Road to #1 Receiver - AFC North

July 23, 2018

Which wide receivers in the AFC North could jump up to WR1 status in 2018 fantasy football leagues? Martin Konstantinov examines four WR who could outperform draft day ADP and be valuable sleepers in PPR leagues.

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 twelve at the position who could finish among the league's best when all is said and done. Today, let's look at the AFC North and see who could be that next elite receiver. You can check out the AFC East or AFC West as well.

Wide Receivers - AFC North

Juju Smith-Schuster, PIT

It is no easy thing to perform well as a rookie wide receiver. Since the legendary 2014 draft class, numerous top selections have failed to impress NFL coaches and have found themselves on the sidelines more often than not. However, 2017 second-round pick JuJu Smith-Schuster did the opposite. Not only did he establish himself as one of the top options in the Steelers passing game, but the speedy USC receiver ended up with 917 yards and seven receiving touchdowns (along with one return touchdown) to finish the year as a bonafide WR2. We've seen it before with Pittsburgh producing two viable receivers in Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant. Now, with Bryant moving on to the Raiders, JuJu will have the number two position all to himself (despite the presence of rookie James Washington).

Smith-Schuster undoubtedly had a huge impact on the Steelers 2017 season, and every indication points to an improvement in 2018 as the locked-in supporting option for Antonio Brown. Smith-Schuster has the chance to break the 1,000-yard barrier and approach double-digit touchdowns in an offense that has shown that it can support two very successful wide receivers as well as All-Pro running back Le'Veon Bell. The ex-USC receiver is currently being drafted in the middle of the 4th round; although this may be a little too high given the fact that he is not the team's premier receiving option, the talent and production, as well as the upside, speak for themselves. Look for Smith-Schuster to establish himself as an upper-level WR2 this season and potentially a low-end WR1 (like Martavis Bryant was for that stretch in 2015).

Michael Crabtree, BAL

Crabtree is currently being drafted just behind players like Corey Davis in the 7th round so far this offseason, which is crazy considering that the ex-Raiders receiver has 25 touchdowns in his last three years and is one year removed from a 1,000 yard, eight touchdown campaign. Like the entire Raiders offense, Crabtree regressed in 2017, putting up only 618 yards on 58 grabs in 14 games (he still scored eight times, however). Now, with a new team in the form of the Baltimore Ravens, the veteran wide receiver has the chance to show why he should still be considered a top option for his team.

Although the Ravens have struggled to produce a top-level wide receiver in recent seasons, Crabtree is probably the best player they have had and the one with the highest chance to work well regardless of who is the quarterback. Due to his red-zone prowess and receiving ability, Crabtree is an underrated WR2 value who has the potential to be a top-level receiver if he is able to go back to his 2016 form. Additionally, if Lamar Jackson takes over the quarterback spot, we could see Crabtree's upside truly unlocked, making him a borderline WR1 as the top target on what should be a much more explosive offense in 2018.

John Ross, CIN

After setting the internet on fire with his 4.22 40-yard dash, wide receiver John Ross was selected tenth overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2017 Draft. However, the speedy wide receiver had a disastrous rookie campaign, leading head coach Marvin Jones to fall under heavy criticism. Ross was injured for a few games and a healthy scratch for others, only mustering up one rushing attempt for ten yards and zero receptions. ZERO receptions as a rookie - not a good start for Ross's career. However, the young ex-Washington wide receiver will have the chance to redeem himself as he fights for a starting spot opposite A.J. Green. Although Ross is a long-shot to finish as a WR1, he is currently going undrafted in 12-man leagues and has the upside to at least be a solid contributor if he can get on the field in 2018.

Jarvis Landry, CLE

Landry finally got a big-money move after leaving the Miami Dolphins for the Cleveland Browns this offseason. Landry led the league in 2017 with 112 receptions and has never had less than 84 receptions (84, 110, 94, 112) in his four years in the NFL. Although Landry always had the yardage and reception totals to justify a high draft cost, he never had the touchdown numbers, scoring just four touchdowns in 2016. However, Landry had nine short-range touchdowns in 2017, demonstrating that he was a useful weapon in the red-zone.

Now, with a move to the Cleveland Browns, Landry enters an offense with receivers such as Josh Gordon, Corey Coleman, Antonio Callaway, and scatback Duke Johnson. However, let's not forget how much money Landry was paid to be a Browns player and the fact that Landry had 112 receptions while playing with Kenny Stills (105 targets) and Devante Parker (94 targets) last year. Even if Landry loses 30 receptions, we are still talking about an 82 reception player who could have over 1,000 yards and should have a good chance to find the end zone playing with quarterback Tyrod Taylor and potentially Baker Mayfield. Landry is a high-end WR2 in PPR and half-PPR formats and could end up as a locked-in WR1 when all is said and done this year.

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