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

Four Wide Receivers with New Homes: What Does it Mean in Fantasy?

Nathan Powell breaks down a few of the lesser publicized NFL signings on the wide receiver free agent market for the 2017 fantasy football season.

The RotoBaller team has already gone in-depth on some of the bigger signings at the wide receiver position so far this offseason, including Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall. In this article, I will shine a light on the lesser-hyped signings and how they impact the fantasy landscape in 2017.

Although they may not have the name recognition of some other players, these receivers could make an impact on fantasy teams in the coming season.

The free agent picture in the NFL is changing every day, so always stay tuned to RotoBaller for the latest news.

Editor's Note: Discover RotoBaller’s top Fantasy Football Sleepers to gain an edge in your drafts. Our free who to draft tool and expert picks spotlight undervalued players, breakout candidates, and late-round gems for all league formats.

 

Wide Receivers Changing Teams for 2017

Kenny Britt, Cleveland Browns

Kenny Britt had a career resurgence in 2016 with one of the quietest WR20 PPR seasons on one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Britt eclipsed the 1,000 yard receiving mark for the first time in his eight-year career, and his five receiving touchdowns were the most since he reached the end zone nine times in his second NFL season. Britt goes from one anemic offense in Los Angeles to possibly another one with the Cleveland Browns, who finished 31st in the NFL at 16.5 points per game. However, Britt does bring a veteran presence to a young offense that could be explosive if young talents like Corey Coleman and Duke Johnson develop alongside any incoming 2017 rookies.

Britt had a 33.95% share of the Rams receiving offense in 2016. While I don’t expect him to repeat that number in Cleveland, it does show that he is able to perform even in less than optimal circumstances. If the Browns bring in a rookie quarterback, I would expect him to rely heavily on Britt, especially on third downs and in the red zone. Once again, the Browns are expected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL, which should result in the team throwing early and often, creating more targets for Britt and other Browns weapons. Britt is currently going WR51 in MFL10s, 31 spots lower than his 2016 finish and I believe he is in a better situation now, this makes him a solid value in early drafts.

 

Torrey Smith, Philadelphia Eagles

Unlike Kenny Britt, Torrey Smith had the worst season of his career in 2016. Smith had career lows in all major categories and overall, his two seasons in San Francisco fell way short of expectations. When Smith hit the free agent market, many speculated if Smith would return to where he had so much success to start his career in Baltimore. That speculation ended up being just that and Smith instead signed a three-year, $15 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. This would have seemed like a solid landing spot at the time of the signing, because Smith would fill the role of the deep threat in a young offense that is devoid of weapons outside of Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz. The wet blanket on this signing came later that day as the Eagles signed Alshon Jeffery to be their #1 wide receiver.

While Smith will still serve the role as the deep threat in the offense, this moves him from third on the team in targets (behind Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz) to fourth on the team in targets. The odds of Carson Wentz supporting four viable fantasy assets are slim without a huge improvement on his rookie season. Smith is going off the board at WR80 in current MFL10s, and while it is tough for someone to be considered overvalued at such a cheap price, I think that you are relying on injuries to Eagles weapons higher on the depth chart for him to have any fantasy relevance in 2017.

 

Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams

Robert Woods entered the NFL as a very solid wide receiver prospect whose college career included 111 catches for 1,292 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. Woods’ college resume got him selected at 41 overall in the 2013 NFL draft. Fast forward four seasons and Woods showed flashes in Buffalo, but was never really able to have consistency as a fantasy weapon. Woods was one of the players I was looking forward to moving to a better offense in free agency, but sadly that won’t be the case as he moves to an offense that ranked 32nd in points per game in 2016. It’s not all bad news as he could take over that market share that Britt had in 2015 and there is the possibility that Jared Goff isn’t a complete bust, and Woods ends up being a #1 wide receiver in a young and developing offense.

Many are similarly disappointed with Woods' landing spot as he is being drafted at WR79, however, that is very cheap for what looks like the player slated to get the most targets in an offense. Additionally, I think that Woods is a nice end-of-bench target in dynasty leagues. His five-year $39 million contract shows that the Rams have faith in him long term and have plans to use him extensively. Even if the offense is similarly disappointing in 2017, it’d be hard to imagine the Rams not looking elsewhere at quarterback in 2018 if the early career struggles for Goff continue.

 

Kendall Wright and Markus Wheaton, Chicago Bears

With Alshon Jeffery leaving town, the Bears knew they’d have to add to the wide receiver position in the offseason and they did that by signing these two wide receivers. While neither of these players are highly regarded in NFL or fantasy circles, most would say that Wright is the better talent between the two. However, their contracts don’t tell the same story. Wheaton landed a two-year, $11 million contract (Y2 team option), while Wright got only a one-year, $4 million contract. This suggests that the Bears will likely give Wheaton the first shot at targets between the two, but both players will likely start the offseason behind Cameron Meredith and Kevin White on the depth chart. Being the third and fourth options on a Mike Glennon-led offense doesn’t exactly scream must-have fantasy asset, but one of these two players will likely serve some fantasy value in deeper fantasy leagues. Despite the contract differences, I am betting on Kendall Wright’s talent winning out and he will end up being a value at his extremely low price of WR86. Wheaton is currently going undrafted in MFL10s, but that could change if offseason buzz has him getting legitimate targets in the Bears offense.

 

More Wide Receivers Draft Analysis




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

Austin Riley

Leaves Game Early on Friday With Abdominal Tightness
Kon Knueppel

Struggles in Summer League Win
Rafael Devers

Dealing With Back Inflammation
Walter Clayton Jr.

Plays Well on Friday Night
Cody Williams

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Leads the Way on Friday Night
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Returning on Friday
Sauce Gardner

Wants to be Highest-Paid Cornerback
Rhamondre Stevenson

Heading into an Important Season
Minnesota Vikings

Josh Metellus, Vikings Have Mutual Interest in Extension
Tua Tagovailoa

2025 Could be Tua Tagovailoa's Last Season in Miami
Rashawn Slater

has "Full Confidence" a Deal Will Get Done
Byron Buxton

Returns on Friday
Isaiah Jackson

Signs Three-Year Extension
Jake Meyers

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Calf Strain
Brandon Lowe

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Oblique Tightness
Kodai Senga

Reinstated to Start on Friday
Alex Bregman

Officially Activated and Starting on Friday
Marvin Bagley III

Joining the Wizards
Herbert Jones

Signing Extension with Pelicans
Jacob Toppin

Returning to Hawks
Chicago Bears

Bears Extend General Manager Ryan Poles
Dalton Knecht

Avoids Serious Injury
MarShawn Lloyd

in a "Much Better Spot" Heading Into Training Camp
Javon Small

Signs Two-Way Deal
Dustin Hopkins

Browns Still Counting on Dustin Hopkins
Demarcus Robinson

Sentenced to Three Years of Probation
Jalen Nailor

In Line for WR3 Role in Minnesota
Andrew Thomas

Could Miss Start of 2025 Season
Alex Bregman

Expected to Return on Friday
Julio Rodríguez

Julio Rodriguez Won't Suit Up for Midsummer Classic
Trey Smith

Chiefs, Trey Smith Expected to Work Out Long-Term Extension
Bernhard Raimann

a Candidate for an Extension This Summer
C.J. Stroud

Could Sign Multi-Year Deal Before 2026 Season
Kyle Juszczyk

Says Christian McCaffrey Looks Healthy, Explosive
Kyren Williams

Showing Improved Explosiveness
Christian Barmore

"Dominant" this Spring
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
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?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
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
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
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
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
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
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
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