Wide Receiver (WR) Fantasy Football Rankings

Davante Adams is coming off an absurdly dominant season in which he had 115 catches for 1,374 yards and 18 touchdowns in just 14 games and finished as the WR1 overall despite missing two games. As the first and often second and third read for Aaron Rodgers, Adams deserves to maintain the standing as the top wide receiver in fantasy football. The depth at the wide receiver position is particularly impressive this year as there are players with top-15 upside available well into the fifth or sixth round. Keep an eye on second-year wide receivers (LINK) as pass-catchers often break out in their second season. Those players this season include CeeDee Lamb, Brandon Aiyuk, and Tee Higgins. A number of factors can influence fantasy scoring at the wide receiver position including quarterback play, game script, and strength of opponent. You can find all of our Fantasy Football Rankings for the 2021 season updated in real-time as news breaks.

POS RANK RANK PLAYER ADP AUCTION 2022 FPTS 2023 FPTS TEAM DEPTH BYE REC REC YDS REC TD
1 9 Davante Adams D. Adams 12.2 $45 243 252 Green Bay Packers GB Packers Green Bay Packers 1 13 137 1683 14
2 10 Tyreek Hill T. Hill 7.2 $47 242 216 Kansas City Chiefs KC Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs 1 12 98 1436 12
3 13 Calvin Ridley C. Ridley 20.3 $31 192 220 Atlanta Falcons ATL Falcons Atlanta Falcons 1 6 105 1597 10
4 16 DeAndre Hopkins D. Hopkins 15.6 $38 173 211 Arizona Cardinals ARI Cardinals Arizona Cardinals 1 12 124 1510 10
5 17 Stefon Diggs S. Diggs 14.8 $43 202 205 Buffalo Bills BUF Bills Buffalo Bills 1 7 119 1505 9
6 18 DK Metcalf D. Metcalf 19.8 $25 188 199 Seattle Seahawks SEA Seahawks Seattle Seahawks 1 9 89 1392 10
7 20 Justin Jefferson J. Jefferson 25.5 $29 186 193 Minnesota Vikings MIN Vikings Minnesota Vikings 1 7 87 1386 9
8 24 A.J. Brown A.J. Brown 21.8 $27 178 187 Tennessee Titans TEN Titans Tennessee Titans 1 13 83 1268 10
9 25 Allen Robinson A. Robinson 33.6 $21 161 182 Chicago Bears CHI Bears Chicago Bears 1 10 104 1337 8
10 26 Terry McLaurin T. McLaurin 30.5 $24 137 186 Washington Commanders WAS Commanders Washington Commanders 1 9 95 1382 8
11 28 Mike Evans M. Evans 36.5 $19 179 181 Tampa Bay Buccaneers TB Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1 9 77 1090 12
12 30 CeeDee Lamb C. Lamb 39.8 $17 144 175 Dallas Cowboys DAL Cowboys Dallas Cowboys 2 7 86 1212 9
13 31 Keenan Allen K. Allen 29.8 $24 145 174 Los Angeles Chargers LAC Chargers Los Angeles Chargers 1 7 121 1197 9
14 36 Amari Cooper A. Cooper 43.7 $19 145 174 Dallas Cowboys DAL Cowboys Dallas Cowboys 1 7 81 1195 9
15 37 Julio Jones J. Jones 39.8 $17 95 165 Tennessee Titans TEN Titans Tennessee Titans 2 13 76 1167 8
16 40 Chris Godwin C. Godwin 42.9 $12 126 165 Tampa Bay Buccaneers TB Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2 9 93 1227 7
17 41 Tyler Lockett T. Lockett 57.3 $11 165 164 Seattle Seahawks SEA Seahawks Seattle Seahawks 2 9 97 1035 10
18 44 Robert Woods R. Woods 45.1 $17 155 141 Los Angeles Rams LAR Rams Los Angeles Rams 2 11 93 985 7
19 45 Kenny Golladay K. Golladay 55.5 $9 46 143 New York Giants NYG Giants New York Giants 1 10 60 1008 7
20 49 Chase Claypool C. Claypool 68.3 $5 153 154 Pittsburgh Steelers PIT Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers 3 7 75 1057 8
21 51 Brandon Aiyuk B. Aiyuk 63.4 $7 125 143 San Francisco 49ers SF 49ers San Francisco 49ers 1 6 77 1012 7
22 55 Courtland Sutton C. Sutton 71.1 $6 7 138 Denver Broncos DEN Broncos Denver Broncos 1 11 67 1021 6
23 57 Diontae Johnson D. Johnson 58.4 $12 134 148 Pittsburgh Steelers PIT Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers 1 7 95 1001 8
24 58 D.J. Moore D. Moore 46.1 $11 146 168 Carolina Panthers CAR Panthers Carolina Panthers 2 13 73 1262 7
25 60 Cooper Kupp C. Kupp 53.4 $11 117 155 Los Angeles Rams LAR Rams Los Angeles Rams 1 11 99 1070 8
26 61 Adam Thielen A. Thielen 52.1 $15 180 145 Minnesota Vikings MIN Vikings Minnesota Vikings 2 7 77 967 8
27 64 Jerry Jeudy J. Jeudy 82.1 $3 106 159 Denver Broncos DEN Broncos Denver Broncos 2 11 76 1235 6
28 66 Robby Anderson R. Anderson 79.2 $4 129 136 Carolina Panthers CAR Panthers Carolina Panthers 1 13 82 1001 6
29 69 Tee Higgins T. Higgins 65 $5 128 140 Cincinnati Bengals CIN Bengals Cincinnati Bengals 1 10 77 1044 6
30 70 Mike Williams M. Williams 108.5 $1 106 127 Los Angeles Chargers LAC Chargers Los Angeles Chargers 2 7 56 849 7
31 73 Deebo Samuel D. Samuel 79.8 $2 48 120 San Francisco 49ers SF 49ers San Francisco 49ers 2 6 76 902 5
32 74 Brandin Cooks B. Cooks 93.8 $3 151 136 Houston Texans HOU Texans Houston Texans 1 10 74 1003 6
33 77 Curtis Samuel C. Samuel 91.7 $2 135 127 Washington Commanders WAS Commanders Washington Commanders 2 9 72 911 6
34 80 Odell Beckham Jr. O. Beckham Jr. 66.3 $7 64 147 Cleveland Browns CLE Browns Cleveland Browns 1 13 73 1050 7
35 81 Devonta Smith D. Smith 83.3 $3 131 Philadelphia Eagles PHI Eagles Philadelphia Eagles 1 14 63 951 6
36 82 Michael Gallup M. Gallup 115.7 $2 114 132 Dallas Cowboys DAL Cowboys Dallas Cowboys 3 7 62 1018 5
37 85 Ja'Marr Chase J. Chase 60.5 $9 131 Cincinnati Bengals CIN Bengals Cincinnati Bengals 3 10 76 1008 5
38 86 JuJu Smith-Schuster J. Smith-Schuster 78.3 $6 137 128 Pittsburgh Steelers PIT Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers 2 7 103 917 6
39 88 DeVante Parker D. Parker 124.9 $0 103 107 Miami Dolphins MIA Dolphins Miami Dolphins 1 14 66 833 4
40 89 Henry Ruggs III H. R. III 123.6 $1 58 115 Las Vegas Raiders LV Raiders Las Vegas Raiders 1 8 49 848 5
41 91 Laviska Shenault L. Shenault 93.4 $9 99 107 Jacksonville Jaguars JAX Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars 2 7 69 775 5
42 96 Jarvis Landry J. Landry 98.5 $2 116 115 Cleveland Browns CLE Browns Cleveland Browns 2 13 71 853 5
43 97 Tyler Boyd T. Boyd 90.3 $2 114 124 Cincinnati Bengals CIN Bengals Cincinnati Bengals 2 10 87 944 5
44 99 Antonio Brown A. Brown 109 $2 72 121 Tampa Bay Buccaneers TB Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3 9 75 855 6
45 100 Marquise Brown M. Brown 110.7 $2 125 108 Baltimore Ravens BAL Ravens Baltimore Ravens 1 8 57 780 5
46 104 Gabriel Davis G. Davis 179.2 $0 102 118 Buffalo Bills BUF Bills Buffalo Bills 3 7 49 816 6
47 109 Corey Davis C. Davis 114.8 $1 126 150 New York Jets NYJ Jets New York Jets 1 6 78 1144 6
48 110 Tre'Quan Smith T. Smith 165.1 $0 69 83 New Orleans Saints NO Saints New Orleans Saints 2 6 44 650 3
49 113 Michael Pittman Jr. M. Pittman Jr. 111.2 $1 59 135 Indianapolis Colts IND Colts Indianapolis Colts 1 14 75 987 6
50 115 John Brown J. Brown 181.3 $0 64 114 Las Vegas Raiders LV Raiders Las Vegas Raiders 2 8 55 842 5

Weekly WR Fantasy Rankings

2020 was another exciting season of offensive play in the NFL and there were some elite wide receivers who stole the show in fantasy football. Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill stood out among the rest, but Stefon Diggs, Calvin Ridley, D.K. Metcalf, Justin Jefferson, and DeAndre Hopkins were among the many to turn in epic seasons. The depth at the position was outstanding, as well, and numerous players had week-winning games throughout the year.

SThis offseason, lots of wide receivers have changed teams in free agency. Julio Jones is now on the Titans, Kenny Golladay is now on the Giants, Marvin Jones is now on the Jaguars, Will Fuller V is now on the Dolphins, Corey Davis is now on the Jets, and Nelson Agholor is now on the Patriots. These receivers all have a wide range of outcomes for this season and it will be interesting to see how they perform in their new cities.

WR Fantasy Draft Strategy

NFL teams now have three or four wide receivers who will play a major role in the offense week-to-week, which provides more depth at this position than any other in fantasy football. As such, lineups with three starting wide receivers are becoming more common in fantasy leagues. It’s also important to make note of whether or not your league utilizes half-PPR or PPR scoring, as this vital information will help you know which receivers are most relevant. Adding points for catches helps make wide receivers who catch passes but don’t necessarily score touchdowns more relevant.

There will always be late-round wide receivers who explode in fantasy football and help managers win their league. Many of these late-round wideouts can be rookies who break out towards the end of the year. Last season, Justin Jefferson was a 12th-round pick by ADP last year and was undrafted in many leagues - he finished as a top-ten wideout as a rookie. Chase Claypool was also very productive in his rookie season, as were CeeDee Lamb and Brandon Aiyuk. While this was an especially talented rookie class, it showed that you shouldn’t completely discount rookie receivers in fantasy as we have in the past.

Managers who are drafting at the end of the first round will need to decide whether to take one of the second-tier running backs or one of the top-tier wide receivers. Players like Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs, Calvin Ridley, and DeAndre Hopkins are available near the end of the first round and can elevate your week-to-week ceiling in fantasy. However, there are plenty of mid-round wide receivers who I love this season such as Cooper Kupp, Tyler Lockett, D.J. Moore, Chris Godwin, and Brandon Aiyuk. The drop-off at running back is much more significant and you can land reliable starters later on at wide receiver.

Wide Receiver (WR) Fantasy Football Rankings Frequently Asked Questions

Who Are The Best Fantasy Wide Receivers?

There are a number of wide receivers who can be drafted with confidence early on this season, and guys like Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, and DeAndre Hopkins have been consistently elite. Stefon Diggs has joined that top tier after a breakthrough season in his first year with the Bills. Young wide receivers such as Calvin Ridley, Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf, and Terry McLaurin are on the cusp of joining this group, as well.

Who Is The Number One Fantasy Wide Receiver?

While there are a number of wide receivers who I like in the first or second round this year, I don’t have to think too hard to decide that Davante Adams is my favorite. He finished as the WR1 last year despite missing two games and is attached to one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in Aaron Rodgers. Adams and Rodgers posted an image of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen on Instagram over the offseason, and if this is their “Last Dance”, it’s going to lead to a heap of fantasy points.

How Many Wide Receivers Should I Have On My Roster?

Generally, a fantasy league is going to roster between two and four wide receivers. You have your FLEX spots that can include a wide receiver, but it also depends on if you have to roster two or three true wide receiver spots. Either way, having some depth at the position is not a bad idea. It gives you options on a week-to-week basis, where receivers can be more matchup dependent than other positions. It gives you the flexibility to start someone against a weaker defense that was on your bench over a weekly starter who is in a matchup against the top secondary in the league. I would shoot between 5-7 wide receivers on a standard roster. Once the season gets going and bye weeks kick in, it is always nice to have some options.

What Should I Look For In Drafting Fantasy Wide Receivers?

When looking at your WR1, you are going to want a player who brings you stability on a weekly basis. They can get to that 14-15 fantasy point mark generally without having to find the end zone to get there. DeAndre Hopkins is great at this as he averaged 7.1 catches for 87.9 yards last season. This puts you on a weekly floor of about 16 fantasy points in PPR leagues. Hopkins is also a great mix of upside because he has those games where he can produce 100+ receiving yards and find the end zone. Generally, the Tier One and Two receivers are going to give you that perfect balance.

Now looking at the position as a whole, volume is your best friend. It is no surprise to see most of the top scorers also rank high in targets. When receivers see 8+ targets a week, this is good news for their fantasy potential. The lower you go, the more dependent they are on those big home run plays or finding the end zone. Allen Robinson was a great example of that, where he had to deal with poor quarterback play from Mitch Trubisky and Allen Robinson, and while the efficiency wasn’t great, he finished 9th in PPR fantasy scoring. If Robinson’s volume wasn’t as high, there is no way he is producing the fantasy production that he did. If there is a lack of volume, you want to find the efficiency and also the opportunity for the home run balls, like a Will Fuller.

Red zone targets are also something to keep an eye on, as you can find most of the big named fantasy scorers were also high in red zone targets. Teams with bad defenses also can produce more fantasy points in the passing game. We saw a lot of fantasy-relevant wide receivers from teams with bad defenses for that reason. Teams that throw a low amount, you have to focus on where the volume is going. Minnesota doesn’t throw a ton, but Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen get the bulk of it.

How Do Different Scoring Formats Effect Wide Receivers?

There are three different popular fantasy football formats including standard, half-PPR, and full PPR. Each of the three will alter the projections and rankings of fantasy players. Here’s an example of how drastically the rankings can be affected, with two 2020 players used:

Player A’s Scoring

PPR - WR23
Half-PPR - WR19
Standard - WR14

Player B’s Scoring

PPR - WR16
Half-PPR - WR18
Standard - WR22

Chase Claypool is Player A and JuJu Smith-Schuster is Player B. Claypool only had 62 catches last year, but he had 873 yards and 11 total touchdowns from scrimmage. Smith-Schuster, meanwhile, had 97 catches but for only 831 yards and 9 touchdowns. Whether you were in a standard or PPR league, it drastically altered which of the two Steelers’ teammate was more valuable to your team. Make sure you know what scoring format your league uses.