The first wave of NFL free agency is officially in the books, which means it’s time to turn our attention to fantasy football wide receiver rankings. The free agency process is one of the biggest parts of the NFL offseason, and each move has lasting impacts throughout the league. Betting on last year’s success alone is a good way to lose your fantasy league, so let’s take a look at the best fantasy football wide receivers after free agency.
Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings – Post Free Agency Edition
Tier 1: Top Five
1. Michael Thomas
2. Tyreek Hill
3. DeAndre Hopkins
4. Davante Adams
5. Julio Jones
Michael Thomas is coming off one of the greatest seasons in the history of fantasy football. While he probably won’t be THAT dominant again, he still has his magical connection with Drew Brees and an ideal target share. Tyreek Hill is the most dangerous deep threat in the league playing with the NFL’s best quarterback in the league’s most unstoppable offensive system. Nobody would be surprised if he ends the year as the WR1. DeAndre Hopkins is a beast, but he might need some time to hit his stride with a new offense and new quarterback.
Davante Adams should be his reliable self, even if the Packers add a guy like Robby Anderson or Emmanuel Sanders. The same goes for Julio Jones, as no matter what happens, he’s going to be locked in as the top target in a high-powered offense.
Tier 2: Solid WR1
6. Mike Evans
7. Chris Godwin
8. Amari Cooper
9. Kenny Golladay
10. Tyler Lockett
11. D.J. Moore
12. Adam Thielen
Don’t worry about Tom Brady fitting in with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in Tampa’s offense. Even though they probably won’t be in as many shootouts without Jameis Winston, Brady has a long history of providing fantasy relevance for the top targets in his passing attack. Amari Cooper is going to be the same guy he was in 2019 – you’ll love to have him on your team 2/3’s of the time, and he’ll ruin your week the other third.
Tyler Lockett needs no explanation, and he could soar up these rankings if Seattle actually lets Russell Wilson throw the ball. D.J. Moore is a dangerous weapon in the short and intermediate part of the field, and now he has a quarterback with one of the lowest average depth of targets in the league. Adam Thielen is left all alone in Minnesota and should see a ridiculous target share without Stefon Diggs.
Tier 3: WR1 potential
13. Keenan Allen
14. Courtland Sutton
15. Allen Robinson
16. Odell Beckham
Keenan Allen, Courtland Sutton, and Allen Robinson are all fantastic wide receivers that could easily finish as WR1’s. However, their respective unknowns at quarterback make them too risky to take as a top-12 option. Odell Beckham has the highest upside of this group, but he struggled to develop chemistry with Baker Mayfield and hasn’t played a full season in good health since 2016.
Tier 4: Solid WR2
17. A.J. Brown
18. D.J. Chark
19. Robert Woods
20. Cooper Kupp
21. Juju Smith-Schuster
22. Terry McLaurin
23. D.K. Metcalf
24. DeVante Parker
A.J. Brown is a legitimate stud, but his production will suffer from Ryan Tannehill’s inevitable regression. D.J. Chark should thrive with Gardner Minshew and no other targets of note in Jacksonville, but the passing volume probably isn’t high enough to make him a true WR1. Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are trapped in an uncertain Los Angeles Rams offense that doesn’t know what it wants to be.
Juju Smith-Schuster is a talented receiver, but last year proved he can’t thrive with bad quarterbacking. Betting on Juju is also betting on a 38-year old quarterback coming back from a season-ending arm injury without missing a beat. Terry McLaurin is fantastic, but Dwayne Haskins is not. D.K. Metcalf will never be the top option in Seattle’s passing attack, but he’s so explosive that it might not matter. DeVante Parker had a breakout season with Ryan Fitzpatrick, but can he repeat his success with a rookie quarterback?
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