NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
Fantasy Football season is here and with it comes tough decision-making. Who will be the players you choose to help you win your league this season? Today, we will be discussing the WR position and who you should take as your first pick. This is a tough one as the NFL is more pass-happy than ever with players like Ja’Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, AJ Bown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and others who have made themselves household names. But are they worth that top pick?
As with RBs in Fantasy Football, you must be careful when choosing. But with most leagues, there are either 2 or more slots where you can play a receiver. Think about the possibilities. If you choose wisely, you could easily have Jefferson, Keenan Allen, and Adams in your starting lineup every week. In years past, QBs were off the board first. But with so many great receivers, they are hoping off the board before any other skilled position.
Here are the top 5 WRs to draft for your Fantasy Football League.
Tyreek Hill (Miami Dolphins)
Hill is one of those players that despite having another valuable WR on the opposite side, he’s still going to get him numbers. Last season, he caught 119 passes for 1799 yards and 13 TDs. According to ESPN, he racked up 376.4 Points with an average of 23.5 Points Per Game. Hill is that dude.
This season, owners should expect more of the same. With Tua and Hill both receiving new deals, expect their chemistry to be off the charts. Defenses know Hill is getting the ball and since entering the league in 2016, he’s been pretty much unstoppable.
CeeDee Lamb (Dallas Cowboys)
New contract or not, once Lamb steps on that field, he will produce. Last season he caught 135 passes for 1749 yards and 12 TDs. Although the Dallas Cowboys have receivers opposite him, he’s still the main target for Dak Prescott. Lamb totaled 403.2 Fantasy Football Points with an average of 23.7 Points per game in 2023. He’s a stud.
Entering this season, he may have a chip his should. Either by not getting a new contract or by playing out the season, putting all his cards on the table, and betting on himself. Owners should expect another huge Fantasy Football production season from Lamb.
AJ Brown (Philadelphia Eagles)
Brown often goes unmentioned when the best receivers are brought up. Hill, Jefferson, and others are at the top of the list and that’s understandable. But look at Brown’s numbers last season. he snagged 106 Receptions for 1456 yards and 8 TDs. Brown is still at the top of his game in what was considered a down year for the Eagles offense.
Heading into this season, there should be fewer double teams with Smith on the other side and now Saquon Barkley getting attention in the backfield. Brown’s owners should expect another solid season from the playmaker. He finished his 2023 Fantasy Football seaosn with 289.6 Points with an average of 17 Points Per Game.
Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit Lions)
I tried, I mean I really tried to find someone else to put here but you just can’t ignore his numbers. St. Brown is regarded as of the best in the league. Last season, St. Brown posted numbers in which he caught 119 Passes for 1515 yards for 10 TDs with a total of 330.9 points with an average of 20.7 Points Per Game. How can anyone ignore that type of production even if you have your favorites?
The main question here for St. Brown is can he and Jared Goff take their chemistry to another level? The Lions are stacked with weapons on the offensive side and balance is key. Nevertheless, St. Brown is a speedy guy with great hands who’s able to beat defenses with ease. Another big year is coming his way.
Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings)
This was the tough one as many will trash me for this decision. I could have gone a few different ways with the 5th spot. Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals, Mike Evans from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or you can even make a case for Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders. However, there is no way we can leave Jefferson off this list even with a rookie QB or Sam Darnold at the helm.
However, we must take into account that either of these QBs may be inclined to force throws Jefferson’s way. But still, JJ is JJ, and despite his injuries last season, he still put up respectable numbers with 68 receptions for 1074 yards and 5 TDs in just 10 games. Jefferson is arguably the most dynamic of this bunch but their QB situation, much like last season is giving me doubt. But he is too talented to leave off this list.
