2015 Fantasy Football: Wide Receiver Rankings (Part 1)
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18.) Sammy Watkins, Bills – As the top WR taken in a loaded draft, Watkins season could be considered somewhat of a disappointment, but with one of the worst QB situations in football it’s pretty impressive Watkins managed 65 receptions. He also finished in the top 20 in yards per catch (15.1) which reflects his talent with the ball in his hands. The QB situation in Buffalo is still bad, but could be less awful and the addition of Percy Harvin could open things up for Watkins a little. I’m expecting a better season across the board and I think this will be the last time he’s available this late.
19.) Julian Edelman, Patriots – He is averaging just under 100 catches, with just over 1,000 yards and 5 TDs over the last two seasons. I see a good chance for a similar year from Edelman in 2016. Brady may be gone for a few games, but Edelman shouldn’t see much of a drop off as a receiver who does most of his damage on short to intermediate routes. His TDs probably won’t be impressive, but in full point PPR leagues his 100-ish catches make him a solid WR2.
20.) Keenan Allen, Chargers – Had six more catches than in his breakout rookie season, but almost 300 yards less and only half of the TDs (4 from 8). Allen took a step back in his 2nd season, but with the loss of Eddie Royal and no significant WR additions outside of Stevie Johnson, he should be Philip Rivers primary target and is a prime candidate for a bounce back season.
21.) Jarvis Landry, Dolphins – Was one of the most efficient receivers last season with a catch rate just under 80%. The Dolphins lost deep threat Mike Wallace, but replaced him with a younger deep threat in Kenny Stills and veteran Greg Jennings. Landry will stay in the slot this year and could be primed for a huge season with some improvement from the Phins O-line and QB Ryan Tannehill. Landry’s catch/TD ratio last year was among the lowest in the league, but a regression to the mean and a slight improvement in his overall numbers should put Landry in the top 25 receivers by the end of 2015.
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22.) Amari Cooper, Raiders – The most NFL-ready WR in this year’s draft should step right into the WR1 spot with the Raiders because they literally don’t have anyone else good enough. I expect Cooper and Carr to develop a quick rapport and he should be Carr’s go-to receiver from week 1 on.
23.) DeSean Jackson, Redskins – Despite the inconsistent QB play from Redskins QBs, D-Jax managed to have a pretty solid season. He lead the league in yards per catch by over a yard with 20.9 and managed to find the end zone 6 times despite just 56 catches. D-Jax has had the two best seasons of his career over the last two and if RG3 can improve his play this season, Jackson could have a big year.
24.) Jeremy Maclin, Chiefs – Coming off the best season of his career, where he finally capitalized on his elite talent, but now finds himself on a team that just hasn’t thrown the ball downfield the last two seasons. Maybe the addition of a top-tier receivers will open up Andy Reid’s playbook. I just can’t see a huge philosophy swift with the addition of one player. Maclin should still have solid catch and yardage numbers, but I think his 10 TD total from last season will be cut in half with the Chiefs.
25.) Andre Johnson, Colts – He hasn’t scored more than 5 TDs in a season over the last four years, but the switch from Houston to Indy could change things in a hurry. Johnson has put up disappointing TD stats for all 12 years of his career, so I don’t foresee a huge spike. Johnson could see a big boost in catches though with an offense that passes way more effectively than the Texans. In a full point PPR league, you can bump Johnson up a spot or two, but don’t get your hopes up too high in TD dependent leagues.
Next: Bears Preseason: Stock Watch Offense