July 24, 2017

Adam Hammer looks at RotoBaller's 2017 preseason PPR rankings for wide receivers (WR). These players should provide elite value for fantasy football teams.

As NFL training camps kick into gear, we take a position-by-position look at the RotoBaller PPR player rankings to help prepare you for draft day.

Stop me if you've heard this before, but the NFL is a passing league. In 2006, just two teams averaged 250+ passing yards per game. Ten seasons later, nearly half of the league hit that mark (12 teams to be exact). As the league has evolved, so has fantasy football, and the wide receiver position has been the biggest benefactor. Gone are the days of the first round being dominated by running backs, and here to stay are elite WRs going in the top five and ten.

With that in mind, here are the top twelve PPR WRs as we near the start of the 2017 season.

2017 PPR Rankings: Wide Receivers

1. Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants

What is there left to say about this guy? The fiery former first-round pick has launched himself into superstardom with three consecutive monster seasons to start his career, posting 1300+ yards and double digit touchdowns in each of them. Scary part is there's absolutely no signs of slowing down either. The Giants addition of Brandon Marshall could actually open things up more for OBJ, who is as sure a thing as sure things come as part of a high-powered pass-first offense. He should be considered a top-five pick in all formats and is likely to improve upon his 13.5 yards per reception from last year. Although an argument can certainly be made for Brown at the top spot, you're splitting hairs when it comes to elite players such as these.

2. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers

Speaking of sure things, Brown may as well be 1B to Beckham's 1A. The 4-time NFL All-Pro has been the definition of consistency, now coming off his third straight year as fantasy's top PPR wide receiver. Averaging a whopping 176 targets per year in that span, you'd be hard-pressed to find a receiver as integrated into his offense as Brown is in Pittsburgh. Often referred to as the best WR in football, Brown should have no problem hauling in another 100 catches, 1,200 yards, and double digit touchdowns. Much like OBJ, he's a top-five pick in all formats.

3. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On his way to one of fantasy's breakout seasons, Mike Evans asserted himself early and often in 2016. Tallying eight touchdowns in the first eight games, he averaged nearly 13 targets per game in the first half of the year. And though he finished as fantasy's #3 PPR WR, the targets (and thus the numbers) tapered off in the second half. The inconsistency is a small concern, but the presence of DeSean Jackson and rookie tight end O.J. Howard in Tampa Bay should also take away a good chunk targets. Evans will return WR1 value this year, but don't expect a repeat of 2016.

4. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

No stranger to the first round, Julio enters yet another season with serious expectations. Many call 2016 a down year for him, due to just 83 receptions and 6 touchdown catches, but finishing as fantasy's #6 WR (in PPR leagues) is no down year. His 17.0 yards per reception was the highest since his rookie season, and he's the only receiver in football coming off a fourth straight season averaging 100+ yards per game (Antonio Brown only has two such seasons in his last four, for reference). You should feel more than comfortable taking him as the third WR off the board in the first half of the first round.

5. A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

On track for possibly the best year of his career, A.J. Green's season was cut short by a hamstring tear in the early goings of Week 11. He has since been fully cleared for all offseason activities and is a full go for 2017. When healthy, the former Georgia Bulldog was averaging a career best 96.4 yards per game and was on track for nearly 200 targets. The Bengals picked up Joe Mixon in this year's draft, but the lack of additional playmakers in their offense all but ensures another big workload for Green. Hamstrings are known to be nagging injuries, but fire him up as your WR1 and a potential first rounder.

6. Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers

The NFL's Comeback Player of the Year after missing all of 2015 due to a torn ACL, Nelson came back with a bang. Reasserting himself as Aaron Rodgers' #1 target in the high-powered Packers offense, he specifically put up elite numbers inside the 20, leading the league in red zone targets (35), red zone completions (22), and red zone touchdowns (11). Though it's unlikely he will replicate that kind of red zone success again, Nelson's current ADP 0f 1.12 is about right.

7. Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders

The first true boom-or-bust WR on this list, Cooper's inconsistency in his first two seasons will keep some fantasy owners away, but his upside in a potentially budding Oakland offense makes his mid second round ADP worthwhile. There has never been any doubt of his talent level, but it has yet to come together in a full season for Alabama's all-time leading receiver. He's had 130 and 132 targets respectively to start his career, and he'd likely make owners happy if he could replicate his 83 reception mark from last year.

8. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints

The stage is officially set for Drew Brees' new favorite toy. Thomas set the league ablaze in 2016 as he led the prolific New Orleans offense in targets, receptions, and touchdowns. Couple that with the departure of Brandin Cooks, who led the team in the only receiving stat that Thomas didn't lead in, yards, and there is very little standing in the way of Thomas nearing elite status. It's a lot to ask for of the second-year player, but he relished the opportunity in year one and should easily return WR1 value this year.

9. T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts

When you think about wideouts that get a bump for PPR, T.Y. Hilton is probably not a name that crosses your mind. However, maybe it's time to start thinking about the speedy sixth-year man as just that. Hilton has averaged just under 140 targets per season over the last four, and, outside of his rookie season, only fell shy of 82 receptions once when Andrew Luck has played the entire season. He is consistent, explosive, and the clear number one option for one of the league's best young QBs. Feel free to draft him in the second round as your top receiver.

10. Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks

Russell Wilson has thrown for more passes for more yards in each and every year since his rookie season in 2012 as the Seahawks offense has transformed from complimentary and run-heavy to well-oiled and balanced. And Doug Baldwin has been the single biggest benefactor. He, too, has racked up more receiving yards in every season since 2012, and 2016 was his crowning jewel thus far, totaling 94 receptions and 1,128 yards on the way to his first ever top-ten fantasy finish (for PPR WRs). You will see some week-to-week inconsistency and a probable drop off from his total numbers, but Baldwin is a borderline WR1/2 heading into 2017.

11. Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys

Remember the old days when Bryant was a top-tier fantasy WR putting up double-digit touchdowns on a regular basis? Well since then, the 6'2'' former All-American has been plagued by back-to-back injury-ridden seasons, and all the buzz in Dallas is centered around Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott. There's no doubt about his productivity when healthy, but his second-round ADP comes with obvious risk. This will be his first go-around in what is probably now a run-first offense, but Dez is almost a guarantee to return WR1 value if he can stay on the field.

12. DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans

Considered a first-rounder in most fantasy circles last season, Hopkins finished as just WR27 in PPR leagues and failed to pass 1,000 yards for the first time since 2013. His 51% catch percentage, 59.6 yards per game, and four total touchdowns just emphasizes what was a stark drop off after a monster 2015. The targets were there (151), but the QB play in Houston was lackluster at best. There is WR1 potential here, but it's tough to consider Hopkins as such until his QB play improves.

You can find the remainder of the full RotoBaller PPR player rankings HERE, which will be updated continuously throughout the preseason.

More 2017 Fantasy Football & ADP Analysis