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The NFL is a league controlled by the passing game, and it’s full of elite talents at the wide receiver position. With a mix of young, budding superstars and impressive veterans, there are tons of options to choose from in building your dynasty roster. In this article, I rank my top five at the wide receiver position for dynasty leagues and include a handful of honorable mentions at the end. Let’s dive in.
#1: Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Well, that didn’t take long. Analysts who pounded the table against Ja’Marr Chase over the offseason look rather silly now as the Bengals’ rookie wide receiver ranks third in PPR points among WRs. Chase’s mind-meld with Joe Burrow has carried over from LSU to the NFL, and at just 21 years old, Chase is already one of the best receivers in the NFL. Chase has the most receiving yards and the second-most receiving touchdowns through his first seven games in NFL history and is pacing to challenge Randy Moss and Justin Jefferson for the best rookie wide receiver season in the NFL. If he’s on your dynasty team, take a bow.
#2: Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Not to be outdone by his former LSU teammate, Justin Jefferson, is doing his best to follow up his brilliant rookie campaign with even better production. Jefferson is currently on pace for 116 catches for 1,535 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Say what you will about Kirk Cousins, but he’s playing excellent football this season, and at 33 years old, he has a handful of top-end years left in the NFL. Jefferson is still only 22 years old, and it already looks ridiculous that four other wide receivers were selected ahead of him in the draft.
#3: Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers
Once a wide receiver hits 30 years old, their production declines, and Adams is already 28 years old. He didn’t have his first 1,000-yard season until he was 25 years old, however, so perhaps his decline will be a little later in his career as well. The more significant concern with Adams is the future of Aaron Rodgers. I was convinced the Packers would trade Rodgers prior to this season, and while that didn’t happen, it doesn’t seem like he’s long for Green Bay. Perhaps Adams will follow Rodgers to his next destination, but that lack of certainty about his team situation keeps him out of the top two in these rankings.
#4: CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
When the Cowboys selected Lamb in the first round of the 2020 draft, it surprised most as they already had Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup on the roster. However, from the best player available standpoint, he was the obvious choice (aside from Jefferson). While Cooper is still an excellent wide receiver, Lamb is an elite talent who should ascend to one of the best receivers in the game shortly. Dak Prescott under contract for the foreseeable future is icing on the cake for Lamb.
#5: DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
Perhaps the best example in the NFL of not overthinking draft decisions, DK Metcalf fell to the second round as teams balked at his “workout warrior” profile amidst concerns it would not translate to the football field. Well, the Seahawks are laughing their way to the bank because Metcalf is already one of the best players in the NFL at his position. At just 23 years old and attached to Russell Wilson, one of the best passers in football, Metcalf has many years left of elite play, and we have yet to see his full potential come to fruition.
Honorable Mentions:
Tyreek Hill – I had a hard time leaving Tyreek Hill out of the top five as he has been a top-three wide receiver in PPR scoring in two of the past three years, but he’s incredibly reliant on his speed, and at 27 years old, I don’t believe he has too much time left as an elite receiver.
A.J. Brown – You can make a case for Brown over Metcalf or Lamb, and I wouldn’t argue with you, but the tiebreaker for me was Brown is older than those two, and Ryan Tannehill is a worse quarterback than either Russell Wilson or Dak Prescott.
Stefon Diggs – At 27 years old, Diggs should have a handful of more years of top-level play, but the Bills have shown a willingness to spread the ball around this season, and his target share may never again approach the insane level it was at in the 2020 season.
D.J. Moore – Moore is an incredible talent, but the fact that Sam Darnold is currently his quarterback immediately took him out of the running for the top five. If Carolina trades for Deshaun Watson, Moore catapults ahead of Metcalf and perhaps Lamb.
