Not much changed after the draft, which is probably how it should be. While some landing spots may pay more immediate dividends, talent wins out in the end. Landing spot has nothing to do with talent. Draft capital is a different story, as the round selected does project future success. But I try not to concern myself too much with the actual team a player gets drafted to. 

There were some movers such as Kadarius Toney and D’Wayne Eskridge who secured earlier picks than I assumed. In the case of Toney, despite not being impressed by his profile, there comes a point where first round capital trumps my personal evaluation. Let me know what you think in the comments! Who did I miss? Who shouldn’t be here? 

The List!

WR1 – Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati @ 1.05

Nothing changes here. Chase is a landing spot independent fantasy stud WR1, and reuniting with Joe Burrow is simply icing on the cake. He locked in the highest draft capital for a wide receiver since Corey Davis went 5th overall in 2017. He should be an immediate fantasy FLEX with obvious WR1 upside.

WR2– Jaylen Waddle, Miami @ 1.06

He was my WR2 and it appears the NFL thought the same way. Chase and Waddle are the highest drafted WR pair since A.J. Green and Julio Jones went 4th and 6th overall in 2011. Waddle’s depth chart is even weaker than Chase’s so I have no doubt that he will be the target leader in short order. His explosiveness combined with volume gives him arguably the highest ceiling in this entire class.

WR3 – Elijah Moore, New York Jets @ 2.02

There was a time when having Elijah as the higher Moore in this rookie class was thought to be insane. However, in the end, the dynamic playmaker from Ole Miss was drafted before his draft classmate. Combining a spectacular production profile with an elite first step after the catch, Moore can be a high volume, medium depth of target weapon.  His ability to gain yards after the catch is scintillating and I think his game will translate well to the modern NFL. More on this later, but I believe he should have been taken in the first round either to Jacksonville if Urban Meyer wanted a slot weapon or to the Giants. His very early 2nd round selection is not late enough for me to back off my WR3 position.   

WR4 – Rashod Bateman, Baltimore @ 1.27

While some seem to be scared off his landing spot, I’m old enough to remember fading A.J. Brown when he went to run heavy Tennessee. I don’t believe we have seen what Baltimore would do with a true alpha receiver, as Marquise Brown never was going to be that despite being taken in the first round. Bateman profiles as a high volume target hog, a smaller but faster DeAndre Hopkins or Devante Adams. While it’s unfair to put those expectations on his shoulders, Bateman should enable the Ravens to open up the passing game in ways they have not been able to in the Lamar Jackson era. They will never be the Chiefs or Falcons, I am optimistic Baltimore will not finish last in pass attempts in 2021. 

WR5 – DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia @ 1.10 (trade up)

Again, no changes to the top of my list post draft! Pretty wild, although I place less and less emphasis on landing spot as the years go on. There is no denying the importance of a first round grade in projecting opportunity and fantasy success. Smith should have every opportunity to prove my ranking wrong but the track record for a receiver under 170 pounds being an elite fantasy producer is non-existent. Another red flag is the fact he spent 4 years at a power 5 school. The only receiver in recent history who did that and became a good fantasy asset is Tyler Lockett. Combine all that with an offense that may look like the aforementioned Ravens in terms of passing volume and I think Smith is set up to disappoint. 

WR6 – Rondale Moore, Arizona @ 2.17

Slipping to the second round became a very likely scenario for Moore as the draft process pressed on, with some rumors that he would be a day 3 pick. Fortunately we can breathe a sigh of relief that he lands in Arizona as the Cardinals’ 2nd round selection. This is one of the best places for a dynamic slot receiver to end up, as Kliff Kingsbury’s spread offense features many 3 and 4 wide sets. He will make his fair share of plays but Moore offers additional benefits for the team as he should provide an element of danger to opposing defenses, freeing up more favorable matchups for DeAndre Hopkins. I really like this spot for Moore, but also for Hopkins and Kyler Murray.

WR7 – Dyami Brown, Washington @ 3.19

The third round is where Washington finds all their playmakers. First they stole Terry McLaurin in the 3rd then found Antonio Gibson last year. I hope the trend continues with Dyami Brown out of North Carolina. A primarily outside threat, Brown should allow the Football Team to get more creative with star Terry McLaurin both outside and in the slot. I know he has his detractors but I really liked what I saw from Brown and his production profile is excellent. Ryan Fitzpatrick loves to dial up YOLO balls and Dyami Brown excels at getting open deep. It’s a match made in heaven for 2021, and I think Brown has fantasy WR2/3 upside for his career. 

WR8 – Kadarius Toney, New York Giants @ 1.20 (trade down)

Even first round draft capital couldn’t bump Toney up higher than 8th for me. He does however have the honor of being the first receiver to get a bump post-draft. Of course, the Giants have an extremely questionable draft evaluation process after taking Saquon Barkely 2nd overall and making Daniel Jones a top 10 pick. New York also added Kenny Golladay so despite his high draft selection, Toney’s role appears capped to the third option on his own team behind Golladay and Saquon Barkley. Of course, I wasn’t a big fan of Toney as a prospect. A receiver with only one year barely achieving 20% of his team’s receiving market share as a senior is a very unappealing profile. 

WR9 – Terrace Marshall, Jr., Carolina @ 2.27

Ah the great “teammate score” debate rages on with Marshall. I really wish these recruits would spread themselves out more instead of all clogging up the same 3 depth charts, but I digress. After waiting his turn behind Jefferson and Chase, Marshall exploded for LSU before opting out of the 2020 season. He has a great TD rate, if you’re into that sort of thing but the tape showed me a fairly limited route tree. Most of his success was running deep against soft coverage, something a tall, fast receiver should be good at. I have my doubts about his versatility in the NFL and he goes to a stacked depth chart in the short term. However, I am intrigued by him reuniting with college coordinator Joe Brady in Carolina and maybe he can scheme him open for a big play or two.

WR10 – D’Wayne Eskridge, Seattle @ 2.24

Eskridge is an extremely difficult evaluation for me. The tape is fantastic, showing a twitchy field stretcher who can win all over the field. He’s also surprisingly thick at 5’9″ and 190 pounds and his play style reflects a tough, gritty athlete. I think he will be an upgrade over the departed David Moore who filled a deep threat role, averaging over 17 yards per catch in 2018 and 2019. While he has the potential to be that and more, D.K. Metcalf has 2 more years on his rookie contract and Tyler Lockett was just extended for 4 years. Even if he secures a WR3 position, I would need to see Wilson’s pass attempts rise to the 600 range be comfortable projecting Eskridge as a fantasy relevant starter.