Wide receivers can be a crucial part of any fantasy football draft. However, given injuries and depth and the amount of receivers that can make a fantasy impact, it isn't quite as important as running back. That said, my strategy this year is to look for value. In the early rounds that means not wasting a first round pick on an OBJ or Antonio Brown if it can be helped. There are plenty of running backs to go around in the first round of most leagues, and that's what I recommend going after first. Wait until the second or third round to take a guy like Keenan Allen, Larry Fitzgerald or Adam Thielen, who could easily put up WR1 numbers.
Before I get to my top 10 receivers this year, let's take a look back at how I predicted the top 10 a year ago:
Picked No. 1 for 2017, AJ Green. Actually finished: 11. For some reason I was really gung ho on him being amazing last year, and he was just not that. He was solid, don't get me wrong, but not at all as good as I expected.
Picked No. 2 for 2017, Julio Jones. Actually finished: 6. Not a bad pick here, but Julio did struggle through some injuries. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case even more this year. I think his days in the NFL are numbered.
Picked No. 3 for 2017, Antonio Brown. Actually finished: 1. Not a tough
pick to make, and he is expected to have yet another strong year, despite his age.
Picked No. 4 for 2017, Brandin Cooks. Actually finished: 12. Not horrible, but not particularly good either. He didn't flourish in NE as much as I expected. Perhaps he will with Goff in LA this year?
Picked No. 5 for 2017, Amari Cooper. Actually finished: 36. Thought he would make a leap in year three, but he fell back, so I'm sorry for this terrible pick.
Picked No. 6 for 2017, Odell Beckham, Jr. Actually finished: 93. He had a nasty ankle injury that limited him to four games last season, and he was third in average for WR, so not a bad choice really.
Picked No. 7 for 2017, Mike Evans. Actually finished: 19. I should have trusted my instincts even more and had him completely outta my top 10, but at least I advocated against picking him up early like many places were saying, so I'll take this as half a win.
Picked No. 8 for 2017, Jordy Nelson. Actually finished: 51.Terrible pick here, though Nelson's final year in GB was exacerbated by the loss of Rodgers. I think he also just aged out, and I was a year too late on predicting it.
Picked No. 9 for 2017, Micheal Thomas. Actually finished: 8. Nearly right on here, and as you will see, I think he'll probably more than replicate this finish once again in year three.
Picked No. 10 for 2017, Doug Baldwin. Actually finished: 13.Was not too far off here for Mr. Consistent, who as been around 180+ points each of the past three years. I think he could have a year or two of that production left.
No more fanfare necessary, here are my WR rankings for 2018:
1. DeAndre Hopkins: He will be reunited with Deshaun Watson and it should feel so good. Hopkins is supremely talented regardless of who is at QB, but with a good one like Watson, it should propel him to the top.
2. Antonio Brown: With Roethlisberger back and not retiring, his favorite target in Brown should once again be an elite option for fantasy goers. However, I suggest not taking him ahead of the top 8-10 RBs, and if someone does, that is not good value.
3. Michael Thomas: Brees is back, and Thomas is only going to get better. He finished last year as the 8th best WR and he should once again be the top dog in a very good Saints offense.
4. Adam Thielen: With Kirk Cousins at quarterback, Thielen is set to soar. He has proven his reliability with a top 10 finish despite only scoring four touchdowns. That total should go up as the Vikings offense should only be better.
5. Davante Adams: Adams will be Aaron Rodgers' top target, and his size and ability coupled with that makes him a very dangerous fantasy candidate.
6. Odell Beckham Jr.: Though I get a strange feeling that he could just fall off the NFL radar forever, it is just too damn hard to deny OBJ's talent. He is obviously super capable of putting up crazy numbers when healthy, so I think he is worth the risk in the late second or early third round of drafts.
7. Keenan Allen: The Chargers will need to throw to someone, and Allen has been an incredibly reliable pass catcher for Phil Rivers. He finished third in points last year despite only six touchdowns.
8. Tyreek Hill: Hill is incredibly explosive and can score at the drop of a hat. With new QB Pat Mahomes at the helm, the Chiefs will likely look to throw a lot of short passes to get playmakers the ball in space, and that means good things for Hill.
9. Juju Smith-Schuster: He was the No. 15 WR in 2017 despite only getting 79 targets in the passing game. He should be the No. 2 guy in a very good Pittsburgh offense, which means he could very well be in the top 10 this year.
10. Stefon Diggs: This makes four WR in the top 10 from either Pitt or Minny, and that is no joke. These are the two best tandems of wideouts in the league. Diggs is a great compliment to Thielen, and again with the addition of Cousins, Diggs will only improve from his 21st rank from a year ago.
Others receiving votes: AJ Green, Julio Jones, Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett, Alshon Jeffrey, TY Hilton, Larry Fitzgerald.
The final fantasy blog will cover my thoughts on TE, kickers and defenses next week.
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