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Wide Receivers, Tier 1
1. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas
2. Tyreek Hill, Miami
3. Ja\\\'Marr Chase, Cincinnati
4. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota
5. Amon-ra St. Brown, Detroit

A quintet of pass catchers comprise the tier 1 group, each of whom stands to put up a monster season. CeeDee Lamb draws top honors here, as his target volume and the ability of his QB (sorry Justin Jefferson) places him in the pole position to post the most crooked stats. If you prefer Tyreek Hill and his game breaking ability over Lamb, that’s fine too.

Ja’Marr Chase has unique chemistry with QB Joe Burrow, going back to their days as LSU teammates. With Burrow now healthy again, Chase will resume his status as a top-5 fantasy WR. Vikings’ WR Justin Jefferson is the best WR in the NFL, but as mentioned above, takes a ‘slight’ hit here because QBs Sam Darnold and rookie JJ McCarthy don’t invoke the same level of confidence as the QBs of the other tier 1 WRs.

Amon-ra St. Brown rounds out the elite tier, coming off a 119 catch, 1,500+ yards and 10 receiving TD season. St. Brown and QB Jared Goff have a special connection, and expect a repeat performance in 2024.

The tier 1 WRs should all depart draft boards during round 1, with Lamb going has high as number two overall.

Wide Receivers, Tier 2
6. AJ Brown, Philadelphia
7. Puka Nacua, LA Rams
8. Garrett Wilson, NY Jets

AJ Brown kicks off tier 2 in strong fashion. Brown has the skillset to be among the tier 1 group, but falls short of their target volume in the Eagles’ offense. Brown will be good for 100 catches, 1,400 yards and 8 – 10 TDs – not too shabby.

The biggest surprise on the fantasy front last year – Rams’ 2023 fifth round pick Puka Nacua. Nacua burst out of nowhere to win leagues for his owners, with more than 100 catches and just short of 1,500 receiving yards. Nacua and Cooper Kupp form a dynamic receiving duo for the Rams, with Nacua the more desirable to own for fantasy purposes. We finish tier 2 with Garrett Wilson, who has posted incredible numbers in his two years while enduring terrible QB play. With Aaron Rodgers hopefully healthy for 2024, Wilson is positioned for a huge statistical leap.

This trio belongs at the end of round 1 / early round 2.

Wide Receivers, Tier 3
9. Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona
10. Chris Olave, New Orleans
11. Drake London, Atlanta
12. Davante Adams, Las Vegas
13. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay
14. Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco
15. Jaylen Waddle, Miami
16. Nico Collins, Houston

Marvin Harrison Jr. enters the league as one of the most anticipated rookie WRs in some time. A man among boys in college while also coming from great lineage, Harrison should waste no time in becoming an elite WR and the primary target of QB Kyler Murray. Fellow Ohio State alum Chris Olave has a year under his belt with QB Derek Carr, and he’s set up for continued ascension in his third NFL season.

No wide receiver received a larger improvement at QB than the Falcons’ Drake London, going from Desmond Ridder to Kirk Cousins. London looks to post record highs across his stats as Cousins’ primary target. Meanwhile, Davante Adams can look with envy across the league, as the Raiders have done him dirty at QB. New import Gardner Minshew will be the best QB Adams has played with while with the Raiders, and look for a slight uptick across Adams’ numbers, but below his full capabilities.

Bucs’ WR Mike Evans has shown that he’s rock solid, regardless of who’s at QB. From the GOAT Tom Brady to Jameis Winston and now Baker Mayfield, you can lock Evans in for 1,000 yards and 10ish TDs per year. If the 49ers are smart, they’ll hold onto Aiyuk and sign him to an extension. Great connection with QB Purdy and perfect fit in Kyle Shanahan’s scheme. If the 49ers’ trade Aiyuk, his fantasy value will almost certainly take a hit.

Jaylen Waddle may be the WR2 for the Dolphins, but no shame ranking behind Tyreek Hill. Waddle’s 2023 numbers slipped a bit from his stellar 2022, but he should rebound this year – especially with positive regression in the TD department. The last stop in tier 3 brings us to Texans’ WR Nico Collins. The Michigan product broke out last year in his third NFL season, amassing nearly 1,300 yards to go along with 8 TDs. The Texans’ offense will be more crowded now that Stefon Diggs has joined the corps, but expect Collins to be the lead dog in Houston.

The high upside tier 3 group should be picked starting in the middle of round 2 and continuing through round 3.

Wide Receivers, Tier 4
17. DK Metcalf, Seattle 
18. Devonta Smith, Philadelphia
19. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco
20. Stefon Diggs, Houston
21. DJ Moore, Chicago
22. Michael Pittman, Indianapolis
23. Malik Nabers, NY Giants
24. Cooper Kupp, LA Rams

DK Metcalf has knocked on the door of putting together a special season, and now having played two season with QB Geno Smith, expect this year to be his best one yet. Devonta Smith sits second in the Eagles’ WR pecking order behind AJ Brown, but the Eagles feature a prolific enough passing game where Smith has plenty of room to eat as well.

Deebo Samuel has a unique role as a WR who also plays RB in Shanahan’s system. Samuel has been banged up a bit more the last few years, likely due in part to his usage. But health permitting, Samuel should be good for 1k all purpose yards and 8 to 10 TDs. Stefon Diggs’ fantasy value takes a hit in moving from Buffalo to Houston, as he’ll have more competition for the ball, while also now on the wrong side of 30. But Diggs still settles in as a weekly start, low end WR2.

DJ Moore had over 1,300 receiving yards and 8 receiving TDs with Justin Fields and other non-franchise QBs throwing to him last year. Moore inherits an improved QB situation with rookie Caleb Williams in the house, while on the flip side, facing more competition for catches with stud veteran Keenan Allen and rookie sensation WR Rome Odunze joining the team. But Moore will retain his role as the Bears’ lead pass catcher. Meanwhile, Michael Pittman remains the top receiving target for the Colts’ Anthony Richardson, in what expects to be an exciting offense.

The Giants invested their top draft pick in WR chess piece Malik Nabers, who will add multiple exciting dimensions to the Giants’ offense. Nabers has an incredibly high ceiling, but a low floor as well due to having a weak QB situation. Last but not least, Rams’ WR Cooper Kupp wraps up the tier 4 group. Kupp has a special connection with QB Matthew Stafford, but injuries have thrown a wrench into Kupp’s prolific play. If Kupp has fully recovered from his multiple leg injuries, then he’s got the chance to provide exceptional ROI here. Like Nabers, Kupp comes with risk – but in this case the risk persists from his health, not spotty QB play.

Tier 4 consists of many high upside options. The back half of the third round should be the starting point for the group, and going through the end of round 4.

Wide Receivers, Tier 5
25. Amari Cooper, Cleveland
26. Say Flowers, Baltimore
27. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati
28. Terry McLaurin, Washington
29. Rashee Rice, Kansas City
30. Tank Dell, Houston
31. George Pickens, Pittsburgh
32. Keenan Allen, Chicago
33. Christian Kirk, Jacksonville
34. Dionte Johnson, Carolina
35. Calvin Ridley, Tennessee
36. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay
37. DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee

As we enter tier 5, we have less separation over a larger group of WRs. Amari Cooper and Zay Flowers comprise the number one options for their respective teams, each of which plays in an offense more focused on the running game. Tee Higgins provides a high floor option as the number 2 WR in the Bengals’ passing game.

The next two names possess possibly the highest upside of this group. Commanders’ WR Terry McLaurin has posted four consecutive 1,000 yard seasons, and now he comfortably has the best QB of his NFL career throwing to him. As for a very different situation, Rashee Rice has the league’s best QB throwing his way, with whom he developed strong chemistry last year. The question regarding Rice – will he be suspended for his off field actions, and if so, for how long? Rice would bump up to tier 4 if no suspension was forthcoming, but for now we wait.

Tank Dell serves as WR3 for the Texans, but in CJ Stroud’s offense, that makes a top 30 WR. George Pickens’ arrow also points up, as Russell Wilson can take advantage of Pickens’ downfield routes more effectively than last year’s Steelers’ QBs. Keenan Allen provides rookie QB Caleb Williams as a high end, trustworthy WR2.

Christian Kirk enters 2024 as the de facto WR1 for Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars, with incoming rookie Brian Thomas Jr. on his heels. Dionte Johnson heads down to Carolina to become Bryce Young’s new WR1. Johnson’s value increases in PPR leagues and drops in standard leagues.

The Titans imported two new, well known pass catchers in Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins. Both remain quality players, but the question is how effective can QB Will Levis be in getting them the ball? Levis doesn’t hesitate to throw deep, so both Ridley and Hopkins have hope. Finally, the Bucs’ Chris Godwin has consistently posted 1,000 yard seasons – 3 in a row and 4 of the past 5. His TD numbers have also consistently been lagging – no more than 5 TDs in any of the last three seasons, with 10 total TD catches over that time. He’s a better play for PPR league than standard scoring.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder with the tier 5 group, as these rankings will vary widely across different draft boards. Rounds 5 through 7 fit here.

Wide Receivers, Tier 6
38. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle
39. Brian Thomas, Jacksonville
40. Ladd McConkey, LA Chargers
41. Marquise Brown, Kansas City
42. Xavier Worthy, Kansas City
43. Jordan Addison, Minnesota
44. Christian Watson, Green Bay
45. Jayden Reed, Green Bay
46. Courtland Sutton, Denver
47. Rome Odunze, Chicago

Zone 6 contains an interesting mix, as this tier very well could provide the highest ROI among all WR groups. Breakout candidates galore reside here. JSN has seized the WR2 role for the Seahawks, and with a new coaching staff better equipped to highlight his skillset, he’s one of my favorite draft targets this year. Rookies Brian Thomas and Ladd McConkey similarly have very high upside, each of whom has the potential to become their teams’ WR1 this year.

Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy round out a very capable receiving corps for the Chiefs, to go along with the afore-ranked Rashee Rice and tight end superstar Travis Kelce. Brown just suffered a shoulder injury in the first preseason game, so he may miss 1-2 weeks of the regular season – keep an eye on this.

Meanwhile, Jordan Addison plays a very capable WR2 opposite Justin Jefferson, but has inherent risk given the uncertainty at QB for the Vikings. Same issue for Courtland Sutton as the Broncos’ WR1, as rookie Bo Nix or journeyman Jarrett Stidham don’t inspire confidence.

We move now to the Green Bay duo of Christian Watson and Jayden Reed. Both are ascending players in the Packers’ ecosystem, but QB Jordan Love will likely spread the targets around game to game, without a true pecking order. Thus the duo find themselves ranked here and not higher. WR Rome Odunze is my favorite of the 2024 incoming WRs, as he’s a pure route runner with glue for hands. But this year will be tough, with both DJ Moore and Keenan Allen sitting ahead of him on the chart. Odunze should be a target for those of you in dynasty leagues.

The tier 6 options should start coming off draft boards in round 8, lasting no longer than round 10.

Wide Receivers, Tier 7
48. Keon Coleman, Buffalo
49. Tyler Lockett, Seattle
50. Curtis Samuel, Buffalo
51. Mike Williams, NY Jets
52. Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas
53. Jameson Williams, Detroit
54. Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland
55. Brandin Cooks, Dallas
56. Josh Palmer, LA Chargers
57. Romeo Doubs, Green Bay
58. Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans 

As you can see, tier 7 is mostly comprised of veterans. The upside plays here are Bills’ rookie Keon Coleman, the Lions’ Jameson Williams and the Saints’ Rashid Shaheed (aka the non-veterans). For the longer tenured players in this tier, Mike Williams and Josh Palmer provide upside as well. Otherwise you’re looking at solid players whose ceilings are flex players in deeper leagues.

Rounds 11 and onward should be your target for this group, as you fill out your roster.

Draft Strategy:

We’re well in the era where WR depth reigns supreme. As such, the pressure to get a top option right away shouldn’t persist, though you may very well do so because of the way the board lines up. The gameplan at WR – at least one (total, not each) from the tiers 1 – 3 group, with your top 2 WRs coming from within tiers 1 – 4. From there, snag 2-3 guys from within the tier 5-6 block, pursuing upside plays, to fill out your roster at WR3 / flex and depth. There will be players from the tier 5-6 group who perform well above their draft slots, so make sure to make the play for their upside.

Personal Note

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