver who does not score nearly enough as he should making him better in PPR formats than standard leagues.
- Davante Adams — With Jordy gone, Adams slides into the WR1 spot and should be good for 90 catches and 10 TDs.
- A.J. Green — Expect a big rebound season from Green in 2018.
- TY Hilton — With Luck healthy once again, Hilton jumps right back into second round consideration.
- Mike Evans — I am a bit worried about Evans considering Jameis is missing the first few weeks of the season. I will still take him in the 3rd, but he’s no longer a 2nd rounder in my book.
- Doug Baldwin — His injury has depressed his value, making him a great buy in drafts.
- Adam Thielen — The epitome of consistency and someone Fantasy owners can count as their WR1.
- Stefon Diggs — If you are wondering about how good he can be, check out last year’s playoff game against the Eagles.
- Tyreek Hill — He should benefit from Mahomes’ cannon of an arm way more than he did with Alex Smith.
- Jarvis Landry — The best route runner in the NFL; the Browns will use him more wisely than the Dolphins did.
- Juju Smith-Schuster — He surprised as a rookie, and now he is a lock as a 4th round pick.
- Julian Edelman — He’s Brady’s target monster — except you will need to wait a few weeks until he returns from suspension.
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Tier 2: Guys who are close to studs but not quite
- Demaryius Thomas — I like Case Keenum more than most people, so I expect Thomas to have a bounce-back season. That said, Courtland Sutton is pressing for playing time, and Thomas will need to hold him off.
- Allen Robinson — I really love ARob, but I am still not fully sold on Trubisky getting him the football regularly. Expect some growing pains in this new offense.
- Golden Tate — Still the main cog in the Lions passing attack.
- Larry Fitzgerald — The Cardinals made a concerted effort to feed Fitzgerald the football last season, so I would not be shocked to see his overall numbers go down about 10-15% this year.
- Marvin Jones — Jones has a knack for making the big play and scoring TDs, making him more valuable in standard league formats.
- Chris Hogan — He will be Brady’s go-to receiver with Edelman out for the first few weeks of the season.
- Amari Cooper — I have always liked Cooper, but I worry that he makes too many drops in critical situations. He is a certain 3rd round pick, but I think I would prefer to take him in round 4.
- Brandin Cooks — I fully expect McVay to design a few deep throws to him in every game. Cooks might not exceed 65 catches, but he could easily have 1000+ receiving yards.
- Marquise Goodwin — The talk out of 49ers camp is that Goodwin has been the best receiver on the field all summer. I like him and think he might be a WR2 by season’s end.
- Alshon Jeffrey — Something tells me that Jeffrey is going to be overvalued this season and I don’t expect to draft him much.
- Josh Gordon — Gordon is the most frustrating player to predict. On the one hand, he could be a top-five receiver with double-digit TDs. On the other hand, he could be banned from the NFL with one more transgression. Feeling lucky?!
- Corey Davis — Watch last year’s first-round pick step up and become Mariota’s most trusted target in 2018. He’s still a work in progress, but the seeds of a Pro Bowl career are beginning to form.
- Sammy Watkins — Sammy Watkins has a new address and a QB who is unafraid of throwing long bombs in the end zone. My biggest worry with drafting Watkins is the fact that he is the 4th option on a very good team. That said, I still think he has another solid campaign.
- Robbie Anderson — It’s easy to overlook Anderson because he plays for such a bad team, but he always finds a way to beat his man to the end zone. I like him in the mid-rounds as a WR3.
- Will Fuller V — Fuller flashed playing with Watson last season, and I really like his chances to have another big year so long as Watson stays healthy.
Tier 3: Perfect Depth Guys
- Robert Woods — Because of the tremendous depth the Rams have at receiver, I think Woods is a better play in best ball formats than seasonal leagues.
- Pierre Garcon — Although he’s been usurped as the WR1 by Goodwin, Garcon should enjoy playing with Jimmy G.
- Kenny Stills — I would gladly take Stills in the 8th round over Parker in the 7th.
- Michael Crabtree — I think he is overrated and I want no part of him this season, especially with Flacco one foot out the door as the starter.
- Marqise Lee — He’s the best of a young group of sold receivers in Jax.
- Devin Funchess — Funchess shocked me last year with how well he played, but I worry that Moore is going to steal his thunder.
- Sterling Shepard — I do worry that there are not enough footballs to go around in New York, but he is a talented player who will benefit from Engram and OBJ’s success.
- Kelvin Benjamin — He’s a good player most likely playing with a rookie QB. Expect an up and down season.
- Jordy Nelson — I think Jordy is going to want to show that he has a lot left in the tank. He might be one of my favorite mid-round WRs.
- Randall Cobb — I change my mind quite often about Cobb. Sometimes I really like him and think he could be a steal in round 6 or 7. Other times, I wonder whether he will ever be as good as he was a few years ago. I will split the difference and be happy with him as my WR3.
- Rishard Matthews — He’s been injured, but I still think he will end up being a valuable contributor.
- Mike Williams — Williams was injured for most of last year and when he returned he never really clicked with Rivers. He’s been a star in camp this summer, and he could be well on his way to a breakout season.
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- Cooper Kupp — My Kupp runneth over with love.
- Jamison Crowder — Needs to develop chemistry with Alex Smith before I can get on board and feel comfortable about drafting him.
- Emmanuel Sanders — Sanders is going to have a big bounce-back year as Kennum’s most trusted target.
- Nelson Agholor — Started to fulfill his vast potential finally. With the NFC East as weak as it is, he could surpass his current draft value.
- Danny Amendola — So long as he can stay healthy, Amendola might turn out to be Tannehill’s most reliable target.
- Mohamed Sanu — I think I would rather take the shot with Ridley.
- Allen Hurns — He runs solid routes and has terrific hands. He should emerge as Dak’s go-to receiver.
- Cole Beasley — If Hurns is not the number one guy, then Beasley most assuredly will be. He’s never going to be a TD guy, but he should see 5-6 targets per game.
- Albert Wilson — There have been reports that they have moved Wilson all around on offense in camp, but I still think he’s more of a gadget player than a reliable target.
- Quincy Enunwa — The Jets seemed lost without Enunwa on offense last season. Don’t be shocked to see him become Darnold’s most trusted target.
Tier 5: A bit risky, but there is huge upside
- DeVante Parker — I truly hate Parker and refuse to draft him any earlier than Round 11.
- D.J. Moore — He was caught speeding by the police (doing 115 MPH in a 65), but he might not be caught by defenders this season — if Cam can get him the football.
- Kenny Golladay — I love his size, strength, and hands. Right now, he is the WR3, but the opportunity for more is close at hand.
- Tyler Lockett — He’s a flyer, but I worry that Wilson won’t take too many chances downfield.
- Paul Richardson — The Redskins have $40 million reasons to throw him the football.
- Chris Godwin — He’s been so consistent in Bucs camp that he’s earned a spot as a starter.
- Dez Bryant — He will sign — eventually. I like him as a WR4, which probably means I won’t draft him as I am sure some other owner will take him earlier.
- Cameron Meredith — He’s been injured which I think will hurt his rapport with Brees. There is upside there, but not if he falls behind Ginn on the depth charts.
- Ted Ginn Jr. — It’s either him or Meredith as the WR2 in New Orleans. Whoever wins the job is a great sleeper pick.
- Tyrell Williams — If Allen or Mike Williams gets hurt, he could benefit in a huge way.
- Geronimo Allison — He will start the season as the Packers WR3, but there is a chance he could improve once he develops more trust with Rodgers.
- Ryan Grant — With Deon Cain out for the season, Grant is assured the role as WR2 for the Colts. He should be good for about 5 for 50 each week.
- Dede Westbrook — There’s lots of potential with Westbrook, but I do worry about the number of mouths to feed in Jacksonville and Bortles’ inconsistency.
Tier 6: A wing and a prayer
- Calvin Ridley — He’s one injury away from being an impact player.
- Christian Kirk — The Arizona coaching staff has been impressed with him thus far. A much better fit in PPR formats.
- Josh Doctson — I wonder if he will ever live up to expectations.
- Taywan Taylor — He’s looking fantastic in training camp, but he’s still a work in progress.
- Taylor Gabriel — Watch him make about 2-3 big plays per game.
- Anthony Miller — I like him in the slot, but I worry that Trubisky has too many targets.
- James Washington — He’s not the biggest or fastest receiver around, but he makes plays. I really think he will get better and better as the season progresses.
- John Brown — He’s been hooking up with Flacco in training camp, and if he can manage his sickle cell, he could make more a great late round pick.
- Courtland Sutton — He has been uncoverable in Broncos’ camp and is a guy I want to own in all dynasty formats.
- John Ross — His mere presence on the field will open running lanes for Joe Mixon and prevent A.J. Green from being double-teamed.
- Michael Gallup — He’s a work in progress, but he could get 50 catches as a rookie.
- DeSean Jackson — More name than game at this point in his career.
- Zay Jones — Needs to show more consistency and could lose his job to Corey Coleman.
- Corey Coleman — Needs to improve his work ethic if he wants to become a decent pro.
- Keelan Cole — Flashed last year for the Jaguars but still too inconsistent to trust.
- Brandon Marshall — Might surprise early in the season, but nothing more than your last pick.
- Dante Pettis — I love the upside here. He could grow into a Marquise Goodwin-type player.
- DJ Chark — He supposedly is the best-looking receiver in Jaguars camp, but he still will have major rookie growing pains.
- Tyler Boyd — With Brandon LaFell gone from the Bengals, Boyd should stick in the slot.
- Antonio Callaway — So much potential, but so much of a knucklehead. Make him a late-round pick at best.
- Mike Wallace — Consistently flying under the radar but could flash at times. Like him in best ball formats.
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