Wide receiver rankings for 2021 fantasy football

UPDATE 6/8

you may have heard this already, but Julio Jones was traded to the Titans. WHAT? Yes, it’s true! This move probably hurts his target numbers, as the Titans will always run the ball if they can. But, the Titans are also more efficient than the Falcons, so we could see Jones finally get back into double-digit touchdowns. This hurts A.J. Brown the most, as he’ll go from a possible No. 1 overall receiver to a Top-10 receiver.

Russell Gage gets a boost, but I believe in the end he will end up sharing targets at WR2, so not much of one. Josh Reynolds is probably hurt the most out of anyone in this trade, as he goes from probable starter to the bench.

The NFL Draft is over and free agency signings aren’t as impactful as they were early in the offseason. We will continue to see trades and signings that will move the rankings around, but for the most part we are set at the fantasy skill positions. That means it’s time to see where we are in the 2021 fantasy football rankings. Closer to the season, we’ll split this up into standard and PPR, but until then, let’s go with .5 point PPR scoring.

Now that we are firmly in the passing game era of the NFL, wide receivers are plentiful and there are many studs. Finding targets like Devante Adams sees are tough, but there are still plenty of targets out there to be had. Thirty-five receivers saw 100 or more targets last season, so there is no shortage of receivers who will get their chances.

But there are those guys who will get their targets and will make the most out of them. The quarterback, red zone work, talent, and plain old luck all factor in, but we have a good idea of who those wide receivers are, as they do it year in and year out. I feel much better about wide receivers living up to expectations than running backs, so unless I have a Top 5 pick, I’ll likely go wide receiver to start my 2021 drafts.

There are plenty of questions that if answered correctly will separate us from the crowd though. Will Michael Thomas still have success without Drew Brees? Will Aaron Rodgers still have Adams as his main target in 2021? Can Justin Jefferson repeat his fantastic rookie season? Does Trevor Lawrence propel D.J. Chark into the upper echelon? Can Odell Beckham Jr. get back on track? Does Matthew Stafford push Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp back into their rightful stud fantasy selves? Do Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb flourish together with Dak Prescott back? My hope is that all of these questions are answered positively throughout the season, but we know that’s likely not going to happen.