May 9, 2017

RotoBaller's Frankie Soler takes on the task of ranking every NFL team's wide receivers for 2017 based on their fantasy value, beginning with a look at the AFC East.

This season RotoBaller will be starting a new series that ranks all 32 NFL teams by their wide receiver corps. Here's the skinny on how this is going to work: we'll start by going division by division before moving over to conferences, then ultimately a straight one through 32. The idea is to simply rank each team's wide receiver depth chart with a fantasy slant. It doesn't get much more complicated than that.

The AFC East will be our starting point, a division that has a surprising amount of depth. We'll go backwards from four to one for some added dramatic effect.

These rankings may shift throughout the offseason depending on injuries or additional free agency moves, but now that the NFL Draft is over, we have a much clearer picture of how things will look heading into 2017. Let's hop to it.

AFC East Receiver Ranks

4. Buffalo Bills

Depth Chart:
1) Sammy Watkins
2) Zay Jones
3) Andre Holmes
4) Corey Brown

The Buffalo Bills don't exactly have a scary batch of wide receivers, but it's not as bad as it looks on paper. Sammy Watkins' fantasy value is directly tied to his ability to stay healthy. Watkins played all 16 games his rookie year before missing three outings in year two, and eight in year three. Surprisingly, his best fantasy year was his sophomore season with 1,047 and nine touchdowns. He's a great player who had his 2016 campaign marred by injury. He'll most likely be undervalued heading into the upcoming season. Unfortunately, he's still a risky player who might have quarterback woes should Tyrod Taylor struggle.

One of the most underrated rookie prospects is Zay Jones, wide receiver out of East Carolina. Given the aforementioned Watkins' injury history, there's a chance Jones could see a big opportunity open up in 2017. That said, you're not going to hitch your wagon to an unproven rookie in re-draft leagues. He's more of a dynasty league investment with upside for the immediate future. Look for Jones to be a trendy name as we get closer to August.

That leaves Andre Holmes and Corey Brown, two veterans who don't really hold any individual value. Having said that, they too could end up benefiting from an injured Sammy Watkins. Holmes is the more interesting name since he managed to string together a decent amount of solid performances in Oakland. Still, you won't be looking at either of these guys for fantasy.

Buffalo isn't a fantasy wasteland at wide receiver, they just need a couple little things to break their way. The division is just too top heavy for them to be ranked any higher.

3. New York Jets

Depth Chart
1) Eric Decker
2) Quincy Enunwa
3) Robby Anderson
4) Charone Peake

I know, I know, the New York Jets are a bad football team with more problems than I could even list. That said, this is a moderately talented group that will suffer from major quarterback questions. The reason for ranking them ahead of Buffalo is simply depth. The Jets can run three deep if they can somehow manage decent quarterback play. Besides, Buffalo's Zay Jones, the number two receiver, is a rookie. We have no idea what to expect from him outside of talking upside. The trio of Eric Decker, Quincy Enunwa, and Robby Anderson have at least shown they can produce when their QB isn't throwing the ball into the dirt or air-mailing it.

Decker, if healthy for the start of camp, will be the only wide receiver worth drafting. Enunwa and Anderson aren't starters yet they could benefit from the addition of Josh McCown. McCown is no pro-bowler but he's still an improvement over what the Jets have had recently. Perhaps the most overlooked part of the Jets offense is that they don't utilize the tight end at all. Rookie TE Jordan Leggett will need to see a change in philosophy in order to eat into Enunwa and Anderson's targets.

It's not pretty but the Jets are a teeny tiny bit ahead of the Bills due to having one more warm body who can produce.

2. Miami Dolphins

Depth Chart:
1) Jarvis Landry
2) DeVante Parker
3) Kenny Stills
4) Leonte Carroo

Now it starts to get meatier. Jarvis Landry has always been a PPR machine who will obviously have his value increased in that format. He still holds solid value in standard leagues as well. A mid-range WR2 in standard scoring last season, Landry is always going to be locked into lineups on a week-to-week basis. DeVante Parker, on the other hand, needs to step up in 2017 for him to be a fantasy contributor. We're already hearing talk about Parker having a big year in 2017 but most mini-camp talk is just that, talk. His 744 yards and four touchdowns aren't going to get it done from a fantasy standpoint. He's certainly worthy of a bench stash, just be prepared for the possibility that he's no more than a bye-week fill-in. Parker has a wide range of outcomes for 2017.

Kenny Stills actually had a better year than Parker due to a higher touchdown total at nine. Still, Parker gets the nod as the No. 2 in Miami. Stills will either need an injury or a massive drop in performance from those ahead of him in order to be worthy of a significant look in fantasy. Nevertheless, this trio of wide receivers gives the Dolphins legitimate depth for fantasy purposes, netting them the second best unit in the AFC East.

1. New England Patriots

Depth Chart:
1) Julian Edelman
2) Brandin Cooks
3) Chris Hogan
4) Malcolm Mitchell

Coming off of a year where he was third in targets and fourth in receptions, Julian Edelman remains atop the depth chart in New England. The trade for Brandin Cooks doesn't change that whatsoever. Unfortunately, Edelman's low touchdown total of three scores crushed his fantasy value. Even with that in mind, Edelman has been and always will be worthy of a high-end WR2 selection with added value in PPR formats.

Brandin Cooks is going to be a hot name during the off-season due to New England's potent offense. The thing is, this is a better real-life move than it is a fantasy one. Cooks was already struggling to find significant targets on the Saints, a team that spreads the ball around considerably. That isn't all that much different than the Patriots. Cooks will still be a rock solid WR2 in any format but don't expect some massive increase in fantasy production now that he's on a better team. It makes the Patriots more difficult to scheme for, but that doesn't automatically translate to an uptick in fantasy. There's a great chance Cooks will be overvalued this year.

That leaves us with Chris Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell. Technically speaking, the Patriots actually go five deep at wide receiver with Danny Amendola showing flashes of fantasy relevance. New England is the only team in this division who can justifiably produce five WRs worthy of owning in fantasy. Hogan and Mitchell could end up touchdown dependent while Amendola needs to maintain decent volume to get a look at a start. The point here is that the Patriots are as potent as it gets at the position, locking them into the top spot in their division.

There you have it: Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots in that order. All four have fantasy relevant wide receivers and all four will net you value at one point or another. Check back soon for more divisional analysis ahead of the full rankings. It won't always be so positive.