2021 Fantasy Football Preseason WR Rankings

Hello, fantasy friends. It’s year three of TDN’s fantasy football rankings and this season they’re out earlier than ever. If this is your first time coming to TDN for fantasy content, or if you just want a refresher, here is some background on how these rankings were determined. 

More than 40 hours of research went into the ranking process, starting with custom stat projections for more than 250 NFL players—those projections will be publicly available here on TDN in mid-June. After making those projections, I determined the order you’ll see below based on potential upside, injury risk, likelihood of reaching the projected total, how many games they’ll play, etc. Please keep in mind that the rankings below are not simply in descending order of projected fantasy points—although the rankings are very heavily weighted by those projections.

All of my rankings reflect the order in which I would take players if I were drafting today in a 12-team, full-PPR, single-QB league with ESPN scoring and no bonuses.

If you have any specific questions or want to know more about what I think of certain players, follow me on Twitter (@JaimeEisner) or Instagram (@JaimeEisnerTDN). I’d be happy to chat with you! Also, be sure to tune in to the TDN Fantasy Podcast for in-depth audio breakdowns of these rankings, my projections, and all the latest fantasy football news throughout the 2021 football season. 

Let’s get into the rankings! Here are my top 100 wide receivers, broken down into tiers:

Other Rankings: QB | WR | TE

TIER 1

1. Davante Adams (WR - GB)

2. Stefon Diggs (WR - BUF)

3. Calvin Ridley (WR - ATL)

4. Tyreek Hill (WR - KC)

5. A.J. Brown (WR - TEN)

6. DeAndre Hopkins (WR - ARI)

While I much prefer a running back-heavy opening round in fantasy drafts, all six of these wide receivers need to be in the first-round conversation. Adams—assuming Aaron Rodgers remains in Green Bay—is the clear WR1 and should be a 20-plus fantasy points per game player in 2021. His insane target and touchdown volume make him the clear belle of the wide receiver ball.

The next four players are fairly interchangeable in my estimation, so defer to personal research and preference. Diggs had the best fantasy season of his career in 2020 and not much has changed in Buffalo to lead to any concern he can not come close to repeating his excellent efforts. Ridley is poised to see a jump in target volume this season given the departure of Julio Jones. Speaking of Jones, I don't think he'll hurt Brown's fantasy stock too much. Hill is the top wide receiver on arguably the best offense in football and wasn’t “boom-or-bust” last season, as some people like to label him—he had 14.8 fantasy points or more in 13 of his 15 games in 2020.

Hopkins is a player that gets caught in between tiers a bit. I don’t think he has overall WR1 potential like the top five players on this list, but he’s a step above the Tier 2 players below. He’ll still get a ton of targets and be highly productive, so he can stay at the bottom of this tier.

TIER 2

7. Justin Jefferson (WR - MIN)

8. Keenan Allen (WR - LAC)

9. Mike Evans (WR - TB)

10. D.K. Metcalf (WR - SEA)

11. Terry McLaurin (WR - WSH)

12. Amari Cooper (WR - DAL)

13. Allen Robinson (WR - CHI)

14. Tyler Lockett (WR - SEA)

15. Chris Godwin (WR - TB)

All eight of these players are worthy of WR1 consideration and are projected to have between 16-17 fantasy points per game. This tier is a mix of young ascending stars (Jefferson, Metcalf, McLaurin), highly productive veterans (Allen, Evans, Cooper, Robinson, Lockett), and a player who is a little bit of both (Godwin). Any fantasy manager should be happy starting a WR corps with any of the players above.

TIER 3

16. Michael Thomas (WR - NO)

17. Cooper Kupp (WR - LAR)

18. Adam Thielen (WR - MIN)

19. Robert Woods (WR - LAR)

20. CeeDee Lamb (WR - DAL)

21. Ja’Marr Chase (WR - CIN)

This tier will be a bit controversial because it includes such a wide variety of players—from an age and potential floor perspective. Half of this tier will have a new quarterback throwing them the ball, one (Thielen) is due for some touchdown regression, one is a second-year player who we hope picks up right where he left off with Dak Prescott prior to the passer’s injury (Lamb), and one is a rookie who’s reunited with his college quarterback. Fantasy managers will be asked to take some chances here, but the payoff could be enormous. 

TIER 4

22. Tyler Boyd (WR - CIN)

23. Diontae Johnson (WR - PIT)

24. Antonio Brown (WR - TB)

25. D.J. Moore (WR - CAR)

26. Marvin Jones (WR - JAX)

27. JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR - PIT)

28. Brandon Aiyuk (WR - SF)

29. Deebo Samuel (WR - SF)

30. Julio Jones (WR - TEN)

31. Tee Higgins (WR - CIN)

This is my favorite tier so far in terms of potential ADP value. If I can leave a draft with one of these players as my WR3/Flex, I’d be thrilled. Volume is the name of the game for a handful of these players. Boyd, Johnson, Brown, and Smith-Schuster should all see enough targets to be in WR2 contention. Moore has an abundance of talent, but can’t be any higher than WR26 until significant improvement is seen from Sam Darnold. Marvin Jones is one of my favorite sleeper candidates and should have plenty of success with an offensive coordinator that knows him well drawing up plays in Jacksonville. Aiyuk and Samuel will have an upgraded quarterback situation over last season (a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo or Trey Lance), while Higgins will still get plenty of work in a pass-heavy Cincinnati offense after having a lot of chemistry with Joe Burrow in 2020. Jones' ranking is more reflective of a dip in volume than a dip in production—a key factor fantasy managers must consider as he heads from Atlant's offense to Tennessee

TIER 5

32. Curtis Samuel (WR - WSH)

33. Corey Davis (WR - NYJ)

34. Kenny Golladay (WR - NYG)

35. Chase Claypool (WR - PIT)

36. Robby Anderson (WR - CAR)

37. Cole Beasley (WR - BUF)

38. Will Fuller (WR - MIA)

39. Jarvis Landry (WR - CLE)

40. Odell Beckham Jr. (WR - CLE)

41. Marquise Brown (WR - BAL)

42. Courtland Sutton (WR - DEN)

43. Sterling Shepard (WR - NYG)

44. Gabriel Davis (WR - BUF)

45. Brandin Cooks (WR - HOU)

46. DeVonta Smith (WR - PHI)

47. Laviska Shenault (WR - JAX)

Some of the bigger names in this tier may surprise you given how low they are (Golladay, Beckham Jr.), but name value doesn’t mean a thing in fantasy. Any one of these players could pop into the top 20 on a weekly basis, but either lack consistency, elite upside, solid quarterback play, or injury stability. There are a lot of good players in this large tier, just don’t overpay too much for your favorite.

TIER 6

48. D.J. Chark (WR - JAX)

49. T.Y. Hilton (WR - IND)

50. DeVante Parker (WR - MIA)

51. Jerry Jeudy (WR - DEN)

52. Tyron Johnson (WR - LAC)

53. Tre’Quan Smith (WR - NO)

54. Mecole Hardman (WR - KC)

55. Russell Gage (WR - ATL)

56. Michael Gallup (WR - DAL)

There are some really fun names in this tier, but no sure things. Chark and Hilton could make me look foolish for having them this low, but I would not be surprised if they ended up as WR5s and don’t play a full season. Parker and Jeudy need to see some progression from their young QBs to move up a tier. Johnson is another sleeper candidate of mine, as there is room for whoever ends up as the Chargers’ WR3 to be highly productive. Smith and Hardman are boom-or-bust players that will be more fun to roster in best ball as opposed to redraft leagues. Gage and Gallup should see enough volume to be fantasy-relevant weekly, but will likely need to have a great matchup or be bye week fill-ins to crack your lineup.

TIER 7

57. Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR - DET)

58. Michael Pittman Jr. (WR - IND)

59. Nelson Agholor (WR - NE)

60. Emmanuel Sanders (WR - BUF)

61. Allen Lazard (WR - GB)

62. Mike Williams (WR - LAC)

63. Rashard Higgins (WR - CLE)

64. Tyrell Williams (WR - DET)

65. Darnell Mooney (WR - CHI)

66. Elijah Moore (WR - NYJ)

67. Jaylen Waddle (WR - MIA)

68. Jamison Crowder (WR - NYJ)

69. Zach Pascal (WR - IND)

70. John Brown (WR - LV)

Each fantasy manager will likely have a favorite or two in this tier. You’re hunting for upside at this point and a case can be made that any of these 14 players have the best chance to succeed relative to the rest of the list. The players who serve as the WR2 for their real-life teams (Mooney, Pittman Jr., Lazard, Williams, Brown) really intrigue me in this tier, as do the promising rookies (St. Brown, Moore, Waddle).

TIER 8

71. Keke Coutee (WR - HOU)

72. Hunter Renfrow (WR - LV)

73. Terrace Marshall Jr. (WR - CAR)

74. Adam Humphries (WR - WSH)

75. Christian Kirk (WR - ARI)

76. A.J. Green (WR - ARI)

77. Olamide Zaccheaus (WR - ATL)

78. Henry Ruggs III (WR - LV)

79. Jalen Guyton (WR - LAC)

80. Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR - GB)

81. Randall Cobb (WR - HOU)

82. Van Jefferson (WR - LAR)

83. Jakobi Meyers (WR - NE)

84. Kadarius Toney (WR - NYG)

85. Anthony Miller (WR - CHI)

All of these receivers should get significant playing time and it’s up to them to make the most of it often enough to avoid the waiver wire. All of these pass-catchers should begin the season on your bench in the hopes you find a flex-worthy player by mid-season when bye weeks roll around.

TIER 9

86. Breshad Perriman (WR - DET)

87. DeSean Jackson (WR - LAR)

88. Rashod Bateman (WR - BAL)

89. Darius Slayton (WR - NYG)

90. Tim Patrick (WR - DEN)

91. Marquez Callaway (WR - NO)

92. Jalen Reagor (WR - PHI)

93. Josh Reynolds (WR - TEN)

This is the last tier that doesn’t feel like 100% pure guessing. After this you’re really just throwing darts and hoping you find someone who averages more than five fantasy points per game.

TIER 10

94. KJ Hamler (WR - DEN)

95. James Washington (WR - PIT)

96. D’Wayne Eskridge (WR - SEA)

97. Amari Rodgers (WR - GB)

98. Rondale Moore (WR - ARI)

99. Sammy Watkins (WR - BAL)

100. Denzel Mims (WR -

We round out our top-100 list with the final eight wide receivers. These players are the equivalent of priority UDFAs for the fantasy football world.

TOP 100 WRs

1. Davante Adams
2. Stefon Diggs
3. Calvin Ridley
4. Tyreek Hill
5. A.J. Brown
6. DeAndre Hopkins
7. Justin Jefferson
8. Keenan Allen
9. Mike Evans
10. D.K. Metcalf
11. Terry McLaurin
12. Amari Cooper
13. Allen Robinson
14. Tyler Lockett
15. Chris Godwin
16. Michael Thomas
17. Cooper Kupp
18. Adam Thielen
19. Robert Woods
20. CeeDee Lamb
21. Ja'Marr Chase
22. Tyler Boyd
23. Diontae Johnson
24. Antonio Brown
25. D.J. Moore
26. Marvin Jones
27. JuJu Smith-Schuster
28. Brandon Aiyuk
29. Deebo Samuel
30. Julio Jones
31. Tee Higgins
32. Curtis Samuel
33. Corey Davis
34. Kenny Golladay
35. Chase Claypool
36. Robby Anderson
37. Cole Beasley
38. Will Fuller
39. Jarvis Landry
40. Odell Beckham Jr.
41. Marquise Brown
42. Courtland Sutton
43. Sterling Shepard
44. Gabriel Davis
45. Brandin Cooks
46. DeVonta Smith
47. Laviska Shenault
48. D.J. Chark
49. T.Y. Hilton
50. DeVante Parker
51. Jerry Jeudy
52. Tyron Johnson
53. Tre'Quan Smith
54. Mecole Hardman
55. Russell Gage
56. Michael Gallup
57. Amon-Ra St. Brown
58. Michael Pittman Jr.
59. Nelson Agholor
60. Emmanuel Sanders
61. Allen Lazard
62. Mike Williams
63. Rashard Higgins
64. Tyrell Williams
65. Darnell Mooney
66. Elijah Moore
67. Jaylen Waddle
68. Jamison Crowder
69. Zach Pascal
70. John Brown
71. Keke Coutee
72. Hunter Renfrow
73. Terrace Marshall Jr.
74. Adam Humphries
75. Christian Kirk
76. A.J. Green
77. Olamide Zaccheaus
78. Henry Ruggs III
79. Jalen Guyton
80. M. Valdes-Scantling
81. Randall Cobb
82. Van Jefferson
83. Jakobi Meyers
84. Kadarius Toney
85. Anthony Miller
86. Breshad Perriman
87. DeSean Jackson
88. Rashod Bateman
89. Darius Slayton
90. Tim Patrick
91. Marquez Callaway
92. Jalen Reagor
93. Josh Reynolds
94. KJ Hamler
95. James Washington
96. D'Wayne Eskridge
97. Amari Rodgers
98. Rondale Moore
99. Sammy Watkins
100. Denzel Mims