2020 Fantasy Football: Rookie Wide Receiver Rankings
2020 Fantasy Football rankings continue. This time we’re going to hit on rookie wide receiver rankings. Using 10 as I did for QB’s and RB’s feels weak for this segment. The strength of the draft this year were the WR’s. Having said that, I’ll rank the top 20 rookie wide receivers for fantasy. Let’s jump right into it.
20: Quez Watkins (Eagles)
Watkins makes the cut as the final guy because of the situation. Maybe he breaks out in the preseason. Watkins does have good speed for the position. The Eagles needed wide receiver help badly. Maybe Watkins factors in somehow.
19: Antonio Gandy-Golden (Redskins)
The Redskins are actually a nice landing spot. Terry McLaurin is their number one receiver. If Gandy-Golden can make an impact, there should be plenty of targets coming his way.
18: Gabriel Davis (Bills)
Gabriel Davis fits this Bills’ offense perfectly. Davis is a deep-ball specialist. That’s essentially all he did at UCF. Josh Allen is a good quarterback to replicate that. Now it’s just a matter of Davis making his way into the rotation. That’s no walk in the park. The trio of Stefon Diggs, John Brown, and Cole Beasley looks set.
17: Tyler Johnson (Bucs)
Johnson comes in at 17 because of where he fits. There are a lot of mouths to feed in Tampa. However, Johnson should be the slot guy next to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. I can’t see how that’s not at least somewhat valuable.
16: Lynn Bowden Jr (Raiders)
Does anybody know what to make of Lynn Bowden Jr? The Raiders picked him in the 3rd round so there has to be a plan in place. Maybe he gets some snaps everywhere. Maybe not fantasy-relevant but something to monitor as the season progresses.
15: Devin Duvernay (Ravens)
Devin Duvernay has a shot to do something special. He’s the perfect slot man for this offense. Give Eric DeCosta credit for this one. Duvernay has speed out of the slot which is something Baltimore needed. It’s not like Willie Snead is much competition. Miles Boykin stinks too as I said he would.
14: Bryan Edwards (Raiders)
There are a lot of bodies in Vegas now. Edwards comes in a little higher than expected because I think he could be the touchdown guy in the red area. Both Henry Ruggs and Hunter Renfrow are smaller. Edwards could end up cashing in on some touchdowns.
13: Chase Claypool (Steelers)
Outside of JuJu Smith-Schuster, there are targets for sale. I don’t quite know what they will do with Chase Claypool. I can’t think of a name in the past that fits what he does. Still, it’s a top-notch organization that develops talent.
12: Denzel Mims (Jets)
Talk about an opportunity. It’s Breshad Perriman and a bunch of garbage. Mims could literally be the number one receiver if he even has an okay season. Mims would be much higher on the list but I’m not super fond of him.
11: KJ Hamler (Broncos)
The Broncos also did a really nice job building their offense. We know exactly what Hamler will be in Denver. Deep threat with the attention going towards Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy. Drew Lock can air it out. The altitude in Denver probably helps too.
10: Tee Higgins (Bengals)
The good news is the Bengals offense should be better. The bad news is there are a lot of bodies on this roster (AJ Green, Tyler Boyd, John Ross). The good news is Cincy will be trailing a lot of Green hasn’t shown an ability to stay healthy.
9: Laviska Shenault (Jaguars)
Laviska Shenault is similar to Lynn Bowden Jr. It’s up in the air how the Jags use the Colorado receiver. Gardner Minshew was fantasy relevant several weeks. He needs more reliable targets so there is an opportunity here. Outside of Chris Conley and DJ Chark, who do you trust?
8: Van Jefferson (Rams)
The Rams have been able to carry 3 fantasy wide receivers in the past. The tight end has been the position as a nonfactor in the past. Swap out Brandin Cooks for Van Jefferson. There should be targets available. The Rams also took some hits defensively that could create more throwing opportunities. The question here isn’t targets. The question here is whether Jefferson can usurp Josh Reynolds right away. Reynolds is better than you think.
7: Michael Pittman (Colts)
Outside of TY Hilton, the Colts needed WR help. Enter Michael Pittman who should be the right man for the job if he pans out. He’s also a big body too which is useful for the red zone. Eric Ebron is good so they need a go-to red zone man. Pittman has some talent and an opportunity.
6: Brandon Aiyuk (49ers)
Deebo Samuel is probably the number one at this point. Emmanuel Sanders is gone so Brandon Aiyuk steps right in. The only thing you worry about here is that it’s a run-first offense. Capable quarterback and plenty of targets up for grabs. Still, Aiyuk comes in 6th because of the circumstances. Run first offense and team that should have the lead often.
5: Jalen Reagor (Eagles)
I thought Jalen Reagor may have been a reach but there’s no denying the opportunity. DeSean Jackson has health concerns, JJ Arcega-Whiteside flat out can’t play, and Alshon Jeffery looks like a wounded deer that got one leg run over. It’s a good offense and a star quarterback. Reagor should be coveted.
4: Henry Ruggs (Raiders)
You can make the case for Reagor ahead of Henry Ruggs. Then again, Ruggs is probably more talented and Jon Gruden has been foaming at the mouth for this one. Ruggs enters a situation where he is THE MAN.
3: Justin Jefferson (Vikings)
This one is easy. Justin Jefferson walks right in the door where he takes over the Stefon Diggs spot. Diggs was very fantasy-relevant despite the fact that Kirk Cousins is the quarterback in a run-heavy offense. Jefferson should be more than useful.
2: Jerry Jeudy (Broncos)
God, I just love this Denver offense. Jerry Jeudy is the most pro-ready prospect in this draft. Jeudy is the one guy who should get college open. Drew Lock doesn’t have to be perfect with his throws and we already know he has a gun.
1: CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys)
There are a lot of mouths to feed in Dallas. However, Mike McCarthy has juggled multiple receivers before. Lamb could actually be in a position to thrive. If Amari Cooper gets doubled, imagine what Lamb could do? It’s not like there is a fantasy-relevant tight end either.
