2020 NFL Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers
Written by Shawn Stewart
Fall is right around the corner, and as we prepare for the first leaf to fall from the tree, I only have one question for you, are you ready for some football? With the first pick in the 2020 NFL Fantasy Football Draft...... You know what, before we reveal our top pick(s), allow us to help you out with our position rankings so we can help you win your fantasy football league this year.
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32) Devante Parker
Week 9 Bye Week
DeVante Parker has quietly been getting more and more productive throughout his career. Last year he finally looked like the receiver that was picked in the top 15 of the 2015 NFL draft. After having 1,200 yards last year, its very possible that he could be even better this year. With uncertainty at quarterback however, it might take a little while for Parker to get there.
31) Marquise Brown
Week 7 Bye Week
After a blazing hot start to the season, Brown quieted down quite a bit for fantasy owners. He could have a great year in 2020. While we don’t expect Lamar Jackson to throw for a crazy amount of passing yards, he is going to put up a lot of touchdowns again and expect Brown to be on the receiving end of a good amount of those.
30) Brandin Cooks
Week 7 Bye Week
Many people are writing off Brandin Cooks after a very down year in Los Angeles. However, Cooks is not that far removed from 4 consecutive 1,000 yard seasons. With no DeAndre Hopkins, Cooks is firmly WR1 in that Houston offense. You should be able to get Cooks much later in your draft than you should be able to. And look for him to bounce back big time!
29) Henry Ruggs III
Week 6 Bye Week
Many people, myself included, were very surprised that Henry Ruggs was the first receiver taken in the draft. Not because he lacked talent, but because Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb were just that good. However, it is Ruggs who is the best position to produce right away. After losing Tyrell Williams for the year, the Raiders only have tight end Darren Waller to look to in the passing game. Henry Ruggs is going to get a lot of targets in his rookie year.
28) Jarvis Landry
Week 5 Bye Week
Since being traded to Cleveland, Landry has been quite solid for the Browns. While he doesn’t have an insane amount of touchdowns over those two years, he is constantly getting over 100 targets and getting close to 1,000 yards. While Cleveland has an abundant of riches in the offense, Landry should look to consistently put up numbers.
27) Tyler Boyd
Week 11 Bye Week
Tyler Boyd is coming off of a string of consistent years for the Bengals. He has quietly been one of the most consistent wide receivers over the last few years and now he has a fantastic new quarterback in number 1 overall pick Joe Burrow. However, with AJ Green and John Ross returning from injury this year, as well as the addition of rookie Tee Higgins, it wont be as easy for Boyd to carve out as big of a role as he did last year.
26)Tyler Lockett
Week 11 Bye Week
Tyler Lockett had a very respectable 2019 season. He went for over 1,000 yards and 8 touchdowns. Coming off of his best year as a pro, Lockett will look to get better. With Russell Wilson throwing him the ball, he is always a threat for a big game.
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25) Terry McLaurin
Week 13 Bye Week
Nicknamed "Scary Terry" for his intimidating speed, McLaurin could be a nightmare for opposing defenses to deal with in 2020. The big question is, who will be throwing him the ball?
24) Stefon Diggs
Week 7 Bye Week
Stefon Diggs did leave behind a productive situation in Minnesota which included Kurt Cousins and Adam Thielen, in hopes to be true No. 1 for the Bills. Diggs could be a huge help for this Bills offense, especially in the red zone. Now the definitive number 1, Diggs will have opportunities to show he can be that guy.
23) DJ Chark Jr,.
Week 7 Bye Week
Going into year 3 of his NFL career, Chark Jr. will be the locked in target for QB, Gardner Minshew. I think the Jaguars will be playing from behind in a lot of games this season, so Chark Jr. could also be good in garbage time, racking up a lot of yards.
22) Deebo Samuel
Week 13 Bye Week
It took some time for Samuel to adjust as a rookie, but he emerged very quickly. The talented receiver does have great hands and explosiveness. He should be one of the top targets for Garoppolo and the 49ers offense in 2020. If he can stay healthy (a huge if for these San Francisco 49ers) he will produce big time this year.
21) TY Hilton
Week 7 Bye Week
Hilton has been consistent as they come for the Colts, and is clearly the go to guy in this offense. With Phillip Rivers behind center now, Hilton could see his numbers skyrocket, but his main concern is health. After missing a few games in 2019, many are starting to worry how many games Hilton will be available for.
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20) Keenan Allen
Week 10 Bye Week
Allen doesn't have the flash capability as most of the receivers ahead of him on this list, but even at 28, his route running is smooth and he has excellent hands. We will have to wait and see what his connection will be like now, since Phillip Rivers is no longer in Los Angeles.
19) Cooper Kupp
Week 11 Bye Week
Cooper Kupp is considered one of the premier primary slot receivers. Kupp has a very high catch and scoring rate in the Rams high powered offense. He is Goff's security blanket. Losing Brandin Cooks will open up much more opportunities for Kupp in this offense.
18) Courtland Sutton
Week 8 Bye Week
Sutton is clearly the go-to guy for quarterback Drew Lock. He looks the part of a classic No. 1 receiver at 6-4, 216 pounds. The addition of KJ Hamler and Jerry Jeudy will help Sutton possibly put up big numbers once again. While he will likely see less targets, he could have much more productive games than his breakout campaign in 2019.
17) Calvin Ridley
Week 9 Bye Week
Matt Ryan has a nice 1-2 punch with Jones and Ridley at his disposal, and there is no reason why the talented group should slow down in 2020. Ridley does have big play ability and helps open the field for Jones and the rest of the Falcons offense. The Falcons could have 2 wide receivers go over 1,000 yards in 2020.
16) AJ Brown
Week 5 Bye Week
Brown had a slow start in 2020, but once Ryan Tannehill emerged and started throwing the ball downfield , Brown was a nightmare to deal with, due to his speed and strong build. He is the perfect home-runner hitter off play-action pass with plenty of after-the catch ability due to his quickness.
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15) Robert Woods
Week 7 Bye Week
Woods is an all well rounded wide receiver, who has the ability at times to make the big downfield plays. I see the Rams throwing the ball more in 2020. With Brandin Cooks gone, Woods has a chance to become the number 1 receiver in Los Angeles and put up numbers like he did a few years back.
14) JuJu Smith-Schuster
Week 8 Bye Week
Smith-Schuster is clearly the number 1 receiver for the Steelers, and has big playing making ability to make this offense go. Big Ben is healthy and ready to lead the offense again after major injury concerns in 2019. Look for Big Ben to have a bounce back year, which would be excellent news for the wide receiver..
13) Adam Theilen
Week 10 Bye Week
After dealing with injuries all throughout last season, the durability could be in question for the Vikings receiver. Thielen is entering his age 30 season, and with Diggs moving on to Buffalo, Thielen could see even more targets. The Vikings added Justin Jefferson in the first round of the draft, but look for Minnesota to spread the ball out a lot in 2020.
12) Odell Beckham Jr.
Week 11 Bye Week
OBJ, another wide out that dealt with some injuries last season, showed some incredible toughness, and played through those injuries. His numbers have cooled down a little bit, and of course his health is a concern, but "if" healthy going forward, this could be a big year for the star wide receiver.
11) Amari Cooper
Week 13 Bye Week
Cooper is one of the best route running receivers in the NFL. His presence has helped Dallas turn the corner into an elite passing team. With CeeDee Lamb joining the group, which also includes Michael Gallup, it is only going to boost Cooper's numbers.
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10) DJ Moore
Week 6 Bye Week
Moore had a monster second season, even with some questions and health concerns at the quarterback position in Carolina. With Newton out and Bridgewater in town, look for Moore to be targeted early and often this season.
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9) Allen Robinson
Week 9 Bye Week
Even with the likely quarterback carousel that we will see in Chicago all season long, Robinson has still been able to put up decent numbers. He is solid all around and could be a steal early in your draft.
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8) Kenny Golladay
Week 9 Bye Week
Golladay is a big receiver with big play capability. He is a long ball machine for a pass happy offense. With a healthy Matthew Stafford in 2020, things can only point upward for the wide receiver.
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7) Mike Evans
Week 11 Bye Week
It is very rare to see two wide receivers ranked back to back from the same team, so I guess you could say, Tom Brady is a little spoiled in this new offense. Evans is a big bodied receiver and is very difficult to cover downfield because of his vertical receiving skills. Evans could be Brady's best deep threat since Randy Moss.
Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6) Chris Godwin
Week 10 Bye Week
Godwin had a breakout year last season, and that was with Jameis Winston at the helm. Imagine what the 24 year old receiver will accomplish with Tom Brady running the show in Tampa Bay now. Godwin is one of the best at YAC (yards after catch). He could easily be Tom Brady's favorite target in 2020.
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5) Tyreek Hill
Week 6 Bye Week
Injuries slowed the speedy receiver in 2019, but he still managed to put up solid numbers. When healthy he is as good as they come, especially in that high flying Chiefs offense, which is ready to put up big numbers again in 2020.
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4) Devante Adams
Week 8 Bye Week
Adams was dealing with some injuries in 2019, but he is still the "go to guy" for the Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Packers will rely heavily again on Adams in 2020.
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3) DeAndre Hopkins
Week 9 Bye Week
A change of scenery can be an adjustment, but we feel that Hopkins is going to flourish in the Cardinals offense. At the age of 28, there is still plenty of top all-around playmaking left. The Cardinals will be a pass happy offense in 2020, especially with their new weapon.
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2) Julio Jones
Week 10 Bye Week
Jones is 31 years old, but is showing no signs of slowing down, and still has the big play ability to give defenses headaches. He has fantastic speed and quickness and is a very physical receiver. Jones is locked in with Matt Ryan, and they are going into their 10th year together. Draft with confidence.
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1) Michael Thomas - New Orleans Saints
Week 11 Bye Week
Thomas, 27, has excellent hands and his route-running is top notch in the league. Thomas is as good as it gets due to his consistency and big play ability. He averaged over a 100 yards per game in 2019, and we see the same for 2020. Plus it does help that Drew Brees is under center. Thomas should be the first receiver off your board, and maybe even a top 5 overall pick.
Follow A.J. on twitter @age_lona and Shawn @ShawnSportsNut.
