X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Ranking The Top Fantasy Receiving Corps - Full NFC Rankings Part 2

RotoBaller's Frankie Soler wraps up ranking every NFC team based on their fantasy wide receiver corps to advise fantasy owners in 2017 fantasy football drafts.

The deeper you dive into the NFC, the tougher it gets to rank each team based on their wide receivers. Of all the entries in this series, part two of the NFC was certainly the toughest one to figure out. There's a whole lot of nitpicking going on here which speaks to the depth of the conference as a whole. Considering this is the last piece before the full ranking of 1-32, it's kind of fitting that it came down to the wire.

Here's your weekly disclaimer: these rankings reflect each team's roster construction at the time of writing. With camp in full swing, August is a crazy time for football moves.

If you want to see the rest of this series, starting by division, click here to get caught up.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

NFC Fantasy Receiving Corps Ranks

8. Atlanta Falcons

Notable Players: Julio Jones, Taylor Gabriel, Mohamed Sanu

Julio Jones is firmly locked into being a top-six pick in all formats for the 2017 season. He's had three consecutive seasons of at least 1,400 yards and six touchdowns, with some monstrous games along the way. Julio alone is enough to bump the Falcons all the way up into the top-10.

On the flip side, the Falcons simply don't have enough sustainable depth to get much higher than eighth. Taylor Gabriel and Mohamed Sanu are fine receivers who've shown flashes of usability. There are bound to be weeks where Sanu and/or Gabriel are worth a look on the waiver wire, probably even as a bye-week fill-in. Atlanta's offense is potent enough to warrant mentioning three names. There just isn't enough relevant data that suggests Sanu and Gabriel warrant anything more than a dart throw.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Notable Players: Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson

The signing of DeSean Jackson has the potential to give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers one of the best one-two combinations in football. Between the size of Mike Evans and Jackson's speed, Jameis Winston must be licking his chops at the possibilities. As far as fantasy goes, Evans had a spectacular 2016, bouncing back from a disappointing sophomore season the year prior. That was mostly due to a weird lack of touchdowns. Now that we know Evans is a legit top-five receiver, the Buccaneers are deserving of a high NFC ranking.

Jackson is the wild card, though. All throughout this series I've mentioned that the rankings reflect a balance between talent, depth, and fantasy scoring. That balance is what gives Tampa Bay the edge over Atlanta. Yes, the Falcons have Julio Jones, and yes, they have three names worth mentioning. The difference is that DeSean Jackson is a proven fantasy commodity. Quality trumps quantity here.  Always a boom-or-bust playmaker who needs a big-time play to rack up fantasy points, Jackson will surely start as a WR3/flex for someone in every league.

6. Arizona Cardinals

Notable Players: Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown, J.J. Nelson

If quality outweighs quantity for the Buccaneers,  you could argue the opposite for the Arizona Cardinals. Larry Fitzgerald continues to be one of the most undervalued players in fantasy, especially in PPR formats. Last year's reception king, Fitzgerald should be viewed as a solid WR2 yet he's continuously ranked/drafted as if he's washed up. His 2016 stat line of 107 receptions, 1,023 yards, and six touchdowns is well within reach with the potential for more scores.

The most intriguing part of Arizona's receivers is that they really have two shots at producing a usable WR2. John Brown has always had considerable hype as a sleeper candidate, flirting with fantasy production along the way. Between complications from his sickle-cell trait and struggles on the field, 2016 was a lost season for Brown. The upside is still there, though.

J.J. Nelson complicates matters as a talented receiver with a ton of potential. He has enough talent to "steal" the No. 2 spot away from John Brown. I put steal in quotations because this is a receiver battle that is far from over. Besides, we've seen the Cardinals produce two-or-three fantasy relevant receivers in the past so there's reason to believe it can happen again. Having three receivers that should be owned in all leagues bumps the Cardinals up in the rankings considerably.

5. Washington Redskins

Notable Players: Terrelle Pryor, Jamison Crowder, Josh Doctson

Terrelle Pryor managed to rack up 1,007 yards and four touchdowns with Snap, Crackle, and Pop under center in Cleveland. Now in Washington, Pryor has massive upside with Kirk Cousins throwing to him. The longer the summer rolls own, the more buzz Pryor seems to be getting and rightfully so. Along with Larry Fitzgerald, Pryor could be one of the most undervalued receivers heading into the new season.

Jamison Crowder benefited from an injured Josh Doctson last year. Still the team's No. 2 receiver, Crowder has himself a decent role as a PPR play. For as usable as Crowder was last year, there's a good chance he's being overdrafted thus far. Nevertheless, he has enough talent to be worth starting as a WR3/flex in most formats.

Josh Doctson's injury issues seem to behind him so expect him to push Crowder for the second spot in the depth chart. It's way too early to claim that Doctson is ready to steal the gig completely, but it's another one of those situations worth monitoring.

If this list were including tight ends, Jordan Reed would basically catapult the Redskins the top. Instead, fifth is where they lie.

4. Philadelphia Eagles

Notable Players: Alshon Jeffery, Jordan Matthews, Torrey Smith

At last the Philadelphia Eagles have found themselves a true No. 1 receiver in Alshon Jeffery. Jeffery's move from Chicago to Philly works in his favor as well. With second-year QB Carson Wentz throwing to him, Alshon now has the best quarterback he's played with in quite a while, possibly the best one he's ever played with in the NFL. Provided he can stay healthy for at least 14 games, Alshon Jeffery should catapult right back up to being a low-end WR1/high-end WR2.

Having Jordan Matthews and Torrey Smith battle it out for your second receiver spot is not a bad problem to have. Both guys have respectable talent and are better suited as a team's secondary option rather than a No.1. Again, quality of depth accounts for a lot in these rankings so this is another combination that carries considerable weight. There are reasons to take a flier on each of them with Matthews getting the edge in PPR, Smith in standard. The Eagles are in great position to have an improved offense in 2017.

3. New Orleans Saints

Notable Players: Michael Thomas, Willie Snead, Ted Ginn

It seems like whenever the New Orleans Saints realize they can produce good receivers at will they decide they might as well ship one off elsewhere. That's what happened this off-season with Brandin Cooks being traded to New England. It doesn't hurt the Saints one iota as they can just rotate Willie Snead and new signee Ted Ginn into the fold. Michael Thomas is the team's primary weapon, though, and should have no issues contributing as a WR1. Even with Drew Brees spreading the ball around, Thomas can easily duplicate his 2016 line of 1,137 yards and nine scores on 92 receptions. In fact, he could even exceed it.

Willie Snead is a sneaky WR2 candidate who isn't being drafted as such. We've established that the Saints rotate receivers at will but they also manage to produce multiple fantasy relevant playmakers simultaneously. With two noteworthy seasons under his belt already, Wille Snead is in line for a sizable uptick in usage.

The only thing standing in Snead's way is the addition of Ted Ginn. Ginn was a thorn in fantasy's side the past two years. There were times where he wasn't even on anyone's radar yet he'd put up big games out of nowhere. Then when he actually did warrant attention, he'd turn back into a pumpkin. A lot of that has to do with being on an inconsistent Carolina offense, a factor that should change in New Orleans. Both Snead and Ginn should be owned in every league thanks to opportunity with Drew Brees at quarterback.

2. Green Bay Packers

Notable Players: Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, Randall Cobb

If Drew Brees is enough to net multiple fantasy wide receivers, Aaron Rodgers is that much better. Jordy Nelson is a fantasy superstar who is just barely a notch below the likes of Julio Jones and Mike Evans. A favorite target of Rodgers, Nelson is on track for another stellar season at wide receiver, earning him high-end WR1 status in every format. Expect well over 1,000 yards and a floor of eight touchdowns.

Davante Adams was a pleasant surprise last year albeit a year too late. Adams was talked up as a breakout candidate when Jordy Nelson tore his ACL in 2015, but he faced injury woes of his own and never produced to his potential. Fast forward to 2016 and Adams ended up with 997 yards and 12 TDs. Now an established contributor in the offense, Adams should be viewed as a low-end WR2.

The days of Randall Cobb as a significant fantasy asset are well behind us. That being said, the Packers are so good offensively that Cobb should absolutely be owned. If anything were to happen to Nelson or Adams, Cobb would automatically be worth a look as a starter. Besides, it's not like Green Bay can't produce three relevant receivers at the same time anyway. With Rodgers throwing to him, Cobb is worth a spot on your bench as a bye-week fill-in.

1. New York Giants

Notable Players: Odell Beckham Jr, Brandon Marshall, Sterling Shepard

The top spot in the NFC goes to the New York Giants, a team that has three different categories of wide receiver. First up is superstar Odell Beckham, another first-round WR1 who is as can't-miss as it gets. OBJ hasn't dipped below 1,300 yards or 10 touchdowns to date so scoop him up in the middle of round one whenever possible.

The addition of Brandon Marshall adds some serious versatility to the Giant offense. Marshall may not have the talent he had earlier in his career, but he's still a big body who can go up and grab a ball in the back of the end zone. That's where Marshall should do most of his damage this year; deep in the red-zone. Eli Manning should have no problem playing to Marshall's strengths, breathing new life into the 33-year old veteran. Forget his last year with the Jets. Brandon Marshall is poised for a big bounce-back season as a WR2/high-end WR3.

Adding Marshall means Sterling Shepard gets relegated to the team's No. 3 wideout. That is perfectly fine, though, as Shepard still has himself a bright future ahead. As far as 2017 is concerned, Shepard certainly deserves to be owned as another one of those bye-week fillers. There's also always the chance that Marshall doesn't pan out the way everyone assumes he will, opening the door for Shepard to fill the void. Not only do the Giants feature three receivers worth owning, but they have the best balance of talent and opportunity.

 

More 2017 Fantasy Football & ADP Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Kyle Stowers

Hits Game-Winning Grand Slam
Jake Meyers

Homers Twice, Drives In Seven On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Practices Fully Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Sunday's Game 1
Mattias Ekholm

Out For Round 2
Corbin Burnes

To Skip Next Start With Shoulder Inflammation
Pavel Dorofeyev

Misses Practice, Remains Day-To-Day
Anthony Volpe

Feels Pop In Shoulder, May Undergo MRI
Sebastian Aho

Back At Practice Saturday
Mark Scheifele

A Game-Time Call For Sunday's Game 7
Ross Colton

To Remain Out For Game 7
Corey Seager

Activated From Injured List, Batting Third As Designated Hitter Saturday
Mackenzie Blackwood

Seeks To Overcome Road Struggles In Game 7
Jake Oettinger

Looks To Bounce Back Saturday
Detroit Lions

Jakobie Keeney-James Signs With Detroit
Tommy Edman

Heading To 10-Day Injured List
Justin Haley

Could Be A Sleeper At Texas
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

. A Solid Place-Differential Play At Texas
Savion Williams

Packers Sign Third-Round Rookie Savion Williams
Todd Gilliland

Will Likely Struggle At Texas On Sunday
Ty Dillon

Has Sneaky Potential At Texas
Cody Ware

Fails Pre-Race Inspection And Qualifies 36th At Texas
Jackson Merrill

To Rehab At Double-A, Expected To Return Monday
Philadelphia Eagles

Mac McWilliams Signs Rookie Deal With Eagles
Joe Noteboom

Baltimore Adds Joe Noteboom
Merrill Kelly

Still Dealing With Cramping
Fernando Tatis Jr.

In Saturday's Lineup
New York Mets

Mets, Cardinals Postponed On Saturday
John Williams

Packers Sign John Williams, Five Other Draft Picks
José Ramírez

Jose Ramirez Out On Saturday
Jalen Ramsey

Ravens A Candidate To Trade For Jalen Ramsey?
Amari Cooper

Cowboys Could Be Best Fit For Amari Cooper
Triston Casas

Diagnosed With Ruptured Left Patellar Tendon
Coby Mayo

Promoted To Major Leagues
Yordan Alvarez

Scratched With Hand Inflammation
Clarke Schmidt

Scratched On Saturday With Side Soreness
Miro Heiskanen

Unavailable For Game 7
Riley Greene

Makes History, Homers Twice In The Ninth Inning
Jason Robertson

Will Not Play In Game 7
Connor Hellebuyck

Continues To Struggle Away From Home
Cal Raleigh

Slugs Two Homers, Collects Five RBI On Friday
Cole Perfetti

Nets A Power-Play Goal In Game 6 Loss
Jordan Binnington

Outstanding At Home Again
Cam Fowler

Notches 10th Postseason Point
Philip Broberg

Records Two Points In Friday's Win
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Hits Two More Homers, Cubs Trounce Brewers
Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks Sign 17 Undrafted Free Agents
Elijah Arroyo

Recovered From Knee Injury
Hunter Greene

Shuts Down Nationals, Fans 12 Over Six Innings Pitched
Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Add Nine Rookie Free Agents
Philadelphia Eagles

Jihaad Campbell Not Taking Part In Rookie Minicamp
Jerome Ford

Agrees To Pay Cut
Green Bay Packers

Jaire Alexander Not Participating In Voluntary Offseason Work
Christian Watson

Working Hard In Recovery From Torn ACL
Triston Casas

At The Hospital, Expected To Be Out A While
Fernando Tatis Jr.

X-Rays Come Back Negative On Fernando Tatis Jr.'s Forearm
Damian Lillard

Undergoes Successful Surgery
Sebastian Aho

Misses Practice For Personal Reasons
Eric Robinson

Misses Friday's Practice
Oliver Bjorkstrand

Recovering From Surgery
Victor Hedman

Nursing Broken Right Foot
Brandon Hagel

Diagnosed With Concussion
Tyler Tucker

To Remain Out On Friday
Nikolaj Ehlers

Expected To Return Friday
Ross Dwelley

Returns To 49ers
San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco Adds D.J. Humphries
Green Bay Packers

Collin Oliver Signs Four-Year Deal With Green Bay
Philadelphia Eagles

Smael Mondon Jr. Inks Rookie Deal With Philly
Deiveson Figueiredo

Returns To Action
Cory Sandhagen

Set For UFC Des Moines Main Event
Bo Nickal

Set For Co-Main Event
Reinier de Ridder

An Underdog At UFC Des Moines
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks To Win Second Consecutive Fight
Santiago Ponzinibbio

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Daniel Marcos

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Hunter Renfrow

Ulcerative Colitis Kept Hunter Renfrow Out Of NFL In 2024
Montel Jackson

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Sign First-Rounder Tyler Booker To Four-Year Deal
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Trying To Get Something Done With Trey Hendrickson?
Cameron Smotherman

Set For His Second UFC Bout
Serhiy Sidey

A Favorite At UFC Des Moines
Mason Jones

Set To Open Up UFC Des Moines Main Card
Jeremy Stephens

Returns For UFC Des Moines
Isaiah Stewart

Out On Thursday
Amen Thompson

Fills Stat Sheet In Game 5 Victory
Stephen Curry

Held To 13 Points Wednesday Night
Anthony Edwards

Struggles To Score In Series-Clincher
Rudy Gobert

Comes Up Big In Game 5 Victory
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Battles Back Issue In Game 5 Loss
LeBron James

Undecided On Future
Derrick Jones Jr.

Fine For Thursday
Maxi Kleber

Available For Lakers Debut Wednesday
Jonathan Kuminga

Out With An Illness
Jimmy Butler III

Ready To Play Wednesday
Isaiah Stewart

In Danger Of Missing Another Game Thursday
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Build Off Last Week's Runner-Up Finish
Gary Woodland

Could See Success At CJ CUP
Cam Davis

Making First Appearance At TPC Craig Ranch
Sam Burns

Could Be Due For A Great Week At TPC Craig Ranch
Patrick Rodgers

A Solid Value Play At TPC Craig Ranch
Jamal Murray

Explodes For 43 Points In Game 5
Carson Young

Looking To Recapture Form At CJ Cup
Jayson Tatum

Fires In 35 Points In Series-Clincher
Matt McCarty

An Intriguing Value Play At CJ Cup
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Logs Massive Triple-Double In Game 5
Maxi Kleber

Listed As Questionable For Game 5
Will Zalatoris

Searching For Putting Form At CJ Cup
Rob Dillingham

Out On Wednesday
Jae'Sean Tate

Still Out On Wednesday
Sam Stevens

A Risky Play With Upside At CJ Cup
PGA

Sungjae Im Riding Momentum Into CJ Cup
Ben Griffin

Looking To Stay Hot After First Career Win
Jake Knapp

Looking For More Success At TPC Craig Ranch
Mackenzie Hughes

Is An Interesting Option At CJ Cup
Aldrich Potgieter

Trending Downward For CJ Cup
Taylor Pendrith

Plays Well In Houston Recently
PGA

Niklas Norgaard May Not Be Cut Out For Texas
Rasmus Hojgaard

Could Be Up Or Down In Texas
Scottie Scheffler

The Untouchable Favorite At CJ Cup
Tom Kim

A Popular Name To Avoid At TPC Craig Ranch
Austin Eckroat

Looking To Find Success Again At TPC Craig Ranch
Ben Kohles

Finishes Tied For 59th At Corales Puntacana Championship
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF