With a loaded receiver draft class on the horizon, it seems strange to spend big on wide receivers in free agency. But that won’t stop GM’s doing just that. Never let anyone tell you the NFL makes sense. Anyway, here’s a way-too-early look at some receivers who you need on your fantasy football team
Way Too Early Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings – Part 3
25. Chris Godwin
Liam Cohen arrives in Tampa to take charge of the playcalling. Cohen was the Rans offensive coordinator when Mayfield started four games for the Rams in 2022. And that was enough to make the QB stand around.
And Mike Evans has just re-signed, so Godwin figures to be playing second fiddle in one of the best-receiving partnerships in the league. He scored 209.2 fantasy points last season as he racked up a third consecutive 1000+ receiving yard season. But he only caught two touchdown passes. The former Penn State receiver did score a rushing touchdown in 2023 though. Godwin averaged 12.2 yards per touch last season, so if Mayfield returns to Tampa Bay he could well be a top 20 fantasy receiver.
26. Jakobi Meyers
The Raiders have signed Gardner Minshew, but since he isn’t better than Aidan O’Connell they must be going to draft a QB too. Presumably,y that’s because Jimmy Garoppolo will be suspended for the first two games of the season. Aidan O’Connell seemed a fine starting quarterback in the 10 games he played last season. His 62.1% completion rate was just 0.5% below Matt Stafford’s and 1.8% behind C.J. Stroud’s. And O’Connell didn’t become the permanent starter until Josh McDaniels was shown the door.
Meyers even threw a touchdown pass in 2023. He scored 218.58 fantasy points in 2023 as he averaged 11.1 yards per touch. If Luke Getsy can get the Raiders offense firing (whoever the starting QB is) Meyers will definitely improve on that total in 2024. His 71 receptions was a career high. And he scored 10 touchdowns, four more than he’d managed in any other season.
27. Keon Coleman
The rookie has been linked to Kansas City in multiple mock drafts. And Patrick Mahomes has to be happy about that. Coleman is 6 feet 4 inches tall and he reached 20.36 mph on the gauntlet drill at the combine! He did suffer the ignominy of running one of the slowest 40-yard dashes of all the receivers in Indy though! His 4.61 seconds was .18 slower than N.C State linebacker Payton Wilson.
Wherever he lands Coleman is going to be a big play threat. But he has all the traits of a rookie who makes difficult catches look easy and routine catches look difficult. The big plays will be enough to rack up the fantasy points though.
28. Jaylen Waddle
The former Alabama receiver was a bit of a forgotten man in Miami last season as he struggled with a back injury and then a high ankle sprain late in the year. He did play in 14 games, but he caught fewer passes than he had in his first two seasons in the league. He has seen fewer targets in each of his three seasons in the league. He was targeted 140 times as a rookie but only saw 104 in 2024.
Waddle still scored 198.6 fantasy points last season (Tyreek Hill had 177.8 more). His four touchdowns were four fewer than he scored in 2022 and his 13.7 yards per touch average was 4 yards below his impressive 2022 average. If Mike McDaniel wants to be in a position to mount a challenge in the postseason he’ll need to find a way to diversify his offense during the regular season. And Waddle will benefit from that.
29. Jayden Reed
The Packers’ speedster averaged 24 yards per catch in Week 1. But he quickly turned from a big play threat to a reliable receiver for Jordan Love. By the end of the season he was averaging 12.39 yards per reception. And in Week 17 he caught all four of his targets for 112 yards (or 28 per reception). He had become a consistent deep threat. But he somehow managed to not catch any of his three targets when the Packers battered the Cowboys in the playoffs. But he followed that up by catching all four targets against the 49ers’ defense who had been a tough cookie to crack in Santa Clara throughout the year.
Rookie receiver Reed scored 217.2 fantasy points in 2023 and that was while the Packers started the season 2-5! If Matt LaFleur can become as unbeatable in September and October as he is in December the Packers could win the NFC. And Reed could go off!
30. Troy Franklin
Franklin underperformed somewhat at the combine, he only ran a 4.4 40-yard time. And that’s pretty fast, but, oddly, he didn’t go faster. Franklin clocked 22.3 mph in pads when Oregon played USC last year. Play speed and sprint speed aren’t always the same thing. But the 21-year-old receiver does still have a pro day to show what he can do. His unexpected performance may work in his favor. If he does fall in the draft then there’s a better chance he’s drafted by a team with a capable quarterback.
If he does find himself in the lower half of the first round he could be as productive as he was in college. Franklin caught 25 touchdown passes in his three years as a Duck. And by the end of the three years, he averaged 15.1 yards per catch!
31. Malik Nabers
Another rookie receiver who could be devastating in the right offense, Nabers was on the end of 14 touchdown passes at LSU last season. And he averaged 17.6 yards per catch last season!
Nabers avoided a disappointing combine performance by refusing to perform any tests at the combine. Ingenius!
32. Zay Flowers
Lamar Jackson was just named MVP of the league for the second time in four years. If you’re going to catch passes from anyone it might as well be the MVP.
As a rookie receiver, Flowers caught 71.3% of his targets. He also carried the ball eight times for 56 yards. He only scored six touchdowns though. So there’s scope for him to improve on his 206.4 fantasy points in his sophomore season.
33. Demario Douglas
Rookie receiver Douglas was one of the brighter spots of a very dark season in New England. Although even he had his issues. Concussion issues to be precise. Douglas missed three games and had to leave one early as he suffered a blow to the head.
But when he was on the field Douglas had an impressive rookie year. He caught 62% of his targets from two quarterbacks who had next to no confidence. And he was on an offense with a pretty terrible offensive coordinator and very inconsistent offensive line play. The only way is up then.
No receiver caught more passes without scoring a touchdown in 2023. With Alex Van Pelt taking over from Bill O’Brien that is going to change.
34. Brian Thomas Jr.
LSU receiver Thomas Jr. Was so good at the combine that he’s flown up big boards, and that’s probably damaged his fantasy prospects. There’s talk that New England is going to target both Thomas Jr. And Jayden Daniels to create a sort of 2021 Bengals vibe around the 2024 Patriots. That would be interesting, but if they don’t fix the pass protection Daniels figures to be running for his life. And if he’s doing that he won’t be passing to anyone.
In 2023 Thomas Jr. Averaged 17 yards per touch and he hauled in 17 touchdown passes. He’s 6 feet 5 inches tall too, so he’ll be a valuable redzone target even if lands in an unfavorable situation.
35. Brandin Cooks
Only CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson saw more targets for the Cowboys than veteran receiver Cooks in 2023. And only CeeDee Lamb scored more touchdowns!
Cooks scored 173.2 fantasy points in 2023 and it’s difficult to see why he won’t do the same in 2024.
36. Rome Odunze
Washington receiver Odunze refused to leave the field until he completed the 3-cone drill in 6.6 seconds at the combine. So you have to love the tenacity, whilst being a tad concerned about his IQ. Who cares how quickly you can perform an exercise when you literally averaged 17.8 yards per touch last season?
Odunze caught 92 passes at Washington in 2023 and only two of them were scoring passes. But he ended the season with 1,677 yards. As with all the rookie receivers who drafts them will be crucial. But even a bad offense will manage to get him the ball enough for him to rack up some yardage.
Main Photo: JIM RASSOL/THE PALM BEACH POST-USA TODAY NETWORK
