RADIO
We're close to wrapping up the divisional portion of our fantasy receiver corps series. This week's piece will focus on the AFC West, a division home to a fairly large amount of fantasy options.
You can go as far as saying that this is one of the deepest divisions overall, regardless of position. Even in simply discussing each team's wide receivers we're looking at our longest edition yet.
Remember, these rankings are fluid based on the usual off-season happenings. Once we close things out in the western divisions we'll be moving onto a conference ranking before an ultimate 1-32. Stay tuned.
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4. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs were destined to be ranked fourth in the AFC West even before the the departure of veteran Jeremy Maclin. Between the Chiefs being unable to bolster multiple receiving options simultaneously, and sufficient depth among the other three teams, this ranking is pretty much by default. Luckily the Chiefs have a game-changing talent on their hands in Tyreek Hill.
Hill bursted onto the scene last year with a rookie stat line of 593 yards and six touchdowns in the receiving game. I specify "in the receiving game" because you need to factor in other facets of his game to appreciate how potent of a weapon he is. Hill added 592 yards and two scores via the return game as well as 267 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He's by far Kansas City's most explosive weapon, one that they can move around the field to create matchup nightmares for opposing defenses. Maclin's departure puts Hill atop the depth chart and is now in the WR2 conversation. The only downside is the potential for Hill to turn too much into a boom-or-bust player, but he'll likely be drafted as such anyway.
To put it bluntly, there isn't much else to see in KC's wide receiver corps. Tight end Travis Kelce is their other main star, negating the need for an additional asset at wideout.
3. Denver Broncos
Long gone are the days of the Denver Broncos being one of the stronger offenses in the NFL. Since Peyton Manning's demise and eventual retirement, both Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders have seen a big dip in fantasy scoring. 2016 saw the combination of Paxton Lynch and Trevor Siemian struggle to keep both guys involved at a consistent rate. Amazingly, Thomas and Sanders almost had identical numbers last year. Both had exactly five touchdowns a piece while Thomas had the edge in yards with 1,083 over 1,032 from Sanders. That meant that both guys were mid to low-level WR's throughout the season, fluctuating at different points. You can expect that trend to continue in 2017.
Quarterback play is the true issue here. Demaryius Thomas in particular has the potential to breakout for a big season at any given time. Target him in the late second or early third round for some upside value. Sanders should go a round or two after depending on league depth.
2. Los Angeles Chargers
- Keenan Allen
- Mike Williams
- Tyrell Williams
- Dontrelle Inman
Now would be a good time to point out that I truly believe you can justify ranking teams 1-3 in whichever order you want. The reasoning behind the Chargers second is two-fold. First, based on depth alone, the Chargers have the potential to put up huge numbers through the air. With Philip Rivers at the helm, the trio of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Tyrell Williams could be in line for a special year. On the other hand, Allen's injury history on top of Mike Williams being a rookie knocks the team down a peg. When teams are this close in fantasy power, it comes down to nitpicking and that's exactly what happened here.
In the case of Keenan Allen, his last two seasons have come to an end due to severe injury. A lacerated kidney was followed up by a torn ACL, knocking him out in consecutive years. That's given him the unfair label of being injury prone. A kidney injury is a crazy flukey thing that is not on the same level as Arian Foster's soft tissue injuries or the brittle collar bones of Tony Romo. An ACL tear is devastating, sure, but the two aren't anywhere close to being related. But if numbers are your thing, I have those too.
After breaking out for a massive rookie season, Allen's 2014 shook out to 783 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games. Prior to lacerating his kidney in 2015, Allen had already totaled 725 yards and four scores in just eight games. He had basically matched his 2014 total in six fewer games, putting him pace for nearly 1,500 yards and eight touchdowns. Without that ridiculously flukey kidney injury, Allen is looking at a WR1 type of year. The ACL this past season is the killer, so there's reason to doubt his 2017 outlook. Just keep an eye on his off-season health and don't be afraid of snagging him as your WR2 if things continue to sound promising.
A lot of Charger chatter here so bear with me. Mike Williams hasn't been practicing due to a back injury, hurting his rookie outlook. Still, he possesses huge talent and is worth a late round flier. Tyrell Williams, however, has the potential to be a week-to-week asset in the event that Mike Williams doesn't hold up. He showed he can be worthy of a start in most formats, he just wasn't consistent enough to warrant a "set it and forget it" approach. Overall, this is a Chargers team that has a lot to be excited about in terms of the passing game.
1. Oakland Raiders
There's been an odd tendency to look at Amari Cooper's sophomore season and label it as a disappointment. The reality is that Cooper actually had more yards with one fewer touchdown than his rookie year. Coming in at 1,153 yards and five scores, Cooper was a high-end WR2/low-end WR1 depending on league depth. The same should be expected for 2017. Cooper is the No. 1 receiver on an offense that is only going to get better. The Raiders finally found their franchise QB in Derek Carr and he's proven that he has legit chemistry with not just Cooper but the offense as a whole. You should have no qualms about snagging Cooper in the second round, locking yourself into a stud wide receiver early in the draft.
If there is one justified knock on Amari Cooper it's that Michael Crabtree ate into his expected production. Not only has Carr helped turn Cooper into a superstar but he's also breathed new life into Crabtree. Believe it or not, Crabtree's numbers were very similar to Cooper's, putting him on that same high-end WR2 borderline. Crabtree's 1,003 yards and eight touchdowns were a pleasant surprise as he somewhat unexpectedly repeated his 2015 production. This is a team that can support two strong fantasy options, putting Crabtree well within WR2 territory. Unfortunately for him, wide receiver is as deep as ever this year so don't be too discouraged seeing him fall to the late fourth, early fifth round. Guys like DeAndre Hopkins and Allen Robinson will garner more attention by default.
Beyond the top two options here is the combo of Seth Roberts and Cordarrelle Patterson. Neither of these guys possess individual value, but they could turn out to be key waiver wire pickups in the event that Cooper or Crabtree get hurt. We've seen potent offenses plug in a third or fourth receiver once a superstar goes down. Be ready to pounce on waivers if things go south for either of the top two options in Oakland.
More 2017 Fantasy Football Analysis
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.
