Now that we have discussed the top 25 wide receivers, let’s delve into the next 25. With the change in the NFL to pass happy offenses, you have to have depth at wide receiver. Not only that, but many leagues require three, four, or some even five wide receivers to fill out your roster. So just getting a stud in the first two rounds isn’t enough and the third and fourth guy on your roster is where leagues are won and lost. The following are the second 25 ranked wide receivers along with their 2015 stats.
26. Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks
78 catches, 1,069 yards, 14 touchdowns
Baldwin had a massive jump in production in the second half of the season as the Seahawks were forced to rely on the passing game after the loss of Marshawn Lynch and Thomas Rawls to injury. Baldwin had 11 of his 14 touchdowns in the last six weeks of the season and I think fantasy owners are being set up to fail with him. Seattle will go back to being a run first team after Rawls comes back healthy and the three backs they drafted in April. I could see him topping 70 catches again, but I don’t see him getting any more than seven touchdowns this season. Baldwin is going to be massively overdrafted this season.
27. Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers
79 catches, 829 yards, 6 touchdowns
With Jordy Nelson down for the season last year, many hoped that Cobb would have an even bigger role and be among the top ten wide receivers in fantasy. Unfortunately, it seemed to have the opposite effect, and Cobb had a subpar season by his standards. By any standards really considering how good he was in 2015. He just never seemed to get going, and often didn’t seem to be on the same page with Aaron Rodgers. We can all hope that Nelson is healthy and all is right with the Packers offense this year. Cobb does come with a few concerns this season, but can still be viewed upon as a solid receiving option on what should be a good offense this year.
28. Allen Hurns, Jacksonville Jaguars
64 catches, 1,031 yards, 10 touchdowns
In his second year in the league, Hurns took a great step forward as a solid fantasy receiver with considerably better numbers across the board. The Jaguars thought enough of him to lock him into a pretty significant contract extension, and that means he is going to be a big part of the passing game. He clearly has a nice connection with Blake Bortles, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he had even more catches and yards than he did last year, but I would be a bit surprised to see him collect double digit touchdowns again.
Is Allen Hurns the new “Eric Decker?” Nobody will believe in them, but somehow they defy odds and continue to put up fantasy numbers…
— Alex Mountjoy (@AyeFLEX) August 2, 2016
29. DeSean Jackson, Washington Redskins
30 catches, 528 yards, 4 touchdowns (9 games)
Jackson has had a fantastic career for himself, and while he has passed the 30 year old threshold, he still has plenty of good football left in him. He isn’t going to go over the middle much, but Jackson is going to get behind the safeties plenty and have a big impact on most games. He’s never going to be the 100 catch kind of guy, but if he can get back to 80 grabs for 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns he will be a very good WR3 for your roster.
30. Michael Crabtree, Oakland Raiders
85 catches, 922 yards, 9 touchdowns
It was a resurgent year in 2015 for Crabtree who seemed to be fading to oblivion after leaving San Francisco. But he definitely had a good chemistry with quarterback Derek Carr, and Crabtree certainly has found a new home. Amari Cooper is still the number one guy, but that seems to fit Crabtree just fine as he finds himself with a lot of single coverage. I don’t know that I expect him to reach the same level of receptions or touchdowns, but I think he will maintain value as a lower end third receiver and have another quality year.
31. Travis Benjamin, San Diego Chargers
68 catches, 966 yards, 5 touchdowns
Benjamin broke out in a major way in 2015 as he became the top receiver for the Browns. I know that isn’t saying much, but considering the team he was on, I think those stats are pretty impressive. He took the route to San Diego where he won’t be the number one guy, but that is balanced out by the fact that he will have a much better quarterback. I expect Benjamin to flourish in San Diego and have another very good season. I think he can top 75 catches, 1,000 yards, and six or seven scores.
32. Michael Floyd, Arizona Cardinals
52 catches, 849 yards, 6 touchdowns
The Arizona passing game is very exciting, but it comes with a lot of questions for fantasy players. They have three wonderful receivers in Fitz, Brown, and Floyd and the question is who will lead them? Fitzgerald is the wily veteran who has led the team for more than a decade. However, he is coming towards the end of his career. Brown and Floyd are both sensational as well, and knowing who is better is tough. Floyd finished the season great with five 100 yard games in the last eight. Unfortunately he had two games with only one catch. I love Floyd as a lower end third or top fourth receiver in 2016, and if either of his mates were to go down, Floyd could really pay off.
33. DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins
26 catches, 494 yards, 3 touchdowns
Most of Parker’s rookie season was lost due to injury, and he is already dealing with minor injuries this summer. However, when we did see him on the field, we got a glimpse of exactly what he is capable of. His value will likely be linked to the success of Ryan Tannehill. If the quarterback is able to make good decisions and move the ball, Parker will likely be a big part of it. If Tannehill struggles, Parker will as well. He has huge big play ability, and while he isn’t a high volume reception guy, the yards and the touchdowns will be there. He’s a bit of an injury risk, but definitely has WR3 capabilities with the potential for more.
34. Golden Tate, Detroit Lions
90 catches, 813 yards, 6 touchdowns
Tate was quite good in the weeks that Calvin Johnson was not on the field, and that is a good thing considering that Megatron retired. Is Tate a number one receiver though? No, I don’t think he is. However, while Marvin Jones might do his best Calvin impression, Tate is going to be the possession gy and is the one more likely to rack up 90 receptions again. He isn’t sexy, he isn’t exciting, but Tate is going to get the job done in PPR leagues and is very likely to hold WR3 value in 2016.
35. John Brown, Arizona Cardinals
65 catches, 1,003 yards, 7 touchdowns
Brown took a nice step forward in his second year in the league, and has formed probably the best receiving trio in the NFL. He has suffered a concussion this preseason, but with this much time before the season starts, this should be no issue. The Cardinals’ offense is very pass heavy and even with Michael Floyd and Larry Fitzgerald also needing passes, I wouldn’t be surprised if Brown led them all. He isn’t a tall guy at 5’11”, but he can get behind a defense and he has great hands. You can get Brown as a low end WR3 but he could give you better production.
36. Marvin Jones, Detroit Lions
65 catches, 816 yards, 4 touchdowns
The knock on Jones throughout his career has been his inability to stay on the field. He missed part of 2012 and all of 2014. He played 16 games last year, but his stats were underwhelming. He took his talents to Detroit and looks to fill at least some of the void left by the retirement of Calvin Johnson. Golden Tate is more of a possession receiver, and Jones has more of the capabilities to catch some of the deep passes that Megatron did. Jones comes with some risk on a new team and being fragile, but his potential ceiling could be very high. The Lions are a pass heavy offense, and Matthew Stafford often has at least 40 pass attempts in a game. If Jones can earn his trust he could have a big year.
37. Steve Smith, Sr., Baltimore Ravens
46 catches, 670 yards, 3 touchdowns (7 games)
A ruptured Achilles ended the season early for Smith, and now that challenge will be to see if his 37 year old body will be able to return to full form. At 5’9” his game is predicated on speed, as he isn’t going over the middle for a lot of catches. With only an also injured Breshad Perriman and Kamar Aiken as viable options (ugh, ok Mike Wallace too), the Ravens need Smith to come back healthy. His resolve to be the best he can be makes me believe that he will return and succeed again with low end WR3 value.
38. Willie Snead, New Orleans Saints
69 catches, 984 yards, 3 touchdowns
It was a solid first season for Snead in New Orleans, and he was a very reliable receiver for Drew Brees. Talented rookie Michael Thomas looks to add to the number of mouths that need to be fed in New Orleans, but Snead should still be that security blanket that every quarterback needs. Despite these new exciting targets, I still expect Snead’s receptions and touchdowns to take a little bump, while his yardage will likely remain around the same.
39. Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings
52 catches, 720 yards, 4 touchdowns
I love Diggs talent. He has good speed and he has good hands, and he started out the season very strong. The big problem is the offense is completely revolved around the run, and even when they do pass I wouldn’t exactly call what they do vertical. The Vikings brought in rookie Laquon Treadwell, but Diggs will still have plenty of balls thrown his way. I like Teddy Bridgewater much more as a real quarterback than a fantasy quarterback, and I believe he is what will hold Diggs back. If he was on a team with a great quarterback, Diggs could be a WR2, but I think he is more of a low end WR3.
40. Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos
76 catches, 1,135 yards, 6 touchdowns
Sanders has had a very productive past couple of years, but two things have happened recently that makes me think that he will not be as good this season. First, the Broncos are going through a huge change in philosophy and are going to be a much more run heavy team. Second, after having Peyton Manning for most of the last two seasons, Denver will likely be starting Mark Sanchez to begin 2016, and if he doesn’t win the job it will be another totally unproven option. Sanders will still get his, but I have a hard time seeing him getting 75 catches or more than 1,000 yards in this offense going forward. Look for him to be more of a WR3 option than where he has been the past couple of years.
41. Corey Coleman, Cleveland Browns
74 catches, 1,363 yards, 20 touchdowns (Junior at Baylor)
Coleman had an amazing final two seasons in college and unfortunately for him he doesn’t end up in the most receiver friendly team in the league with the Browns. The 15th overall pick in the draft, Coleman isn’t a big guy at 5’11” and 190 pounds, but he knows how to get behind defenses. If RG3 is able to be any sort of a consistent quarterback, Coleman should be the primary target in Cleveland. Some like Josh Gordon, but I expect Coleman to be the lead catch guy for the Browns and should have a solid rookie campaign even on a subpar team.
42. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
51 catches, 664 yards, 6 touchdowns
The loss of Marshawn Lynch caused the Seahawks to rely on the pass a lot more, and rookie Tyler Lockett showed that he had some major skills. He is the playmaker of the group, and has the most big play ability. In the first three weeks of December, Lockett had 18 catches, 249 yards and three touchdowns. Doug Baldwin is more of the possession receiver, while Lockett will be more of the big play guy. Look for Lockett to be a very solid WR4.
43. Kevin White, Chicago Bears
missed all of 2015 due to injury
White missed all of his rookie year due to injury, which calls into question what we can expect from him this year. One thing is for sure, and that is we know this dude is talented. He was rivaling Amari Cooper at the draft last year, and we all saw how good he was. Outside of Alshon Jeffery, the Bears really don’t have any other reliable option, which means if White has any sort of preseason at all he will be a starter. He is a bit of a risk/reward player because of his lack of experience in the NFL, but he is fully healthy and he is a guy who I will be taking that chance on in 2016.
44. Markus Wheaton, Pittsburgh Steelers
44 catches, 749 yards, 5 touchdowns
While Martavis Bryant took a step forward in 2015, Wheaton took a step back. The good news for Wheaton is that Bryant is suspended for the entire season and he won’t have to deal with him. There is still pressure coming from Sammie Coates, but without a huge preseason from Coates, Wheaton should be the other starter. Wheaton has big play ability and has the ability to catch a lot of touchdowns. There are many targets in the Pittsburgh offense, and with Antonio Brown getting the majority of them, that keeps Wheaton’s potential to be more of a WR4.
45. Tavon Austin, Los Angeles Rams
52 catches, 473 yards, 5 touchdowns
After being mostly a gadget player in his first couple of years in the league, Austin became more of a focal point of the Rams passing game in 2015. He still averages nearly four rushing attempts per game, but now he also had five or more catches in four different games. He’s not at all a sure thing, but once Jared Goff becomes the starter there should be more stability at the quarterback position which will help Austin. If given the opportunity, I believe that Austin can be a number one receiver in a pass first offense and can rack up 65-70 catches for 800 yards, and eight scores between rushing and receiving.
46. Sterling Shepard, New York Giants
86 catches, 1,288 yards, 11 touchdowns (senior at Oklahoma)
Man, there aren’t too many better places for a rookie receiver to land than with the Giants. They used to be a ground and pound team, but with no real reliable runner, the G-Men like to chuck the ball around regularly now. Victor Cruz has become one injury after another and the Giants let go of Rueben Randle. This has left the door WIDE open for the rookie Shepard to have the chance to make an impact. He is the perfect guy to take over the Cruz role and I expect him to have an impact right from the start. Look for him to have great value in PPR leagues and be a high end WR4.
47. Danny Amendola, New England Patriots
65 catches, 648 yards, 3 touchdowns
After an underwhelming 2014 with the Patriots, Amendola finished last season with a flurry. After Week 6 he had six games where he had seven or more catches. Amendola certainly comes with injury concerns after having offseason knee and ankle surgies, but I believe he will be ready to go when the season starts. His fellow receiver, Julian Edelman, has also dealt with injuries in the past, so Amendola’s role could grow if he gets a break or two. He is a solid possession receiver who isn’t going to beat defenses deep, but in PPR leagues he could be a solid WR4.
48. Pierre Garcon, Washington Redskins
72 catches, 777 yards, 6 touchdowns
There is ZERO chance that Garcon will revert to his 2013 status where he caught 113 passes, but he still is going to carry relevant fantasy value. He and DeSean Jackson form a very good tandem in which the defense can’t focus on either guy. Add rookie Josh Doctson to the mix, and the ‘Skins have a very good receiving group that will be tough for defenses to cover. A repeat of last year’s numbers definitely seems in the cards and a role as a low end WR3 on your fantasy roster seems very likely.
We told you about #Saints Michael Thomas already.Could be best of WR class. https://t.co/aPgikUtqhu #FantasyFootball pic.twitter.com/0lk77Gi6Vh
— The Fantasy Greek (@thefantasygreek) August 15, 2016
49. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
56 catches, 781 yards, 9 touchdowns (junior at Ohio State)
Earlier I said that I don’t know if a receiver could have found a better home than with the Giants, but I guess I forgot that place down on the Bayou. Not only are the Saints a bonafide pass first team, but their group of receivers is lacking. He led the team in the first preseason game in targets, catches, and yards. Brandin Cooks is easily the number one receiver, but I can see Thomas settling in to that other starting spot by the end of the preseason. He might not be on everyone’s radar, but damn it get him on yours!
50. Devin Funchess, Carolina Panthers
31 catches, 471 yards, 5 touchdowns
Funchess was a second round pick in 2015, and he didn’t do much to differentiate himself last season. He finished the season very strong with seven catches for 120 yards and a score, and he will look to build on that this season. The Panthers do get Kelvin Benjamin back, but I think that will take some defensive attention away from Funchess and allow him to thrive. If anyone on this team is going to take a big step forward, Funchess is who it is going to be.
The post 2016 Fantasy Wide Receivers Rankings 26-50 appeared first on Fighting Chance Fantasy.