Six Wide Receivers Who Are Not Worth Their Average Draft Position
Please stop drafting this Detroit Lions wide receiver
Wide receiver is an important position to get right in your fantasy football draft, and it’s important not to get too caught up in name value.
If you miss out on a star receiver in the draft, you’re stuck grinding the waiver wire for a suitable replacement, unlike running back where you’re trying to figure out who will get enough volume for the week. A team doesn’t have many choices if there are only two healthy running backs playing, but a quarterback can decide if they want to target a receiver or not based on how much trust has been built.
These six wide receivers are ones you should stay away from based on their average draft position.
D.J. Moore
The Chicago Bears traded the No. 1 pick to acquire Moore and four draft picks from the Carolina Panthers. It was the franchise’s attempt to give Justin Fields more support, but the offense still leans toward running the football rather than airing it out. The Bears were 29th in neutral pass rate last season, and there’s very little reason to believe that will change. Moore was drafted 54th overall in Yahoo leagues, which made him the WR20. There are better players like Terry McLaurin and Brandon Aiyuk who will be much more efficient than Moore.
DeAndre Hopkins
The All-Pro wide receiver chose the Tennessee Titans over the New England Patriots reportedly due to a higher potential for on-field success along with the higher financial incentives he received. Treylon Burks’ injury could mean more opportunity for Hopkins, but Ryan Tannehill’s style simply doesn’t fit Hopkins’ strengths. Tannehill, the presumed starter for most of the season, works better in the intermediate game, but Hopkins thrives deep down the field and with contested catches. It’s not to say the pair can’t make an adjustment, but the ceiling might not be there for the 31-year-old when he’s being drafted 57th overall at WR22.
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Chris Godwin / Mike Evans
Everyone knows the situation in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers will lean on Baker Mayfield to “replace” Tom Brady, who retired this offseason. That’s an obvious hit on the ceiling potential for Godwin and Evans, even if the latter was Mayfield’s teammate at Texas A&M. But they still are being drafted too high for what is projected to be a putrid offense. Godwin is drafted at 68th overall as the WR27, and Evans is drafted at 84th overall as the WR31. Taking chances on guys like Christian Watson, Mike Williams, Christian Kirk and George Pickens would be better than being “safe” with potential high-floor options.
Kadarius Toney
This is a classic case of a player who probably will be good in reality but not for fantasy football. You might be shocked to hear that Toney was injured for parts of training camp due to a partial tear to his meniscus. Yes, we know, this certainly has never happened to him before. But it’s why 126th overall is rich even for a player in the 12th or 13th round. There are better flex or depth options to choose from like Zay Flowers who will benefit your fantasy team.
Jameson Williams
Please stop drafting a player who isn’t eligible to play until Week 7. It’s also a question if he can play until then since he was nursing a hamstring injury that forced him to miss the preseason. Williams has explosive talent, but this is a player who has barely played and hasn’t had much opportunity to develop as an NFL wide receiver. He’s a flier at 166th overall and as the WR55, but come on, there are much better fliers who aren’t going to burn a hole on your roster. Take chances on players like Quentin Johnston, Romeo Doubs, Nico Collins or Rashee Rice who actually will take snaps at the beginning of the season and could break out, unlike Williams, whose NFL career has been on the rocks due to suspensions and injuries.
