I will focus on the Wide Receiver position for my next group of articles. I will discuss hits and misses, sleepers and busts, and the general outlook for the 2024 season. Our work may be done for 2023, but that only means we are looking forward to winning our leagues in 2024. Stay tuned for rankings, probably in early February, with updates to follow throughout the offseason. The Quadfathers of Razzball NFL are here with you throughout the football offseason!
Though it may feel like we are still in the middle of football season, and we are for those following ‘real’ football, most fantasy football seasons are in the books. For those of you involved in some sort of fantasy football playoff league, good for you, and please let us @RazzballNFL know if you need additional teams to round out your league. We will happily participate alongside you and see if we can compete with you, our readers.
Remember to check in with the @Razzball NFL team of writers as we host our Tuesday evening show, where we hit on all things offseason fantasy football. Join Bobby LaMarco @BobbyLaMarco, Sky Guasco @SkyGuasco, The Lineup Builder @Derek_Favret, and me, Matt Stiles @stiles08 at 9 pm EST/6 pm PST for the show as we answer all your questions thus keeping you engaged for the 2024 season while looking back at what coulda, shoulda, woulda been in 2023. Come for the analysis, and stay for the laughs!
*Positional Finish indicates the player’s fantasy finish at the position in PPR. The average draft position (ADP) that is inside the () is the positional ADP the player was drafted based on the Razzball consensus ADP this preseason.Â
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Wide Receiver MVP
- Player: CeeDee Lamb
- Team: Dallas Cowboys
- Positional Finish (ADP): WR1 (WR6)
My selection of Lamb over Hill is razor thin, with my decision leaning toward Lamb because of the discount on draft day. Hill was being drafted earlier than Lamb, with the latter bringing a slightly better final return. The stats are virtually identical. In full PPR formats, Lamb clocked in with 405 points, while Hill logged 378. Hill missed some time, including an entire game late in the season, which makes up for some of the difference. Given the draft day discount and the WR1 overall performance from Lamb, he is my runaway MVP at the position.
Honorable Mention: Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
Wide Receiver Bust
- Player: Cooper Kupp
- Team: Los Angeles Rams
- Positional Finish (ADP): WR4 (WR40)
After missing the first four weeks, Kupp lit the world on fire for a very short stint. After that, he took a back seat to a rookie WR we will get to shortly. Kupp flashed some of the things we loved while also looking pedestrian at times. I still love the player, especially in the Rams offense, but look back at what feels like a missed season for the former fantasy MVP. In fact, I selected Kupp at #4 overall in my RazzBowl league and was ecstatic to land him there. With RazzBowl being best ball for the first ten weeks, I was confident I could wait on Kupp’s return and then ride him to the championship round(s). That is what happened. Well, all except for the final championship in which I finished 9th overall. I am not salty because I understood the risk which leads me to my final point with Kupp. Regardless if he is 100% ready for 2024 or not, you should be able to draft him at a discount.Â
Honorable Mention: Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
Wide Receiver Steal
- Player: Puka Nacua
- Team: Los Angeles Rams
- Positional Finish (ADP):Â Undrafted (WR4)
Ladies and Gentlemen – I banged this drum during draft season. With the aforementioned Cooper Kupp missing a minimum of four games, someone had to fill the void, and his name is certainly NOT Van Jefferson. I drafted Puka Nacua everywhere as my final selection, sometimes even after K and DST. My guy Puka was an absolute fantasy monster with his 105 receptions and 1,486 receiving yards while chipping in another 89 rushing yards and 6 TDs. I look for Nacua to regress ever so slightly in 2024 with Cooper Kupp back, but I will happily draft him again. My gut says Puka will be an overpay candidate in 2024 drafts since he set rookie WR records for both receptions and yardage and was simply a fantasy darling all season. I think the Rams’ offense will go as Matthew Stafford’s health goes so keep an eye on the QB this offseason. If the Rams resign Carson Wentz, then I am confident both Kupp and Nacua will be studs in 2024.
Honorable Mention: D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears
Early 2024 Wide Receiver Sleeper
- Player: Jayden Reed
- Team: Green Bay Packers
- Positional Finish (ADP): WR73 (WR25)
As the season progressed, and Christian Watson continued to be a virtual no-show for my Packers, Jayden Reed just kept getting better. The best way to describe Reed, especially for 2024 drafts, is Deebo-lite at a 7-round discount. There is no true apple-to-apple comparison for Deebo, with Curtis Samuel trying and failing to duplicate Deebo’s output. In steps, Jayden Reed not only catches the ball but also has plays specially designed for him to run/rush the ball. The Packers are the youngest team in the NFL and will probably continue to be young as they have no salary cap room to add veterans. That means Jordan Love will be looking for Reed to carry the water from the WR position. I would not be shocked to see the Packers deal Christian Watson in/around the draft for some additional draft capital (to be used on OL or CB) with the emergence of Reed (and Doubs, Wicks, Heath, Bo Melton, Musgrave, and Kraft) which makes him even more valuable in 2024.
Honorable Mention: Rashee Rice
Follow me @stiles08 on Twitter/X and send questions and comments at the bottom of this article. Make sure you jump around the Razzball site for all your fantasy football needs.
-Matt-
