Top 10 Dynasty Ranks: WR
With just about a month until the first game of the college football season, the NFL Draft Bible team has been putting the final touches on our positional dynasty rankings. We will have weekly updates throughout the season, helping to prepare you for your dynasty leagues. Some of these may come as a surprise, but our rankings are a consensus of some of the best minds in the industry.
In this article, we will discuss our top ten wide receivers going into the 2021 season.
10. D.J. Moore
If you want a model of consistency, you can look at none other than D.J. Moore. In 2019 and 2020, he finished the year with 15 games played, 1,125 total yards, and four touchdowns. At some point, Moore is going to get the touchdowns to match the workload. Having some more consistency at quarterback with Sam Darnold coming in should help, and the return of Christian McCaffery will undoubtedly free up Moore for big chances. At only 24 years old, he has plenty of treads left on the tires and could be in for a big year in 2021.
9. DeAndre Hopkins
Arizona’s offense started red hot the first nine games totaling under 400 yards of total offense only twice. The following seven games, they only crossed the 400-yard mark once, and Hopkins was a big piece of both. His average yards per target was around 10 yards during the first nine-game stretch and was just over seven through the last seven games as he was hindered with a nagging ankle injury that created issues. With his injury being the last thing on people’s minds and battling with the plethora of really young talented receivers in front of him as he is approaching 30, it is natural to start seeing Hopkins slide a little bit in dynasty rankings. Still, you can expect him to be very productive.
8. Calvin Ridley
Ridley now finds himself as the wide receiver in Atlanta following the Julio Jones trade. It is hard to ignore the talent he displayed in a breakout junior year in the NFL. He will now be the focal point for the Falcons, but a lot of his production will hinge on how much attention rookie tight end Kyle Pitts will take on. We had seen him struggle in the past when Julio Jones was down with an injury, and the defense gave him full attention. If Pitts can break out the way the number four pick in the draft should, Ridley in a very pass-heavy offense will exceed everyone’s expectations.
7. D.K. Metcalf
Earlier, Hopkins was mentioned as someone who had a rough second half, and now Metcalf will be noted right alongside him. He had ten touchdowns on for the season, but only two of them came after week eight. Everyone who banked on him for their playoff runs was left highly disappointed as Seattle’s offense sputtered out in the second half. However, Metcalf has continually proved his doubters wrong and become one of the most explosive wide receivers in the NFL. He has stayed healthy playing in every game of his career and is only ascending into his NFL career and being a top 10 receiver for the foreseeable future.
6. Stefon Diggs
The perfect storm surrounded Diggs last year. A breakout quarterback in Josh Allen. Zero running threat outside of what Allen could produce. Not an actual number two wide receiver on the roster allowed him to hog targets and flourish. Set career highs in targets, catches, and yards and finished as wide receiver three in all of fantasy. The addition of Emmanuel Sanders to play opposite of him might take away from him a little bit this year, but the Bills will still be extremely pass-heavy and Diggs will be a strong option and should finish well within the top 10 again in 2021.
5. CeeDee Lamb
This is a significant jump from his finish position of wide receiver 22 in 2020, but it is coming. He just missed out on 1,000 yards in his rookie season with a combination of Andy Dalton and Ben DiNucci at quarterback for the Cowboys after Dak Prescott’s injury in week five. The Cowboys have a healthy Prescott and the offense will be looking to make up for the lost time in 2021. The defense will be young and games for the Cowboys will be prone to high scoring, giving Lamb plenty of opportunities to break out in his sophomore year.
4. A.J. Brown
Depending on who you listen to, you will receive a different thought on Brown. The addition of Julio Jones to some has completely ruined Brown’s value because Derrick Henry will still get his and Jones will still need to get his targets. Between Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith leaving, 157 targets have been vacated. The last entire season that Julio Jones played was 2019 and that season, he got: 157 targets. That leaves everything A.J. Brown did last year completely available for him to grab, and you can fully expect him to carry his momentum over into 2021.
3. Justin Jefferson
It is crazy to think that last year at this time, articles were being written about how Jefferson was behind Olabisi Johnson and couldn’t see the field, and here we are now writing about him being a top-three receiver in fantasy football. The first two weeks, we fell for that narrative when he only had six total targets. In week three, he went off for seven catches, 175 yards a touchdown and never looked back on his way to finishing as wide receiver six on the season. The situation in Minnesota has not changed all that much. The same running game is expected, same quarterback, same offensive philosophy, so why should the expectation for Jefferson get any lower? He just turned 22 in June and has plenty of football ahead of him, and he should be looked at as a fantasy football all-star along for a long time.
2. Davante Adams
Well, that was a tumultuous offseason, eh? Aaron Rodgers and his issues with the team then started to affect how Davante Adams evaluated his future with the team, which left the wide receiver one from last year almost in doubt for the 2021 season. However, things have cooled off for the moment, which now allows us to breathe a little bit. While this year is business as usual, we do not know what 2022 will hold. Is Rodgers still there, is Adams still with Green Bay, does he hold out for a new contract, and he will be 29 by the time the season ends; how much longer is he at the level we saw him last year? Adams will be a part of one of the biggest stories heading into the offseason, and we aren’t even through the preseason yet. Draft in startups with hesitation and move forward if you are a current owner with that in the back of your mind as you approach your trade deadline this season.
1. Tyreek Hill
Is Patrick Mahomes still the quarterback in Kansas City? Can Hill still burn anyone? Is the sky blue? Is Hill still under the age of 30? Until the answer to any of those questions is no, Tyreek Hill will still be considered the wide receiver one going into any season. The dynamic of the Kansas City offense is entirely different without him. His ability to take the top off of any defense makes him a significant play threat at any moment. The growth in the running game we will see this year will only help that. Draft and keep Tyreek Hill as the top wide receiver for at least the next few seasons.
