Chase (Wide Receiver) Perfection: Aren't We All?

by John Laghezza

3 months ago

In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Sleeper Fantasy:

I’m beyond honored to be here addressing the Fantasy Life universe for the first time. While I could ramble on forever about the opportunity and what this means to me, it’s draft season and we have work to do. They say it’s better to fail aiming high than succeed aiming low—forget that, I’d rather quote the late great Kobe Bryant: I’m chasing perfection.

Sure, in redraft leagues we get to bandage in-season wounds, but that doesn’t change anything. Our strive for draft perfection is real. Theoretically, to build the immaculate receiver, he’d have to possess all the critical underpinning traits—commanding a full complement of snaps, earning targets both in volume and frequency that are also of an impactful depth with efficient outcomes (plus, a focus on end-zone targets). Does such a player even exist?

In 2023, only eight WRs…

Ran routes on at least 83% of dropbacks
Earned at least 8.0 targets per game, at +23.0% target per route
Scored at least 0.33 fantasy points per route
Targeted in the end zone at least 0.5 times per game

CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, D.J. Moore, Mike Evans, Stefon Diggs, Davante Adams, Chris Olave, and DeAndre Hopkins.

While it’s becoming en vogue to draft RBs early as we pivot from best-ball brain to redraft, this data offers a strong counter. What do you notice about our elite eight “perfect” wide receivers? Outside of Hopkins, who’s injured, they’re all going extremely early in drafts.

Given the depth at the onesie positions (QB/TE) plus the ability to replace players midstream, I’m bucking recent consensus and drafting elite wideouts early and often. And that’s … perfect.

Fantasy Life's 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Kit is LIVE (and free)! Click here to access all of the content you need to dominate your drafts.

What else is in today’s newsletter?

Speaking of finding WR gems, we’re going to walk through Dwain’s Perfect WR Draft Strategy
Watercooler: A free copy of Madden 25? Go on…

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The Perfect WR Draft Strategy for 2024

by Dwain McFarland

One of the keys to dominating your draft is understanding where the pockets of value are at each position. Below are some players who are pillars in my WR strategy for ESPN, Sleeper, and Yahoo leagues in 2024.

Rounds 1 to 3

Garrett Wilson | New York Jets

ESPN ADP: 16
Sleeper ADP: 13
Yahoo ADP: 13

Wilson did his part in 2023, delivering an elite 30% target share and 46% air yards share, but the QB woes kept his fantasy production in check. The third-year WR checks ALL the boxes that lead to massive fantasy production—expect a similar leap to the one we saw from CeeDee Lamb last season. I prefer Wilson over most of the RB options in early Round 2.

Drake London | Atlanta Falcons

ESPN ADP: 37
Sleeper ADP: 18
Yahoo ADP: 29

London has been a WR4 over his first two seasons, averaging 10.7 points per game (PPG), holding his draft stock down. However, his 25% career target share tells us that WR1 upside lurks beneath the surface for this third-year breakout candidate.

I have the Falcons projected for a 70-plus yard per game improvement with the arrival of Kirk Cousins and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. That has been a very profitable recipe for WRs in their prime.

Eric Decker (2012): 9.6 to 16.8 PPG (+7.3)
T.Y. Hilton (2018): 11.1 to 17.1 PPG (+6.0)
Davante Adams (2018): 15.9 to 21.8 (+5.9)
Stefon Diggs (2020): 14.6 to 20.5 (+6.0)

London is a consensus top-17 pick among the Fantasy Life rankers.

London is a PRIORITY target in Round 3 of drafts.

Draft Application: The availability of London in Round 3 of ESPN and Yahoo drafts makes taking an elite RB from the early position possible in Round 1. You can take Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson or Breece Hall and come back with back-to-back WR selections, with London as your third-round target. Test out this strategy with our Draft Champion today!

Nico Collins | Houston Texans

ESPN ADP: 38
Sleeper ADP: 28
Yahoo ADP: 35

Collins exploded for 17.2 PPG last season. He was equally good in games when Tank Dell saw an 80% route participation or better, scoring 17.1 PPG. The challenge is the arrival of Stefon Diggs, who still earned a 30% target share in 2023.

Still, Collins plays with an ascending young QB (C.J. Stroud) and a red-hot coordinator (Bobby Slowik). That keeps his ceiling sky high despite unknowns about pecking order. There is a possibility that an aging Diggs can't keep Collins off the field.

Collins is a mid-Round 2 selection in half-PPR best ball drafts—well ahead of his ADPs on ESPN, Sleeper and Yahoo.

Honorable Mention: Chris Olave (Round 3)
Fades: Davante Adams (Round 2)

Rounds 4 to 7

Jaylen Waddle | Miami Dolphins

ESPN ADP: 54
Sleeper ADP: 33
Yahoo ADP: 40

Waddle delivered high-end WR2 finishes in his first two seasons (15.5 and 15.4 PPG) and reached 15.6 in games he played over 60% of pass plays last season. This man would be a WR1 on many teams. We shouldn't be able to draft a borderline WR1 in their prime in Rounds 4 and 5. Sometimes, the universe gives us unexplainable gifts. We don't need to question why. We just need to accept them and say thank you.

More Mid-Round WRs To Target

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