Season Long Wide Receiver Tiers

Welcome back for my wide receiver edition of the 2023 season-long strategy. There’s plenty of talent to choose from especially early on, where you may want to grab one as your first-round pick. You really can’t go wrong with receivers in the first three rounds, but there will be spots during my drafts where I will pass on a few. The quality of the quarterback and the target share is how I grade them. The field is super deep at the receiver position, so we’ll break them down into tiers. I’m Joe DiCarlo (@DiCarlo78) and you can reach me in our expert chat on Discord. Also, don’t forget to use promo code “WINBIG” for a free week of access to all of our content including podcasts, articles, and projection models. Now let’s dive into who to attack and avoid at wideout!

The Elite Eight (Tier 1)

They’re the cream of the crop, and you can’t go wrong by drafting any of these top eight pass-catchers. They all have a high floor/high ceiling with tremendous fantasy value, and will all be taken in round one in most drafts. Set and forget for season-long, they’ll never leave your starting lineups.

• Justin Jefferson (1.2) – 2023’s undisputed 1.1…128 REC/1,809 YDS/8 TDS in 2022.
• Ja’Marr Chase (2.1) – The apple of Burrow’s eye in Cinci.
• Cooper Kupp (4.1) – 2021 Triple Crown winner and Matt Stafford has tunnel vision for him.
• Tyreek Hill (4.8) – Mahomes, Tua, or Skylar Thompson…Cheetah still lights it up 119 REC/1,710 YDS/7 TDS in 2022.
• Stefon Diggs (8.0) – Josh Allen’s go-to guy in Buffalo… 338 REC/4,189 YDS/29 TDS in three seasons.
• A.J. Brown (9.2) – He emerged as the alpha in the City of Brotherly Love in 2022 with 88 REC/1,496 YDS/11 TDS.
• CeeDee Lamb (10.8) – He’ll see many more targets for the Cowboys with Schultz in a Texans’ uniform now. 107 REC/1,359 YDS/9 TDS will be surpassed this year.
• Davante Adams (14.1) – The only show in town now with Darren Waller being traded to the Giants and a potential Josh Jacobs contract dispute. Adams has caught double-digit touchdowns in six of his nine years on the field, he is the definition of consistency.

Honorable Mention: Amon-Ra St. Brown (13.7)

Priced Up On The Hype: Garrett Wilson (12.9) – He’s a stud and the unquestionable number-one receiver for the Jets, but I can’t risk my first pick in any draft just because Aaron Rodgers is in town. I have to see it, and not base my draft on media hype before I go all-in on Wilson at his current ADP. If he’s still there later in round two, sign me up.

WR 1’s For A Discount In Rounds Two And Three (Tier 2)

If you went to the receiver in round one, don’t hesitate to double-tap the position in the next few rounds. Especially if you took a CMC or Austin Ekeler, here is your WR 1 wrapped up with a bow and ready for you to take him home. A few of these names would even be bonafide studs on other teams and considered 1A/1B’s in their respective roles.

• Jaylen Waddle (19.1) – The 1B in Miami who recorded over 1,000 receiving yards and averaged 7.1 YAC/R in 2022
• DeVonta Smith (21.7) – Averaged well over 1,000 yards in his two years on an Eagles’ high-powered offense alongside Jalen Hurts.
• Tee Higgins (23.4) – Joe Burrow’s other WR1 who began their careers together, averaging 1,000 yards in three seasons.
• DK Metcalf (28.6) – The clear-cut alpha in Seattle, who was peppered with 141 targets by CPOY Geno Smith
• Amari Cooper (33.0) – 78 REC/1,160 YDS/9TDS mainly accomplished with Jacoby Brissett last season. Those numbers could get dwarfed by a full upcoming season with Deshaun Watson.
• Keenan Allen (35.6) – The veteran is entering the twilight of his career, but continues to show he has fuel left in the tank. Allen has averaged over 100 catches and 1,100 yards in five of his last six seasons.

Honorable Mentions: Calvin Ridley (32.4); Deebo Samuel (35.2)

Not So Fast… Chris Olave (19.4) – His rookie year was incredible, but the record holder for most catches in a season Michael Thomas is set to be ready in Week One. Olave’s ADP may be a bit too rich and the ROI could be decreased significantly if Thomas returns to a bigger role in the offense.

Solid WR2s In Rounds Four To Seven (Tier 3)

There are still plenty of receivers in the field to draft, but be careful not to step on a few landmines along the way here. I am not a fan of grabbing a receiver during these rounds, but with some recent news, a few guys just popped up on my radar. If their quarterbacks can pull it together, these receivers will shine this season, with tremendous value.

• Jerry Jeudy (39.3) – Showed some chemistry late in the 2022 season with Russell Wilson (37REC/523YDS/3TDS in the final six games).
• Christian Watson (40.5) – Carved out the alpha role of the receiving core in Green Bay with 9 total touchdowns last season.
• DeAndre Hopkins (46.6) – Finally found a home in Tenessee and emerges as the top receiving option for Ryan Tannehill.
• Christian Kirk (49.4) – Earned his hefty contract in Jacksonville as T-Law’s top pass-catcher last season (99 REC/1,238 YDS/12 TDS).
• Chris Godwin (58.8) – Way too undervalued for a guy with his skill set. Brady retired, but the Bucs’offense will still need to air it out
• Marquise Brown (60.4) – a huge void in target share is up for grabs in Arizona after the release of DeAndre Hopkins, the writing is on the wall for Brown’s season.
• Tyler Lockett (64.3) – A high floor/high ceiling solid WR2 with a lot of trust from quarterback Geno Smith. A bargain for a potential 1,000-yard receiver
• Mike Evans (68.9) – Tampa Bay’s all-time receiving touchdown leader is flying way below the radar in 2023 because of the GOAT packing it in. He is an auto-draft at his current ADP with an ROI going through the roof.

Potential Land Mines

• Drake London (42.8) – With the quarterback uncertainty at quarterback with Desmond Ridder and in a run-heavy offense led by first-round pick Bijon Robinson, careful taking Drake this early.
• Terry McLaurin (43.8) – Too pricey to invest in a receiver relying on the inexperienced Sam Howell to get him the football.
• Brandon Aiyuk (50.7) – Besides the muddy waters at quarterback in San Fransisco, Aiyuk plays fourth-fiddle Shanahan’s run-first offense. Too much to invest in at his ADP, I’ll pass.
• Michael Pittman (67.7) – He gets a downgrade with rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, who may need to develop more as a passer. He’s a stud, but we can’t invest in Pittman this early with the quarterback uncertainty.
• Kadarius Toney (74.5) – He may be the WR1 by default in Kansas City, but Travis Kelce is the true number-one option for Pat Mahomes. Toney has also been notorious for off-the-field antics and has yet to play a full season for his career. Great for DFS, but unreliable for season-long leagues.

Sleepers And Gems In Rounds 8 Through 12 (Tiers 4 – 7)

These wideouts are flying way below the radar based on their ADP and some may not even be drafted in 12-team leagues. Depending on the size of your bench, stash, hold them as trade bait, or slide them into your starting lineups later on. We’ll see some familiar faces on this list from past drafts, one of which was at one point a first-round pick.

• Elijah Moore (86.4) – A tremendous talent that is finally paired with a true quarterback of Deshaun Watson in Cleveland. We saw glimpses in his 2021 rookie season in New York when he went for 8 REC/141 YDS/1 TD.
• Michael Thomas (94.3) – The single-season record holder for receptions gets an upgrade at quarterback in Derek Carr and says he’s 100% healthy to start training camp. His lower ADP this year allows managers more flexibility for a wait-and-see approach. If he returns to proper form in 2023, the ROI will be through the roof.
• Courtland Sutton (96.2) – We get a discount on a solid wide receiver two in a system under new head coach Sean Payton. Sutton never left the field owning over a 90% snap-share in 2022.
• Skyy Moore (107.0) – He’s been mentioned by staff to take over for JuJu Smith-Schuster as the slot receiver in Kansas City. Ju Ju and the Chiefs have since parted ways, setting up Moore for a possible role in Andy Reid’s offense which sees 29% of the target share.
• Darnell Mooney (128.6) – Playing opposite DJ Moore will free him up for some single coverage this season, where he can operate again as the downfield weapon (81 REC/1,055 YDS/4 TDS in 2021) for Justin Fields.
  

Honorable Mentions: Nico Collins (131.7); Adam Thielen (142.6)

Dart Throws Rounds 12 And Up

These wideouts have been buried in all of my Best Ball drafts, and it’s just mind-boggling to me. If you paid attention to football last season, you’ll know exactly what I mean. They’re darts but only by ADP, because in reality, they will be the main pieces of the offenses.

• Isaiah Hodgins (151.2) – Another top receiver to come off the board for the Giants. Hodgins was signed off the street mid-season in 2022 and became Daniel Jones’s go-to guy down the stretch, scoring five touchdowns in the final six games of the year.
• Terrace Marshall Jr. (207.0) – The Panthers have signed plenty of new faces for their number-one pick Bryce Young as weapons, but Marshall JR. has the frame (6′ 2″, 200lbs.) and experience in Carolina (third season) to lead the receiver room. He’s free, and I’m taking him at the end of all my drafts!
• Josh Reynolds (226.8) The Lions’ receiver room is thin as it is, and now with a suspended and injured Jameson Williams, Reynolds will again be a factor in the offense alongside ARSB.

Honorable Mentions: Tim Patrick (171.9); Paris Campbell (176.5)

Thanks for checking out my season-long wide receiver article! There’s more to come, as I will be breaking down the rest of the positions. You can reach me on Twitter @JoeDiCarlo78 or in our Discord where we will have our experts talking about plays across every sport and tag me @DiCarlo78 for any questions on your upcoming drafts. Be sure to sign up for an ALL-ACCESS GOLD ACCOUNT here at Win Daily Sports and use promo code “WINBIG” for a week free to access all our content including other articles optimizer tools, podcasts, and our Projection Models. I’ll be back for a tight end and running back breakdown soon!