Lots of wide receivers are on new teams in 2017, from rookies to star veterans. Who will dominate fantasy football? We rank the top 7 receivers so you win.
For fantasy football this year, quarterbacks are crazy deep, running backs are super shallow, and wide receivers seem to fall somewhere in the middle. The top receivers are elite, but there are drastic drops between some tiers. There are also a number of important guys in new uniforms (or in NFL uniforms for the first time) that will have major fantasy implications.
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From rookie receivers to star veterans, these are the seven players to watch who are joining new teams in 2017. Yet will they all succeed? We rank them so you win at fantasy football.
Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, discuss the Fantasy Football in today’s NFL Sports Debate.
Todd Salem:
The new scenery wide receivers are the ones we’re intrigued by at the moment. Can we expect the same or better production, and where do you rank them? I am going to remove Brandin Cooks and Alshon Jeffery from this discussion since, A. We already talked about each individually earlier in the offseason, and B. They are a step above the rest of the guys in this specific discussion. No one is worrying about Cooks or Jeffery in a new uniform.
Here are the guys people are pondering:
Terrelle Pryor (Washington)
Brandon Marshall (NY Giants)
Pierre Garcon (San Francisco)
DeSean Jackson (Tampa Bay)
Corey Davis (Tennessee rookie)
Mike Williams (LA Chargers rookie)
Kenny Britt (Cleveland)
That list is not an accident. Those are the guys and order in which they are listed on ESPN’s latest fantasy football rankings for the 2017 season.
This is a tricky list because, normally, I discount all rookie wide receivers. I just don’t like them in Year 1. But in this case, we are comparing them to guys who are also joining new offenses. These are veterans in the league, but essentially rookies on their new teams. That changes the argument.
Prior to the NFL Draft, I was highest on Marshall in New York. Now, after the Giants drafted the guy who may be replacing Marshall after a year, I’m less certain in his ceiling and role on this team. I slide him down a tad, and my favorites on this list become Pryor, Jackson, and the rookies.
Pryor is easy to defend. He is super talented, joining a team with a good quarterback, and is the number-one option after the likes of Jackson and Garcon left town. Jamison Crowder is his only competition for catches. With Jackson now in Tampa, he becomes one of the best second options in fantasy. Coverage will always shift to Mike Evans, and Jackson is still a burner at 30 years old.
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As for the rookies, am I crazy, or do these guys have clear shots at number one roles on their respective clubs? I know Keenan Allen stands in the way of Williams in Los Angeles, but the day you trust Allen as your top WR is the season you miss the fantasy playoffs. And in Tennessee, there is no one else around that I am scared of. I didn’t even like the Titans’ selection of Davis in the draft, but opportunity is almost as important as skill in fantasy football.
Todd’s order of WRs:
1. Terrelle Pryor (Washington)
2. Corey Davis (Tennessee rookie)
3. DeSean Jackson (Tampa Bay)
4. Brandon Marshall (NY Giants)
5. Mike Williams (LA Chargers rookie)
6. Kenny Britt (Cleveland)
7. Pierre Garcon (San Francisco)
Dan Salem:
Its a similar story every fantasy football season, as new wide receivers swoop into the league and dominate. While running backs are consistently few and far between, the receiver position is thick and full in the middle. All seven of our newcomers will not be fantasy stars in 2017, but the top five are going to have a major impact.
Dan’s order of WRs:
1. DeSean Jackson (Tampa Bay)
2. Mike Williams (LA Chargers rookie)
3. Terrelle Pryor (Washington)
4. Brandon Marshall (NY Giants)
5. Pierre Garcon (San Francisco)
6. Corey Davis (Tennessee rookie)
7. Kenny Britt (Cleveland)
The significance of each receiver’s impact has everything to do with their quarterback and the team’s offense. Jackson is my top wide receiver because I love how the Buccaneers are getting better and Jameis Winston is becoming a great player in his own right. Tampa Bay offers Jackson a huge opportunity to be great, considering the team doesn’t need him to be their number one guy.
My top rookie also happens to be a receiver. Mike Williams is going to shine in Los Angeles with the Chargers. Philip Rivers is an exceptional quarterback who needs weapons to work with. Williams may be his No. 1 option to begin the year, but at the very least he gets tons of looks in the passing game. I also love Pryor in Washington for this reason. He will see the football an awful lot and is only getting better as a receiver.
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The remainder of my list is going to be hit or miss. I really like Marshall, but on the Giants he’s likely the third receiving option and may drop lower. Garcon is very good, but San Francisco is not. Tennessee is too unpredictable for me to bet on Davis and the Browns are too young for me to trust Britt in their offense. All are worth a flier, but I’m banking on the top of my list.