Road to #1 Receiver - AFC East

Each year, elite wide receivers are some of the mainstays of fantasy football rosters. With high target shares and production values, these consensus top-tier wide receivers are some of the first names off of draft boards and consistently perform well throughout the season.

However, there is also a good amount of unpredictability at the position, with breakout players appearing from out of nowhere year-in and year-out. Whether they dominate for stretches over the year or end up as top-level talents themselves, unproven or underrated wide receivers represent a very good opportunity for fantasy owners entering drafts due to their lower draft capital and high production premiums.

In this series, we will go through each NFL division and point out one wide receiver on each team in that division that is currently ranked outside of the top-12 at the position who could finish among the league's best when all is said and done. Today, let's look at the AFC East and see who could be that next elite fantasy receiver.

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Wide Receivers - AFC East

Kelvin Benjamin, BUF

Currently being drafted in the first few picks of the 11th round (according to fantasyfootballcalculator.com's half-PPR ADP's), Kelvin Benjamin is not even close to being ranked among the top twelve at the position entering the 2018 NFL season. The 6'5'', 245-pound receiver who was originally a first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers played rather poorly in an injury-muddled and midseason trade season. In fact, Benjamin was only able to put up 217 yards and one touchdown in his six games for the Bills in 2017. When you look at his season-long stats, it's still not that great. Benjamin ended up with 692 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games, which are still rather poor numbers for a wide receiver who supposedly has a chance to finish among the league's best in 2018.

However, the young receiver's career has had interesting twists and turns, starting with his 1,000-yard, nine-touchdown rookie year (which is extremely impressive considering how new he was to the Panthers offense). Benjamin missed the entire 2015 season with an injury, but came back in 2016 and had 941 yards and seven scores after being reunited with quarterback Cam Newton. If you think about it, Benjamin has had two seasons indicative of his potential and two seasons that were surrounded by unfortunate circumstances. Now, with a full offseason under his belt, Benjamin becomes one of the focal points of a Bills offense that is in desperate need of playmakers not named LeSean McCoy. Although it's a bit of a longshot in terms of WR1 probability, Benjamin has the talent and will certainly have the opportunity be a solid WR2 this year (which is incredible value given his draft cost) and could even push for lower level WR1 territory.

Kenny Stills, MIA

Stills is being drafted just behind Benjamin in the 11th round so far this offseason, which is crazy considering his high-end WR3 finish in half-PPR formats last year. Stills ended the 2017 season with 847 yards and six touchdowns, which represented a decrease from his previous year total of nine touchdowns with only 726 yards. Remember, Stills played last year with Jay Cutler as the starting quarterback; now, the former Saints wideout lines up once again with Ryan Tannehill, who is in a make-or-break year under head coach Adam Gase.

Although there is significant competition in the form of Devante Parker, Albert Wilson, and Danny Amendola, the Dolphins have shown that they can have three successful wide receivers in the past. Furthermore, Stills has shown that he is the most talented wideout on the roster and the team's premier deep threat. With the departure of Jarvis Landry to the Browns, 196 targets freed themselves up - even if Wilson and Amendola take the majority of those short yardage looks, expect Stills to improve his target, reception, and yardage totals from last year. We could be looking at a 1,000 yard, high-scoring receiver when all is said and done in 2018, making Stills worthy of solid WR2 production and a chance to sniff WR1 territory.

Julian Edelman, NE

Yes, he is starting with a four-game suspension. Yes, he missed all of last year with an injury. Yes, his seventh-round draft cost is a little high. However, when healthy and playing, it is almost a guarantee that Julian Edelman will be a WR1 in half-PPR and PPR formats. Playing alongside Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, the speedy slot receiver has shown that he can have 90+ catch, 1,000-yard seasons and still find the end zone a decent amount. With the Patriots looking to emphasize the ground and short-passing game, Edelman becomes a premier candidate to be a WR1 once he steps on the field. Don't be afraid to invest in Edelman, even with his suspension. If you can afford to stash him for the first four weeks of the season, his production could pay off in a big way once he comes back to the field.

Quincy Enunwa, NYJ

The New York Jets forgotten man, Enunwa is currently going undrafted in 12-team fantasy drafts. With options like Robby Anderson and Terrelle Pryor, many are forgetting that Enunwa put up 857 yards and four scores in a 2016 season that featured wide receivers like Eric Decker (who got injured fairly early on) and Brandon Marshall. However, Enunwa missed the 2017 season due to injury and now comes back into an equally crowded receiver room.

Despite these obstacles, Enunwa has a good shot to lead the Jets in receiving in 2018. With Robby Anderson potentially getting suspended and Terrelle Pryor demonstrating that he could be a one-year wonder after a failed season with the Redskins, Enunwa is a good option to bounce back and lead the team once again while playing with signal-callers like Sam Darnold, Teddy Bridgewater, and Josh McCown. Although his WR1 chances are pretty slim, you will undoubtedly find great value in drafting Enunwa as your last receiver. Who knows, he could end up being a league-winning lottery ticket if he is able to capitalize on a larger target share to start the season.

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