Three Fantasy Football No. 1 Wide Receivers to Avoid in 2024 Drafts

August 9, 2024

Who are three WR1s fantasy managers should avoid in 2024 fantasy football drafts? Joey Pollizze looks at three fake alpha wide receivers for this upcoming season.

When looking for wide receivers in fantasy football drafts, you want playmakers who are the top option on their offense. Those WR1s will see most of the targets while likely being a consistent fantasy option. Just look at wideouts like Keenan Allen, Michael Pittman Jr., and Adam Thielen last year.

Those wideouts weren't going in the first three rounds of drafts but were the clear alphas in their respective offenses. Allen, Pittman, and Thielen then all went on to finish as a top 17 wide receiver in PPR formats. On the other end of that, though, there are also WR1s who fall short of expectations every year. Drake London finished as the WR37 in PPR formats last season, while Diontae Johnson finished as the WR45. 

Taking an alpha wide receiver doesn't always pay off, so fantasy managers must be careful in taking certain ones in drafts this season. Here are three WR1s to avoid in 2024 fantasy football drafts. 

Stefon Diggs, Houston Texans 

No one truly knows who Houston's top wideout will be in 2024. We also likely won't get that answer until at least Week 1 begins. However, wide receiver Stefon Diggs could start the season in that role after the Texans traded multiple picks to acquire him. ESPN lists Diggs as the team's WR1 over both Nico Collins and Tank Dell, so, for the sake of this article, we are going to label the veteran as the WR1. 

As a result, he is a player fantasy managers should be avoiding in drafts this season. Diggs is currently going as the WR16 with an ADP of 29.5 on Sleeper. That seems too high for a wideout who struggled at the end of the 2023 season on a Bills offense that only featured him in the passing game. From Week 10 to Week 18, Diggs only caught 37 passes for 349 yards and one touchdown. That means he only averaged 4.1 catches and 38.8 yards per game over those final nine weeks.

I be runnin’ routes, Stefon Diggs 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/viY5lG78q5

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) July 27, 2024

While this is a new season and he'll be playing in a new offense, it was evident that the veteran lost a step toward the end of last year. So, there are some question marks in drafting him in 2024, especially since he averaged just 9.8 PPR fantasy points during the final nine weeks. On top of that, Diggs now goes to an offense that already features solid wideouts. Even if he is the team's WR1, Collins and Dell will surely see their fair share of targets in 2024.

That's why we could see some inconsistency from the 30-year-old in fantasy this year. It's hard to see him totaling over 155 targets as he has in each of the past four seasons. There are just too many weapons in Houston's offense, which is why Diggs should be avoided at his ADP. 

Malik Nabers, New York Giants

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers will be a superstar in the league one day. He totaled 89 catches for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns in his final college season at LSU and was just drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The good news for the rookie is that he'll immediately come in and serve as the Giants' WR1. 

But it's going to be hard to trust him in fantasy every week this year due to his quarterback. Daniel Jones has never been known as an elite passer and struggled in his six games last season before tearing his ACL. Jones only threw for 909 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions. Even when he had a great year in 2022 -- leading the Giants to the playoffs -- he only threw for 3,205 yards and 15 touchdowns. 

I’ve ALWAYS defended Daniel Jones. He’s been the second best quarterback in the NFC East since I can remember.

But these training camp clips are starting to make me second guess myself…. pic.twitter.com/1lJECEnUDR

— That Hurts (@That_Hurts) July 26, 2024

As a result, Nabers could find himself having a low floor in fantasy in 2024. The rookie will see a ton of targets in his first season, but how many of those targets will be catchable? Jones hasn't looked great in training camp so far and has missed some easy throws. That's why fantasy managers should be passing on the former LSU star at his 38 ADP on Sleeper. 

Nabers is a talented wide receiver and could pop off in his first year in the league. However, there is some risk in drafting him as your WR2, given the quarterback situation in New York. 

Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers 

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed showed a ton of promise in his rookie season in 2023. He quickly emerged as the Packers' WR1 by the end of the season after totaling 64 catches for 793 yards and eight touchdowns. The young wideout also caught at least four passes in nine of the final 10 games. So, it's fair to assume that was just the start of Reed's rise to stardom.  

However, there are plenty of question marks surrounding Reed entering his second season. Is he even the team's WR1? How much will he be involved with Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, Luke Musgrave, Tucker Kraft, and Josh Jacobs also seeing targets in the passing game? The young wideout was great last year, but multiple playmakers were out throughout the season, which helped his fantasy value. 

Many fantasy managers are banking on Reed to take his game to the next level this season. However, that might not be the case due to Green Bay's crowded wide receiver room. Andy Herman -- who covers the team for Packers Report -- says that Reed, Watson, Doubs, and Wicks continue to rotate at the position in training camp.

The Packers rotate wide receivers extremely liberally in practice. There’s no real sense of rotation or starters. Doubs, Wicks, Reed, and Watson are all going to see the field a ton. https://t.co/MliiKnd6Eo

— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) July 31, 2024

That's why it's hard to take a chance on Reed at his 73.7 ADP. While he isn't going as early as other WR1s, there is some risk in drafting him in the sixth or seventh round. He might be battling for playing time for most of the year unless Watson, Doubs, or Wicks gets injured. 

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