Wide receiver is a critical position in dynasty leagues — it’s probably the most important position, with the possible exception of the quarterback position in Superflex leagues.
Most dynasty leagues use full-point PPR scoring, and most require you to start at least three wide receivers. With those league settings, it will be hard for you to win games if you don’t have at least average production from the wide receiver position. If you’re able to amass an outstanding group of receivers, you’ll have a major competitive advantage.
Quarterback and tight end are easier positions to solve because you only need one or two good ones. And you can sometimes get away with taking shortcuts at running back due to the unpredictable nature of the position. Every year, we see running backs emerge from obscurity to become significant fantasy contributors. If you luck your way into a few such players, you’ll be OK.
There are no shortcuts at the wide receiver position.
- Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Dynasty Rookie Draft Simulator
- DBro’s Dynasty Rookie Draft Primers
- Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings
Dynasty Draft Strategy, Rankings & Tiers: Wide Receivers
Wide receivers are more predictable than running backs. Running back value can fluctuate wildly as roles change. A previously unheralded running back can quickly become a valuable asset due to injuries to the running backs in front of him. Those types of value spikes are rare at the wide receiver position since each team plays several receivers, making an ascent to the top of the depth chart more difficult.
Receivers also tend to age more gracefully than running backs. Productive 10-year careers at the wide receiver position are not uncommon, whereas few running backs maintain a high level of productivity into their 30s.
In short, you generally get what you pay for at wide receiver. Therefore, it’s wise to spend vigorously at the position.
In a dynasty startup draft, drink deeply from the wide receiver well because it will eventually run dry. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the WR position is deeper than it is. Yes, there are a lot of usable wide receivers, but there aren’t many young receivers who have either achieved stardom already or have a good chance to attain it.
You must get your fair share of good young wide receivers in the early rounds of a dynasty startup. If you short yourself at the wide receiver position, it could take years to catch up.
Remember: You start at least three wide receivers every week in most dynasty leagues, maybe more. You need depth — especially when you factor in inevitable injuries.
Get yourself plenty of wide receiver firepower in your dynasty startup. You won’t regret it.
Dynasty Startup Draft Strategies
Let me repeat something I wrote in earlier articles about how to attack the various positions in dynasty startups: Before you start drafting, you need to chart a course and then build a coherent draft strategy around it.
Charting a course means deciding when you expect your team to establish its dynastic reign over the league. Here are the three options:
Win Now: Establish your dominance immediately. While your competitors focus on youth in the startup draft, scoop up proven veterans at discounted prices and build a roster that will be a favorite for the league title in Year 1.
Win in Year 2: Focus on youth but mix in some proven veterans. Your young roster might not have the juice to win right away, but you’ll have a collection of players whose value is likely to be higher a year from now, positioning you to contend in Year 2.
Productive Struggle: Ryan McDowell of Dynasty League Football coined the term productive struggle. Commit to a slow build that will put you in title contention in 2-3 years. Focus heavily on youth in the startup draft and be willing to trade startup picks for picks in future rookie drafts.
The course you choose will determine how you attack the wide receiver position — particularly when it comes to your willingness to draft older receivers.
Wide Receiver Dynasty Startup Draft Strategy
If you’re in win-now mode, Mike Evans is a logical draft target. Evans will turn 32 in August, but he’s a metronome of consistency. He’s topped the 1,000-yard mark in all of his 11 seasons in the NFL. Evans won’t be able to keep this up forever, but he has shown few, if any, signs of slowing down.
Evans won’t be selected as early in dynasty startups as he will in redraft leagues because of his age, so you might be able to get him as late as the eighth round of a 1-QB startup draft or the 10th round of a Superflex startup draft. But if you’re aiming to win in Year 2 or committing to a productive struggle, Adams probably shouldn’t be on your radar.
If you’re building your team to win in Year 2, prioritize wide receivers over running backs in the early rounds. The young receivers you draft early on are likely to maintain or increase their value over the next year, providing a strong foundation for your playoff-ready 2026 roster.
If you’re committed to a productive struggle, heavily favor wide receivers over running backs in the early rounds. As mentioned earlier, running back value can be fleeting. Just ask a dynasty manager who invested in Javonte Williams early in his career, before he tore his ACL in his second year with the Broncos. Or check with someone excited about rostering Rachaad White a year ago, and then watched with dismay as Bucky Irving stole White’s job.
WR Tiers for Dynasty
Here are the top 40 wide receivers in my dynasty rankings. I’m going to sort them into categories and offer thoughts on some of the players in each category.
Cornerstones
- Ja’Marr Chase (CIN)
- Justin Jefferson (MIN)
- CeeDee Lamb (DAL)
- Malik Nabers (NYG)
- Brian Thomas Jr. (JAX)
Pretty wild that four of the five cornerstone receivers played college football at LSU, huh? (CeeDee Lamb, a former Oklahoma Sooner, is the party crasher.) Ja’Marr Chase has topped 1,000 receiving yards in all four of his NFL seasons, and Justin Jefferson is 5-for-5 in producing 1,000-yard seasons.
Don’t fret about Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy never having made an NFL start; Jefferson is quarterback-proof. Lamb had a monster season in 2023 (135-1,749-12) and was still highly productive last year despite an injury to Cowboys signal-caller Dak Prescott. Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. are coming off terrific rookie seasons and should be stars for years to come.
Foundational
- Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET
- Puka Nacua (LAR)
- Nico Collins (HOU)
- Drake London (ATL)
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA)
- Ladd McConkey (LAC)
- Marvin Harrison Jr. (ARI)
- A.J. Brown (PHI)
You could make the case that some of the receivers from this group belong in the Cornerstone category. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Puka Nacua and Nico Collins have established themselves as top-10 receivers. Drake London came on strong late last season after the Falcons benched dusty Kirk Cousins and made Michael Penix Jr. their starting quarterback.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a 100-catch breakout campaign in his second NFL season. Ladd McConkey made a splash as a rookie. Marvin Harrison’s rookie season was a mild disappointment, but it seems only a matter of time before the talented receiver prodigy takes flight. The consistently outstanding A.J. Brown averaged 16.7 PPR points per game despite playing in the league’s run-heaviest offense.
Young Studs
- Garrett Wilson (NYJ)
- Tee Higgins (CIN)
- Tetairoa McMillan (CAR)
- Rome Odunze (CHI)
- Travis Hunter (JAX)
The talented Garrett Wilson has been thwarted by subpar quarterback play early in his career, but has still exceeded 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons. Tee Higgins is an impactful fantasy performer even as the No. 2 receiver in Cincinnati behind Ja’Marr Chase.
Tetairoa McMillan and Travis Hunter are the best two wide receiver prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class. Rome Odunze was a top-10 draft pick last year and could take a big step forward this year in an improved Chicago offense.
Youthful and Ascending
- Zay Flowers (BAL)
- Jordan Addison (MIN)
- DeVonta Smith (PHI)
- Xavier Worthy (KC)
- Jaylen Waddle (MIA)
- Emeka Egbuka (TB)
- Rashee Rice (KC)
Like Tee Higgins, Jordan Addison and DeVonta Smith are No. 2 receivers on their respective teams good enough to be No. 1s on a lot of other teams. It will be interesting to see how Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice co-exist in Kansas City this year.
Rice played only four games last season before sustaining a season-ending knee injury, and Worthy came on strong late in the season. Emeka Egbuka was drafted by the Buccaneers, who already had a lot of wide receiver talent on the roster. However, the fact he was a top-20 draft pick suggests the Bucs have big plans for him.
Quality Veterans
- DJ Moore (CHI
- DK Metcalf (PIT)
- Jameson Williams (DET)
- Jerry Jeudy (CLE)
- Terry McLaurin (WSH)
- George Pickens (DAL)
DJ Moore, DK Metcalf and Terry McLaurin are in their late 20s and should be at their peak for a few more years before we have to worry about age-related decline. Jerry Jeudy broke out in his fifth NFL season, and he just turned 26.
Jameson Williams topped 1,000 yards for the first time in 2024, and there might be more meat on the bone. George Pickens will have to share targets with CeeDee Lamb in Dallas, but Lamb’s presence might allow Pickens to shine in one-on-one matchups.
Worthwhile
- Ricky Pearsall (SF)
- Chris Olave (NO)
- Luther Burden III (CHI)
- Jayden Reed (GB)
- Matthew Golden (GB)
- Tyreek Hill (MIA)
- Keon Coleman (BUF)
- Tre Harris (LAC)
- Brandon Aiyuk (SF)
Ricky Pearsall and Keon Coleman are trying to make Year 2 leaps. Luther Burden, Matthew Golden and Tre Harris are promising rookies who could quickly become blue-chip assets.
Chris Olave is extremely talented but has dealt with worrisome concussion issues. The 31-year-old Tyreek Hill is an established star, but he’s at a career crossroads after a down year. Brandon Aiyuk made a splash in 2023 but is coming back from a torn ACL and MCL.
Final Thoughts
A few final thoughts about drafting wide receivers in dynasty startups:
- Load up at this all-important position in the early rounds of a startup. Perhaps the worst mistake you could make in a dynasty startup draft would be to fall so far behind at wide receiver that you’re unable to catch up.
- Focus more on talent than situation. Don’t dismiss a receiver just because he’s tied to a mediocre quarterback or stuck in a run-heavy offense. That receiver might be in a completely different situation a year from now. Conversely, don’t overpay for a receiver whose value is propped up by a star quarterback or a pass-happy offense.
- It’s fine to draft older wide receivers if your goal is simply to get short-term value from them. Just realize that older receivers can be hard to trade and are at risk of rapid depreciation.
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