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Today, fantasy football expert Bill Dubiel takes a look at tiers 5 and 6 for wide receivers. In PPR formats these can be some of the most valuable players to own on your fantasy football teams.
These are the wide receiver rankings for keeper/dynasty formats, and while age isn’t necessarily the only factor, it plays a huge role in these rankings versus redraft leagues.
More rankings: Quarterbacks, Running Backs (Tier 1), Running Backs (Tiers 3, 4), Wide Receivers (Tier 1), Wide Receivers (Tier 2), Wide Receivers (Tiers 3, 4), Tight Ends (Tiers 1, 2), Tight Ends (Tiers 3, 4), Top 200 (Standard), Top 200 (PPR), Rookie Rankings
Tiered Dynasty Wide Receiver Rankings, Tier 5
30) Michael Floyd, 25, ARI
Michael Floyd’s 2014 was not indicative of his talent level, plain and simple. Carson Palmer only played six total games last year, and in the five games that they played together (Floyd missed Week 8), Floyd had three of his best games of the season. With both fully healthy, I have Floyd pegged as a true post-hype sleeper in 2015. Larry Fitzgerald is still the clear number one possession receiver, but Floyd’s 6’3”, 220-lb. frame should make him the primary deep threat. His touchdown total will most assuredly go up with better quarterback play, and an overall improved Cardinal offense should allow him to flirt with low-end WR2 production this season.
31) Nelson Agholor, 22, PHI
Nelson Agholor isn’t going to be a fantasy stud any time soon, but I like his upside down the line. The run-heavy Philadelphia offense will limit his opportunities all season, and I don’t foresee him finding the end zone any more than five times. Agholor should also be an immediate weapon on special teams, which should slightly contribute to his fantasy value. His combination of speed and hands should make him a playable FLEX in 2015, with a higher ceiling in years to come.
32) Golden Tate, 26, DET
Golden Tate got a lot of love from Matthew Stafford in games that Calvin Johnson either missed entirely or missed a significant amount of the snaps. In the games that Johnson played (12), he averaged just over 70 yards per game and had only one touchdown. Expect more of the same in 2015 and beyond, as a healthy Megatron simply doesn’t allow for another wide receiver to be a fantasy stud. The Lions throw enough for Tate to put up WR3 numbers, but his ceiling doesn’t get much higher than that.
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33) Breshad Perriman, 21, BAL
Breshad Perriman might be the most physically-gifted wide receiver to come out of this year’s draft, and definitely justifies the Ravens’ use of a first-round pick. The size and speed combo that Perriman brings to the table (6’2”, 212-lbs., 4.24 40-yard dash) makes him a candidate for immediate impact in the NFL, especially when you consider how thin the Ravens are at wide receiver. It should be Steve Smith Jr. underneath and Perriman over the top, which should allow the rookie to find the end zone quite a few times. He has WR2 potential, but it could take a couple of years to refine his skills. In 2015, you’re looking at a WR3/FLEX candidate but his lack of refined skill makes his floor unplayable.
34) Emmanuel Sanders, 28, DEN
As long as Peyton Manning is throwing him the ball, Emmanuel Sanders is going to produce. Unfortunately, those conditions may not extend past 2015, which explains his low ranking here. He had 1,400 yards on 101 catches last year, which he could definitely replicate in 2015. However, as the Broncos shift to a more balanced offensive attack, I expect his touchdown totals to regress. I like Sanders as a WR2 in 2015, but after that he’ll likely regress to a WR3.
35) Jeremy Maclin, 27, KC
Maclin will be the number one wide receiver in Kansas City in 2015, but that doesn’t mean a whole lot from a fantasy perspective. The Chiefs offense threw exactly zero touchdowns to wide receivers last year—yes, I said zero—and as long as Alex Smith is under center that number probably won’t get much better. This offense runs through Jamaal Charles, and Maclin won’t see many of the deep balls that he was able to capitalize on last year. There’s not much to like here besides the fact that he’ll be pretty consistently targeted on short throws. He’ll likely be a low-end WR3 in PPR leagues, but I don’t see him being any more than a FLEX in standard for the foreseeable future.
36) Dorial Green-Beckham, 22, TEN
The combination of Dorial Green-Beckham and Marcus Mariota has Titans fans excited for the first time in a long time, and with good reason. The video game sized Green-Beckham should be a red zone monster, as his 6’5”, 230-lb. frame makes him a matchup nightmare for just about any cornerback. 2015 won’t be the year that Mariota/Green-Beckham breakout, as I’m sure there will be some growing pains and the Titans still aren’t good overall. Green-Beckham’s production will be touchdown-dependent in 2015, but he could evolve into a WR2 talent in years to come.
Tiered Dynasty Wide Receiver Rankings, Tier 6
37) Brandon Marshall, 31, NYJ
A healthy Brandon Marshall is a bonafide weapon for any offense, but the New York Jets are going to challenge that notion in 2015. The veteran target-monster is easily the top passing option for Geno Smith, but that won’t equate to top-end fantasy production as long as Geno Smith continues to be Geno Smith. There’s not much to like in that offense, and I don’t foresee Marshall putting up any more than seven touchdowns. He should see enough looks to approach 1,000 yards receiving though, so he should still be a high-end WR3/low-end WR2 in 2015. At age 31, Marshall is in the twilight of his career, so his dynasty upside is limited.
38) Martavis Bryant, 23, PIT
Obviously Martavis Bryant can’t sustain the absurd rate at which he caught touchdowns last year—he found the end zone once every six TARGETS. That doesn’t mean he should be written off entirely, though. He’s established himself as a reliable end zone receiver with Ben Roethlisberger, and his 4.4-speed doesn’t limit him to the red zone. The door is open for him to establish himself as an elite secondary receiver, and I like him as a WR3 in 2015, with a higher ceiling as he continues to hone his craft.
39) Jarvis Landry, 22, MIA
Jarvis Landry quietly had a stellar rookie campaign in Miami, and emerged as Ryan Tannehill’s most reliable option in the middle of the field. He had 84 catches on 112 targets in just 11 games started (although he did get into all 16 at some point), and found the end zone five times as well. Unfortunately for Landry’s target prospects, Miami brought in Kenny Stills, Greg Jennings, and rookie DaVante Parker during the offseason. Landry is quicker and more talented than the assumed other slot receiver in Jennings, and Ryan Tannehill has become a fairly reliable top ten quarterback, so I expect that he can still approach 900 receiving yards and five or six touchdowns.
40) Torrey Smith, 26, SF
Torrey Smith had a career year in 2014, piling up 11 touchdowns across 16 games. I can borderline guarantee that number will go down in 2015, as the 49ers offense simply isn’t that good, especially in the passing game. Smith didn’t have a game with over 98 receiving yards last year, so his end of the year fantasy total doesn’t tell the entire story. He’s still one of the faster deep threats in the league, but I don’t trust Colin Kaepernick to find him often enough to make him a useful WR3 anytime soon. He’s got FLEX potential in 2015 and beyond.
41) Julian Edelman, 29, NE
The veteran Edelman is the number two receiving option in New England after Rob Gronkowski, and should continue to be a PPR monster regardless of who is under center in Week 1. Edelman only played 14 games in 2014 thanks to a concussion, and in nine of those 14 games he had six receptions or more. That’s pretty much what you can expect again from Edelman for the next couple of years—900 receiving yards, 100 catches, and four or five touchdowns.
42) DeSean Jackson, 28, WSH
Desean Jackson is still one of the premier deep threats in the NFL, and you pretty much know what you’re going to get at this point from a fantasy perspective. Half of his games are going to be outstanding, and the other half are going to make you tear your hair out. At the top of his game, Jackson is a WR2, but due to his inconsistency I can’t call him any more than a WR3. That combined with the uncertainty at the quarterback position limit Jackson’s upside for 2015 at the least, and perhaps the future going forward.
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