It’s never too early to project where the top
fantasy performers should reside for the upcoming fantasy football draft. ADF
is providing our insight to where current players should be ranked as of today.
This listing will of course be modified as the offseason continues to move
forward. Projections are based upon 2017 PPR formats.
TOP
50 Fantasy Wide Receivers:
Antonio Brown | PIT | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 22.02 |Rank 1
Right back on top where he belongs is the great Antonio Brown. Going
into his 9th season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brown continues to
play at levels that not many can match. Missing two games to injury put a dent
in his drive to reach new career highs last season, but still posted over 100 receptions
for over 1500 yards in 2017. With virtually the same cast of characters
returning for another season, there’s nothing to suggest that Brown won’t be
able to return to form and keep dominating the league. The largest change for
the Steelers is the departure of long time offensive coordinator Todd Haley to
the Browns, while appointing internal quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner to take
over the same position. It’s possible the play book could remain very similar
but new systems will definitely be instituted. The start could be slow but this
offense is far too powerful to lag for too long. Expect another fantastic year
from Antonio Brown.
DeAndre Hopkins| HOU | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 20.79 |Rank 2
Perhaps the most impressive things about witnessing DeAndre Hopkins
play football, is the amount of individual talent the man possesses. Never
having a true talented franchise quarterback to play with over his five
completed seasons in the NFL, D-Hop still manages to just make plays. Enter
super rookie Deshawn Watson to the mix and the Houston Texans found a formula
between the two that was becoming incredibly difficult to stop. Even after the
season ending injury to Watson, Hopkins still managed to put up top tier
numbers catapulting him to the elite level conversation yet again. Together
with Antonio Brown, Hopkins was the only other receiver in the NFL to crack the
20+ point per game average (PPR) last season. With the belief that Watson’s
rehab is going to plan and the hopes that he can remain on the field for the
entire season, Hopkins without question should find his way to career numbers
in 2018.
Odell Beckham Jr | NYG | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 18.50 |Rank 3
While ADF has never been an OBJ fan, it’s impossible to overlook his
skillset and on field production. Losing his entire season to a broken leg,
Beckham was only able to put together four games with good production.
Generating nearly 19 points per game in those four contests would’ve given OBJ
a projected stat-line of 100 receptions for 1208 yards, and 12 touchdowns, had
he managed to stay on the field. While Beckham is making waves this offseason
for his off-field antics and youtube fame, he’s also gone on record to say he
won’t participate in any offseason activates (including preseason), to the
point he could hold out the entire year unless he receives a new contract. If a
holdout comes to forwishen, red flags of this third overall rank will
definitely come into question. Any player coming off and injury much like the
one sustained by OBJ, requires live game action to shake the rust off and
regain confidence in taking hits. His situation is undoubtedly one to watch as
the offseason continues to move forward.
Julio Jones | ATL | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 15.74 |Rank 4
Many in the fantasy world are down or completely out on the notion
that Julio Jones is still an elite level receiver. Let ADF remove that thought
process from your minds all together. Julio hasn’t seen a season since 2013
where he’s seen less than 1400 receiving yards and 83 receptions (topping out
at 136 receptions and 1871 yards) playing in Atlanta. What sticks out the most
in the terms of the fantasy perspective from 2017 for Jones is the lack of
touchdown productivity he was able to generate deflating his numbers. While
injures have always been at the forefront for Jones his entire career, 2017
proved he was able to stay the course playing all 16 games for the third time
in his seven year career. The largest issues coming out of last season was the
departure of offensive genius Kyle Shanahan and the lack of great
implementation to the scheme from current offensive coordinator Steve
Sarkisian. The flaws were apparent in the execution in the redzone for Julio
Jones as play calling was vanilla to say the least. While Jones still saw a
healthy 19 redzone targets inside the 20 yard line, his catch rate was an
abysmal 26.32% on 25.3% targets from Matt Ryan. In year two under the Sarkisian
tenure, ADF fully expects Ryan and Julio to get back on track in all aspects of
their game. Julio will again be a top flight producer in 2018.
Michael Thomas | NWO | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 16.16 |Rank 5
ADF made claims that Michael Thomas was virtually bust proof in PPR
leagues entering the 2017 season; he surly didn’t disappoint the masses.
Securing a whopping 196 receptions in his first two seasons in the NFL proves
the skillset of a truly reliable pass catcher is clearly in his DNA. The only
aspect which soured his final totals was the lack of endzone opportunities and
completions. Hauling in a mere 5 touchdowns pushed his PPG average down making
his outlook view lesser than what it actually is. The Saints need to provide
assistance in terms of a secondary option either at the tight end spot or
adding a viable receiver to remove double teams on a regular basis. Recent news
broke that New Orleans has signed Chicago Bears receiver Cameron Meredith to an
offer sheet (the Bears would have five days to match), and if this transaction
becomes reality, this move would provide a fantastic step in the right
direction for added talent at the position. With how the Saints offense is
currently built, Thomas will continue to be the main stay producing great
numbers in the process.
Keenan Allen | LAC | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 17.39 |Rank 6
Keenan Allen came back with a vengeance last season showing the NFL
he was well over his knee injury which cost him the entire season prior. While
injuries have been a major concern for Allen throughout his career, it’s
difficult to argue his production when he’s on the field. Seeing career highs
in almost every receiving category last season, Allen went on a tear crushing
the opposition from week 11 forward. The Chargers began the season slow but
found their grove as the season wore on which is the most encouraging sign in
terms of fantasy football. Over his last seven games in 2017, Allen was able to
amass 58 receptions for 797 yards and 5 touchdowns providing a clear indication
the offense was finally buying into the system using Allen as their true number
one receiver. As the Chargers continue to grow and build, there’s little
question Allen will again be the PPR darling much like a season ago. While ADF
loves the talent of Allen and has ranked him in the top six as of today, his
injury history might preclude us from selecting him in this position. Based on
his history, he might find himself on the down tick in the near future.
Mike Evans | TB | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 13.41 |Rank 7
While Mike Evans saw a down year, the entire Tampa Bay offense
struggled mightily to find their grove with regularity. While Mike was expected
to take the next step in his progression planting him as one of the leagues
elitist at the position, he generated a fourth consecutive 1000 yard season but
also watched his touchdown rate falter to almost career low levels. As the
offseason continues, the glaring need for this Bucs offense is to solidify the
run attack to help assist Jameis Winston in play action which wasn’t
consistently available last season. With a multitude of weapons on the offense
in terms of receiving talent, it was very clear Tampa Bay greatly underachieved
and should get back on track in the new year. All signs indicate that the Bucs will
draft a running back in a draft class stacked with talent at the position. If
Tampa Bay can adequately add a dynamic runner to this offense to take pressure
off the passing game, Evans should reap the benefits and reassert himself as a
top dog once again.
AJ Green | CIN | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 14.43 |Rank 8
Playing on a miserable offense last season, AJ Green continued to
prove his level of play as he enters his eighth season in the NFL. The warning
signs aren’t as glaring as some may think for Green as he remains the number
one target for this Bengals offense. As the Bengals continue to retool their
offensive line and hope that their running back Joe Mixon can take the next
step in his progression, all would benefit AJ Green if the team production
would improve by a mere 25%. Green has been one of the most consistent, stable
wide receivers in the NFL since he entered the league back in 2011, and as the
new season comes to pass, AJ will again find his stride with two or three prime
years left in the tank. ADF has no concerns endorsing AJ Green at this current
position.
Davonte Adams | GB | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 15.89 |Rank 9
While Adams continues to produce on the field in terms of touchdowns
(22 in the last two seasons), his reception and yardage counts leave much to be
desired. With Jordy Nelson given his outright release from the Packers, Adams
is now supplanted as the new number one option in Green Bay. With the added
targets certain to come in his direction, ADF has little worry he will be able
to produce his first 1000 yard season as he enters his fifth year. If there is
a red flag to place on the touchdown machine, it would clearly be the concern
to the amount of headshots he’s received over his career. Davante is literally
a couple more solid blows from being held out for extended periods of time with
concussion symptoms never leaving his body. Also, the addition of super star
tight end Jimmy Graham to the mix should ultimately decrease the amount of
touchdowns Adams will receive in 2018. With that said, so long as Aaron Rodgers
remains on the field, the offense could easily feed the many mouths looking to
feast. Adams should be a solid receiver for the new fantasy season.
Adam Thielen| MIN | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 15.23 |Rank 10
Finally breaking out to become the receiver the Vikings had hoped
for, Adam Thielen became a must start on a weekly basis in all PPR formats.
Hauling in a whopping 91 receptions for 1276 yards, it became clear the Thielen
gained the trust from his quarterback and the coaching staff. The most exciting
revelation for the Vikings receiving core is the addition of former Redskins
quarterback Kirk Cousins to take over as their franchise quarterback. Cousins
will bring a much needed gunslinger mentality to an offense already packed with
talented players in hopes to take them over the top into the next level of
production. With Dalvin Cook returning to the fold also, Minnesota on paper has
a squad built to score points at will. It’s not difficult to envision Adam
seeing an uptick in most statistical categories with Kirk Cousins throwing him
the ball; he possesses great value in the tenth spot.
Jarvis Landry | CLE | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 16.50 |Rank 11
ADF has always been a gigantic fan of the skillset of the league’s
best slot receiver in Jarvis Landry. Unfortunately for the former LSU product,
he doesn’t receive the accolades he rightly deserves for the amount of
production he puts on the field. Having secured 400 receptions in four seasons
in the NFL while playing with subpar quarterbacks and never missing a game, its
time everyone pays respect to what Landry can do. As our endorsement is
extremely favorable, as of today, ADF can’t justify placing Landry in the top
ten simply because of who will be throwing him the ball (Tyrod Taylor), and the
amount of playmakers he’ll have to share his role with. In Miami, Landry was the
main target to which he benefited greatly, in Cleveland he will most definitely
see lower numbers than what he’s used to. Also, his touchdown production from a
season ago inflated his counts to levels of the top performers in fantasy at
his position. While most likely he’ll see a downgrade, the drop off won’t be
felt to kick him out of the top eleven.
Larry Fitzgerald | ARZ | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 16.29 |Rank 12
It’s absolutely incredible to witness a true hall of famer continue
to produce at high levels at the age of 34 with the amount of subpar
quarterbacks he’s played with. With the early evaluation on Larry, it would
suggest a higher ranking based on the past season, but ADF has no choice but to
downgrade Larry based on his surroundings in Arizona. With Sam Bradford signed
and anointed the new pivot for the Cardinals, many question marks arise to if
this type of production that would be sustainable for the 2018 season. The injury
history to Bradford is a prime fear that Larry will again endure a season with
backup quarterbacks throwing him the ball. While Fitzgerald continues to swat
any decline in his level of play, this may be the year his team circumstances
drop him out of the top 10 and into a place where we currently have him
ranked.
Brandin Cooks | LAR | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 13.70 |Rank 13
Having been a part of three teams in the last three years, Cooks has
again found himself traded to yet another club, this time to the up and coming
LA Rams. Never really looking to have found a fit in New England, playing for
the Rams could be the situation to get his skillset back on track. Cooks has
been a great producer in his career, especially over the past three seasons. Though
not to discount the talent he played with in New Orleans, this Rams team looks
to be a magical location to exploit his talents with extreme abundance. Without
question Cooks will enjoy single coverage for most of the season with a
plethora of weapons to draw defenses away from his direction. Cooks still
possesses world class speed which will be showcased under the creative genius
of Coach Sean McVay. 80 receptions for 1100 yards and 8-10 touchdowns seems
like a formality as of today with great potential to add more makes Cooks a
probable riser up ADF draft ranks.
Stefon Diggs | MIN | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 14.16 |Rank 14
Though arguably Stefon Diggs possesses more talent than Adam
Thielen, it hasn’t translated on the field with glaring statistical success.
Diggs did produce a good number of touchdown scores in 2017 (8 touchdowns), but
hasn’t been able to play an entire season in his three year career missing
eight games out of fourth eight contests. Diggs also has never found his way to
reach over 1000 yards in a season as injures derailed that opportunity back in
2016 as he was on pace to crush that mark. Much like Thielen, Diggs should see
a favorable uptick in targets with Kirk Cousins throwing them the ball. This
Vikings offense should be something very special and electric providing all its
playmakers the opportunity to pad their stats. Diggs will finally see his first
1000 yard season while continuing to find the endzone with regularity.
Tyreek Hill | KC | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 16.08 |Rank 15
Perhaps one of the fastest humans in the NFL, the Chiefs Tyreek Hill
proved he was not only up to the challenge of being the number one target in
Kansas City, but verified that notion. Entering the 2018 offseason, this rank
feels slightly low for the amount of production Hill put on display. The reason
ADF struggled to raise Hill’s status as of today is the changeover at the
quarterback position anointing Patrick Mahomes as the mainstay. While ADF loves
the potential of Mahomes running the ship, growing pains will be felt for the strong-armed
passer early on. The wrinkles should most definitely get ironed out as the
weeks more forward, but ADF needs to witness some on field chemistry to justify
movement up the board at this point. The addition of Sammy Watkins also places
a dent in Hill’s overall outlook, as targets will be lost with Sammy occupying
the other side of the field. While a good season should occur for Hill, fifteen
is a fair rank at this point.
Golden Tate | DET | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 14.03 |Rank 16
While even to us here at ADF, it always seems like Golden doesn’t
receive the national respect he deserves from the amount of production he
continues to dish out. Tate has become the backbone of sustainable consistency
in terms of being one of the best PPR producing receivers in the NFL. Since
coming to Detroit, Tate hasn’t seen a season under 90 receptions while playing
in every contest over that four year span. His knock will always come back to
the amount of touchdowns he’s able to generate as the slot position has been
solely the safety blanket for Matthew Stafford. Tate will continue to create
high end PPR counts in terms of receptions, but unless things change in the
scheme (which they could under new coach Matt Patricia), Tate’s numbers should
view very similarly as they have.
Amari Cooper | OAK | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 11.31 |Rank 17
A complete disastrous third season for the fourth year NFL pro left
many to believe Cooper isn’t the player it seemed he would become. ADF isn’t
buying that notion and fully believes in the skillset of the former Alabama
product. Enter new head coach Jon Gruden and the instruction Cooper will
receive to reaffirm the potential and growth to once again become a consistent
playmaker on the field. With the addition of Jordy Nelson to the squad, this
could only assist Amari further in getting back on track learning from one of
the better experienced receivers in the league. ADF is convinced that along
with terrible play calling and play execution from the Raiders offense last
season, Cooper was playing hurt for most of the year dropping his levels of
production to the lowest of his short career. The value where Cooper could be
drafted to the potential outcome of production makes Amari a potential steal in
drafts this year. ADF won’t give up on the talented Raider just yet.
TY Hilton | IND | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 11.10 |Rank 18
At this point of the offseason, ADF can’t endorse a higher
projection to the talented and speedy TY Hilton. The skillset is well known to
us and we completely believe in what Hilton can bring on a weekly basis in this
league. All the question marks surrounding TY is the situation he’s a part of.
The concern begins and ends with the health of the Colts starting quarterback
Andrew Luck. Having been lied to in the past from the Indianapolis ownership
regarding the availability of their star, it’s impossible to trust anything
that comes from their circle until Luck shows publicly that he’s throwing and
progressing without any setbacks. Hilton may rise and fall depending on what
occurs with the man throwing him the ball. His status will absolutely change as
more information comes out.
Josh Gordon | CLE | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 11.50 |Rank 19
Perhaps one of the earliest potential steals of the fantasy draft
could rest in the uber-talented Josh Gordon. Looking to have left his off-field
troubles in the past, Gordon finally appears to have corrected his ways to
showcase his talents on the field once again. The rebuild in Cleveland looks to
have grounds for excitement for the first time in many years as Gordon could
benefit greatly from the deep ball Tyrod Taylor is equipped to throw. Much like
the evaluation for Landry, expectations should be tempered as the vast
limitations from Tyrod will leave plays on the field and fans wanting more.
It’s not inconceivable to witness Taylor and this Browns offense put something
together under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Todd Haley, but Tyrod
could set this offense back to the potential it eventually could become. With
that said, Gordon could have a great season in terms of touchdowns as the deep
ball will undoubtedly be on display.
Demaryius Thomas | DEN | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 12.99 |Rank 20
It didn’t take much prodding for ADF to propose Demaryius Thomas
would have a bounce back season with Case Keenum throwing the ball in the mile
high. Though we have great reservations in the skills Keenum possesses,
anything would be a vast upgrade to what they had from a season ago. Case
proved last year that he improved his accuracy dropping dimes to his former
receivers in Minnesota, and we could see the same translate over to an arguable
better top two core of talented pass catchers in Thomas and Sanders. A small
concern for Thomas has been the amount of dropped passes that has plagued his
game over the last few years, along with the unknowns of production levels
Keenum will provide, this is a realistic place for Thomas with the potential to
improve.
Alshon Jeffery | PHI | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 11.87 |Rank 21
With the Eagles understanding that depth in every position might be
the most important aspect to maintaining and winning in the NFL, that mentality
again will drop the ranking for Jeffery as this Philly offense has a multitude
of talented players that will receive their share of the workload. While Alshon
remains the number one target in this offense, other weapons like Zach Ertz,
Nelson Agholor, and newly signed Mike Wallace, will absolutely take their share
of the production. It’s very difficult to envision Jeffery finding his way back
to the heights of the 1000+ yard marks in this Eagles offense, but he should
remain a top flight producer in touchdown receptions.
Doug Baldwin | SEA | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 13.83 |Rank 22
While ADF is a fan of Doug Baldwin and he continues to prove his
doubters wrong on a yearly basis, this season could be one in which owning him
could be extremely regrettable as the year goes on. The Seahawks have tipped
their hand and shown they’re in the midst of a rebuild and look to re-tinker
their approach. This offense outside of Russell Wilson and Doug Baldwin have no
viable threats that will make the opposition fear any type of game plan coming
from the Hawks. Watching his numbers fall off late into last season was a
simple foreshadow of the future to come. The only positive could be the amount
of garbage time points Seattle will generate as its likely they’ll be playing
from behind a fair bit. Right now, its buyer-beware situation for Baldwin.
Julian Edelman | NE | 2017 Fantasy PPG: N/A |Rank 23
After missing the entire 2017 season with an ACL injury, Tom Brady’s
favorite target is ready to reset and take back his spot as the number one
target in the Patriots offense. Though New England is doubling down with the
recent signing of Jordan Matthews knowing the offense will continue with the
short over the middle pass game, Edelman will get first crack to take his place
to lead from the slot. It’s easily forgotten in how productive Julian was in
2016 hauling in 98 receptions for over 1100 yards making him a viable PPR
producer. The aspect of his game which hurts his overall stance in fantasy
football is the lack of touchdowns he’s able to generate. Julian will again
place himself back on the map as an every week flex player provided he can stay
out of the medical room.
Dez Bryant | DAL | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 11.78 |Rank 24
With all the chatter that Dez Bryant has lost a step, the Cowboys
staff eluding to his skills dropping off, and the stipulations that he doesn’t
put extra work in could be viewed as a concern. With that, ADF really had no
choice but to drop Bryant to the bottom of the top 25 until clarity surrounding
his situation is front and center. ADF believes that Dez requires a change of
scenery to re-establish his career making it feasible for him to again produce
at higher levels then seen over the last three seasons. Perhaps it would
benefit Dez to become a secondary receiver rather than the go to player while
adjusting his game to perhaps the levels others have done to prolong his
career. We feel his stock could easily move up the board once the understanding
of his future is certain. By no means is it all over for Bryant as a top
producer in Dallas, perhaps receiving a full endorsement from Jerry Jones could
reinvigorate the once unstoppable super-star.
JuJu Smith Schuster | PIT | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 13.69 |Rank 25
While the scouts flagged JuJu as an average talent, he made his
presence known benefiting from playing across from the great Antonio Brown.
While the Steelers offense will eventually disband, this season should allow
Smith-Schuster to find his way to over 1000 yards and 6-8 touchdowns. This
Steelers offense will endure a hiccup to begin the season while they adjust to
the new scheme and play calls from their new offensive coordinator, but will
easily get on track showing high-flying ability once again. JuJu is probably
the greatest benefactor in this offense playing alongside Brown and Bell
leaving him open on many occasions. He could potentially serve as a WR2 in many
matchups this season.
Fantasy Wide Receivers
Rank 26-50:
Robert Woods: LAR | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 13.78
|Rank 26
Devin Funchess: CAR | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 12.19
|Rank 27
Sammy Watkins: KC | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 9.75
|Rank 28
Nelson Agholor: PHI | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 11.72
|Rank 29
Marvin Jones Jr: DET | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 14.07
|Rank 30
Allen Robinson: CHI | 2017 Fantasy PPG: N/A
|Rank 31
Michael Crabtree: BAL | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
11.99 |Rank 32
Chris Hogan: NE | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
12.18 |Rank 33
Jordy Nelson: OAK | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 9.15
|Rank 34
Cooper Kupp: LAR | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
11.93 |Rank 35
Will Fuller V: HOU | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 10.29
|Rank 36
DeVante Parker: MIA | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 10.00
|Rank 37
Marquise Goodwin: SF | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 10.54
|Rank 38
Jamison Crowder: WAS | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 11.09
|Rank 39
Mohamed Sanu: ATL | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 11.22
|Rank 40
Rishard Matthews: TEN | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 11.16
|Rank 41
Emmanuel Sanders: DEN | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 9.54
|Rank 42
Sterling Shepard: NYG | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 12.04
|Rank 43
Donte Moncrief: JAX | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 6.42
|Rank 44
DeSean Jackson: TB | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 9.90
|Rank 45
Randall Cobb: GB | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 10.47
|Rank 46
Allen Hurns: DAL | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 9.94
|Rank 47
Jordan Matthews: NE | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 5.92
|Rank 48
Corey Davis: TEN | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
6.50 |Rank 49
Paul Richardson: WAS | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 9.39
|Rank 50
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