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

Dynasty Stock Watch for 2018: WR Risers

When it comes to dynasty, the season never ends. Sure, that statement has become cliche at this point, but it's also true: a random Thursday in May can become an important dynasty moment because reports emerge that Chris Godwin is going to get more playing time for the Buccaneers. Some people are smiling because they've held onto Godwin for over a year, others are plotting trade offers to get him, and people like me are staring at Adam Humphries on their roster and trying to hold back the tears.

There's a ton of wide receivers in the NFL, so it can sometimes be hard to keep up with things, which is why RotoBaller is here for you. In this first installment of our wide receiver dynasty stock watch, I'll look at a handful of receivers who are trending in positive directions this off-season. In the forthcoming second part, we'll go the other way and look at players who are heading the other way.

So, who should you be targeting now before their hype goes through the roof? Read on and find out. (Current position in RotoBaller's dynasty wide receiver rankings listed in parentheses.)

Editor's Note: Explore RotoBaller’s Dynasty Fantasy Football hub for year-round dynasty rankings, trade tips, rookie analysis, and long-term player outlooks. Dominate your league with our sleepers, stash targets, and dynasty draft advice. Click here for Dynasty rankings and strategy.

 

Dynasty Wide Receiver Stock Watch: Risers

Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers (WR8)

The departure of Jordy Nelson and the way that Adams played last season while Brett Hundley was under center are big factors in the meteoric rise of Adams this offseason. Last year (in a re-draft league, thankfully), I traded Adams after the Rodgers injury because I was so sure that the Packers offense would shut down, but Adams responded with great numbers. He ended 2017 as the WR12 in PPR and gets Aaron Rodgers back this year.

Quarterbacks had a 110.3 rating when targeting Adams last season, the sixth best quarterback/receiver rating combination in the NFL. He was fifth in contested catch rate. Second in red zone receptions. He's the unquestioned number one receiver in Green Bay now and the team added a top tight end in Jimmy Graham, whose presence should keep Adams from seeing double coverage near the goal line, as Graham was one of the league's best end zone threats last season.

If there's an argument against Adams right now in dynasty, it's that you can probably trade him while his value is sky high and get a strong return.

Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears (WR14)

Let's dig into some interesting stats, courtesy of Addison Hayes, whose site FF Statistics is chocked full of useful information. Here's what I found interesting: we all know that Matt Nagy is the new head coach in Chicago. Nagy was formerly the offensive coordinator in Kansas City under Andy Reid. Reid's only had two top-10 fantasy wide receivers EVER as an NFL head coach. One of those, Tyreek Hill, came last season under Nagy's tutelage. Nagy showed that he can call plays that take advantage of the skill sets of his players.

Robinson will be just 25 this season. He's coming off a torn ACL, which brings in some obvious risk, but PlayerProfiler rates Robinson in the 91st percentile for catch radius and the 86th percentile for burst score. Robinson was the WR6 in PPR back in 2015 on an offense led by Blake Bortles. I like his fit in Chicago with Nagy and second year quarterback Mitch Trubisky, even if Trubisky rarely went deep last year. Robinson sits at the top of a weak wide receiver depth chart and should have plenty of opportunities to impress, now and moving forward.

Cameron Meredith, New Orleans Saints (WR54)

Free agency was great for Meredith, who goes from being somewhere between the first and third option in Chicago to being the (probably) number two receiver in New Orleans. The Saints have a lot of receivers, but they don't really have many people who pose a long term threat to Meredith and number one option Micheal Thomas: Ted Ginn is nearing the end of his effectiveness and rookie Tre'Quan Smith is no guarantee to be a productive professional player.

Like Robinson above, Meredith is coming off a season missed due to a torn ACL. There are concerns, especially seeing as burst and agility are two of the metrics that Meredith rates highly in, but this is 2018 and knee injuries aren't necessarily catastrophic. Meredith's 2016 season -- 66 catches for 888 yards and four touchdowns -- seemed to come out of nowhere, but he's clearly got the skills to be a consistently productive NFL receiver. The landing spot helps as he'll get to spend some time with Drew Brees.

The 25-year-old will have a chance to carve out a role that could be sustainable moving forward. In deeper dynasty formats, I see no reason not to take a flier on Meredith.

Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (WR39)

THE HYPE HAS ARRIVED.

There's been a ton of talk about Chris Godwin as a dynasty asset ever since Tampa Bay picked him in third round in last year's draft. Godwin finished fourth among Tampa Bay wide receivers in fantasy points last season, behind Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, and Adam Humphries. Evans is the clear WR1 in Tampa Bay, but that number two job feels wide open this season: Jackson averaged a career-low in yards per catch and yards per game last season, while Humphries isn't really anything special. Here are Humphries's workout metrics from PlayerProfiler:

That's not great. Here's what Godwin's metrics look like:

I know these things aren't everything, but Godwin profiles to be able to make plays down the field better than Humphries, which could earn him the starting role on the outside opposite Evans. Godwin's seven-catch, 111 yard performance in Week 17 is a great step to build on for the young wide out.

Albert Wilson, Miami Dolphins (WR130)

My wife is a huge Chiefs fan, so I've watched a lot of Albert Wilson. I've also looked at the other pieces in that Dolphins receiving corps plenty of times and yeah, I'm picking up as many Wilson shares as possible.

Wilson is currently ranked 130th in our rankings after being 120th in our last update. That's low, in my opinion, because Wilson best fits the needs of a post-Jarvis Landry Miami team. He should clearly be stepping into the starting role in the slot, but Miami decided that they actually needed to sign two slot receivers in Wilson and former Patriot Danny Amendola. I'm not going to sit here and say that Amendola's chances of having an impact, but he's 32 years old and has never had more than 689 receiving yards in a season. If the Dolphins want to continue operating an offense that looks like the one it has with Landry in the slot, they'd be better suited letting the younger Wilson get a crack at the role. If he earns it, the rest of the Dolphins receivers inspire so little confidence in me that I think Wilson could end up as the team's top fantasy WR.

Allen Hurns, Dallas Cowboys (WR72)

There's something to be said for picking a quality short-term player at a discount. The Cowboys let Dez Bryant go, drafted Michael Gallup, and signed Allen Hurns this offseason. If Gallup takes time to get acclimated to the pro game, Hurns is in line to put up quality numbers at a huge discount. The last time we saw Hurns have a clearly delineated role near the top of an NFL offense and didn't miss time, he was the PPR WR18 in 2015.

Let's take a quick look at receivers who are ranked near him:

I have more confidence in Hurns than in any other name in that range. I know Gallup impedes his long term value, but he can help a team win now.

So, these were some of my risers. Stay tuned for part two, where I look at wide receivers who are increasing in risk this offseason.

 

More 2018 Dynasty League Strategy


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




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

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF