The best fantasy football wide receivers, No. 6: DeAndre Hopkins
Hopkins enjoyed a true breakout season last year, finishing third among receivers with 111 receptions and 1,521 yards, and sixth with 11 touchdowns. That he did this while playing the entire season with the quarterback quartet of Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, T.J. Yates and Brandon Weeden not only underscores how good he was, but also breeds confidence for the first year of the Brock Osweiler era. Hopkins benefited from 192 targets last season, third only to Julio Jones (203) and Antonio Brown (193), and that’s not likely to change this season. Houston’s receiver depth chart behind Hopkins is a motley crew of youngsters and past-their-prime veterans, featuring Jaelen Strong, Will Fuller and Cecil Shorts, while the tight end duo of Ryan Griffin and C.J. Fiedorowicz won’t steal away too many looks, either. A completely healthy Lamar Miller will command more share of the offense than the backs who replaced Arian Foster after his injury last season, but the presence of a legitimate run game makes the Miller addition a net positive for Hopkins. If you miss out on the big three, you will not be disappointed with Hopkins as your No. 1 receiver. He deserves first-round consideration, and should be one of the most expensive players in an auction.
