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

Biggest Risers and Fallers of 2016 - Wide Receivers

2016 wasn't exactly an exciting year for traditional rookie storylines. Unlike the emergence of Odell Beckham Jr. via one-handed grab in 2014, or the dominant arrival of guys like Amari Cooper last year. Ultimately, 2016 revealed no red carpet for the heir to the throne (though one rookie made a pretty dominant case.) Unlike the debut of Zeke Elliott in the ground game, we will have to wait until 2017 to see a potential rookie contender, or see if 2016 first rounder's like Josh Doctson are healthy and talented enough to prove his worth (the same can also be said, more begrudgingly and less hopefully, of circa-2015 draft Kevin White.)

The receiving heroes of 2016 are the men who were largely ignored: a man with unreliable hands, a rookie in a very crowded offense, and a receiver whose workload was generally due to a Wally Pipp-like scenario. The disappointments of 2016 were more the stuff of great fanfare: the ultra-talented star who always carried the water for his less impressive quarterbacks, a once talent whose contract and reputation desperately needed a good year, and a wide receiver whose stock on and off the field dropped so greatly he ended up finishing the season on a different team entirely.

Editor's Note: Our industry-leading NBA DFS Lineup Optimizer/Generator tool helps you build winning DFS lineups in seconds. Try it now for free, and get an edge on your competition.

 

Wide Receiver Risers

Davante Adams had a draft position that matched Anquan Boldin, Terrance Williams, and Chris Hogan, but wound up with a touchdown total that tied Mike Evans and Antonio Brown. That total should have been higher, honestly, if it weren't for some careless drops in the end zone. Overall, his numbers suggest less "fluke" and more "reliable target," a stark contrast to the player who didn't seize his opportunities in 2015. Adams was the WR71 on average in fantasy drafts, meaning that there are a lot of leagues where the top 10 WR wasn't even selected. There was no buzz on Adams, the third WR drafted on average from Green Bay. With a better completion percentage than Terrelle Pryor, DeAndre Hopkins, or Emmanuel Sanders, it's hard not to be excited of the potential of the young WR for many more years to come.

Michael Thomas wasn't supposed to be "the rookie" this year, though as argued above, there isn't really "the rookie" when fantasy players are more likely to take a Josh Gordon flyer than a first year player. But Sterling Shepard, Corey Coleman, and Will Fuller all held the distinction of higher ADP. Thomas was a probably talented player on a very talented offense, most akin to the 2013-14 "too many mouths" Denver Broncos. Thomas would probably be good, and was worth a lottery ticket, but words like "reliable" and "consistent" were nowhere to be found. And while Bleacher Report's beach house interview with Brandin Cooks had the WR confessing he stalked Drew Brees so he could be the team's best receiver, you could argue at best that the role is temporary, or argue at worst it was Thomas's title. Thomas was less likely to go long, but his 75.8 yards per game and nine touchdowns put him comfortably in the fantasy football top ten. Thomas is good, stable, and dynamic after the catch, meaning continued success is to be expected in the sophomore year.

Tyrell Williams is the player on my list most likely to suffer a sophomore slump, as his receptions/target were pedestrian at best, he didn't score many touchdowns despite being the only consistent receiver on his team, and his yards per game were... fine. But in this case, it's more of the journey for Tyrell Williams. He's the only receiver in San Diego to crack the top forty in terms of yards receiving this season, landing at number fifteen. Little statistics normally hidden away show that he played the role of "big gain leader" in the NFL, with 19 catches of more than 20 yards, and a 15.3 yards per catch average, all coming on less than seventy receptions. San Diego is under new leadership and may not continue looking for Williams in potential garbage time scenarios. If he can hold onto the ball more, he looks quietly scary in keeper and dynasty leagues. He'll still be paired with world beater Phillip Rivers, but no indication of how much competition other receivers on the team might give him. I loved Williams in his first year as a full-time starter, and am cautiously excited for the future.

 

Wide Receiver Fallers

Brandon Marshall needed a good year. The receiver spent the offseason on a media tour, going on late night talk and sports shows around the country. Half of the time he was simply trying out his camera time and the other half advocating for the return of Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick, healthy or not, turned out to be an unreliable option for the team and they descended into mediocrity. Luckily the talented young WR stepped up with 857 yards and.... oh, I'm sorry, that's Quincy Enunwa's file. With no Eric Decker to challenge him for work, Brandon Marshall did.... nothing. Didn't score, didn't catch it a lot, did nothing during the fantasy playoffs. One of the game's most consistent receiving options up and vanished in the second half. With no QB option in sight for the team, Marshall's challenge is ultimately an uphill one.

Jeremy Maclin took his place in Kansas City, and became apart of the infamous Chiefs "Have You Seen Me?" exhibit. Maclin was drafted just outside of the Top-20 in most fantasy drafts. Apart from a few small games, he largely followed in the tradition of a talented receiver signed to the Chiefs who promptly does nothing. Famous names also include Dwayne Bowe and.... um... Rod Streater? Maclin has been superseded by Tyreek Hill, otherwise known as "ADP: Undrafted."

Michael Floyd's story is more difficult. Going into the season, I refused to own a Cardinals WR. A crowded field of potentially talented hands had one name that was scarier than most. Floyd had the speed and the potential, and showed both off in 2015 as Arizona made a deep playoff run. What ultimately occurred was a talented receiver who, through behavioral issues or otherwise unknown, saw the ball less and less. Then, an incident involving drunk driving saw him move to New England, where he still saw fourth-or-fifth-option workloads. Floyd may still have the talent, but 2016 was not an indicator of on-field success, but a hope that he finds inner resolve and peace before hopefully, eventually, getting back into the game once again.


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




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

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 59 At Corales Puntacana Championship
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For Second At Corales Puntacana Championship
Beau Hossler

Finishes Tied For 60 At Valero Texas Open
Doug Ghim

Finishes Tied For 18 At the Valero Texas Open
Jordan Spieth

Finishes Tied For 18 At RBC Heritage
Kurt Kitayama

Misses The Cut At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied For Eighth At RBC Heritage
George Kirby

"Feeling Great", Could Throw Again On Sunday
Tyler Fitzgerald

Returning To Starting Nine
Josh Lowe

Progressing Well, Could Play In Rehab Games On Saturday
Shane McClanahan

Begins "Throwing-Like" Activities
Patrik Laine

Remains Day-To-Day
Gabriel Vilardi

On Track To Return Wednesday
Brandon Hagel

Ruled Out For Game 5
Marcus Johansson

Returns To Action Tuesday
Cole Ragans

Won't Start On Wednesday
Dylan Moore

Placed On 10-Day Injured List With Hip Inflammation
Jonas Siegenthaler

Considered A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Brett Pesce

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Back In Tuesday's Lineup
Frederik Andersen

Unavailable Tuesday
Aaron Nesmith

Upgraded To Available
Las Vegas Raiders

Jack Bech A Strong Candidate To Be An Immediate Starter
Las Vegas Raiders

Zamir White Competing For Depth Role
New York Jets

Mason Taylor To Immediately Be Atop Jets Tight End Depth Chart
Bennedict Mathurin

Cleared For Game 5
Buffalo Bills

Dalton Kincaid Setting Up As Post-Hype Sleeper In 2025?
Denver Broncos

Dre Greenlaw Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Seattle Seahawks

Sam Darnold To Take Over 90% Of The Snaps
Tennessee Titans

Titans In No Rush To Trade Will Levis
Daulton Varsho

Reinstated From Injured List And Starting On Tuesday
Minnesota Vikings

J.J. McCarthy Says He Knows He's Ready To Start For Vikings
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Picking Up Fifth-Year Option On Dax Hill
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Apply Unrestricted Free-Agent Tender To J.K. Dobbins
Seattle Seahawks

Jaren Hall Cut Loose By Seahawks
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Compare Josh Simmons To Christian Darrisaw, Rashawn Slater
Denver Broncos

Pat Bryant Compared To Michael Thomas
Denver Broncos

RJ Harvey Could Do It All For Broncos
Carolina Panthers

Tetairoa McMillan Likely To Man The X Spot For Panthers
Green Bay Packers

Packers, Jaire Alexander Continue To Discuss Potential Reunion
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Discussed George Pickens With Steelers
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs To Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis
Washington Commanders

Matt Gays Signs One-Year Deal With Commanders
San Francisco 49ers

George Kittle Signs Four-Year Extension With 49ers
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Records Third Consecutive Double-Double
Brandin Podziemski

Hits Six Treys During 26-Point Performance
Jimmy Butler III

Leads Warriors In Scoring Monday Night
Jarrett Allen

Has Double-Double, Six Steals In Blowout Win
Brandon Boston Jr.

Recovering From Ankle Surgery
Kelly Olynyk

Undergoes Heel Procedure
Aaron Nesmith

Probable For Tuesday's Action
Nathan MacKinnon

Has Two Points In Losing Effort
Martin Necas

Records Two Assists In Game 5 Loss
Mikko Rantanen

Tallies Three Points In Monday's Win
Wyatt Johnston

Leads Stars To Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Returns To Winning Ways
Anton Lundell

Earns Two Points Monday
Ryan Gerard

Going For A Texas Trifecta Of Sorts
Brandon Hagel

Departs Loss Early
Joe Highsmith

Hoping To Make More Putts In Texas
Eric Cole

Expecting Big Things In Texas
Brian Campbell

May Go Under The Radar At CJ Cup
Riley Greene

Homers Twice On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

Exits Monday's Win Early
Los Angeles Chargers

Tre Harris Expected To Fill X Role For Chargers
Jimmy Butler III

Officially Active For Game 4
Isaiah Stewart

Uncertain For Game 5
Michael Porter Jr.

Expected To Play In Game 5
Brandon Nimmo

Has Career Game
Russell Westbrook

Questionable For Tuesday Night
Tyler Glasnow

Going On The Injured List
Jaylen Brown

Back On The Injury Report
Jrue Holiday

Out Again On Tuesday Night
Bennedict Mathurin

Questionable For Game 5
Damian Lillard

May Not Play Next Season
Luis Arraez

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Johnathan Kovacevic

To Remain Out Tuesday
Brenden Dillon

Unavailable Tuesday
Luke Hughes

Not Ready To Return For Game 5
Darius Garland

Remains Out On Monday
Ross Colton

Remains Out On Monday
Oskar Bäck

Oskar Back Returns To Stars Lineup Monday
Miro Heiskanen

To Miss Game 5
Jordan Westburg

Placed On Injured List
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go For Game 4
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
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
Ikram Aliskerov

Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
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
Joe Ryan

Posts Stellar Outing
Jaylen Brown

Available For Game 4
Nick Lodolo

Throws Seven Scoreless Innings
Tyler Glasnow

Removed Early On Sunday
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 4
Jaden Ivey

Making Progress
Tarik Skubal

Racks Up 11 Strikeouts
Luke Weaver

In Line To Get The Bulk Of Save Opportunities Moving Forward
Devin Williams

Removed From Closer Role
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Austin Hays

Smacks Two Homers On Saturday
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF