Gamers who don’t get one of Ja’Marr Chase, Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown, CeeDee Lamb or Justin Jefferson in the first round of fantasy football drafts shouldn’t fret. There is ample talent at the position.
A few wide receivers with a half-PPR average draft position (ADP) beyond WR24 have top-12 upside, including the three listed below.
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Fantasy Football WR3s With WR1 Potential
Mike Evans (WR – SF) | ADP: 62.7 (WR27)
There’s proof of concept that Mike Evans has finished as a WR1 multiple times in his decorated career. Additionally, he’s done so recently.
Evans was the WR9 in half-PPR total points (203.4) and the WR8 in half-PPR points per game (14.5) among wideouts who played at least eight games in 2024. Evans’ top-10 finish in total points in 2024 was all the more impressive because he played in only 14 games.
Sadly, Evans played in just eight games last season because of a significant hamstring strain and a broken collarbone. According to the Fantasy Points Data Suite, among 114 wide receivers with at least 200 routes run in the 2025 regular season and postseason, Evans was 18th in air yards share (35.9%), 21st in target share (21.5%) and tied for seventh in targets per route run (0.28 TPRR). That’s the good news.
Evans was also tied for 95th in yards per target (6.24) with Greg Dortch and Darnell Mooney. That’s the bad news. Still, even in a down and injury-marred season, Evans was 36th in yards per route run (1.76 YPRR). Evans also had seven end-zone targets and three receiving touchdowns in eight games.
Evans is a prolific touchdown scorer. Even with last year’s frustrating campaign included, per Stathead, Evans’ 29 touchdown receptions are the fourth most among wide receivers in the regular season and postseason since 2023.
Evans has an excellent opportunity to bounce back with the 49ers this season. There should be more pass-catching opportunities with his new employer. Per the Fantasy Points Data Suite, the 49ers were ninth in pass rate over expectation (2.2% PROE) last season in the regular season, and the Buccaneers were 18th (-0.3%).
In addition, according to StatHead, among 55 quarterbacks with at least 250 pass attempts since 2023, Brock Purdy is tied for sixth in passing touchdown rate (5.6%) and fifth in passing yards per game (255.3). Gamers should buy the dip on Evans’ ADP after a down year, as he has very attainable WR1 upside this season.
Christian Watson (WR – GB) | ADP: 67.7 (WR29)
Christian Watson tore the ACL in his right knee on January 5th, 2025. He made his season debut for the Packers on October 26th, 2025. Watson’s ability to return from reconstructive knee surgery so quickly would have been impressive on its own, but he wasn’t done there. Instead, Watson balled out.
Green Bay’s speedy wide receiver posted the following numbers last year, with his ranking among 91 wide receivers with at least 250 routes run across the regular season and playoffs last year in parentheses:
- 68.6% route participation rate (52nd)
- 17.3-yard average depth of target (aDOT) (3rd)
- 33.9% air yards share (19th)
- 17.8% target share (34th)
- 0.23 TPRR (tied for 23rd)
- 38 receptions (tied for 64th)
- 58.8 receiving yards per game (20th)
- 2.45 YPRR (tied for 7th)
- 0.114 first downs per route run (1D/RR) (9th)
- 7 receiving touchdowns (tied for 13th)
It’s dangerous to assume a player will maintain elite efficiency if their playing time is drastically increased. Still, Watson has plenty of room to dip in efficiency and benefit more from an increase in playing time, which should come to fruition with Romeo Doubs leaving in free agency, the team trading Dontayvion Wicks and a lack of meaningful additions to the receiver room in the offseason.
Watson isn’t a one-trick pony as a vertical weapon, either.
NEW #ReceptionPerception content has been added to the site ????
Subscribers can now find RP charts, data and my evaluations on the following 6 WRs:
Christian Watson
DeVonta Smith
Drake London
Amon-Ra St. Brown
Nico Collins
Garrett WilsonA lot of these players are squarely in… pic.twitter.com/f3UmUFM3xW
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) July 27, 2026
The following table shows that Watson was a target-getter and posted impressive numbers on a wide variety of routes, per the charting data at Fantasy Points:
There could also be more play volume for Green Bay’s offense, as Matt Harmon and Nate Tice speculated that the Packers might play at a faster tempo in 2026.
Watson was already the WR15 in half-PPR points per game (11.5) among those who played at least eight games in 2025. If Watson’s route participation ticks up, the Packers run more plays or both, Watson has a straightforward path to finishing as a WR1 in 2026.
Parker Washington (WR – JAX) | ADP: 73 (WR30)
It’s often an uphill battle for wide receivers without significant draft capital, and Parker Washington isn’t an exception to the rule. However, the genie is out of the bottle. Washington was exceptional after Jacksonville’s Week 8 bye last season.
Washington rattled off the following statistics from Week 9 through Jacksonville’s Wild Card Round loss, and his ranking among 92 wide receivers with at least 150 routes from Week 9 through the Super Bowl is in parentheses:
- 75.1% route participation rate (40th)
- 12.8-yard aDOT (34th)
- 31.5% air yards share (28th)
- 22.1% target share (17th)
- 0.25 TPRR (tied for 17th)
- 48 receptions (tied for 11th)
- 74.7 receiving yards per game (11th)
- 2.82 YPRR (3rd)
- 0.121 1D/RR (8th)
- 6 end-zone targets (tied for 16th)
- 5 receiving touchdowns (tied for 11th)
- 12.8 half-PPR points per game (tied for 13th)
- 0.48 half-PPR points per route run (tied for 6th)
- 13.5 expected half-PPR points per game (17th)
- 0.49 expected half-PPR points per game (tied for 13th)
Washington was extremely efficient and productive. He moved the chains and was used downfield.
Washington was also sharp against man and zone coverage. Among wideouts with at least 250 routes in the regular season and playoffs last season, Washington was 11th in yards per route run (2.70 YPRR) versus man and 15th in yards per route run (2.33 YPRR) versus zone.
Washington proved capable of playing well in personnel groupings with two or fewer wide receivers on the field. Washington ran 57 routes in those personnel groupings, with a 64.9% alignment wide and 35.1% in the slot, logging 13 targets, nine receptions, 112 receiving yards, 1.96 YPRR, two end-zone targets and two touchdowns.
Gamers should let their league mates worry about Washington’s target competition and bet on his talent winning out. Washington’s late-season outburst and his full-season production against man and zone provide evidence of his immense upside.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
