Matt Barbato | Tue, Aug 22nd 2023, 7:15am EDT

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Strategy, Tiers, Targets & Fades (2023)

Is there a way for the wide receiver position to feel incredibly deep but also rather shallow at the same time? Let me explain.

The NFL is a more pass-heavy league than it ever was. And with more throwing comes more personnel groupings with at least three receivers on the field. More receivers have become fantasy relevant because of this. But there are also fewer elite options at wideout as teams are more content to spread the ball around to tertiary weapons.

Last season, 26 points separated the WR6, CeeDee Lamb, and the WR7, Jaylen Waddle, in half-point per reception (PPR) formats. That same 26-point spread also represents the difference between Waddle and the WR13, Tyler Lockett. And there were also 26 points separating Lockett and the WR21, Jerry Jeudy.

All of this is to illustrate that while wide receiver is extremely deep, it’s deepest in the middle tiers.

So how do we navigate the wide receiver position in our fantasy football drafts? I’ll take you through how I’m approaching it.

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Strategy, Tiers, Targets & Fades (2023)

Matt Barbato’s Wide Receiver Strategy for 2023 Fantasy Football

Land an Elite Option

As always, draft position and value can dictate this decision. But in a typical draft, I am coming away with one of the elite top 10 receivers in our Expert Consensus Rankings within the first two rounds. While the risk profiles definitely vary, I believe each member of the top 10 offers elite weekly and season-long upside.

However, I’m still not taking Justin Jefferson or Ja’Marr Chase if I’m picking within the top three. While those two players are studs, I can’t justify taking them over the elite options at the more scarce running back position.

That being said, here’s who I’m most interested in landing as my WR1, along with Jefferson and Chase, at the right price:

Tyreek Hill continues to amaze and should continue to amaze whether Tua Tagovailoa is healthy or not. Miami’s offense is designed to get Hill the ball in space.
Stefon Diggs is as steady as they come and is virtually a lock for 95-1,300-10 when healthy.
CeeDee Lamb quietly finished as the WR6 last year, and there’s room for upward mobility.
Garrett Wilson is the guy I’m going after if the aforementioned three guys are off the board. Wilson finished as the WR19 last season despite catching only 83 of his 147 targets. A top-20 finish with Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco and Mike White throwing you the ball is astonishing. His efficiency should only improve with Aaron Rodgers. If there’s anyone outside of the obvious names who can overthrow Jefferson as the WR1, it’s Wilson.

Sorting Through the WR2s

There’s a clear line between the top-end WR1s and the WR2s underneath them. Guys like DeVonta Smith, Tee Higgins, Jaylen Waddle and DK Metcalf are all immensely talented, but they’re not the clear-cut top options in their passing games. That being said, I’m thrilled to get any of them as my WR2, although it’ll likely come at the cost of adding a back in Round 3.

On the contrary, I’m generally staying away from almost all of the receivers being ranked between WR16 and WR24. The exceptions are Calvin Ridley, D.J. Moore and Terry McLaurin. All three receivers are immensely talented, for starters. But Ridley could thrive as Trevor Lawrence‘s lead receiver, although his risk of never getting back to form is legitimate.

Moore has been a victim of terrible QB play, but that’s about to change now that he’s with Justin Fields. And McLaurin, well, he just continues to produce regardless of who’s throwing him the ball. It feels disrespectful for him to be the WR23, even with the uncertainty around Sam Howell.

Don’t Feel the Need to Reach in the Middle Rounds

As I said before, wide receiver is really deep in the middle tiers. The WR25 and the WR43 were separated by merely 35 points a season ago. The middle class of wide receivers is filled with players who likely have questions regarding target share, quarterback play or, in some cases, both! While there are definitely players I prefer to land over others, I’m not going too far out of my way to get them. Because they’re all… sort of the same, give or take a few points.

My rule of thumb when filling out my depth receivers is to worry less about opportunities and more about identifying the players with the talent to make the most of their opportunities. Here are some names I like to serve FLEX or depth options.

Speaking of opportunity, Diontae Johnson was targeted 147 times last season. Yet, he finished as the WR39. Why? Because he caught just 86 of those targets and failed to score a touchdown. That’s almost statistically impossible. Johnson is still one of the league’s best route runners. He will far outpace his WR31 ranking so long as Kenny Pickett takes a small step forward. He’s one of my favorite guys to target in drafts.
Brandon Aiyuk is just a player I’ve always liked. His separation skills are outstanding, and he finished as the WR15 a year ago. I get it. The 49ers have so many mouths to feed. But they did last year, too… so why is Aiyuk ranked outside WR2 territory?
Mike Evans finished as the WR16 as everything cratered in Tampa Bay. I get it. Going from Tom Brady to Baker Mayfield is… a downgrade. But if there’s one quarterback in the world who will hoist the ball up and hope someone comes down with it, isn’t it Baker Mayfield? Let last year’s Seahawks offense is a cautionary tale of the value that can be had when the sentiment on a player and offense tanks. I’ll buy Evans at this low price.

Going Deep

Lastly, here are some deeper targets that I’m looking to land on my teams.

Courtland Sutton, ranked as the WR42, is being ranked at his floor. He finished as the WR43 last season in what was an abysmal year for Russell Wilson and the Broncos. Maybe I’ll just continue to fall for the mirage of Sutton’s pre-ACL injury performance, but I’m still a believer and think he could overdeliver on this ADP.
I’ll take later-round flyers on both Kadarius Toney (WR49) and Skyy Moore (WR51). Toney’s draft stock is depressed by a training camp injury, while Moore is going low after disappointing fantasy players as a rookie. Something tells me one of these two will emerge behind Travis Kelce. Maybe both.
I’m not sure what to make of the Giants’ receiving room. But I’m willing to take a stab at Isaiah Hodgins being a red zone fixture for Brian Daboll and Daniel Jones.

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Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Strategy, Tiers, Targets & Fades (2023)

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Strategy, Tiers, Targets & Fades (2023)

Matt Barbato’s Wide Receiver Strategy for 2023 Fantasy Football

Land an Elite Option

Sorting Through the WR2s

Don’t Feel the Need to Reach in the Middle Rounds

Going Deep

More Fantasy Football Strategy Guides

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