Fantasy: 2016 Wide Receiver Primer

Fantasy Position Primers

Wide Receivers

The stranglehold running backs have on the first round of fantasy drafts is about to come to an end.

Receivers are taking over as the most drafted position in the opening round, with six and sometimes seven wideouts going off the board in the top 12 picks, according to the average draft position data from Fantasy Football Calculator and MyFantasyLeague.

The public has finally realized elite receivers tend to maintain their value year to year, while top running backs are far more prone to disappoint, in large part due to to an abundance of injuries at the position.

With pass catchers arguably becoming fantasy's most important players, let's get caught up on the receiver landscape.

It's important to remember that these primers are not intended to be tiers for drafting. You can view our complete receiver rankings here.

Simply the Best

Antonio Brown, Steelers - A repeat of his historic 2015 campaign might be tough to deliver, but with Martavis Bryant suspended, Brown could top 200 targets. The fourth runner-up in "Dancing with the Stars" should be the first player taken in all drafts this season.

Julio Jones, Falcons - Despite posting the second-most receiving yards in NFL history a year ago, Jones somehow finished behind Brown in fantasy points. With Calvin Johnson retired, Jones assumes the mantle of the league's most physically imposing receiver.

Odell Beckham Jr., Giants - Had it not been for a one-game suspension, which he served during the fantasy championship, Beckham would likely have challenged Brown and Jones for the most fantasy points at the position. The trio deserves to be selected in the top-five of this year's drafts.

One-Man Armies

A.J. Green, Bengals - Green will carry more of the Bengals' offense than ever with Tyler Eifert still recovering from offseason ankle surgery and Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu no longer with the team. The added volume should propel Green into the top-five at WR.

DeAndre Hopkins, Texans - Hopkins will once again be a target monster. Regardless of your opinion of Brock Osweiler, he can't be any worse for Hopkins' value than last year's starters Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett.

Dez Bryant, Cowboys - Bryant hauled in 41 touchdowns from 2012-2014, a stretch that includes a 16-score campaign two years ago. There's no one happier about Tony Romo's return than the Cowboys' lone receiving star.

Tough act to Follow

Allen Robinson, Jaguars - After last year's breakout it will be interesting to see what Robinson does for an encore. There's little reason to doubt his arrival among the top fantasy pass catchers, but if the Jaguars improve as a team, it could reduce the amount of late-game passing attempts and lower Robinson's ceiling.

Doug Baldwin, Seahawks - Baldwin turned into Jerry Rice in the second half of the season, scoring 11 touchdowns during a five-game stretch from Week 12 to Week 16. It's tough to buy into such a small sample, but that didn't stop the Seahawks from signing Baldwin to a big deal in the offseason.

Returning from Injury

Jordy Nelson, Packers - A torn ACL robbed Nelson of the entire 2015 campaign. The injury happened during the preseason, allowing Nelson ample time to recover. He's already declared himself ready for action and is well worth his second-round ADP.

Keenan Allen, Chargers - Through eight games, Allen was on pace for 134 catches, 1,450 yards, and eight touchdowns, before a lacerated kidney sidelined him for the rest of the year. He should pick up where he left off as Philip Rivers' best receiving threat.

Kelvin Benjamin, Panthers - Benjamin was unable to build on his outstanding rookie season due to a torn ACL and now returns to a more well-rounded Panthers offense. It's unlikely he'll get force-fed the ball like he did in 2014, meaning expectations should be kept in check.

Kevin White, Bears - After missing his entire rookie season, White is one of fantasy's biggest question marks heading into 2016. The No. 7 pick from the 2015 draft is finally healthy and should see favorable matchups playing across from Alshon Jeffery. He'll also be experiencing a delayed rookie learning curve.

Week 1 in Doubt?

Sammy Watkins, Bills - Watkins was nearly unstoppable after Week 12, generating a lot of excitement in the fantasy community. Offseason foot surgery has lowered his stock, but the current expectation is that he'll be ready for Week 1. It will be one of the most important situations to monitor during training camp.

Steve Smith, Ravens - The 37-year-old is attempting to return from a torn Achilles and the timetable for his recovery is still up in the air. Smith was very productive last season before the injury. If he falls in drafts, like most players missing the preseason tend to do, he could be a nice value pick.

Annually Underrated

Brandon Marshall, Jets - Last year's No. 3 fantasy receiver is going off the board in the late second or early third round of most drafts. Owners who were scared off prior to Ryan Fitzpatrick re-signing can now safely draft Marshall in the second round.

Alshon Jeffery, Bears - Jeffery averaged 87 receptions, 1,277 yards and 8.5 touchdowns during the two years prior to last season's injury-riddled campaign. Health is the only thing that can hold him back.

Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals - Anyone worried about Fitzgerald's age and a potential decline should look a little closer. After a couple down years with bad quarterback play, the 32-year-old returned to form with a 109-catch, 1,215-yard, nine-touchdown effort last season. So, why is he a sixth-round pick this year?

Limited by their QB

Demaryius Thomas, Broncos - We don't know who the Broncos' starting quarterback is going to be, but we know it's not going to be good. Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian are cringe-worthy options and rookie Paxton Lynch isn't ready for the spotlight yet. Thomas overcame shaky QB play last year, but the degree of difficulty has significantly increased.

Jeremy Maclin, Chiefs - Maclin nearly made it into the underrated category, since he still isn't getting the respect he deserves after back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Despite Alex Smith's limitations, Maclin is still one of the safest options in the fourth round.

Leveling Up?

Mike Evans, Buccaneers - Evans has the elite skills to challenge the Browns, Beckhams, and Joneses at the top of the mountain. Even with a second-round ADP, the soon-to-be 22-year-old has a chance to be a value in drafts if he realizes his potential.

T.Y. Hilton, Colts - Beat writers believe this will be a career year for Hilton, who gets star quarterback Andrew Luck back.

Amari Cooper, Raiders - Few receivers enter the league as polished as Cooper did last year. Now it's time to see just how far he can take his game.

PPR Stars

Julian Edelman, Patriots - Edelman is still working his way back from offseason foot surgery. Foot injuries for receivers are definite cause for concern, and could affect his early-season performance.

Jarvis Landry, Dolphins - Landry finished sixth overall in targets, with 167 in 2015. There's no guaranteeing that number stays consistent, especially with DeVante Parker expected to take on a bigger role in the offense.

Brandin Cooks, Saints - Cooks might be a little overrated, which tends to happen to players in a Drew Brees-led passing attack (cough ... Jimmy Graham ... cough). However, public perception doesn't really matter when you're producing and Cooks is set up to deliver another quality fantasy campaign.

Breakout Potential

Michael Floyd, Cardinals - Say hello to 2016's official breakout receiver. A finger injury caused him to start slow last year, but he made up for it with five 100-yard games from Week 8 on. For fantasy, he's a WR2 with a chance to join the WR1 ranks, which can't be said for most players being drafted outside the top-20 receivers.

Donte Moncrief, Colts - A waiver-wire star in the first few weeks of 2015, Moncrief delivered a handful of quality starts early in the season before the Colts' offense fell off a cliff in the absence of Andrew Luck. With Andre Johnson out of the picture and Luck back under center, there are high hopes for Moncrief's fantasy future.

DeVante Parker, Dolphins - When he was finally given playing time late in the year, the rookie averaged four catches for 95 yards over the final three weeks of the regular season. Parker is a more prototypical No. 1 receiver and the type of player new head coach Adam Gase tends to feature.

Tyler Lockett, Seahawks - Lockett's playmaking ability was immediately evident during his rookie season. If he can carve out a bigger role in the offense, fantasy stardom could follow.

Second Fiddle

Michael Crabtree, Raiders - Crabtree finished as a top-20 WR in both standard and PPR leagues last year. Nothing has really changed about his situation, and yet he's being drafted in the 30s among wideouts. Enjoy that price point while it lasts.

Randall Cobb, Packers - Cobb was miscast as a No. 1 receiver while Jordy Nelson was out of the lineup, leading to an incredibly disappointing season. After overachieving in 2014 and underachieving in 2015, Cobb should settle somewhere in between, along the lines of 85 catches, 1,000 yards, and nine touchdowns.

Eric Decker, Jets - Speaking of touchdowns, Decker found the end zone in 12 different games last season. It's an unbelievably impressive feat that won't be replicated. Decker should still be a low-end WR2 now that Ryan Fitzpatrick is back in the fold.

Emmanuel Sanders, Broncos - If you're scared about Demaryius Thomas having to deal with Mark Sanchez and Co. at quarterback, then you must be absolutely terrified for Sanders. The Broncos' passing game doesn't seem like it will be able to support two quality fantasy receivers.

Allen Hurns, Jaguars - It must be tough when you top 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns and you're not even the best receiver named Allen on your team. We talked about the Jaguars maybe not needing to throw as much in 2016. if that happens, Hurns will likely suffer a regression before Robinson does.

Something's Changed

Josh Gordon, Browns - Gordon's reinstatement came with a four-game suspension to start the season. At his best, Gordon belongs in the elite group of wideouts at the top of the draft, but there's plenty of risk involved with picking him in 2016.

Golden Tate, Lions - When Calvin Johnson was out of the lineup in the past, Tate stepped up, delivering WR1-like numbers. The only difference this time is that he'll have to share more targets with ....

Marvin Jones, Lions - The Lions signed Jones in free agency hoping he can help fill that Megatron-sized hole in their offense. Jones should be a good red-zone weapon and beat writers are predicting that he might end the year closer to Tate's stats than many expect.

Jordan Matthews, Eagles - The arrival of Doug Pederson will completely slow down the pace of the Eagles offense and may alter how Matthews is used. He should still be a lock to lead the team in receiving once again, if he can overcome his preseason knee injury.

Torrey Smith, 49ers - Chip Kelly is going to crank up the pace in San Francisco, which always leads to fantasy stats, normally producing a single star receiver. Smith is the obvious choice to be featured, with slot receiver Bruce Ellington playing a complementary role.

Markus Wheaton, Steelers - Late in the season, Wheaton showed he might be capable of holding down the No. 2 job behind Antonio Brown. If he falters, Sammie Coates and Darrius Heyward-Bey will be waiting.

Three's a Crowd

Willie Snead, Saints - Snead has excellent chemistry with Drew Brees, but will be overshadowed in the red zone by Brandin Cooks, rookie Michael Thomas, and tight end Coby Fleener.

John Brown, Cardinals - Brown is a dynamic talent playing in a rich passing offense. If it weren't for the presence of Michael Floyd and Larry Fitzgerald, he would be much more valuable.

Lovin' the Long Ball

DeSean Jackson, Redskins - D-Jax remains one of the league's most explosive talents, as long as he can stay healthy.

Travis Benjamin, Chargers - Benjamin may have found the perfect home, taking over Malcom Floyd's spot in the Chargers offense.

Vincent Jackson, Buccaneers - A knee injury limited Jackson to 10 games in 2015. Prior to that, he had four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. The 33-year-old could have sneaky WR3 appeal catching passes from Jameis Winston.

Rookie Arrivals

Laquon Treadwell, Vikings - Treadwell has a chance to become the Vikings' top target in Year 1, but the team's commitment to running the ball and playing good defense may limit his upside.

Corey Coleman, Browns - Drafting Coleman means you'll have to watch Browns games, which hardly seems worth it unless he's immediately able to fill Cleveland's need for a reliable target on the outside. In that case, Coleman could be a solid WR3 thanks to garbage time.

Sterling Shepard, Giants - The Giants expect Shepard to be their No. 2 receiver, a role that could be extremely fantasy friendly with Odell Beckham Jr. drawing the attention of opposing defenses.

Michael Thomas, Saints - Thomas is doing all the right things as he tries to earn the favor of his new quarterback Drew Brees. There's plenty of targets to go around in the Saints' offense, just don't expect consistency in his first season.

Josh Doctson, Redskins - Doctson is arguably the best rookie receiver in this draft class. However, injuries have kept him out of practice and could prevent him from usurping veteran Pierre Garcon in the starting lineup.

No. 1 by Default?

Kamar Aiken, Ravens - Aiken was effective when thrust into the lineup last season. With Breshad Perriman's status in doubt, Steve Smith coming back from a torn Achilles, and Mike Wallace admittedly a gear slower, Aiken might lead the Ravens in receiving for the second straight season.

Tavon Austin, Rams - Even with rookie Jared Goff giving the team an upgrade at quarterback, it will still be extremely difficult to pinpoint the games when Austin or teammate Kenny Britt are worthy of a fantasy start.

Dorial Green-Beckham, Titans - DGB has one of the widest ranges of outcomes for the coming season. The Titans need him to realize his potential and give Marcus Mariota a big target downfield. Unfortunately, there's also a chance he could be the next Justin Hunter.

Sleeper Cell

Phillip Dorsett, Colts - The speedy Colts wideout will step into the spot vacated by Andre Johnson and is a T.Y. Hilton or Donte Moncrief injury away from a possible breakout.

Devin Funchess, Panthers - For Funchess to become a fantasy factor it will require a significant step forward in his sophomore season and perhaps another injury to Kelvin Benjamin.

Mohamed Sanu, Falcons - The Falcons brought Sanu in to be a complementary receiver behind Julio Jones. If he can soak up the targets Leonard Hankerson and Jacob Tamme received last season, he'll be worth rostering.

Chris Hogan, Patriots - Hogan will be the fourth or fifth option in New England's passing game, but players like Brandon LaFell have become fantasy relevant in that spot in the past.

Worth Watching

Terrance Williams, Cowboys - Jason Witten is slowing down and someone will need to catch passes behind Dez Bryant.

Stefon Diggs, Vikings - Laquon Treadwell will eventually assume the No. 1 role, but that might not happen right away. Diggs started last year strong before fading as the season went on.

Rishard Matthews, Titans - With no clear pecking order in the Titans' receiving corps, Matthews has an opportunity to rise to the top.