Most fantasy football drafters will be selecting multiple early-round wide receivers and rarely straying from the position for too long as their drafts unfold. The NFL Draft has added an influx of talent to the position, and the NFL offseason shook up more than a few receiver rooms. 

That's why we must look to Fantasy Life's resident WR experts for their insights on the 2024 wide receiver landscape, plus their bold predictions for the position in 2024.

Which WR are you higher on than the market and why?

George Pickens | Pittsburgh Steelers

In early best ball contests, Pickens is coming off the board as a mid-range WR3. Drafters seem suspicious of the mediocre QB room (Russell Wilson and Justin Fields) and the arrival of fantasy football's No. 1 nemesis, Arthur Smith.

The Fantasy Life projection model agrees with those concerns, forecasting the Steelers passing offense as a bottom-five unit. Historically, WRs on offenses that average 200 or so passing yards haven't fared well. Only 12% of them have found their way to a top-24 finish since 2011.

However, we're talking about an ascending talent who no longer has to fight for targets with Diontae Johnson, whose target-earning data graded out at the WR1 level based on data from the last 10 seasons.

Over the last two years, Pickens has a juicy 26% target share when Johson wasn't on the field, and in four games without Johnson in 2024, Pickens averaged 17 fantasy points despite the Steelers ranking as the fourth-worst passing unit in the NFL.

The Steelers added Roman Wilson in Round 3 of the NFL Draft, but his profile doesn't suggest high-end target competition in Year 1. Pat Freiermuth is a good TE, but he has never flashed the high-end ceiling we have seen from Pickens.

When you add it all up, Pickens is a low-end WR2 with high-end WR2 upside that you can draft as a WR3.

— Dwain McFarland

FL Mag

DeVonta Smith | Philadelphia Eagles

This offseason was a good one for Smith and the Eagles; both sides agreed to a contract extension worth $75 million that will keep the wide receiver on the team through the 2028 season. 

In 2022, Smith and AJ Brown became the first WR tandem in Eagles history to both reach 1,000 receiving yards, and they did the same thing in 2023. The big reason why I'm higher on Smith is because it's a make-or-break season for head coach Nick Sirianni and I think that results in a revamped, hungry offense.

Jan 15, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) runs the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of a 2024 NFC wild card game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

They have a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore, and Smith will benefit most from his arrival. Moore didn't have his best season as OC of the Chargers last season (18th in offense), but the four years prior in Dallas shows his history of success.

Led by QB Jalen Hurts, this Eagles offense has ranked fifth in points per game (26.8) over the last two seasons, and Smith has logged 240 catches for 3,178 yards and 19 touchdowns over three seasons. Sign me up for a revamp and a top finish for Smith in 2024. 

— Kendall Valenzuela

Rashid Shaheed | New Orleans Saints

Nobody has averaged more yards per target than Shaheed (11.1) among 174 players with at least 100 targets over the past two seasons.

Is yards per target the world's best stat to indicate stardom at the position? Not necessarily, but it's at least a good place to start when assessing the speedy 25-year-old. Good things have happened when the 2023 First-Team All-Pro returner touches the football.

His playmaking ability helped Shaheed produce as many top-12 PPR finishes as teammate Chris Olave (3) last season. The early-season presence of Michael Thomas (now a free agent) and a Week 12 hamstring injury hindered the former undrafted free agent's production in 2023 … but what if he's suddenly looking at a newfound full-time role in 2024?

This seems to miraculously be the case: Shaheed projects as the Saints' clear-cut No. 2 WR ahead of underwhelming competition like A.T. Perry, Equanimeous St. Brown, Cedrick Wilson Jr. and their only WR draft pick, Bub Means (fifth-rounder). Don't confuse this with an early- or even middle-round endorsement, but drafting young, talented starters in passing games that might not completely suck is what late-round dart dreams are made of.

— Ian Hartitz

Which WR are you lower on than the market (i.e. a “Do Not Draft!” player) and why? 

DJ Moore | Chicago Bears

In his sixth season, Moore soared to WR9 status in 2023 with the Bears, averaging 17 fantasy points per game. However, 2024 brings concerns. 

The Bears boosted their WR corps with Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, both promising additions. Even at 32, Allen performed well in 2023 with a 30% target share, while Odunze ranks as the fifth-best WR prospect since 2018 in the Fantasy Life Super Model.

Dec 10, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2) catches a pass against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

Moore's career-high 22% target per route rate places him in WR2 territory, leaving little room for error with Allen and Odunze joining. New offensive coordinator Shane Waldron's history also raises concerns, as his Seahawks offense ranked last in regulation plays per game (58) in 2023.

That said, the Bears seem poised to prioritize passing, especially with rookie QB Caleb Williams at the helm. While this shift may benefit Moore, Williams' rookie status naturally adds uncertainty; Moore may dip to WR3 territory if Williams struggles. He remains a viable option, albeit one who is more suited as a low-end WR2. 

— Dwain McFarland

Deebo Samuel | San Francisco 49ers

When healthy, Deebo is arguably the NFL’s most beastly WR, regularly racking up ridiculous YAC and forcing missed tackles like his life depends on it.

However, he needs to be at his best pretty much all the time to make up for a less-than-ideal overall workload. Extra RB carries are fine, but not when they come at the expense of targets.

Deebo expected and realized PPR points per game

  • 2023: 16.2 realized (WR13), 12.1 expected (WR33)
  • 2022: 13.3 realized (WR28), 13.5 expected (WR21)
  • 2021: 21.1 realized (WR3), 15 expected (WR14)

Essentially the Nick Chubb of WRs, Samuel’s current expected top-20 ADP is a bit lofty for my liking considering the 28-year-old hasn’t come close to seeing the sort of WR1-level volume that most players with his talent should be getting. Throw in the team's decision to add even more competition in the form of first-rounder Ricky Pearsall and Deebo likely will need more help from the injury gods than just keeping him upright if he's to produce like an early-round fantasy pick in 2024.

— Ian Hartitz

Chris Olave | New Orleans Saints

Yeah, I can't believe I am somewhat fading Olave in the year 2024, but here we are. I can't shake the feeling that the talent is there with Olave, but the connection with Derek Carr won't develop like we hoped.

Per Ian Hartitz's "Sheesh Report," Olave had 1,145 unrealized air yards in 2023, which was the second-most behind Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. The intent heading into this season is for Olave to be the centerpiece in a passing attack that is picking up steam from last year. Everything was there for him in 2023, too, and to be fair, he didn't have a bad season. Olave had 87 receptions, 1,123 yards, five touchdowns and finished as the fantasy WR24 in PPR leagues. I just don't think a top-10 fantasy finish is in the cards this season.

Last year he locked down an 83% route participation, 25% targets per route run and 39% air yards share. Every week, the metrics pointed to a breakout for Olave if everything came together, but we just didn't see the full potential realized. He's insanely talented, but I'm unwilling to bet that the chemistry with his QB, Derek Carr, will rise to the next level. 

Fading Olave is not for the weak, especially because we haven't seen a full season of what he can truly be. I'm willing to draft him if he falls a bit past ADP, but I like other receivers being taken around him just a bit more.

— Kendall Valenzuela

What is your bold prediction for the WR position in 2024?

Falcons' Drake London breaks out

London dealt with horrendous QB play and a run-heavy play-caller in Arthur Smith over his first two seasons. That combination submarined his impressive WR1-worthy 24% target share.

However, London should be free from those issues in 2024. Former Rams coordinator Zac Robinson is taking over play-calling duties, and the QB room looks completely different with the additions of Kirk Cousins in free agency and Michael Penix Jr. in Round 1 of the NFL Draft.

Dec 10, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (5) reacts after a catch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Kirk Cousins averaged 271 yards per game over his last three seasons in Minnesota — a massive upgrade over Desmond Ridder (187), Taylor Heinicke (178) and Marcus Mariota (171). If Cousins goes down, Penix Jr. offers a good backstop.

It's hard to find teams that experienced a near 100-yards-per-game jump in passing yards year over year, but we do have some examples. Eric Decker jumped 7.3 points per game in 2012 with the arrival of Peyton Manning. T.Y. Hilton experienced a six-point surge after Andrew Luck returned to the field in 2018 after missing 2017.

Look for London's high-end talent profile to finally shine through in a big way in 2024 with a top-12 fantasy finish.

— Dwain McFarland

None of the Big 3 rookie WRs best their respective ADPs

Warranted or unwarranted hype, injuries and newfound information regarding depth charts regularly result in huge ADP swings across the board in a fantasy football offseason.

That said, first-round WR picks Marvin Harrison Jr. (Cardinals), Malik Nabers (Giants) and Rome Odunze (Commanders) sure don't seem to be flying under the radar in early drafts:

  • Maserati Marv looks like he'll be a top-10 WR and a probable second-round pick.
  • Nabers should go a round or two later, but he's also a likely candidate to be taken among the top 50 selections in far more drafts than not.
  • Odunze suffered the biggest post-draft fall due to the crowded status of the Bears' passing game, but he still projects as someone who, at worst, will be on the WR3 borderline.

It's true that all three of these top-10 picks could turn into studs even if that reality doesn't come all the way to fruition in 2024. There have been just 13 rookie WRs to post top-24 fantasy numbers in PPR points per game since 2014, and good won't quite be great enough to cut it at their respective ADPs.

— Ian Hartitz

Marvin Harrison Jr. will post a Top-5 fantasy season

Is this a bold prediction? Asking for a friend …

I think this is a testament to just how good I think Harrison Jr. will be and also a bet that Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray will be able to support one fantasy star (and potentially two in TE Trey McBride).

You don't need me to tell you just how good Harrison Jr. really is; through three seasons at Ohio State, he made 155 catches for 2,613 yards and 31 touchdowns (plus a rushing TD). Six of the last seven wide receivers picked in the top five posted top-30 fantasy performances as a rookie. The last big one was Ja’Marr Chase finishing as the fantasy WR5 in 2021. 

Harrison is a dynamic weapon who can bring out the best in Murray and elevate him. I know the Cardinals are in rebuilding mode, but I think it has been accelerated and Harrison's presence will be the jolt this team needed. I'm not going to go out on a limb and make comparisons like others have to Larry Fitzgerald, but the immediate and future impact Harrison will have are going to be huge. It's on him, and even more on Murray, to get there.

— Kendall Valenzuela