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The ranking of every NFL team based on their wide receivers rolls on with a shift over to the AFC South. For those of you keeping score at home, this is the fifth division thus far as we inch closer to conference rankings before ending with an overall #1-32.
Admittedly, the AFC South was a lot harder to rank compared to the previous divisions discussed. I'd actually argue it's the toughest one yet. There's just a lot of unknown factors among the four teams, resulting in several shaky fantasy options. I might even go as far as to say that this is the weakest division so far as well. Keep that in mind as we dig a little deeper into these four teams.
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AFC South Receiver Ranks
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
If the Jacksonville Jaguars were able to get any sort of consistent play out of Blake Bortles there's no question they'd be higher on the list. Unfortunately, Bortles is highly erratic under center, causing Jacksonville's playmakers to suffer in the process. Look no further than Allen Robinson's drop off from 2015 to 2016. Robinson had racked up 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns in his sophomore campaign only to falter the following year. 2016 saw Robinson dip down to 883 yards with six scores. Bortles lost roughly 500 yards and 12 touchdowns so it's easy to make the obvious correlation between quarterback play and wide receiver production. That being said, Robinson still needs to be drafted as a WR2 based on talent alone. The days of his borderline superstar status appear to be numbered, but he can still find his way to being productive enough to warrant starting.
Sadly, Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee are unlikely to crack your lineup independent of a bye week. There's just no way to trust quarterback Blake Bortles on a week-to-week basis. There will definitely be weeks where Hurns and Lee will alternate having big games. Predicting or anticipating those weeks will be next to impossible.
3. Tennessee Titans
- Rishard Matthews
- Corey Davis
- Harry Douglas
- Tajae Sharpe
It's kind of incredible how many small details affect the ranking of the AFC South. If it weren't for Corey Davis being a rookie, the Titans would have a shot at a higher ranking as well. Make no mistake, Davis is the most hyped rookie receiver heading into 2017 and rightfully so. He should have no problem being an immediate contributor, especially with Marcus Mariota blossoming into a franchise QB. As with all rookies, though, we never truly know how good players are going to be. It's an obvious albeit important point to make. Davis has the potential to be over drafted in redraft leagues but savvy owners should hope he falls into the WR3/4 range with the potential to crack the starting lineup.
Working a bit backwards, the wideout that currently sits atop the depth chart is Rishard Matthews. Matthews had himself a productive year in 2016, totaling 945 yards with nine touchdowns. Those numbers had him on the border of WR2 status, leaving him as a solid flex play. There's a great chance that those numbers are repeatable so look for Matthews to have similar value in the upcoming season. There's no reason to doubt that both Matthews and Davis can contribute in 2017.
Both Harry Douglas and Tajae Sharpe would need an injury to become fantasy relevant. Douglas may have the edge in terms of the depth chart but Sharpe is by far the more intriguing name. He's a younger player who still has some lingering upside.
2. Houston Texans
Allen Robinson wasn't the only receiver who suffered from poor quarterback play last year. DeAndre Hopkins was dragged down by the likes of Brock Osweiler and Tom Savage. Luckily, the Texans were able to snag Deshaun Watson in the NFL draft, giving them a great chance to rebound in 2017. The only problem with that is simple; there's no guarantee that Watson will actually start come week one. My personal belief (and reason for ranking the Texans second) is that Watson will indeed earn the starting gig, allowing Hopkins to bounce back strongly. It's risky logic, sure, but considering how close these four teams are in terms of wide receivers we're really splitting hairs here anyway.
Hopkins deserves to be ranked and drafted as a high-end WR2 in all formats. His 2016 numbers certainly don't instill confidence. At 954 yards and just four touchdowns, taking Hopkins that high requires a leap of faith. He could end up being one of the biggest steals of the year.
Will Fuller showed flashes of productivity in his rookie season but couldn't string together enough potency to warrant starting consistently. Once again, the Texans were dreadful at quarterback so Fuller will need Watson to earn the starting gig in order to be worthy of a bench stash/bye week fill-in. Similar to Tennessee's Harry Douglas and Tajae Sharpe, Jaelen Strong and Braxton Miller will likely need an injury to earn a look.
1. Indianapolis Colts
T.Y. Hilton took a huge step up in 2016, finishing the year as fantasy's No. 5 receiver in standard scoring. Heading into 2017, he's deserving of a top six-to-eight selection at the position. It really depends on how you feel about the likes of Jordy Nelson, A.J. Green, and Dez Bryant, the big names that should be ranked around him. Wherever Hilton ends up being drafted, he should yield a high return on investment.
Donte Moncrief and Phillip Dorsett cause some serious head-scratching amongst fantasy owners and experts alike. Moncrief was limited to just nine games last year, making him pretty much useless for fantasy purposes. Dorsett, on the other hand, only missed one game but didn't really do much with his opportunities. Moncrief remains an intriguing name as a WR3/flex prospect provided he can stay on the field. His numbers from year one to year two show significant improvement, nearly doubling his yardage and touchdown totals. Basically, you have to pretend the injury plagued season didn't happen and hope he continues trending upward. Unfortunately for Dorsett, his inability to capitalize on a job opening relegates him to waiver wire.
More 2017 Fantasy Football Analysis
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