04 May 2021 WR Rookie Rankings
2021 WR Rookie Rankings
Fantasy Football
More Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | IDP | OVERALL
It is still NFL Draft week here at XTB. Just because the heavy lifting was done, doesn’t mean we take a break. Now we have to figure out what all of these landing spots mean, and how to apply it to your Fantasy Football Rookie Drafts. At the bottom of this post there is a list of my Top 25 Wide Receivers – as of today. This will definitely change between now and the start of the season. But, we need a starting point, and this is it. I’ve added a couple of write ups on some of my favorites. If you have any specific questions, find me on twitter @PeoplezPen. I’ll note, these are just straight rankings without any filters placed on them for PPR, or any scoring specifics. I am in leagues of all types, with the max being 55 man full IDP rosters with 11 starters on offense. I know there are a bunch of these leagues in existence, so some of these guys might be off your radar, but not for everyone.
How accurate was our Draft Guide? Compared against the rankings from other major sites (TDN, PFF, PFN, Walter Football, DraftTek, B/R) XTB was No. 1 by FAR (62.3% correlation)! Get yours now 2021 XTB NFL Draft Guide
Jaylen Waddle – Miami
Admittedly, I’ve gone back and forth on Waddle throughout the entire draft cycle. He oozes potential to be the top receiver in this class, but could be knocked some for current size, and can certainly be knocked for lack of production. Is it fair to hold an injury against him? No. But, as the tweet above says, I think we need to pump the brakes some with the Ty Hill comps. Waddle is much more finesse right now. So what makes him the poster for the position? Simple, the landing spot. Ja’Marr Chase might find some comfort in a familiar face, but there are suddenly a lot of mouths to feed at Joe Burrow’s table. This could easily be a repeat of the trend CeeDee Lamb was on, prior to Dak’s injury, but Waddle also gets a return to a familiar face. I also expect Tua Tagovailoa to take a monumental step forward this season, and Waddle is finally in line for the lions share of a workload. If you had Waddle in the top tier with Chase and DeVonta Smith, then finding a home in Miami should be music to your dynasty ears.
Elijah Moore – NY Jets
As I bop to Reasonable Doubt while writing this, I’m reminded of how silky smooth Elijah Moore’s game is. I was extremely hard on him at the beginning of the draft cycle. I thought he would get bullied, and I thought he was the product of Lane Kiffin. I’ve come around since then. A little Damien Parson intervention, a few tears from A.J. Brown, and a landing spot with my favorite professional team. I swear, I am not vouching for Moore because of where he landed – while at the same time, the landing spot is exactly why I am vouching. He can step in from day one with a new receiving group, new quarterback, new line, new everything. There is nothing he has to do to fit in other than to display his dynamic and explosive athleticism. His Pro Day produced a blistering 4.35 forty, but the peripherals failed to show his twitchy and electric quickness. It’s twelectric© (I’m keeping that one). Moore can win short, and win deep, and has explosive after the catch ability. This might have been the steal of the entire draft.
Dyami Brown – Washington
If you haven’t yet, take a look at the above tweet from the RotoViz owner Curtis Patrick. Now, let me add another fun fact I stumbled across… none of Dyami Brown’s receptions were on screens. All of his work came downfield! As if this wasn’t an impressive list by itself, don’t forget, he is the only one who did it twice. I’ve already come out saying Sam Howell is my QB1 of the 2022 class, but Dyami is a huge reason Howell is even in the conversation. Now, he gets to run opposite an established lead receiver in Terry McLaurin, and has a Quarterback who will tempt the fate of the Gods. Washington has been desperate to fill the WR2 void, and Brown is a perfect fit. I said these rankings wouldn’t be scoring specific, but Brown will likely be way more appealing in non-PPR leagues. Regardless, you should be able to get him on the cheap, and he has as much upside as his new teammate F1 did at this same stage.
https://twitter.com/barleyhop/status/1388577667683921925?s=20
Cornell Powell – Kansas City
To be perfectly honest, I was not the biggest Cornell Powell fan coming into this draft cycle. I wonder just how much that opinion may have changed, had I been able to glean anything first hand in Mobile. From afar, he impressed at the Senior Bowl, and by all accounts had a terrific week. His Pro Day turned out to be a little better than you may have anticipated as well, clocking a 4.53 forty yard dash, however it is his lack of explosiveness that has me excited. Powell lands in the best offense in football, with the best Quarterback, and fills a role they do not currently have – bail out in the short game for Mahomes. While Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman are sucking the secondary down field, and Travis Kelce attracts all of the remaining bystanders, Powell has a chance to clean up on everything else. This to me is a match of skill set to situation, and at the price tag it is likely to cost you, there is nothing to lose.
Marquez Stevenson – Buffalo
More often than not, sixth round draft picks aren’t worth getting excited about. This is a complete lottery ticket, and albeit, maybe not even a great one. But, still worth the potential upside, and this is why: Speed. It’s the consistent calling card in a career of ups and downs for Stevenson. His Pro Day measurements left a little to be desired at 5’10″/182, but he proved he is a bonafide speedster with a 4.39 forty time. Coincidentally, that is the exact same time Jalen Guyton recorded at his North Texas Pro Day, and coincidentally, Guyton showed upside in an offense with a big armed deep ball QB. Is there a QB currently in the league with a bigger arm than Josh Allen? Stevenson needs to show a little more consistency, but the opportunity (and cost) are there to take a stab at finding a deeper league potential starter.
Top 25 Wide Receivers
-
- Jaylen Waddle, Miami
- DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia
- Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati
- Elijah Moore, NY Jets
- Kadarius Toney, NY Giants
- Rashod Bateman, Baltimore
- Rondale Moore, Arizona
- Terrace Marshall Jr., Carolina
- Dyami Brown, Washington
- Josh Palmer, LA Chargers
- D’Wayne Eskridge, Seattle
- Nico Collins, Houston
- Tylan Wallace, Baltimore
- Amari Rodgers, Green Bay
- Tutu Atwell, LA Rams
- Cornell Powell, Kansas City
- Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit
- Sage Surratt, Detroit
- Marquez Stevenson, Buffalo
- Dazz Newsome, Chicago
- Austin Watkins, San Francisco
- Josh Imatorbhebhe, Jacksonville
- Cade Johnson, Seattle
- Jonathan Adams, Detroit
- Trevon Grimes, Philadelphia
A jack of all trades in the Fantasy Sports industry, covering football, baseball, and the NFL Draft. Has written, edited, podcasted, and produced over 1,000 videos for his various series, in addition to dozens of guest appearances and collaborative pieces. A top ranker on Fantasy Pros for both Football & Baseball, avid fan of mining for MLB prospects, and former D1 College hoops player, Andy is a native New Yorker, who has served as a firefighter in the FDNY for the past 20 years and counting.