2016 Fantasy Football WR Rankings
Ben Roesthlisberger and Antonio Brown have an amazing relationship on the football field. It was evident last season when Big Ben missed 4 games. During those four weeks, Antonio averaged only 4.3 receptions, 58.8 yards, and no touchdowns. It was a terrible time in Pittsburgh for fantasy owners. But then Big Ben returned and Antonio Brown went back into beast mode and in the 12 games that the duo played together, he averaged 9.9 catches and 133.3 yards while scoring 10 touchdowns. But he isn’t the only fantasy WR that will help you out this upcoming season.
Odell Beckham Jr. has 2,755 receiving yards in his first two seasons, and is averaging 102.0 yards per game. Both are more than anyone else in NFL history. He is 2nd to only his former teammate, Jarvis Landry, for most catches in the first two seasons with 187. He also ranks 3rd all-time in touchdowns over the first two seasons, 25. (Although he did it in only 27 games) ODB has the speed, size, hands, and personality to be a star in this league for many years to come. Expect him to surpass his production this year and enjoy the ride as he becomes the most dangerous in the NFL heading into 2017.
Don’t forget about Julio Jones, DeAndre Hopkins, Dez Bryant, etc… The NFL has become a passing league and there are plenty of receivers to chose from, many of them will bring you a playoff appearance, maybe more. Here are our 2016 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver rankings using the PPR scoring format.
30. Kevin White
Team: Chicago Bears
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 65
- Yards: 825
- Yards Per Catch: 12.7
- Touchdowns: 7
29. Emmanuel Sanders
Team: Denver Broncos
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 72
- Yards: 915
- Yards Per Catch: 12.7
- Touchdowns: 5
28. Donte Moncrief
Team: Indianapolis Colts
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 68
- Yards: 850
- Yards Per Catch: 12.5
- Touchdowns: 8
27. Michael Floyd
Team: Arizona Cardinals
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 65
- Yards: 975
- Yards Per Catch: 15.0
- Touchdowns: 7
26. Jeremy Maclin
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 80
- Yards: 1,005
- Yards Per Catch: 12.6
- Touchdowns: 5
25. Jordan Matthews
Team: Philadelphia Eagles
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 80
- Yards: 955
- Yards Per Catch: 11.9
- Touchdowns: 6
24. Doug Baldwin
Team: Seattle Seahawks
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 74
- Yards: 900
- Yards Per Catch: 12.2
- Touchdowns: 8
23. Julian Edelman
Team: New England Patriots
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 85
- Yards: 930
- Yards Per Catch: 10.9
- Touchdowns: 6
22. Eric Decker
Team: New York Jets
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 74
- Yards: 1,050
- Yards Per Catch: 14.2
- Touchdowns: 6
21. Kelvin Benjamin
Team: Carolina Panthers
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 75
- Yards: 950
- Yards Per Catch: 12.7
- Touchdowns: 8
20. Randall Cobb
Team: Green Bay Packers
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 72
- Yards: 1,050
- Yards Per Catch: 14.6
- Touchdowns: 8
19. Jarvis Landry
Team: Miami Dolphins
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 95
- Yards: 1,000
- Yards Per Catch: 10.5
- Touchdowns: 5
18. Amari Cooper
Team: Oakland Raiders
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 83
- Yards: 1,075
- Yards Per Catch: 13.0
- Touchdowns: 7
17. Sammy Watkins
Team: Buffalo Bills
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 75
- Yards: 1,100
- Yards Per Catch: 14.7
- Touchdowns: 8
16. Brandon Marshall
Team: New York Jets
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 87
- Yards: 1,050
- Yards Per Catch: 12.1
- Touchdowns: 8
15. Demaryius Thomas
Team: Denver Broncos
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 85
- Yards: 1,145
- Yards Per Catch: 13.5
- Touchdowns: 7
14. Keenan Allen
Team: San Diego Chargers
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 86
- Yards: 1,075
- Yards Per Catch: 12.5
- Touchdowns: 8
13. Brandin Cooks
Team: New Orleans Saints
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 86
- Yards: 1,080
- Yards Per Catch: 12.6
- Touchdowns: 8
12. Allen Robinson
Team: Jacksonville Jaguars
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 84
- Yards: 1,065
- Yards Per Catch: 12.7
- Touchdowns: 9
11. Mike Evans
Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 78
- Yards: 1,135
- Yards Per Catch: 14.6
- Touchdowns: 9
10. T.Y. Hilton
Team: Indianapolis Colts
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 78
- Yards: 1,200
- Yards Per Catch: 15.4
- Touchdowns: 8
Outlook: Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton have become a dangerous couple in Indianapolis. After Luck’s terrible 2015 season that was filled with terrible injuries causing him to miss most of the year, he is back at 100% and that only makes T.Y. an even more valuable asset to your fantasy roster.
9. Golden Tate
Team: Detroit Lions
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 90
- Yards: 1,200
- Yards Per Catch: 13.3
- Touchdowns: 7
Outlook: In the last two years, Golden Tate took advantage of the defense focusing on Calvin Johnson and it has turned him into a dangerous WR. However, now that Megatron is retired, what are the odds Golden Tate can become the main star in Detroit and continue putting up big numbers? Since Matthew Stafford tends to throw the football, a lot, we are going to assume that Tate will benefit from the retirement of Megatron instead of finding himself in a pinch.
8. Alshon Jeffery
Team: Chicago Bears
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 90
- Yards: 1,200
- Yards Per Catch: 13.3
- Touchdowns: 7
Outlook: If Alshon Jeffery remains healthy, the Chicago Bears could end up with a scary 1-2 punch between him and Kevin White. Even after missing several games last year, Alshon managed to get 14.8 yards per catch proving he has a lot of value when healthy. Kevin White should cause the defense to spread out enough that Jay Cutler will be looking downfield more often than last year in the direction of Alshon Jeffery.
7. Dez Bryant
Team: Dallas Cowboys
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 85
- Yards: 1,200
- Yards Per Catch: 14.1
- Touchdowns: 9
Outlook: If Tony Romo and Dez Bryant played 16 games together, Bryant would be as dangerous as anyone on this list. Last year he struggled with bad luck and only played 9 games. He managed just 31 catches for 401 yards and 3 touchdowns. That is a rare stat line for a man that has averaged 1,312 yards a season plus an average of 14 touchdowns too.
6. Jordy Nelson
Team: Green Bay Packers
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 85
- Yards: 1,225
- Yards Per Catch: 14.4
- Touchdowns: 9
Outlook: Last season wasn’t a good year for Green Bay’s passing attack once Jordy Nelson went down with a season-ending knee injury during the preseason. He is on track to be ready for the season opener but no official word has come from the Packers front office about it at this time. He was recently taken off the PUP list helping to prove he would be ready for the season.
5. A.J. Green
Team: Cincinnati Bengals
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 88
- Yards: 1,250
- Yards Per Catch: 14.2
- Touchdowns: 9
Outlook: Mr.Consistency should be A.J. Green’s new nickname. Since his rookie season, he has surpassed 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first five seasons and has more than 10 touchdowns in a season, three times. He has a great relationship with Andy Dalton and it shows in his production every season. If all else fails and he is the only pick available, you can plan on another year of 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns, at least.
4. Odell Beckham Jr.
Team: New York Giants
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 97
- Yards: 1,475
- Yards Per Catch: 15.2
- Touchdowns: 10
Outlook: After just 27 games, Odell Beckham Jr. has caught 187 passes for 2,755 yards and 25 touchdowns. ODB has a better two year start to his career than Jerry Rice, Calvin Johnson, Isaac Bruce, Andre Rison, Bob Hayes, Andre Reed, Randy Moss, or just about any other elite former NFL WR. And he has done it in less games having missed the first 5 games of his rookie season.
3. DeAndre Hopkins
Team: Houston Texans
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 100
- Yards: 1,400
- Yards Per Catch: 14.0
- Touchdowns: 12
Outlook: Coming out of virtually nowhere, DeAndre Hopkins exploded into an elite WR in 2014 when he finished with 1,210 yards followed by another big year in 2015 when he grabbed 111 catches for 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns. It does not even matter who the QB is, he puts up big time numbers. He has caught passes from Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, T.J. Yates, Brandon Weeden, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum, and Tom Savage in the past two seasons. That should be more than enough proof that DeAndre Hopkins is an elite WR.
2. Julio Jones
Team: Atlanta Falcons
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 115
- Yards: 1,650
- Yards Per Catch: 14.3
- Touchdowns: 9
Outlook: Julio Jones quietly finished last season with 1,871 yards receiving, the second best single season total of all-time. With Matt Ryan tossing him the rock, his targets will remain in the 175-190 range leaving him with another big time year ahead of him. If Antonio Brown is off the board, take Julio Jones, trust us.
1. Antonio Brown
Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
2016 Projections:
- Receptions: 124
- Yards: 1,700
- Yards Per Catch: 13.7
- Touchdowns: 12
Outlook: Has there ever been a more dominate WR in a 3-year span in the history of the NFL than Antonio Brown? He has averaged 125 catches, 1,677 yards, and 10 touchdowns a year over the past three years and has become one of the best WR to own in fantasy history. If Big Ben stays healthy and plays all 16 games, he could be the first WR in NFL history to eclipse the 2,000 yard mark in a single season this year.