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        Fantasy Football Rankings: WR Tiers (Non-PPR)

        You'll look at your rankings differently after you check out these fantasy football draft tiers.
        By Matt Schauf | Updated on Thu, Jul 13 2023 6:27 PM UTC
        Fantasy Football Rankings: WR Tiers (Non-PPR)

        (Updated Sept. 3)

        Rankings are great, but they never tell the whole story.

        There could be a much bigger difference between Player A and Player B than between Players B and C -- even though all 3 appear consecutively in the position’s rankings.

        That’s where tiers come in. Breaking the rankings down into groups can help you determine when it’s OK to pass on a particular player because you can expect 2-3 similar guys to last until your next turn -- or when you need to go ahead and jump.

        Your MVP Board remains the primary tool for guiding you through fantasy football draft day, of course. But let these tiers add clarity and help you figure out your targets at each turn.

        And before you get to the real thing, make sure you spend some time with our brand-spankin’-new (and FREE) Mock Draft Trainer to hone your strategy.

        See also:

        QB Tiers
        RB Non-PPR Tiers
        RB PPR Tiers
        WR PPR Tiers
        TE Tiers
        IDP Tiers


        The Studs

        These 3 will -- and should -- be the 1st wideouts off the board in nearly every fantasy football draft this season, regardless of format.

        Antonio Brown
        Odell Beckham
        Julio Jones


        The Near-Studs

        These guys have a shot to reach the top shelf by season’s end but start the year still looking up toward it.

        A.J. Green
        Allen Robinson


        The Clear #1s

        These 5 draw clear #1 WR target shares on their teams, but their situations or volume keep them short of “stud” or “near-stud” level.

        DeAndre Hopkins
        Mike Evans
        Alshon Jeffery
        Brandon Marshall


        Lower-Volume #1s

        This crew -- except for Cobb -- also represent #1 targets for their respective teams. They should just expect either less volume or lower efficiency with questionable QB play. (Lookin’ at you, Denver.)

        T.Y. Hilton
        Jordy Nelson
        Brandin Cooks
        Amari Cooper
        Randall Cobb
        Keenan Allen
        Dez Bryant


        Solid WR2s to strong WR3s

        Watkins would belong to a higher group if he hadn’t suffered a foot fracture in the spring. Overall, though, this group represents just what the heading says.

        Sammy Watkins
        Demaryius Thomas
        Michael Floyd
        Golden Tate
        Jeremy Maclin
        Donte Moncrief
        Eric Decker
        Kelvin Benjamin
        Jarvis Landry
        John Brown


        Breakthrough candidates

        Our rankings put these 2 second-year players within the next group, but Parker and Lockett could break out in 2016 if they get larger target shares than we’re projecting -- or if they fare particularly well in TD rate.

        Tyler Lockett


        Solid WR3s

        Nothin’ wrong with any of these guys filling your 3rd WR role.

        Jordan Matthews
        Allen Hurns
        Doug Baldwin
        Julian Edelman
        Larry Fitzgerald
        Marvin Jones


        Boom/Bust WR3s or WR4s

        These 3 will present more bust risk if you rely on them as WR3s, while the boom potential looks more enticing at WR4 level (or beyond).

        DeSean Jackson
        Josh Gordon
        Kevin White


        Potential WR3s

        This crew doesn’t begin the season ranked inside WR3 range, but any player in this segment could finish there.

        Emmanuel Sanders
        Vincent Jackson
        Michael Crabtree
        Corey Coleman
        DeVante Parker
        Stefon Diggs
        Willie Snead

        Tavon Austin
        Sterling Shepard
        Mike Wallace
        Kamar Aiken
        Torrey Smith


        Upside Flexes and Fill-ins

        There’s plenty of guesswork in projecting this group, but some combo of talent and/or situation presents interesting upside.

        Travis Benjamin
        Markus Wheaton
        Michael Thomas
        Phillip Dorsett
        Terrance Williams
        Laquon Treadwell
        Devin Funchess
        Sammie Coates


        Low-Ceiling Volume Plays

        You won’t pump your fist after drafting any of these 3, but they can all be helpful. Smith’s tough to fit in a category in his return from an Achilles’ tear, but this seems like a fair spot based on his draft price. All 3 could see more than 100 targets this season.

        Mohamed Sanu
        Pierre Garcon
        Steve Smith


        The Rest

        You’ll find all varieties of fantasy prospects in this range. Where you direct your focus will depend heavily on exactly what you’re looking for. There’s also room at this point to ignore your rankings and just grab the player(s) you like.

        Breshad Perriman on

        Matt Schauf Author Image
        Matt Schauf, Editor
        Matt has earned two Fantasy Pros accuracy awards for IDP rankings and won thousands of dollars as a player across best ball, dynasty, and high-stakes fantasy formats. He has been creating fantasy football content for more than 20 years, with work featured by Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon, Sirius XM, and others. He's been with Draft Sharks since 2011.
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