Fantasy Football 2015: WR Rankings, Sleepers and Risks to Avoid

Building your team around wide receivers might be the smartest way to construct a fantasy roster, but are you willing to go after them right away? You should be if you’re a forward thinker.

It amazes me how many people still think they need to get a running back in the first round, or at least the first two rounds. You can easily start a draft with Odell Beckham Jr. and A.J. Green and still end up with Frank Gore or Mark Ingram as your top back. Sure, they may not be ideal RB1 candidates, but it doesn’t matter since you have a pair of WR1s as the cornerstones of your team.

Young, talented WRs can take you a long way, especially if they’re part of a team with a good-to-great quarterback. That’s why Antonio Brown, Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, Julio Jones and Beckham have so much value and are consistently going in the first round.

Building your team around the best talent at the WR and RB spots early in your draft is the way to go, with WR taking top priority because they’re less likely to get hurt. I’m not saying you should shy away from taking a RB in the first round, but don’t feel like you have to because of some old-school, outdated philosophy.

This article will break down my rankings, check in on some risers and fallers, identify different types of sleepers and look at the riskier players you should avoid. It’s time to look at the deepest position in fantasy football.

WR Rankings: Antonio Brown Does It All

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Trust has become a major factor for fantasy owners, and those who have been burned by taking running backs in the first round could be giving more love to wide receivers with their top pick this year. With that being said, I'm ranking Antonio Brown as the top WR and top player, because there's no one I trust more heading into the 2015 season. 

For the last 32 games, Brown has posted at least five receptions and 50 yards, which is the absolute model of consistency, but he's been much more than that. Some would argue Brown's value takes a hit in standard-scoring formats, but I point to a player who filled up the entire stat sheet with 129 receptions, 1,698 yards and 13 touchdowns on 181 targets. That came after he posted 110 receptions, 1,499 yards and eight touchdowns on 165 targets.

Dominance and consistency put Brown at the top of my board, but you’ll notice all the best WR options have strong QB play (other than A.J. Green), are featured in their respective passing games and are fairly young, save for Calvin Johnson, who’s probably coming into the season with the lowest ranking of his career. I’d feel comfortable with the first eight players as my WR1, although Jordan Matthews is making a strong case in PPR formats.

2015 Preseason Rankings

Matt Camp PPR WR Rankings

StandardPPR

Published on August 25   Export

Rank	Player (team/bye)	ECR™	ADP
1	Antonio Brown (PIT/11)	1	1
2	Demaryius Thomas (DEN/7)	3	5
3	Dez Bryant (DAL/6)	4	2
4	Julio Jones (ATL/10)	2	3
5	Odell Beckham Jr. (NYG/11)	5	4
6	A.J. Green (CIN/7)	7	7
7	Calvin Johnson (DET/9)	6	6
8	Randall Cobb (GB/7)	8	8
9	Jordan Matthews (PHI/8)	15	15
10	Alshon Jeffery (CHI/7)	9	9
11	T.Y. Hilton (IND/10)	11	11
12	Brandin Cooks (NO/11)	13	12
13	Mike Evans (TB/6)	10	10
14	Andre Johnson (IND/10)	17	17
15	DeAndre Hopkins (HOU/9)	12	13
16	Emmanuel Sanders (DEN/7)	14	14
17	Golden Tate (DET/9)	20	20
18	Julian Edelman (NE/4)	16	16
19	Keenan Allen (SD/10)	18	19
20	Davante Adams (GB/7)	28	37
21	Amari Cooper (OAK/6)	21	18
22	Brandon Marshall (NYJ/5)	19	25
23	Jeremy Maclin (KC/9)	24	24
24	Jarvis Landry (MIA/5)	23	22
25	Nelson Agholor (PHI/8)	37	28
26	Roddy White (ATL/10)	30	31
27	Sammy Watkins (BUF/8)	25	21
28	Allen Robinson (JAC/8)	22	27
29	Vincent Jackson (TB/6)	27	29
30	Charles Johnson (MIN/5)	38	32
31	Marques Colston (NO/11)	42	45
32	DeSean Jackson (WAS/8)	26	26
33	Anquan Boldin (SF/10)	32	39
34	Devin Funchess (CAR/5)	45	47
35	Mike Wallace (MIN/5)	36	30
36	Steve Smith (BAL/9)	33	42
37	John Brown (ARI/9)	40	38
38	Martavis Bryant (PIT/11)	34	23
39	Larry Fitzgerald (ARI/9)	29	36
40	Breshad Perriman (BAL/9)	48	46
41	Eddie Royal (CHI/7)	47	51
42	Michael Crabtree (OAK/6)	55	55
43	Eric Decker (NYJ/5)	31	35
44	Pierre Garcon (WAS/8)	39	43
45	Brandon LaFell (NE/4)	35	34
46	Michael Floyd (ARI/9)	46	40
47	Torrey Smith (SF/10)	43	41
48	Victor Cruz (NYG/11)	44	33
49	Brian Quick (STL/6)	49	56
50	Steve Johnson (SD/10)	50	53
51	Rueben Randle (NYG/11)	51	60
52	Josh Huff (PHI/8)	83	89
53	Phillip Dorsett (IND/10)	66	62
54	Brandon Coleman (NO/11)	65	65
55	Markus Wheaton (PIT/11)	54	54
56	Kenny Stills (MIA/5)	52	52
57	Reggie Wayne (NE/4)	96	106
58	Kendall Wright (TEN/4)	41	44
59	Terrance Williams (DAL/6)	56	48
60	Andrew Hawkins (CLE/11)	70	88
61	Doug Baldwin (SEA/9)	58	61
62	Cole Beasley (DAL/6)	80	80
63	Mohamed Sanu (CIN/7)	90	58
64	Jeff Janis (GB/7)	64	81
65	Ty Montgomery (GB/7)	72	92
66	Dorial Green-Beckham (TEN/4)	68	63
67	Percy Harvin (BUF/8)	59	57
68	Marvin Jones (CIN/7)	60	59
69	Dwayne Bowe (CLE/11)	57	70
70	Kenny Britt (STL/6)	69	67
71	Stedman Bailey (STL/6)	73	66
72	Justin Hardy (ATL/10)	119	93
73	Marquess Wilson (CHI/7)	76	97
74	Cordarrelle Patterson (MIN/5)	91	77
75	Cody Latimer (DEN/7)	62	64
76	Greg Jennings (MIA/5)	85	96
77	Malcom Floyd (SD/10)	63	78
78	Devante Parker (MIA/5)	53	50
79	Tyler Lockett (SEA/9)	101	82
80	Donte Moncrief (IND/10)	77	69
81	Marlon Brown (BAL/9)	102	109
82	Nick Toon (NO/11)	87	84
83	Robert Woods (BUF/8)	95	90
84	Tavon Austin (STL/6)	108	79
85	Jarius Wright (MIN/5)	100	116
86	Jeremy Kerley (NYJ/5)	109
87	Nate Washington (HOU/9)	99
88	Cecil Shorts (HOU/9)	67	72
89	Kevin White (CHI/7)	61	49
90	Allen Hurns (JAC/8)	71	83
91	Marqise Lee (JAC/8)	74	68
92	Brian Hartline (CLE/11)	78	91
93	Danny Amendola (NE/4)	84	103
94	Aaron Dobson (NE/4)	110	119
95	Harry Douglas (TEN/4)	81	98
96	Taylor Gabriel (CLE/11)	94	114
97	Jaelen Strong (HOU/9)	92	74
98	Kamar Aiken (BAL/9)	82	102
99	Devin Hester (ATL/10)	104
100	Philly Brown (CAR/5)	86	113

Riser: Opportunity Knocks for Davante Adams

Al Bello/Getty Images

Losing Jordy Nelson is an absolute killer for the Green Bay Packers, but in the fantasy world, it might be an even bigger loss since Nelson was one of nine wide receivers I felt comfortable calling a WR1.

With Nelson out for the season, the Packers need someone to step up. Obviously, Randall Cobb becomes the top WR in their offense, and now Davante Adams gets a chance at a much larger role after flashing as a rookie, just not enough to have consistent fantasy value.

Last year, Adams opened the season fourth on Green Bay’s depth chart but took the third spot from Jarrett Boykin in the second month of the season and never looked back. He didn’t have much of an impact for fantasy, registering five receptions and 50 yards just four times, although he did have a monster game against the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs with seven receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown in the memorable victory.

Adams was already earning praise in camp, with head coach Mike McCarthy saying that he’s "looking for big things" from the second-year receiver after a heck of a camp. Considering that the Packers have brought players like Nelson and Cobb along slowly, it says something that Adams was able to move up the depth chart last year and is being trusted to take on a bigger role in the absence of Nelson.

Nelson racked up 151 targets last season, and those have to go somewhere. Cobb will get a slight uptick, but it’s up to Adams to fill the biggest role. After being considered a WR4 coming into the preseason, he’s moved into my top 25 and is a legitimate WR2 who could go as early as the fourth round.

Faller: DeSean Jackson Needs the Redskins to Come to Their Senses

AJ Mast/Associated Press

DeSean Jackson has been one of the ultimate boom-or-bust players for the duration of his career, save for his 2013 season under Chip Kelly when he had career highs in receptions (82), yards (1,332), touchdowns (9) and targets (125). Jackson has failed to haul in 60 balls in any other season dating back to 2009 and has just two seasons of at least 100 targets in the last five years. 

I say all that before we even bring up the major reason for my concern, and that's the quarterback situation in Washington.

Jay Gruden continues to call Robert Griffin III the starter despite poor performances and an inability to stay on the field in the last two seasons. This preseason hasn't gotten off to a good start either, with Griffin suffering a concussion against the Detroit Lions last week after an especially brutal outing. Yet, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, the team just needs to do their best to put Griffin in a good place.

I’ve already written plenty about why you should avoid having Redskins on your fantasy team, but when it comes down to rooting for Colt McCoy to take over the starting job as the best-case scenario, you shouldn’t need much more convincing.

Jackson is definitely a talented player and is going to have some big performances no matter who is under center. However, he’ll be far from consistent on a bad team with a terrible QB situation, so there’s no justifying his ADP of 62 as the 26th wide receiver off the board.

Riser: Jordan Matthews Is Ready to Blast Off

Evan Habeeb/Getty Images

With all the love I've given the Philadelphia Eagles this preseason, you'd be surprised to know I'm not a fan of the team in reality. However, I can recognize when a team is fantasy-friendly, and under head coach Chip Kelly, the Eagles have been just that for the last two seasons. 

That brings us to Jordan Matthews, who had a fine rookie campaign with 67 receptions for 872 yards and eight touchdowns on 103 targets as the second receiving option behind Jeremy Maclin in an offense that saw both Nick Foles and Mark Sanchez get significant playing time.

With Maclin gone, Matthews assumes the role of top option in the passing game for an offense that wants to run upward of 75 plays this season; that’s a lot of volume coming Matthews’ way. Rookie Nelson Agholor should be very involved as well, but the team doesn’t have much else and is still waiting for Zach Ertz to take the next step.

With Sam Bradford healthy and primed to lead this offense to the next level, Matthews’ fantasy value is starting to rise. He’s coming off the board as the 15th wide receiver around pick No. 34. I’d consider him a top-10 fantasy WR, especially in PPR leagues, so that ADP is actually a pretty good value. However, I don’t think it will last.

Faller: Where Have You Gone, Victor Cruz?

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Since blowing up in 2011, expectations have been sky-high for Victor Cruz, but he’s never quite risen to the occasion and is now coming off a major knee injury that cost him 10 games last season. 

Back on August 17, Cruz said he was 100 percent and expected to play in the team’s second preseason game, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Unfortunately, a calf injury developed just a few days later, which kept Cruz out of that second preseason game. With the knee issues apparently behind him, inflammation in the calf is what’s keeping him off the field.

Cruz has been one of the toughest players to rank for a variety of reasons. First, coming back from a ruptured patellar tendon is not easy, and there’s no guarantee Cruz will be the same player ever again. Second, he’s no longer the main man in the Giants offense after the monster rookie year from Odell Beckham Jr., which puts Cruz’s role in the offense in question.

With Cruz continuing to miss time, it’s hard to know just what kind of speed he’ll be at when the season gets underway, and even though he says he’ll be ready, we’re pretty much going in blind on his ability.

With an ADP near 85 as the 33rd wide receiver off the board, Cruz is toward the end of the WR3 tier, so it’s not paying a hefty price. However, you can get teammate Rueben Randle, who’s likely to start outside opposite Beckham, almost 80 picks later as the 62nd WR off the board. That value is a lot better than what you’ll pay for Cruz.

Sleepers: Chances for Youth vs. Old Faces in New Places

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

It’s hard to truly find a diamond in the rough anymore with the amount of information at our disposal, so instead of listing sleepers at random, I’ve decided to separate them into categories.

First, we’ll look at veterans in new places. These are established players who may be toward the end or just past their prime but might benefit from a new environment and are being overlooked:

• Andre Johnson—This isn’t a major one, but I have him just outside the WR1 tier even though he’s coming off the board as the 17th WR. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him finish higher than T.Y. Hilton, who’s going about 21 picks earlier. Johnson's never had a quarterback like Andrew Luck. He's a better player than Reggie Wayne was when Luck was a rookie, and Wayne was great that year.
• Eddie Royal—He should get a chance to do more with rookie Kevin White out following surgery, and he’s already familiar with Jay Cutler. ADP of 131, so he won’t cost much.
• Stevie Johnson—He gets the biggest boost with Antonio Gates out, because I’m not a believer in Ladarius Green. He’ll cost you next to nothing with an ADP around 141.
• Michael Crabtree—He's likely a forgotten man for most fantasy players after being in exile with Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco. He’ll get a chance to put himself back on the map as the second option behind Amari Cooper in Oakland. Pretty much a free pick at 144.5.

Next, let’s look at young receivers on the cusp of breaking out. This could be a rookie stepping into a big role or a player in his first few seasons looking at more opportunities:

• Nelson Agholor—There's no way Riley Cooper is keeping this guy out of the starting lineup. The Eagles are short on talent and Jordan Matthews will draw a lot of attention. He’s a top-25 WR you can get around pick No. 72.
• Charles Johnson—According to Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, he’s the receiver Teddy Bridgewater trusts the most. I’ve been excited about Johnson since last year, so the love continues after hearing that report. He’s going about a pick after Mike Wallace with an ADP of 80.5 as the 32nd WR off the board. Top-25 potential is there for Johnson.
• John Brown—Michael Floyd is still working his way back from dislocated fingers and is coming off a disappointing effort in 2014. Brown flashed last year, but he may be a more consistent option for the Cardinals, who have a healthy Carson Palmer back. Consider Brown a WR3 with upside at an ADP of 98.5.
• Phillip Dorsett—This is a deep one, but the Colts are already looking to get Dorsett involved as more than just a deep threat. He could get on the field in three-wide receiver sets, and with T.Y. Hilton signed to a long-term deal, there’s no reason to wait on Dorsett to get involved right out of the gate. He’s a nice lottery ticket with an ADP of 163.

Risks: Bad Quarterbacks, Great Defenses Are Important Factors

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

It’s easy to use age or injury history to identify risks, but I put a big focus on bad quarterback situations. Also, in recent seasons, I’ve been more careful when it comes to drafting wide receivers on teams with good defenses. If a defense is good-to-great, there shouldn’t be a need to throw it a ton. That cuts down on any garbage-time production.

Here are the players I’m looking to avoid for the aforementioned reasons in addition to overpriced costs in drafts:

• DeAndre Hopkins—I refuse to take him at his current ADP of 31, which makes him the 13th WR off the board. There’s no way I’m tying myself to Brian Hoyer and expecting great results. Hopkins can be my WR2, but no way he’s a WR1. Also, with Arian Foster hurt and Andre Johnson gone, there’s a lot more attention coming to Hopkins this year.
• Sammy Watkins—Not only do you have an uninspiring QB battle between Matt Cassel and Tyrod Taylor, but the Bills should have a great defense. That’s a bad combination for the 21st WR off the board at an ADP around 52.
• Brandon Marshall—Much like Watkins, you have the dreaded pair of bad QB/good defense to worry about, so I doubt Marshall is the target hound we’re used to seeing each year.
• Pierre Garcon—Just like DeSean Jackson, Garcon is getting no help from the mess at QB in Washington, and he was greatly affected last year. I’m not betting on the bounce-back season since nothing has changed.
• Torrey Smith—Colin Kaepernick has a big arm, which matches Smith’s downfield ability. Too bad I don’t trust Kaepernick to get him the ball on any kind of consistent basis. Smith hasn’t exactly been the model of consistency for fantasy, either. Luckily, the masses seem to agree, as Smith sits with an ADP of 105 as the 42nd WR being drafted.
• Mohamed Sanu/Marvin Jones—I don’t trust Andy Dalton and never will, and I don’t think the Bengals really do, either. Other than A.J. Green, I can’t get excited about anyone tied to this passing attack since the backfield will be carrying this offense. Neither player is going before the last few rounds, if at all, but I’m just making it clear to avoid any talk of Jones' bouncing back to become the second option in the passing game.

All rankings, ADP information and statistics are from FantasyPros.com unless otherwise noted.