FFB DOES FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS: Your Top 69 Wide Receivers For 2023

It's one of the most hated days of the entire calendar year. The Tuesday after Labor Day and everyone's back at work after a holiday weekend. I got a full 8 hours of sleep last night but still woke up feeling like an unwashed asshole. Mood all day: 

Oftentimes, this long weekend is filled with the drinking of alcoholic beverages and the ingestion of fatty foods, so one might be feeling the aftereffects of this bodily mistreatment today. The good news is that the ensuing bowel movement should act as a cleanser and carve out a good 30-45 minute gap in your workday with which you can read my fantasy rankings. The NFL kicks off on Thursday night and this kind of last-minute draft prep is what separates the winners from the cellar-dwellers. First in-last out mentality.

Anyways, the running back rankings were posted last week and I'm expecting a 100% hit rate on those if you're interested in accuracy and fantasy expertise. If you're looking to go a different route with your draft, perhaps the "zero-RB" method, then this list will be particularly useful for you. Running back can be a highly volatile position in fantasy football, so settle in and have a look at the 2023 wide receiver rankings. 

1. Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings)

Does he get to 150 catches and 2,000 yards receiving? It's certainly possible and he seems to think so, which is half the battle. He's the solo WR1 this year and finds himself in the God-tier. He doesn't come off the field and will have 200+ targets this season. He could go for 2,000. He's worthy of the #1 overall pick in any and all formats.  

2. Ja'Marr Chase (Cincinnati Bengals)
3. Tyreek Hill (Miami Dolphins)
4. Stefon Diggs (Buffalo Bills)

I think these next 3 names are interchangeable, but they're the unanimous S-tier guys to gun for in the first round. Ja'Marr Chase gets roughly 30% of the targets in Cincy and asserted himself as a home run threat last season with 13 TDs and only 3 coming in the red zone. 

Tyreek Hill: very fast, powder keg on the field and also at local Miami marinas. He's not getting suspended, so he's still at WR3 for me. 

Stefon Diggs has been the definition of consistency since joining forces with Josh Allen in Buffalo. He's gone back-to-back-to-back seasons with at least 156 receptions/1,225 yards/8 TDs. 

It doesn't matter what pick you have, these guys are all first round picks that you won't regret so follow your gut and take whoever's there.   

5. CeeDee Lamb (Dallas Cowboys)
6. Amon Ra St. Brown (Detroit Lions)
7. Davante Adams (Las Vegas Raiders)
8. Garrett Wilson (New York Jets)
9. Jaylen Waddle (Miami Dolphins)
10. AJ Brown (Philadelphia Eagles)

CeeDee Lamb made a leap from 2021 to 2022 and threw together a 107/1,359/9 season, good enough for WR5. Despite a garbage season from Dak Prescott (15 INTs in 12 games), his numbers improved across the board and I expect another bump this year. 

Amon Ra St. Brown could afford to throw in a few more TDs this season, but 150+ targets/100+ receptions is virtually locked up, so the volume is there. Not to mention he was still a top-10 WR last season, even with his modest 6 TDs. He's far from a touchdown-dependent player, so a few extra scores will only increase his (already strong) value. 

Since 2018, Davante Adams has been a machine. He's only dropped below 100 catches one time (when he had turf toe in 2019 and had to miss time) and he still caught 83 passes for 997 yards that season. The rest of the time he's been no worse than 1,374 yards and 11 TDs. I can't make myself put much stock into Jimmy G, but I trust him a little more knowing he gets to throw passes to Davante Adams. 

Garrett Wilson: Offensive Rookie of the Year, Aaron Rodgers comes into town, "Hard Knocks bump" - say no more.

11. Cooper Kupp (Los Angeles Rams)

Will he give his hamstring ample time to heal? If he does, how many games does he miss? It's already looking like Week 1 is in jeopardy, but he's a long play option. Don't jump too early, but know he can be a league-winner, so don't be afraid to scoop him if he falls into your lap.

12. Calvin Ridley (Jacksonville Jaguars)

He's back and I refuse to forget his WR4 season in 2020 and the 26 TDs he scored in his first three seasons. The suspension is in the rearview and he obviously won't win Comeback Player of the Year, but if he was eligible he'd be a good bet.  

13. Chris Olave (New Orleans Saints)
14. Tee Higgins (Cincinnati Bengals)
15. Devonta Smith (Philadelphia Eagles)
16. DeAndre Hopkins (Tennessee Titans)
17. DJ Moore (Chicago Bears) 

Olave heads into his second season with room to grow and plenty of reason for optimism. He caught 72 passes last year for 1,042 yards but just 4 TDs. All this with a hodgepodge of Jameis Winston/Andy Dalton/Taysom Hill at QB. He's no shooting star, but Derek Carr is an acceptable level of above-average, enough to provide the stability Olave needs to make the jump. The Alvin Kamara suspension may force a few additional targets his way in the short term, but that might just jumpstart some chemistry between Carr and Olave. 

Tee Higgins would be a WR1 on most other teams, he just so happens to be teammates with Ja'Marr Chase. The Chase/Higgins tandem is up there as one of the most formidable combos in the league - no wonder Joe Burrow always seems so chill and relaxed. Fantasy owners can also breathe relatively easy, Higgins is a red zone favorite of Burrow's and has been wildly consistent with ~70 catches, ~1000 yards, and 6-7 TDs in his first 3 seasons.  

I believe in the Ryan Tannehill - DeAndre Hopkins link. Word out of camp is that they've formed a strong bond in a short amount of time and that bodes well for fantasy owners. Nuk is a few short years removed from four consecutive top-7 fantasy seasons - I'll go on record saying he was THE elite fantasy wide receiver to target. Don't let two down years fool you, he was a victim of Kliff Kingsbury's reign in Arizona and there's plenty in the tank.

I also believe in DJ Moore. A change of scenery can go a long way and I'm predicting a career year for Moore. He's been a perennial top-20ish option, but he upgrades at quarterback this year, and 85/1200/6 is out there for the taking. 

18. Christian Watson (Green Bay Packers)

How will Jordan Love stack up against his predecessor? Can the Packers do it again with a long-term franchise QB to follow Favre and Rodgers? Watson was a big play threat last year as a rookie and his role as WR1 in Green Bay should only continue to grow. He just had 41 catches but scored 7 TDs, so he made the most of his looks. Watson is a slippery lad that can get behind defenses so a lot will depend on Jordan Love to lay it out there for him. If they can connect regularly, Watson owners may even be rewarded with double digit TDs.   

19. DK Metcalf (Seattle Seahawks)

This play still slaps - one of the coolest efforts in NFL history. We all know he's huge, we all know he's incredibly fast, but can the Seahawks get back to using him as a vertical weapon? Last year he had some bad luck with TD output (6) and his yards per catch was <12.00, both the lowest of his career. With that said, he was still WR18. I like to think those numbers normalize a bit and even if that's his floor, then you can sleep soundly. 

20. Amari Cooper (Cleveland Browns)
21. Keenan Allen (Los Angeles Chargers) 
22. Jahan Dotson (Washington Commanders)

Dotson was off to a really interesting start last year then missed 5 games in the middle of the season, so his rookie campaign was a bit abbreviated. He's working with a new QB in Sam Howell but they're rumored to be forming a good relationship, so hopefully a full second year of service time will see him reach his potential. He only had 35 total catches last year but he clearly had a nose for the endzone and scored 7 TDs. If he maintains that level of efficiency and gets to 100 catches that puts him at...

 ...20 TDs. Not an official projection, just crunching numbers.  

23. Deebo Samuel (San Francisco 49ers)
24. Tyler Lockett (Seattle Seahawks)
25. Chris Godwin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Tyler Lockett may never be a top-5 fantasy option, but he's as reliable and dependable a fantasy option as there is. Since 2018, he's yet to drop out of the top-15, he'll give you anywhere from 80-100 catches and he scores TDs at a high clip, roughly 9 per year over that span. Lockett is the definition of a cozy "Set It and Forget It" fantasy option. 

Do we trust Baker Mayfield as far as we can throw him (not far)? I fear that this will be a QB carousel in Tampa Bay and the WRs struggle to find their fantasy footing. Godwin had the best receiving season of his career in 2022 so he still cracks my top-25, but I'm wary of his QB situation. 

26. Terry McLaurin (Washington Commanders)
27. Drake London (Atlanta Falcons)

I like London but just how much will the Falcons actually throw the football? From a volume standpoint I don't love his situation, but he was pretty damn solid last year as a rookie with 72/866/4 in a run-first offense. 

28. George Pickens (Pittsburgh Steelers)

The hype is very real with Pickens and I think we see Pickens/Pickett become a fun little duo. Another respectable rookie season with 52/801/4, but a full dose of Pickett should have his numbers up a hair. He's a highlight reel type of guy, so he may not get you huge a number of targets but you're still getting 15ish yards per catch and plenty of fireworks. 

29. Mike Williams (Los Angeles Chargers)
30. Diontae Johnson (Pittsburgh Steelers)
31. Brandon Aiyuk (San Francisco 49ers)
32. Christian Kirk (Jacksonville Jaguars)
33. Marquise Brown (Arizona Cardinals)
34. Mike Evans (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
35. Michael Thomas (New Orleans Saints)

Diontae Johnson scored zero touchdowns in 2022. ZERO TOUCHDOWNS. That's almost impossible to do. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that he improves on that number in 2023. Quite literally nowhere to go but up. 

Michael Thomas Cons - Has played in 10 total games since 2019. Injury/motivation concerns. It's weird to see one of the more dominant players in the league just take a few years off and that entire situation was murky. Michael Thomas Pros- Presumably very well rested? Fantasy finishes in his first four seasons were 7, 6, 6, and 1, respectively. If he's even 80% of what he was from 2016 to 2019, he's worth a flier somewhere in the middle rounds when WRs start to thin out. 

There are some targets that will surely be claimed by Calvin Ridley, but Christian Kirk finally broke out in his first year as a Jaguar for 84/1108/8. Another victim of the disastrous Kliff Kingsbury regime in Arizona, his 2022 helped regain the trust of fantasy owners everywhere. 

36. Jordan Addison (Minnesota Vikings)

Immediate contributor in the slot and he's made some nice plays in camp. Thielen out, Addison in to fill that role.

   

37. Brandin Cooks (Dallas Cowboys)

Remember: this has been a top-20 (or better) guy more often than not, up until last year (which stunk out loud). Dalton Schulz is out and Dallas is a better situation than Houston right now, so he's a safe option to see consistent targets as the WR2 behind CeeDee Lamb. 

38. Courtland Sutton (Denver Broncos)

Tons of hype buzzing around Sutton coming out of camp. Jerry Jeudy is once again sidelined for the opening of the season so those vacated targets will be going, at least partially, to Sutton. Russ Wilson is said to be in better shape and looking more like himself from his years in Seattle (TBD). Above all else, this entire offense receives a significant bump due to Sean Payton's arrival in Denver. 

39. Gabe Davis (Buffalo Bills)
40. Skyy Moore (Kansas City Chiefs)
41. Zay Flowers (Baltimore Ravens)

Flowers is my favorite receiver in this rookie class, but I worry about the target share in Baltimore to some degree. There's no doubt Flowers can make plays, but he's competing with Rashod Bateman, Odell Beckham Jr., and Mark Andrews for looks. Bateman and Beckham are seemingly perpetually injured, so this might be a colossal value pick if history repeats itself.  

42. Michael Pittman Jr. (Indianapolis Colts)

Pittman has had to endure some certified hot diarrhea quarterbacks in Indy so far, but the front office wised up and a new quarterback just walked through the door (his name isn't Carson Wentz). I like Pittman this year with Anthony Richardson, even if it takes a few weeks to gel, and his 2021 (88/1082/6) could be replicated, or more. 

43. Allen Lazard (New York Jets)

The Rodgers - Lazard Connection lives on. 2022 was the best statistical season of his career and I would expect an uptick in all numbers as he only really has Garrett Wilson to compete against in New York. 80 catches isn't out of the realm of possibility and 900 yards through the air wouldn't exactly shock me. Rodgers loves him so that helps. 

44. Jerry Jeudy (Denver Broncos)

If he could stay on the field he'd be higher. He essentially missed 4 games last season and he could miss Week 1 of this year with a hamstring. Prove to me, the omniscient Fantasy Football Boy, that you can stay healthy and maybe you're top 25-30 next year.    

45. Nico Collins (Houston Texans)
46. Odell Beckham Jr. (Baltimore Ravens)
47. Treylon Burks (Tennessee Titans)

The addition of DeAndre Hopkins obviously hurts his fantasy value, but this might just turn into a positive for Treylon Burks. Ultimately, I'm not sure that he was equipped to be the WR1 in Nashville and this takes the pressure off of him to try and be that. He can now comfortably share targets and in a roundabout way, this might actually help his productivity. Conservatively hopeful on this one, easily inside the top-50 but he's shown flashes of top-25 ability. 

48. Juju Smith-Schuster (New England Patriots)

Could another Patriots trade happen this week? @AlbertBreer & @GregABedard join Felger to discuss pic.twitter.com/GPk0N8D4LW

— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) August 28, 2023

This one goes against everything I stand for. There are reports of his knees being filled with explosives, which is problematic as a football player dependent on knees for essential acts such as cutting and even running. Juju seems confident that his knee will not explode and for whatever reason, I believe him. Juju is just 26 and has been a huge disappoint since 2018 when he caught 111 passes. Again, it all depends on his availability, but he's gone through camp and only has to beat out the likes of Devante Parker and Tyquan Thornton for targets. It's a thin WR room and he's poised for a rebound (so long as his knee doesn't spontaneously combust). 

49. Adam Thielen (Carolina Panthers)

A slight "has-been" but still a safe option for 70/700 (at least) and some TDs peppered in if you're able to get him late. 

50. Rashod Bateman (Baltimore Ravens)

The Lisfranc injury is still a concern no matter how many times he says it isn't. Another "prove it" guy that needs to stay healthy this season to remain fantasy relevant. Draft accordingly. 

51. Marvin Mims Jr. (Denver Broncos)
52. Jonathan Mingo (Carolina Panthers)

Two more rookies on the list. Mims is a legit option in Denver after Tim Patrick went down for the year and he's just another candidate to claim vacated targets should Jerry Jeudy miss multiple weeks. The Broncos also mercilessly kicked KJ Hamler to the curb due to a shit heart. This thrusts Mims into an immediate role. 

Mingo is a grinder in Carolina that's formed a good relationship with Bryce Young after the Panthers drafted him early in the second round. Plus, his competition is Adam Thielen, DJ Chark, and Terrace Marshall which bodes well. It might take a few weeks, but he'll be squarely in the mix sooner rather than later.

53. Zay Jones (Jacksonville Jaguars)
54. Tyler Boyd (Cincinnati Bengals)
55. Romeo Doubs (Green Bay Packers)
56. Quentin Johnston (Los Angeles Chargers)

Johnston is an big body with Justin Herbert as his quarterback, this has worked out in the past and he's an exciting target. He's had a strong preseason and projects as the 3rd or 4th receiver in that offense, but that goes to show just how crowded it is in LA. He has an uphill battle ahead of him for targets. 

57. Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seattle Seahawks)

Broken wrist or he would've been higher. Love his elusiveness and route-running ability. He was the first WR off the board in April's draft but an early injury knocks him down a few slots as he's competing with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett for looks. Worthy of a later round flier if you have the luxury of being patient.  

58. Jakobi Meyers (Las Vegas Raiders)
59. Darius Slayton (New York Giants)
60. Kadarius Toney (Kansas City Chiefs)

Kadarius Toney: "Prove it" guy to the max. He's electric when he's on the field, but he's never played more than 10 games in a season. Granted that's just through 2 full years, but he'll have to prove that he can play with regularity. He's even battled injuries this offseason as well. No doubt he could be a top-30 or so guy, but he's never been able to spend enough time on the field to be a safe fantasy option.  

61. Mecole Hardman Jr. (New York Jets)

Hard Knocks Bump. 

62. Jameson Williams (Detroit Lions)

Suspended and not allowed in the team facility. Also rehabbing a hamstring injury. Double whammy. Stash at your own risk. 

63. KJ Osborn (Minnesota Vikings)

Realistically, he is the Vikings' WR2 but he's still a less exciting draft option than Jordan Addison. He needs to get closer to 80 targets or he's more of a role player and less of a startable fantasy option. 

64. Marques Valding-Scantling (Kansas City Chiefs)
65. Donovan Peoples-Jones (Cleveland Browns)
66. Michael Wilson (Arizona Cardinals)

Wilson is a 3rd rounder out of Stanford and should be able to slide into a steady role behind Marquise Brown. Rondale Moore is his only real hurdle otherwise. It'll be Week 5 at the earliest before Kyler Murray is back, so he might be more of a mid-season option assuming he can carve out a significant role.  

67. Jayden Reed (Green Bay Packers)
68. Rondale Moore (Arizona Cardinals)
69. Van Jefferson (Los Angeles Rams)

That about does it for this edition of FFB DOES FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS. As always, any discussion or questions, feel free to drop in at my X @clax_tn and we can hash it out.