Fantasy Football 2020: PPR wide receiver rankings (26-50)

Fantasy Football 2020: PPR wide receiver rankings (26-50)

I’m back with the back half of my first set of wide receiver rankings. For the first 25, click here.

This point is where the rankings stop being entirely based on my projections, instead emphasizing the upside of each player. The combination of upside and floor is important for WR1s and WR2s, but as you get further into the draft, you should be targeting players with upside, valuing them more than players that are more likely to do a little better, but much less likely to perform a lot better.

Tier 5

WR3s score more points than RB3s in PPR, making it important to get a good flex wide receiver. The depth of the position allows for that this year, with Tier 5 consisting of a mix of young players with potential and former WR1 studs.

Projections: 15 games, 116 targets, 74 receptions, 962 receiving yards, 6 TDs, 50 rushing yards, 211.6 Fantasy Points

Stefon Diggs is a fantastic wide receiver who has spent years trapped on the Vikings, who would usually throw it to Adam Thielen more than him, then switched to a run-heavy offense. Now, he’s the best receiver in another run-heavy offense in Buffalo this year, and don’t expect him to be a WR1 in fantasy again. The Bills passed the ball at the 7th lowest rate in the league last year, and scored the 9th fewest touchdowns. He could be considered a low-end WR2, but he lacks WR1 upside this year unless Josh Allen breaks out as a passer and force feeds him targets.

Projections: 117 targets, 69 receptions, 1070 yards, 6 TDs, 212 Fantasy Points

A common misconception about the Cowboys offense is that CeeDee Lamb will take all of Gallup’s targets. This is unlikely because Randall Cobb and Jason Witten leave 166 combined targets behind for the taking. Gallup actually outpaced Amari Cooper in targets/game last year with 8.07 to Cooper’s 7.44, and I don’t see that target share decreasing as Lamb could simply replace Cobb’s target’s instead of Gallup’s targets. Gallup finished 15th in WR PPG last year, and carries nearly as much value as teammate Amari Cooper, who scored only 0.2 PPR points per game more than him last year. Why draft Cooper in the 3rd when you can get Gallup in the 7th?

Projections: 105 targets, 64 receptions, 992 yards, 7 TDs, 206.2 Fantasy Points

D.K. Metcalf is one of the most athletic receivers in the NFL, but the Seahawks don’t need him as their top receiver in 2020. Tyler Lockett’s connection with Russell Wilson and the team’s run-first approach hold back Metcalf from WR1 upside. If Lockett were to get injured or the Seahawks change their philosophy, Metcalf has immense potential, but until that happens, value him as a WR3.

Projections: 120 targets, 76 receptions, 1030 yards, 5 TDs, 210 Fantasy Points

Just like Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry suffers from a plethora of issues that cap his upside. Unlike OBJ, he has a good connection with Baker Mayfield, and he beat out OBJ for the most targets on the team last year, but Kevin Stefanski will run the ball a ton and leave Landry with much fewer targets than last year. He lacks the upside of others in this tier, and I wouldn’t consider him a solid every-week option in most leagues, but he’ll be a good flex option some weeks.

Projections: 112 targets, 70 receptions, 1050 yards, 5 TDs, 205 Fantasy Points

The 30-year old Hilton will likely remain the top receiver for the Colts, but he doesn’t excite me as a fantasy option. It’s better to be a year early than late when predicting Hilton’s decline, especially because he dealt with a calf injury last season that could cause him to lose a step going forward. Rivers should throw much more aggressively than Jacoby Brisett last year, but without an existing connection, Hilton will have to beat out Michael Pittman Jr. and Parris Campbell for targets.

Projections: 109 targets, 72 receptions, 1050 yards, 7 TDs, 203.2 Fantasy Points

Lamar Jackson has stated that he envisions himself throwing the ball more in 2020. This bodes well for his wide receivers, who were targeted on only 44.1% of passes, the second lowest rate in the league. As Lamar Jackson develops as a passer, he won’t have to rely on his tight ends as much, which made up 43.6% of his targets last year (1st in NFL). This change leaves room for Marquise Brown to feast this year, as he can expect a significant increase in usage as the team’s top wide receiver. If he gets a more consistent target share, a flyer on Brown could be a league-winner, and the risk is minimal at his ADP. That being said, he’s not guaranteed those additional targets, but even without them, he’s a WR3.

Projections: 106 targets, 68 receptions, 952 receiving yards, 6 TDs, 40 rushing yards, 203.2 Fantasy Points

From 2015-2018, Brandin Cooks finished as the WR13, WR10, WR15, and WR13. He did this with three different teams. His WR61 finish last year can be attributed to lack of targets and bad QB play, not any decline in his undeniably impressive talent. He has only missed two games in the past five seasons despite receiving FIVE known concussions. Deshaun Watson is better than Jared Goff and there’s room in this offense for Cooks to thrive provided he stays healthy. Cooks has been a WR2 whenever he gets targets, making him a major discount at his WR3 price.

Projections: 13 games, 104 targets, 61 receptions, 854 yards, 6 TDs, 182.4 Fantasy Points

A.J. Green missed 6 games in 2016, 7 games in 2018, and the entire season in 2019. When he plays, he should play well, but an injury isn’t a matter of if, but when at this point in the nearly 32-year old’s career. Granted, the upside is there, but the risk is too much for me, especially when Tyler Boyd, John Ross, and Tee Higgins are all young and talented competitors for targets.