Story this week that the Dolphins are interested in signing Odell Beckham. It would be an interesting landing spot, potentially, but it's fair to wonder if Beckham is still capable of putting up big numbers.
Injuries have cost him a lot of time over the years, with a broken ankle in 2017 and torn ACLs in 2020 and then the Super Bowl after the 2021 season. He's 31 years old, not an age when players generally put injuries behind them.
But Beckham was mostly healthy last year, playing in 14 games for Baltimore. It seemed like perhaps the Ravens were afraid to use him, or angling to keep him healthy for the more important postseason. He averaged just 2.5 catches for 40 yards, with 3 TDs. It's not as if the Ravens had a duo like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle taking targets away from him (Zay Flowers was Baltimore's only receiver with more yards than him).
Miami didn't have a notable third receiver, with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle combining for 191 catches, 2,813 yards and 17 touchdowns. That's 60 percent of the team's passing yards and nearly as much of its 30 touchdown passes. Seems like Beckham would need one of those top 2 to get hurt to really become fantasy viable.
Age-wise, though, 31 need not be a death sentence for wide receivers. Last year in particular was a good year for older wide receivers delivering quality production.
I looked at the last 10 years of wideouts aged 30 years or older during the season. There have 57 to put up at least top-40 production in PPR leagues -- nearly 6 per year. Fifteen have ranked in the top 12 at their position, so 1-2 per year.
And that's on average. Based on 2023, it might be becoming more common. Last year, four wide receivers aged 30 or older ranked in the top 10, and five more at least finished with top 40 numbers.
Table shows wideouts over the age of 30 who have put up top-40 production in PPR leagues in the last 10 years. The 2023 success stories are in bold.
| WIDE RECEIVERS 30 YEARS OR OLDER IN THE TOP 40 (2014-2023) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Age | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Rk |
| 2016 | Jordy Nelson, G.B. | 31 | 152 | 97 | 1257 | 13.0 | 14 | 2 |
| 2022 | Davante Adams, L.V. | 30 | 180 | 100 | 1516 | 15.2 | 14 | 3 |
| 2019 | Julio Jones, Atl. | 30 | 157 | 99 | 1394 | 14.1 | 6 | 3 |
| 2015 | Brandon Marshall, NYJ | 31 | 173 | 109 | 1502 | 13.8 | 14 | 3 |
| 2018 | Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 30 | 168 | 104 | 1297 | 12.5 | 15 | 5 |
| 2017 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ari. | 34 | 161 | 109 | 1156 | 10.6 | 6 | 5 |
| 2023 | Mike Evans, T.B. | 30 | 136 | 79 | 1255 | 15.9 | 13 | 7 |
| 2019 | Julian Edelman, N.E. | 33 | 153 | 100 | 1117 | 11.2 | 6 | 7 |
| 2015 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ari. | 32 | 145 | 109 | 1215 | 11.2 | 9 | 7 |
| 2023 | Keenan Allen, LAC | 31 | 150 | 108 | 1243 | 11.5 | 7 | 8 |
| 2023 | Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 30 | 160 | 107 | 1183 | 11.1 | 8 | 9 |
| 2023 | Davante Adams, L.V. | 31 | 175 | 103 | 1144 | 11.1 | 8 | 10 |
| 2020 | Adam Thielen, Min. | 30 | 108 | 74 | 925 | 12.5 | 14 | 10 |
| 2016 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ari. | 33 | 150 | 107 | 1023 | 9.6 | 6 | 11 |
| 2015 | Calvin Johnson, Det. | 30 | 149 | 88 | 1214 | 13.8 | 9 | 12 |
| 2022 | Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 30 | 117 | 84 | 1033 | 12.3 | 9 | 13 |
| 2016 | Julian Edelman, N.E. | 30 | 159 | 98 | 1106 | 11.3 | 3 | 14 |
| 2017 | Demaryius Thomas, Den. | 30 | 140 | 83 | 949 | 11.4 | 5 | 16 |
| 2023 | Adam Thielen, Car. | 33 | 137 | 103 | 1014 | 9.8 | 4 | 17 |
| 2020 | Marvin Jones, Det. | 30 | 115 | 76 | 978 | 12.9 | 9 | 18 |
| 2014 | Steve Smith Sr., Balt. | 35 | 134 | 79 | 1065 | 13.5 | 6 | 18 |
| 2014 | Anquan Boldin, S.F. | 34 | 130 | 83 | 1062 | 12.8 | 5 | 19 |
| 2018 | Julian Edelman, N.E. | 32 | 108 | 74 | 850 | 11.5 | 6 | 21 |
| 2014 | Roddy White, Atl. | 33 | 125 | 80 | 921 | 11.5 | 7 | 21 |
| 2023 | DeAndre Hopkins, Ten. | 31 | 137 | 75 | 1057 | 14.1 | 7 | 22 |
| 2018 | Emmanuel Sanders, Den. | 31 | 98 | 71 | 868 | 12.2 | 5 | 23 |
| 2016 | Mike Wallace, Balt. | 30 | 116 | 72 | 1017 | 14.1 | 4 | 23 |
| 2016 | Pierre Garcon, Was. | 30 | 114 | 79 | 1041 | 13.2 | 3 | 24 |
| 2018 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ari. | 35 | 112 | 69 | 734 | 10.6 | 6 | 26 |
| 2020 | Cole Beasley, Buff. | 31 | 107 | 82 | 967 | 11.8 | 4 | 27 |
| 2021 | Adam Thielen, Min. | 31 | 95 | 67 | 726 | 10.8 | 10 | 28 |
| 2014 | Andre Johnson, Hou. | 33 | 146 | 85 | 936 | 11.0 | 3 | 28 |
| 2017 | Michael Crabtree, Oak. | 30 | 101 | 58 | 618 | 10.7 | 8 | 30 |
| 2015 | James Jones, G.B. | 31 | 99 | 50 | 890 | 17.8 | 8 | 30 |
| 2022 | Adam Thielen, Min. | 32 | 107 | 70 | 716 | 10.2 | 6 | 31 |
| 2018 | Golden Tate, 2TM | 30 | 113 | 74 | 795 | 10.7 | 4 | 31 |
| 2019 | Emmanuel Sanders, 2TM | 32 | 97 | 66 | 869 | 13.2 | 5 | 32 |
| 2023 | Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 31 | 122 | 79 | 894 | 11.3 | 5 | 33 |
| 2014 | Vincent Jackson, T.B. | 31 | 142 | 70 | 1002 | 14.3 | 2 | 33 |
| 2021 | Marvin Jones, Jac. | 31 | 120 | 73 | 832 | 11.4 | 4 | 34 |
| 2019 | Cole Beasley, Buff. | 30 | 106 | 67 | 778 | 11.6 | 6 | 34 |
| 2017 | Ted Ginn, N.O. | 32 | 70 | 53 | 787 | 14.9 | 4 | 34 |
| 2015 | Ted Ginn, Car. | 30 | 97 | 44 | 739 | 16.8 | 10 | 34 |
| 2014 | Brandon Marshall, Chi. | 30 | 106 | 61 | 721 | 11.8 | 8 | 34 |
| 2019 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ari. | 36 | 109 | 75 | 804 | 10.7 | 4 | 35 |
| 2016 | Brandon LaFell, Cin. | 30 | 107 | 64 | 862 | 13.5 | 6 | 35 |
| 2016 | Steve Smith Sr., Balt. | 37 | 101 | 70 | 799 | 11.4 | 5 | 37 |
| 2014 | Marques Colston, N.O. | 31 | 100 | 59 | 902 | 15.3 | 5 | 37 |
| 2023 | Brandin Cooks, Dall. | 30 | 81 | 54 | 657 | 12.2 | 8 | 38 |
| 2018 | Jordy Nelson, Oak. | 33 | 88 | 63 | 739 | 11.7 | 3 | 38 |
| 2017 | Mike Wallace, Balt. | 31 | 92 | 52 | 748 | 14.4 | 4 | 38 |
| 2014 | James Jones, Oak. | 30 | 112 | 73 | 666 | 9.1 | 6 | 38 |
| 2021 | Cole Beasley, Buff. | 32 | 112 | 82 | 693 | 8.5 | 1 | 39 |
| 2018 | Demaryius Thomas, 2TM | 31 | 89 | 59 | 677 | 11.5 | 5 | 39 |
| 2023 | Cooper Kupp, LAR | 30 | 95 | 59 | 737 | 12.5 | 5 | 40 |
| 2015 | Anquan Boldin, S.F. | 35 | 111 | 69 | 789 | 11.4 | 4 | 40 |
| 2014 | Malcom Floyd, S.D. | 33 | 92 | 52 | 856 | 16.5 | 6 | 40 |
--Andy Richardson