There is still one week of regular season football left, but a majority of Fantasy Football Leagues completed last week in Week 17. I was in three finals and painfully lost all three. I would not say it was a rough year for me playing Fantasy Football, but there is true bitterness that lingers about not leaving with a championship. Just being honest and transparent there!
From a content creation perspective though, I felt 2023 was my best year to date. I pride myself in producing a diversity of content in the form of short videos, livestreams, articles, write-ups, infographics, data drops, and other creative pieces. Most of that content is tied directly to the Fantrax brand, which I oversee on the football side. So if you are looking for written Fantasy Football content specifically, be sure to check here on Fantraxhq.com all off-season, as I will continue to produce Fantasy Football articles year-round.
With the 2023 Fantasy Football season over, those of you who play Dynasty know that fantasy football is never over. Dynasty season is even heavier in the off-season. For this piece, I would like to outline 10 wide receivers I feel increase in value following the 2023 season.
Value today is different than yesterday and will be different than tomorrow when it comes to Dynasty Fantasy Football. The value of these specific wide receivers was different before the season than it is following the season, which has a direct impact on Fantasy Football now. It is important as Dynasty Fantasy Football managers to pick up on value changes throughout the entire year and adjust as that happens. These 10 wide receivers are rising, and are all players I would love to find a way to roster this off-season.
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10 Rising Dynasty Wide Receivers for 2024 Fantasy Football
CeeDee Lamb (Dallas Cowboys)
So a lot of you may instantly react and think “Well, CeeDee Lamb has always had high value,” which I understand, but he has risen into a new tier. I feel heading into the 2023 season, Lamb was a consensus top-five Dynasty Fantasy Football wide receiver, likely somewhere between WR3-5 in the second tier of wide receivers behind Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. I firmly believe that following 2023, you could argue Lamb is in the same tier as Jefferson and Chase now, and you can justify different reasons between those three what the order for one, two, and three could be.
Lamb was selected by the Cowboys in the first round of 2020, finishing his rookie campaign with 111 targets, 74 receptions, 935 receiving yards, five receiving touchdowns, and averaged 13.6 Fantasy points per game (PPG) which ranked #33 for the position.
In his sophomore season, Lamb increased all stats to 120 targets, 79 receptions, 1,102 receiving yards, six touchdowns, and 14.6 Fantasy PPG (#18).
In 2022, Lamb continued his upward trend across all statistics with 156 targets, 107 receptions, 1,359 receiving yards, nine touchdowns, and 17.7 Fantasy PPG (#7).
In 2023, yes you guessed it; Lamb set career highs again for all statistics. 168 targets, 122 receptions, 1,651 receiving yards, 10 receiving touchdowns, and 23 Fantasy PPG (#2) through 17 weeks of football. Lamb ranked #1 in targets, receptions, and total fantasy Points for the position, while also ranking #2 in receiving yards and #6 in yards after the catch. Massive production as the best wide receiver in Fantasy Football this season.
Following the Week 7 BYE, Lamb finished six games with 116+ receiving yards, with a career-high 227 in Week 17. During this span of games, Lamb finished as a top two Fantasy wide receiver in four of these 10 games and ranged from 32.6-41 fantasy Points four times. Complete Fantasy Football dominance.
Yes, CeeDee Lamb’s value was high prior to the 2023 season but no it was not nearly as high as it is now. Lamb is a tier-one wide receiver in my opinion, at the same level as Jefferson and Chase with the potential argument he is above one or both of them in Dynasty rankings. The continued trend of more statistical numbers each season, and more Fantasy dominance each season should make 2024 look scary for what he could do if he stays on this upward trend. Seeing the connection with Dak Prescott, and the season he had himself is encouraging from a Dynasty perspective.
Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit Lions)
Yet another case of “his value was already high!” but my response of “his value is higher now” when looking at before vs. after the 2023 season. Prior to the 2023 NFL Season, Amon-Ra St. Brown was likely ranked somewhere between WR5-WR10 based on the site or analyst. For me, following the 2023 season, I feel Amon-Ra St. Brown is firmly my WR4 or WR5 in the second tier of Fantasy wide receivers. Similar to Lamb, ARSB has done nothing but improve statistically and for Fantasy Football each season.
Amon-Ra St. Brown was selected by Detroit in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, which he has verbalized often created a chip on his shoulder. ARSB heated up towards the second half of his rookie season in 2021 and finished with 119 targets, 90 receptions, 912 receiving yards, five receiving touchdowns, and 13.4 Fantasy PPG (#26).
In his sophomore season in 2022, ARSB finished with 146 targets, 106 receptions, 1,161 receiving yards, six touchdowns, and 16.7 Fantasy PPG (#10).
2023 saw career highs for ARSB through 17 weeks of football, even with him playing 15 games which was one less than 2022 and two less than the 2021 statistics mentioned. St. Brown earned 154 targets, caught 112 of them, produced 1,371 receiving yards, scored nine touchdowns, and averaged 20.2 Fantasy PPG (#4).
ARSB has finished back-to-back seasons top-five in yards after the catch for the position, making that a huge piece of his game from the slot. St. Brown dominated the Fantasy Football playoffs this year, finishing Weeks 15-17 as the WR6, WR4, and WR7, scoring 24.2, 28.6, and 22.1 Fantasy Points during this span. St. Brown finished seven weeks with over 20 Fantasy Points, showing there is plenty of upside as a slot guy.
I think with Amon-Ra St. Brown, you can count on heavy target volume paired with heavy production that translates great for Fantasy Football. ARSB to me feels extremely consistent and near bust-proof. The continued trend up after each season has been great for Fantasy Football, and I feel that in 2024 ARSB is a sneaky candidate to finish as the WR1 overall for Fantasy Football. I would not be surprised if he is a redraft top-12 pick in one quarterback leagues.
Puka Nacua (Los Angeles Rams)
In redraft this year, there is an easy argument that Puka Nacua was the BEST value pick in drafts when you compare his WR101 ADP (average draft position) to his WR5 overall Fantasy Football finish. Nacua was a waiver wire pickup in more leagues than not. As a fifth-round rookie selection by the Rams, it is safe to say that nobody saw this production coming even if you liked him as a prospect. In 21 games at BYU, Nacua finished with 91 receptions, 1,430 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns prior to becoming a Ram.
Through 17 weeks of football, Puka finished with 153 targets, 101 receptions, 1,445 receiving yards, five receiving touchdowns, and 17.8 Fantasy PPG (#7). Puka is four catches away from breaking Jaylen Waddle’s single-season rookie reception record of 104, and 28 yards from Bill Grosman‘s single-season rookie receiving yard record of 1,473 (1960) in Week 18.
Ranking top-seven for the position in all of targets, receptions, receiving yards, yards after the catch, total Fantasy Points, and Fantasy PPG has made the rookie one of this year’s Fantasy MVPs to lineups. Puka finished seven weeks with 20+ Fantasy Points and three weeks with 30+ Fantasy Points, which is major upside.
Matthew Stafford may not be the youngest quarterback in the league at 35, but 2023 will not be his last season, and he loved Puka Nacua. I think Head Coach Sean McVay also is a massive Puka fan and will continue to feature Puka in the future. This sort of instant Fantasy production for a rookie, is not a fluke. Targets are earned, roles are earned and production is never guaranteed. Puka Nacua should be valued as a top 10 Fantasy Football wide receiver across Dynasty formats as of today, which is the biggest rise in Fantasy value we have seen in years…maybe ever.
Michael Pittman Jr. (Indianapolis Colts)
Another wide receiver who has progressed statistically and for Fantasy Football in each season played is Michael Pittman Jr.
MPJ has operated as the Colts’ alpha wide receiver for two seasons in a row and has grown into a very productive wide receiver with a bright future. Pittman Jr. has had Gardner Minshew, Anthony Richardson, Sam Ehlinger, Matt Ryan, Carson Wentz, and Philip Rivers as his starting quarterbacks, and has finished as the WR13, WR21, WR22, and WR75 in Fantasy PPG throughout his career.
Michael Pittman Jr. was drafted in the second round by the Colts back in 2022. Pittman played in 13 games his rookie season, catching 40 of his 61 targets for 503 receiving yards and a touchdown scored.
MPJ took a solid leap in year two, earning 129 targets, catching 88 of them for 1,082 yards and scoring six touchdowns. In 2022 MPJ finished with 141 targets, 99 receptions, 925 receiving yards, and four touchdowns.
Through 17 weeks of football in 2023, MPJ currently has career-highs in targets (150), receptions (104), and receiving yards (1,133). Pittman has four touchdowns again, which feels like the category we all hope improves in the future. A majority of the season has been played with Minshew at QB, but we saw flashes of first-round rookie Richardson with MPJ that we are hoping to continue in the future. In Week 1 Pittman caught eight of 11 targets from Richardson, producing 97 yards and a touchdown. MPJ has finished five weeks as a top 12 Fantasy wide receiver and has scored over 20 Fantasy Points in three weeks.
MPJ is very important to the Colts’ offense, which could take strides forward with Richardson, Jonathan Taylor, and him as the anchors. The target volume and production have been solid the last three seasons and continued to grow each year. MPJ has yet to score over six touchdowns in a season, but if that takes a jump forward we could be looking at a huge future season. I feel as though MPJ has been valued somewhere between WR18-25 in Dynasty but I feel there is an argument for him to be ranked more in the WR12-17 range.
DJ Moore (Chicago Bears)
Another wide receiver who has had a variety of (mediocre) starting quarterbacks is DJ Moore, who played with all of Cam Newton, Kyle Allen, Taylor Heinicke, Will Grier, Teddy Bridgewater, PJ Walker, Sam Darnold, and Baker Mayfield back in his time with the Carolina Panthers. This was before getting linked up with Justin Fields in 2023, who missed time this season but is the best quarterback Moore has ever played with. Quarterback play is what has held DJM back in the past. Moore feels like a guy who is a veteran but is just 26 years old.
DJ Moore was selected in the first round by Carolina in 2018. Prior to 2023, Moore finished with 118+ targets in four straight seasons, produced 1,150+ receiving yards in three seasons, and averaged 14+ Fantasy PPG in three seasons. 2018-2022 season highs include 162 targets (2021), 93 receptions (2021), 1,193 receiving yards (2020), seven touchdowns (2022), and 15.4 fantasy PPG (2019). There has been a mixture of positives throughout DJM’s career, but we have been waiting to see it all come together.
2023 was the sign of it all coming together. DJ Moore landed in Chicago via a major deal for Carolina to get the first overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. The result through 17 weeks of football? 130 targets, 92 receptions, a career-high 1,300 receiving yards, a career-high eight receiving touchdowns, and a career-high 173 Fantasy PPG (#9).
Through 11 full games with Justin Fields, DJ Moore is averaging 8.45 targets, 6.09 receptions, 94.36 receiving yards, 0.73 receiving touchdowns, and 20.62 Fantasy Points. #1’s connection #2 is very evident. Chicago was a big turning point in DJ Moore’s career.
I do believe Chicago should stick with Justin Fields. If they do not, they will end up drafting a highly touted prospect in Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. We saw the haul Chicago received last year for the first pick, so if they try to again flip the first pick for the 2024 Draft I feel like they can continue to truly build around the core that they have. Seeing the career consistency in the targets and receiving yard departments, and the big production in year one in Chicago, I feel DJ Moore should be valued as a top 12-15 Dynasty wide receiver.
Brandon Aiyuk (San Fransisco 49ers)
Even with the competition of Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle for touches, Brandon Aiyuk took a Fantasy Football leap in 2023 with Brock Purdy leading the way. 4,280 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns, and a 12-4 record make it evident that Brock Purdy is the guy in San Fransisco, which is a good thing for Aiyuk.
Aiyuk was selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the 49ers and ended up catching 60 of his 96 targets for 748 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. Aiyuk went on to earn 85 targets the next season, upping his receiving yard total to 826. In 2022, Aiyuk earned 113 targets, caught 78 of them for 1,015 receiving yards, and scored eight touchdowns. With 15.4 (#18), 10 (#39), and 13.4 (#23) Fantasy PPG from 2020-2022 to start his career, Aiyuk was looking to take a step forward in 2023.
Through 15 games, Aiyuk earned 101 targets, caught 72 of them, scored seven touchdowns, and produced a career-high 1,317 receiving yards. 16.3 Fantasy PPG (#12) was also a career high, and Aiyuk finished six weeks above that average which included four weeks over 20 Fantasy Points. Aiyuk has been highly efficient, ranking #1 in both yards per target (13) and yards per reception (18.3).
The connection with Brock Purdy looks solid, and both the production and efficiency have followed for Aiyuk in 2023. The 49ers are one of the league’s best offenses, so having a substantial role in it has translated well for Fantasy Football. Aiyuk has earned over 100 targets, produced over 1,000 receiving yards in back-to-back seasons, and could have an argument to be ranked as a top 12 Dynasty wide receiver.
Zay Flowers (Baltimore Ravens)
Baltimore selected Zay Flowers in the 2023 NFL Draft at pick 22 out of Boston College, where he produced 3,401 scrimmage yards and 31 total touchdowns from 2019-2022. The result? Leading the Ravens as a rookie in all of targets (108), receptions (77), and receiving yards (858). This is with Mark Andrews only playing 10 games, but should still be credited to the rookie on one of the league’s best offenses tied to Lamar Jackson who is the front-runner MVP.
Flowers has displayed the ability to make plays, evident through ranking #14 in yards after the catch for the position, 56 rushing yards, and seven weeks over 14 yards per reception. Flowers has finished as a top 24 Fantasy wide receiver six times and as a top 12 Fantasy wide receiver three times this season. Across the last four weeks following the Week 13 BYE, Flowers has scored 20, 22.2, and 19.6 fantasy Points in three of those games.
First-round draft capital and a substantial role as a rookie were early indicators of Flowers’ Dynasty value being strong. Leading the Ravens in both usage and production, along with showing signs of true Fantasy upside has pushed his value even higher up. Flowers is Lamar Jackson’s WR1, and this tie should carry value for the future, even with a healthy Mark Andrews. It is fair to assume Flowers is a top 20 Dynasty Fantasy Football wide receiver.
Nico Collins (Houston Texans)
I could be writing about Tank Dell over Nico Collins, but I still believe that at 6’4 – 215 lbs, Collins has the makeup of a true alpha wide receiver. We have seen signs of this in 2023, which has been a true breakout year for the third-year wide receiver. A strong connection with rookie CJ Stroud in year one has been an important piece of Collins’ breakout.
Prior to 2023, Collins was selected by Houston in the third round back in 2021. Collins earned 61 then 66 targets and produced 446 then 481 receiving yards through his first 24 games while totaling only three touchdowns during this span. In 2023, Collins took a major step forward through 14 games played, which was evident through his 16.4 Fantasy PPG (#14). Collins has earned 100 targets, caught 71 of them, produced 1,102 receiving yards, and scored seven touchdowns through 17 weeks of football. Major strides in all of the statistical areas that are important for wide receivers. Collins has finished games this season with 146 9Week 2), 168 (Week 4), 104 (Week 12), and 191 (Week 13) receiving yards while finishing six weeks with 17+ yards per reception which shows upside. Collins scored 23+ Fantasy Points four times this season.
Big-bodied wide receiver, earning quality targets and showing heavy receiving upside has meant direct ties to Fantasy Football. CJ Stroud’s emergency as a rookie makes Collins’ future look extremely bright. The big weeks with Stroud and Fantasy dominance at times make 2024 look like a year Collins can do even more damage. I feel Collins should be valued somewhere between WR22 and WR28 right now for Dynasty Fantasy Football.
Rashee Rice (Kansas City Chiefs)
The Chiefs selected Rashee Rice in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of SMU, where he totaled 3,111 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns from 2019-2021. This was an interesting move by the Chiefs with them drafting Skyy Moore in the second round back in 2022, and trading for Kadarius Toney in the year prior. The result has been Rice trailing only Travis Kelce in targets, receptions, and receiving yards while leading the team in receiving touchdowns.
Through 16 games played, Rice has earned 102 targets, caught 79 of them for 938 receiving yards, and scored seven touchdowns which has meant 13.3 Fantasy PPG (#26). Week 12 started a big shift in Rice’s role though, and within these six games, the rookie has earned nine or more targets five times, finished with 91+ receiving yards three times, and scored 17+ Fantasy Points four times. During this span of six games, Rice has scored the fourth most Fantasy Points, is tied for the fourth most targets, has caught the sixth most passes, has produced the fourth most receiving yards, and scored three touchdowns. Rice leads the league in yards after catch (654), which shows true playmaking ability with the ball in his hands.
Rice’s Dynasty value has to be skyrocketing right now. Not only is he Patrick Mahomes’ WR1 currently, but he has been more important and productive to his offense than Travis Kelce in the last six games. Even if the Chiefs bring in another wide receiver, the connection with Mahomes’ has been established and Kelce is starting to show signs of trending down at age 34. The future is very bright for Rice, who has been on fire and should be valued as a top 20-25 Dynasty wide receiver right now.
Jayden Reed (Green Bay Packers)
The Packers selected Jayden Reed in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Michigan State, where Reed had a season he produced 1,026 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 13 games back in 2021. Through 17 weeks and 15 games played, Reed is second on the Packers in targets (90) but leads in receptions (60), and receiving yards (681) and is tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns (eight).
A year-one connection with Jordan Love was important, and Reed has established that this year. Reed operates primarily in the slot but has the versatility to line up wide, and has also rushed 11 times for 119 rushing yards and two touchdowns. I have heard Reed’s role referred to as “Green Bay’s Deebo (Samuel)” which really makes you excited for his future if he continues to be utilized creatively. Reed has finished six weeks as a top 20 fantasy wide receiver and four weeks as a top 12 Fantasy wide receiver. Reed has scored 19+ Fantasy Points five times this season. Week 17 Reed caught six of eight targets for 89 yards and two touchdowns through halftime before exiting with a chest injury.
Maybe I have some bias with Jayden Reed attending high school in Naperville, which borders my hometown of Plainfield when it comes to my fandom of this rookie. I do believe he is, as of today, the best wide receiver to roster in Green Bay. I feel Reed brings the most versatility to that wide receiver room of Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and fellow rookie Dontayvion Wicks. I also feel we have seen plenty of Fantasy upside in year one as a rookie attached to Jordan Love, which should continue to be sticky moving forward. As the potential Green Bay WR1 moving forward, I feel Reed should be valued between WR25-30 in Dynasty Leagues.
2023 RISE In WR Dynasty Stocks
These WR's Dynasty Values INCREASED following the 2023 sznCeeDee Lamb
2020 ➡️ 2023 climb:Targets:
111 ➡️ 120 ➡️ 156 ➡️ 168
Receptions:
74 ➡️ 79 ➡️ 107 ➡️ 122
Receiving Yards
935 ➡️ 1,102 ➡️ 1,359 ➡️ 1,651
Receiving TD's
5 ➡️ 6 ➡️ 9 ➡️ 10… pic.twitter.com/kxXjLDmqZz— Nick Skrip (@P2WFantasy) January 5, 2024
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