Fantasy Index

header banner img
OUR FANTASY BASEBALL MAGAZINE IS BACK! PRE-ORDER NOW
Win here.

Dynasty Leagues

Long-term WR rankings

Which rookie receiver will have the best career?

When I look at the rookie receivers, I don’t see a standout player. I see a top tier of four players: Hollywood Brown, Terry McLaurin and the two Mississippi guys – DK Metcalf and A.J. Brown. If I were walking into a dynasty draft today, I would be torn between those guys.

McLaurin might be the best of the four, but he’s in the worst situation. How long will it be before Washington can get its act together? Under different circumstances, McLaurin might be the clear No. 1.

Metcalf has some limitations. He’s so huge, that he’ll always have problems with quickness and change of direction. But he’ll be working with Russell Wilson for the foreseeable future, which is awfully comforting.

Marquise Brown to me looks like another DeSean Jackson. With his speed, he’s going to score a bunch of long touchdowns in the coming year. But he’s tiny, so durability could be an issue. And I don’t know that he’ll ever be a consistent high-volume option, who’s cranking out 80-catch seasons year after year.

A.J. Brown reminds me of Anquan Boldin. He’s not a burner, but he understands the game and how to use his size. He looks like he’s got a lot of productive years in him.

After those initial four, I’m very firm on my fifth wide receiver (among the rookies). Deebo Samuel definitely has the physical traits, and he looks like he’s going to develop for the 49ers. If I were selecting a San Francisco receiver, I would definitely select Samuel before 32-year-old Emmanuel Sanders.

I like the situation Parris Campbell (41st) is in; I am a believer of Frank Reich and the Colts. But Campbell hasn’t shown me quite enough that I can say for certain that’s he’s going to develop into a good pro. He played in a simplified role at Ohio State, so he needs to be coached up in terms of NFL route running. Curtis Samuel preceded Campbell in that role with the Buckeyes and started emerging in his second season with Carolina; it presumably will be the same with Campbell. But if we’re looking at where guys are at right now, there’s no debating that Deebo Samuel is way ahead of him right now.

On the following chart, rookies are tagged with black dots. I’m assuming PPR scoring, and these are full dynasty rankings – with fantasy franchises holding the rights to players indefinitely. So on these, I’m not looking at just 2019 and 2020, but the next few years. (At the same time, we must factor in that fantasy teams will be making dozens of roster moves, as prospects become available on the waiver wire.)

For dynasty rankings, I hit one position each weekend. Last week it was running back. It will be tight ends next week. To look at previous installments, use the “Past Issues” links on the right side of the page.

These rankings are put together by hand. Basically, I’ve got a list with the top 4-6 receivers on each team. I pick out the top 100, then comb over the list for about an hour, moving guys up and down until it feels right.

DYNASTY LEAGUE RECEIVERS
RkTmPlayerAge
1.NOMichael Thomas26
2.HOUDeAndre Hopkins27
3.TBChris Godwin23
4.KCTyreek Hill25
5.DALAmari Cooper25
6.DENCourtland Sutton24
7.TBMike Evans26
8.DETKenny Golladay26
9.GBDavante Adams26
10.LARCooper Kupp26
11.JACDJ Chark23
12.SEATyler Lockett27
13.CHIAllen Robinson26
14.CLEOdell Beckham27
15.ATLJulio Jones30
16.SEA• DK Metcalf 21
17.CARDJ Moore22
18.PITJuJu Smith-Schuster23
19.TEN• A.J. Brown 22
20.WAS• Terry McLaurin 23
21.BAL• Marquise Brown 22
22.ATLCalvin Ridley24
23.LACKeenan Allen27
24.MINAdam Thielen29
25.LACMike Williams25
26.INDT.Y. Hilton30
27.DALMichael Gallup23
28.CARCurtis Samuel23
29.CINTyler Boyd25
30.CLEJarvis Landry27
31.LARRobert Woods27
32.MIADeVante Parker26
33.MINStefon Diggs26
34.SF• Deebo Samuel 23
35.BUFJohn Brown29
36.CINA.J. Green31
37.DETMarvin Jones29
38.NYJRobby Anderson26
39.PHIAlshon Jeffery29
40.HOUWill Fuller25
41.IND• Parris Campbell 22
42.ARIChristian Kirk23
43.JACDede Westbrook26
44.NYJJamison Crowder26
45.PITJames Washington23
46.INDZach Pascal24
47.KC• Mecole Hardman 21
48.PIT• Diontae Johnson 23
49.OAK• Hunter Renfrow 23
50.NYG• Darius Slayton 22
51.LARBrandin Cooks26
52.KCSammy Watkins26
53.BUFCole Beasley30
54.NEJulian Edelman33
55.GBAllen Lazard23
56.SFEmmanuel Sanders32
57.TENCorey Davis24
58.NYGSterling Shepard25
59.NE• N'Keal Harry 21
60.CHIAnthony Miller25
61.PHI• J.J. Arcega-Whiteside 22
62.OAKTyrell Williams27
63.HOUKenny Stills27
64.MIA• Preston Williams22
65.NEMohamed Sanu30
66.NYGGolden Tate31
67.UFAAntonio Brown31
68.WAS• Kelvin Harmon 22
69.NOTreQuan Smith23
70.ARILarry Fitzgerald36
71.NE• Jakobi Meyers23
72.CINAuden Tate22
73.ATLRussell Gage23
74.JACChris Conley27
75.TENAdam Humphries26
76.BAL• Miles Boykin 23
77.CHITaylor Gabriel28
78.GBGeronimo Allison25
79.LARJosh Reynolds24
80.ARI• Andy Isabella 22
81.MIN• Bisi Johnson 22
82.PHIGreg Ward24
83.INDDevin Funchess25
84.NEPhillip Dorsett26
85.SFKendrick Bourne24
86.DALRandall Cobb29
87.KCDemarcus Robinson25
88.SEAJosh Gordon28
89.DENTim Patrick26
90.NYJDemaryius Thomas31
91.CLERashard Higgins25
92.BALWillie Snead27
93.OAKZay Jones24
94.PHINelson Agholor26
95.GBMarquez Valdes-Scantling25
96.CINJohn Ross24
97.WASPaul Richardson27
98.ARI• KeeSean Johnson 23
99.TBBreshad Perriman26
100.SEAMalik Turner23

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index