Let’s cut to the chase: you wanted to level up your fantasy game and you joined a “deep” league with 3WR and 2 FLEX and maybe 14 or even 16 people. About round 12, you’re baffled about who to choose, and it’s not because you’re 6 PBRs deep. Slow down, Captain! You’re in a deep draft. Now, if I could predict the future, I’d be in a much more lucrative job than pro-bono fantasy sports writing. But–and this is a Blair practicing his cocktail-making sized but–we can use depth charts, statistics, and the zodiac to make some strong predictions about wide receivers you should be targeting in late rounds. If I’m fielding a team in a deep league–like 3WR, 2 FLEX–I want, at minimum, 6-7ish WR. I want my 3 starters, and I want legitimate flex players. Then, I want to fill in advantageous bye week matchups. Too much thinking? I agree! Let’s check out some options for end-game wide-receivers that will be useful in your deep league, best ball tournament, or the Scott Fish Bowl. I’m taking the Average Draft Position (ADP) from Fantasy Pros, and comparing it to Rudy’s 2020 fantasy football projections.
Corey Davis:Â With a Fantasy Pros ADP of WR 73 and going off the board at #187th overall, Corey Davis is certainly on the board in the late rounds of almost every league. The fifth overall pick of the 2017 draft, Davis has underwhelmed throughout his career. His option wasn’t picked up this year, meaning that he’ll become a free agent at the end of the season. In 2019, Davis put up an underwhelming 601 yards on 43 catches. Of course, he had Marcus Mariota starting the first 6 games. When Tannehill took over, Davis put up a respectable 63% catch rate for 30 receptions, averaging 13.33 yards per catch, which put him on par with Mark Andrews and Preston Williams, and ahead of Tyler Lockett. Perhaps most notably, Davis put up 241 yards after catch on those limited receptions, which totaled yards after catch per reception than Terry McLaurin, Courtland Sutton, and Michael Gallup. Rudy has Davis as the #53 wide receiver for 2020 fantasy football because Davis will be the #2 receiver on an efficient and productive Titans offense.
Cole Beasley: With a Fantasy Pros ADP of WR 78–#242 off the board–Cole Beasley is certainly on the board at the end of your draft. Fast fact: in the 2019 RazzBowl–a best ball-scoring league–Beasley would have started 8 games on most teams. As the slot receiver for the Buffalo Bills, Beasley is third in line for receptions in the passing game. He was an inconsistent producer, but for 50% of the games in 2019, he put up starting WR numbers in a best ball format. Rudy’s projections estimate that Beasley will receive about 80 targets in 2020, which more opportunity for production than earlier picks like Darius Slayton, Deebo Samuel, and Diontae Johnson. In PPR-leagues–which are almost the “standard” now–Beasley has the upside for your FLEX spot, and could easily be taken at the end of the draft or off the waiver wire. If you paired Josh Allen with Stephon Diggs or John Brown, you could grab Beasley at the end of the draft for a strong stack.Â
Kelvin Harmon:Â A sixth round pick last year, Harmon climbed his way to second on the receiver depth chart for the Washington “Thorough Reviews.” Harmon’s value is largely though opportunity and volume. As the current WR #88 on Fantasy Pros, Harmon is on the board even in the deepest leagues. After showing up in the second half of 2019, Harmon snared 68% of the balls thrown his way while dropping only 4% of his opportunities. Combining his strong reception skills with his an average depth of target of 11 yards, Harmon could easily be a first down machine on a team that will be passing a ton in 2020. Rudy projects Harmon for 80 targets and about 50 receptions, which puts him a #61 in the wide receiver PPR rankings and ahead of Denzel Mims, Diontae Johnson, and Brandon Aiyuk. Given that most managers don’t have Harmon on their radar, he’s an easy choice for upside on your last round pick.Â
If you’ve got some late round wide-receiver picks, drop them in the comments. While you’re at it, give me a follow on Twitter @everywhereblair.Â
