As the preseason gets underway and everyone gets hyped for the start of the 2017 NFL season, we’re ranking each and every position for you as you get ready for your drafts. We’re releasing the top-60 wide receivers 20 at a time. We’ve already done the top-20, and our top-40. Now we’ll take a look at our top-60.
Here are our top 60 wide receivers for 2017:
41. Jordan Matthews (Buffalo Bills) – Now that Jordan Matthews is on the Buffalo Bills, it’s somewhat unclear what role he’ll play in the offense. He could become their number one receiver, but I think that’s going to go to Zay Jones. I think the Bills will put Matthews on as a slot receiver (which he’s good at) and use Anquan Boldin as a possession receiver with Jones as the number one guy. The Bills have a solid passing offense and I think Matthews could possibly have some value, depending on what his role is in the offense.
42. Eric Decker (Tennessee Titans) – Decker has dealt with some bad quarterbacks in the past and made it work. Now he’s got a good quarterback and is a red zone machine, meaning he’ll likely do fairly well in the Titans offense. There’s going to be a competition for targets between him, Matthews, and Davis, but Decker’s excellent touchdown ability should give him some good value.
Tier 8: Desire
43. Tyrell Williams (San Diego Chargers) – If Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are healthy, it’s gonna be tough for Tyrell Williams to get targets and have any meaningful value. But, Mike Williams isn’t healthy, and he might be out for the season, and if that’s the case, Tyrell could be useful, he’s certainly done it before. If you draft Keenan Allen, it might not be a bad idea to draft Tyrell Williams as well, because if Mike Williams is out for the year and Allen gets hurt (and he’s certainly had injury problems in the past), Tyrell Williams all of a sudden has a lot of value.
44. Corey Davis (Tennessee Titans) – While the addition of Eric Decker hurts Davis’ chances at touchdowns a bit, he still will likely be the top target in Tennessee with a good quarterback in Marcus Mariota. He’s an exceptional talent and a good all-around receiver with a lot of upside, however he is still a rookie this year, which means you should approach with caution.
45. John Brown (Arizona Cardinals) – He’s had injury problems, that’s no secret, but Brown is an excellent athlete and reports are that he’s looking pretty solid in camp. He was the No. 21 receiver in fantasy just two years ago, and that was with significantly more competition than he’s got now. Larry Fitzgerald is still the number one passing option, but late in the draft, you could do worse than a flier on Brown bouncing back.
46. Adam Thielen (Minnesota Vikings) – It wouldn’t be shocking to see Thielen overtake Stefon Diggs as the number one passing option in the Vikings offense, especially since he saw just 20 fewer targets than Diggs last year but finished with more yards. Sam Bradford isn’t a great quarterback, but he’s had a full year in the Vikings offense, he should be better prepared this year than he was once he was thrown into the team last year, and with that will come an increase in production for Thielen I believe.
47. Kenny Britt (Cleveland Browns) – Britt goes from a bad Rams team to a bad Browns team, but he showed he could still be successful on a bad offense with the Rams. The quarterback options in Cleveland aren’t great. Cody Kessler and DeShone Kizer don’t exactly inspire much confidence, and Britt has to compete with up-and-coming star receiver Corey Coleman for targets. That being said though, he could still get a fair share of targets and be a useful receiver.
48. Cameron Meredith (Chicago Bears) – If there’s one thing you can say about Cameron Meredith, it’s this: he’s a number one option in an NFL passing offense. Unfortunately, that passing offense is the Chicago Bears, but he should be their top option and should be in for a decent amount of targets. Unfortunately he’ll be competing with Victor Cruz, Kendall Wright, and Marcus Wheaton, but there’s plenty of upside with Meredith.
49. Devante Parker (Miami Dolphins) – If you told me this year was Parker’s breakout year, I’d believe you. He was a popular sleeper last year and didn’t do all that much, and sure that could happen again this year, but he’s due to breakout any season now. Unfortunately, he’s not in a great offense, and considering Ryan Tannehill’s done for the year and Jay Cutler’s throwing the ball now, it makes Parker’s prospects a bit more risky. That being said, it’s never a terrible idea to bet on talent.
50. Mike Wallace (Baltimore Ravens) – With the arrival of Jeremy Maclin, Wallace should slot right back into the role he had last season while Steve Smith was in town. He’s guaranteed the second-most targets on the team and the Ravens were a pass-happy offense last year, so he should provide value. That being said, the uncertainty at the quarterback situation could be a problem, as Joe Flacco is hurt, and we’re not all that sure how long he’s out for.
51. Randall Cobb (Green Bay Packers) – Davante Adams had a breakout season last year which is bad news for Cobb. Sure, Cobb’s been exceptionally productive in the past, but he’s competing with Adams and Jordy Nelson for targets. That being said, he is playing in the Green Bay offense, and that means there will be plenty of targets to go around. If you want to bet on Cobb bouncing back this year late in your draft, you wouldn’t be making a bad gamble.
Tier 9: Time Out Of Mind
52. Josh Doctson (Washington Redskins) – The Redskins certainly have a good passing offense and now that Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson are gone, there’s a lot of targets to be shared between Doctson and Terrelle Pryor. Doctson has the talent, Jay Gruden even compared him to A.J. Green, and while I think that’s a pretty lofty comparison, Doctson has the opportunity now and could be a nice surprise.
53. Marvin Jones (Detroit Lions) – Jones started off going nuts last season and then slowed down in a major way. So what should we expect from him this season? I think he could be solid. Now that Anquan Boldin is gone, Jones’ touchdown numbers should get a boost, but don’t expect the world. Given the right matchup, Jones could be a really solid flex play.
54. John Ross (Cincinnati Bengals) – Yes, Ross is ridiculously fast, but he’s more than a “go-long” receiver. Unfortunately though, the Bengals have a not-great offensive line and a volatile quarterback in Andy Dalton, not to mention plenty of options in the passing game that will make targets tough to get. That being said, Ross could beat one-on-one coverage pretty easily and could be in for big plays here and there. The skill and athleticism are not in question, and this late in the draft, it’s not a terrible idea to take a flier on that.
55. Kenny Stills (Miami Dolphins) – A lot of people are expecting Devante Parker to have a breakout year this year, and on top of Parker, there’s Jarvis Landry in this passing game, so there’s going to be some major competition for Stills. On top of all of that, he’ll be catching balls from Jay Cutler. Stills could be decent though, as you never know what to expect.
Tier 10: The Times They Are A-Changin’
56. Tyler Lockett (Seattle Seahawks) – A lot of people thought that 2016 would be Lockett’s breakout year, but it ended up being worse than his rookie year with just 41 catches for 597 yards and one single touchdown (though he did have one rushing touchdown). The breakout is definitely possible for Lockett, and the only thing holding him back is his health and the Seahawks bad offensive line.
57. Ted Ginn (New Orleans Saints) – Ted Ginn always seems to find a way to stumble into fantasy relevance despite being a bad wide receiver. I have seen (and been hurt in fantasy by) Ted Ginn drop many wide open passes, but he’s likely the number two receiver on the Saints, and if anyone can just put the ball directly into Ginn’s hands, it’s Drew Brees. We saw Michael Thomas be very productive as the number two receiver for the Saints, and other receivers before him, so if the work will be there, it’s just a matter of whether Ginn can, you know, catch the ball.
58. Robby Anderson (New York Jets) – With Quincy Enunwa out for the season, Anderson will likely step up to be the number one receiver in the Jets offense. The Jets aren’t going to have a good offense, which limits his upside some, but there’s something to be said for being a number one receiver in an NFL offense. He’ll have targets and opportunity, and that could translate to fantasy points.
59. Sterling Shepard (New York Giants) – Shepard is very talented, but unfortunately he’s got a bunch of competition in New York. Between Odell Beckham Jr. and new-addition Brandon Marshall Shepard seems like he might be the odd man out. That being said, he’s a very talented receiver and the upside is there.
60. Breshad Perriman (Baltimore Ravens) – Perriman’s main skill is speed and that’s about it. He’ll likely be a slot option for the Ravens as Jeremy Maclin and Mike Wallace line up on the outside, which plays to his skill. Perriman has big-play ability, and at this point in the draft, that’s something worth taking a flier on.
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