Fantasy Football 2015: Ranking the 2nd-Year Receivers

Led by Odell Beckham Jr., the 2014 class of wide receivers also features Mike Evans, Kelvin Benjamin, Jordan Matthews, Sammy Watkins, Davante Adams, Jarvis Landry, John Brown, Brandin Cooks, Allen Robinson and Martavis Bryant.

As rookies, these 11 players rightfully stole the show. But what can you expect from them as an encore?

This article will rank these second-year receivers—excluding Benjamin, given his recent season-ending injury—in terms of what they will offer fantasy football players this season.

The rankings assume a points-per-reception (PPR) league.

No. 10: Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars

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Allen Robinson caught 48 of 81 targets for 548 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games last season for the Jacksonville Jaguars before being placed in injured reserve. He was performing as a tail-end WR2 or high-end WR3 option in that span.

The biggest knock on Robinson is his low touchdown rate—two scores on 81 targets is well below the standard.

Last season, the top 36 fantasy wideouts scored a touchdown, on average, on just over six percent of their targets, per data from Pro Football Focus. Robinson scored on fewer than 2.5 percent of his targets.

With that said, he figures to see enough volume as the Jaguars' leading receiver that he will still be able to score points on a regular basis in PPR leagues. Assuming he stays healthy for the entire season, you can lean on Robinson as a solid WR3 with WR2 upside this season.

2015 projection: 72 receptions, 864 yards and five touchdowns.

No. 9: Martavis Bryant, Pittsburgh Steelers

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Martavis Bryant scored an absurd eight touchdowns last season on just 26 receptions, thrusting himself into the fantasy conversation in one of the most unconventional ways imaginable.

The question is not whether or not Bryant can sustain such a ridiculous touchdown rate (he can't). Rather, the question revolves around how big of a role he will play in Pittsburgh's offense this year.

Remember: As spectacular as Bryant can be, he's far from the only playmaker on the Steelers. The team is also home to Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell, and the Steelers will want to get those two players the ball as much as possible.

Additionally, so far this preseason, Bryant has been behind Markus Wheaton on the team's depth chart. That's obviously a situation worth monitoring. 

Even still, Bryant has undoubtedly earned some additional playing time. If he's able to slide past Wheaton on the depth chart, he could see close to 100 targets this season—about double what he saw in 2014. However, given the fact he will be targeted far down the field, that means he may only catch around 50 or 60 passes.

But as Bryant proved last season, he doesn't need a ton of playing time to do his damage. By season's end, he could have WR3 numbers to his name, but he'll be hit or miss on a week-to-week basis because of his reliance on big plays.

So with that in mind, Bryant is better served as a flex option whom you can insert into the lineup if the matchup is favorable.

2015 projection: 53 receptions, 875 yards and eight touchdowns.

No. 8: John Brown, Arizona Cardinals

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A personal favorite of seemingly everyone in the fantasy community, Arizona Cardinals wideout John Brown caught 48 passes on 103 targets for 696 yards and five scores last year.

Despite the hype surrounding Brown, fantasy players have kept their cool and are drafting him in the middle of the seventh round. He is currently the 33rd receiver being drafted, according to Fantasy Football Calculator.

That's right where he belongs—but his upside is clear. He has displayed chemistry with quarterback Carson Palmer so far this preseason, notching three receptions for 39 yards and a score in the team's most recent game.

Brown would likely be considered a strong WR2 play if it weren't for all of the other mouths to feed in Arizona. Instead, he's a WR3 option (with WR2 potential).

Brown will be competing with Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd for targets, and while there's a decent chance he will end as the highest-scoring fantasy receiver of the bunch, his ceiling is lower than it otherwise would be.

2015 projection: 63 receptions, 917 yards and six touchdowns.

No. 7: Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills

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Sammy Watkins had a solid rookie campaign for the Buffalo Bills that was somewhat overshadowed because of the dynamite performances of some of the other receivers taken in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. Watkins caught 65 passes for 982 yards and six touchdowns last season.

The Bills now have a new head coach—Rex Ryan—and have added running back LeSean McCoy to the fold. As a result, the offense will now likely run through McCoy and the running game, which means Watkins may have a hard time improving upon his 2014 numbers.

There's also the three-way quarterback race currently underway in Buffalo, with Ryan saying he might not make a decision regarding a starter until much closer to Week 1, per the team's official website. No matter who wins, however, it's a loss for Watkins, as none of the three quarterbacks in the running—EJ Manuel, Tyrod Taylor and Matt Cassel—will be much of a boon.

Watkins was a WR3 last season for fantasy purposes, which is how he should be viewed again in 2015. Those who were hoping he'd make more of a leap might have to wait until some other pieces fall in place around him.

2015 projection: 69 receptions, 1,031 yards and six touchdowns.

No. 6: Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins

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Miami Dolphins wideout Jarvis Landry flew under the radar last season after catching 84 passes for 758 yards and five touchdowns.

Landry caught an impressive 80 percent of his targets last season, and while that didn't lead to an abundance of yards—his 758 yards were 43rd most among all wide receivers—it did mean he had a relatively high floor in PPR leagues.

The Miami Herald's Armando Salguero recently noted that Landry is "clearly quarterback Ryan Tannehill's go-to receiver" and brought up the fact that he may "eclipse the team record of 90 catches in one season."

In short, Landry is lining up to be a target hog once again in 2015, meaning you can takes his five or so receptions each week to the bank. There's nothing like consistency in fantasy football.

For the 2015 season, Landry is a solid choice as a WR2 in PPR leagues.

2015 projection: 94 receptions, 891 yards and seven touchdowns.

No. 5: Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers

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Following the season-ending injury to Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson, as ESPN's Rob Demovsky reported, Davante Adams has been forced into the mix.

Now Aaron Rodgers' No. 2 option in Green Bay—behind Randall Cobb—Adams should see a wealth of quality targets. He is an intriguing play as a WR2. 

He caught 38 passes for 446 yards and three scores last season. He was the least productive receiver on this list as a rookie, but his unique situation in year two—i.e. playing with NFL MVP Rodgers and assuming a larger role in the offense—has changed the narrative.

If you've already had your draft and took Adams, you just hit the jackpot.

2015 projection: 75 receptions, 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns.

No. 4: Jordan Matthews, Philadelphia Eagles

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With Jeremy Maclin no longer on the Philadelphia Eagles, Jordan Matthews becomes the main target in head coach Chip Kelly's offense. That's not a bad post to hold when it comes to fantasy football.

Last season, Matthews caught 67 passes for 872 yards and eight touchdowns. He did the vast majority of that damage over the final nine games of the season.

From Weeks 9-17, Matthews caught 38 passes for 599 yards and six scores. He was the 14th-highest-scoring receiver in PPR leagues in that span.

With Maclin now in Kansas City, Matthews will see an influx in targets. However, while that will lead to a change in how often he's used in the Eagles offense, you shouldn't expect to see a change in how he's used.

Last year, Matthews ran 92.4 percent of his routes from the slot, per Pro Football Focus, the highest rate in the league. He caught all eight of his touchdowns out of the slot and 64 of his 67 receptions.

So far this preseason, Matthews has run 91.7 percent of his routes from the slot. Things haven't changed.

With a similar role—but increased duties—it's not hard to see Matthews putting up WR2 numbers for fantasy teams all season long in 2015.

2015 projection: 80 receptions, 1,040 yards and eight touchdowns.

No. 3: Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints

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Brandin Cooks can be considered somewhat of a risk when it comes to fantasy this year—mainly because there are a lot of moving parts in New Orleans, including the departure of Jimmy Graham, the arrival of C.J. Spiller and the fact Cooks has yet to play a full season but will now be tasked with shouldering most of the team's targets—but being Drew Brees' No. 1 option should pique the interest of fantasy players.

And if you weren't paying attention to Cooks before, odds are you are now. He caught four passes for 117 yards and a touchdown in the second preseason game of the year against the New England Patriots.

That performance led New England head coach Bill Belichick to say that he's happy the Patriots "don't have to play [Cooks] twice a year," per the Times-Picayune.

Cooks is a desirable WR2 because of his high floor. Cooks does have WR1 upside—being Brees' main target will do that—but he may not rack up enough yardage or touchdowns to reach that level.

2015 projection: 90 receptions, 1,030 yards and seven touchdowns.

No. 2: Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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As a rookie in 2014, Evans caught 68 passes for 1,051 yards and 12 touchdowns from Josh McCown and Mike Glennon. Now with a (hopefully) more competent quarterback in Jameis Winston under center, Evans is looking to build on his stellar first season.

In truth, it will be hard for Evans to reach 12 touchdowns again. That's because he converted over 10 percent of his targets into touchdowns last season, per ESPN.com data, a rate well above average for receivers.

As noted earlier in this article, the top 36 fantasy wideouts last season scored a touchdown, on average, on just over six percent of their targets. Evans nearly doubled that rate. Additionally, his teammate—Vincent Jackson—only caught a touchdown on just over one percent of his targets, a rate far below average.

So that means Evans has two things working against him when it comes to matching or exceeding his 12 touchdowns from last season: He will lose out on touchdowns to his teammate, and he's also likely to score fewer touchdowns per target on his own. Another double-digit touchdown season isn't out of the question, but it's not a sure thing.

With that said, Evans should improve in other areas. So what Evans loses in terms of touchdown value, he will gain—and then some—by way of receptions and yards. Evans is a tail-end WR1 for your fantasy team who can be drafted in the third round.

2015 projection: 78 receptions, 1,214 yards and nine touchdowns.

No. 1: Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants

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Not that there was any doubt New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. would top this list, but let's make it official: Beckham is going to be the best second-year wide receiver in 2015. Heck, he might even be the best receiver—period—this year.

His rookie season numbers do most of the talking: 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns, all in just 12 games.

Fellow Giants wideout Victor Cruz will be back in 2015—and the team added pass-catching running back Shane Vereen this offseason—so Beckham's door to targets may not be as open as it was down the stretch last season, but he's still going to be the go-to target in New York's offense.

Considering that Beckham was the first rookie in over 50 years to average over 100 receiving yards per game while playing at least 12 games, per Pro-Football-Reference.com, the Giants would be wise to get him the ball as much as possible.

Beckham is going to put up top-five numbers for fantasy players in 2015.

2015 projection: 107 receptions, 1,473 yards and 12 touchdowns.