In 2019, my biggest free-agent acquisitions happened to be a pair of under-25 wide receivers that broke out. Of the five dynasty wide receivers I’m profiling, none are big secrets. However, their current ADPs are a bit surprising and could lead to some solid building blocks at the position. There’s a little bit of everything here; budding superstars, bounce-back candidates, second-year studs. Even a Baby Chark (doo doo doo doo doo doo doo). Who’s your favorite? Who don’t you like? Who did I forget? Let me know @therealmaday!
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Top 5 Dynasty Wide Receivers
Chris Godwin — Buccaneers
The former third-round pick has made a name for himself after a breakout campaign in 2019. The 24-year-old ended the year with 86 grabs, 1333 yards, and nine scores. Those numbers put him in the top eleven in each category. I’ve been on Godwin since he was a rookie, but I didn’t expect him to reach these heights. In 2019, he played 436 of his 895 snaps from the slot, seeing tremendous success from that position. The guy they signed at quarterback in Tampa Bay has a pretty good track record for getting the ball to slot receivers over his career. Godwin also makes for a dangerous pairing downfield with fellow deep threat Mike Evans. Godwin’s speed, versatility, and ability to dominate after the catch makes him one of the top options at the position in any format.
JuJu Smith-Schuster — Steelers
The 23-year-old fell hugely out of favor with fantasy owners after 2019. His 42 receptions, 552 yards, and three touchdowns were a huge dropoff from his 2018 output of 111/1426/7. To be fair, JuJu lost Ben Roethlisberger early on to injury, and he wasn’t all that healthy himself. His current ADP has him as the 12th wide receiver off the board in drafts. That ADP sets him up to be taken in the late third to early fourth round. Not a bad price for a player who could be a dynasty wide receiver one. In 2020, Juju finds himself with a favorable schedule overall against some weak to average secondaries, especially Weeks 1-3. With the Giants, Broncos, and Texans in those weeks, he should get back to his old form quickly. His price in dynasty drafts will never be lower as he could easily return to WR1 form and re-enter the discussion as one of the top dynasty wide receivers to roster..
Courtland Sutton — Broncos
Sutton, who turns 25 in October isn’t a secret at the position after a breakout sophomore season. The former SMU Mustang ended the season with 72 receptions, 1112 yards, and six touchdowns. This is all the more impressive considering the Broncos had three quarterbacks that started at least three games. Rookie Drew Lock started the final five games and while Sutton’s stats weren’t eye-popping over that span, he was targeted 40 times over those final five contests. Lock is the starter heading into 2020, and if he can prove to be the guy beyond that, you could have yourself a big time dynasty wide receiver. Denver also added Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler in the draft. I don’t see them taking too many targets from Sutton. Instead, I see them all fitting in the offense together and helping each other gain opportunities in the passing game. He’s currently sitting as the 25th wide receiver off the board, which means you’re nabbing him in the late second, early third-round range. I would pay that price all day for numbers that matched 2019’s totals. I would also pay that for a guy who could easily surpass those numbers on a regular basis.
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Marquise Brown- Ravens
Despite being a bit nicked up in his rookie season, Brown is one of my favorite 2020 breakout players. I had to warm up to him a bit, and he was my last addition to this piece. The 23-year-old played in less than 60% of Baltimore’s 2019 snaps. “Hollywood” still went for 46 catches, 584 yards, and seven touchdowns. His seven scores tied for 13th in the league, and six were caught as a slot receiver. Brown is a burner, and with the Ravens not making any major moves at the position, it appears they are all in on Brown becoming the go-to guy for Lamar Jackson. This means more targets, more rapport, and more stats for your dynasty team. As with most of the guys on this list, Brown is an excellent value as the 28th wide receiver currently being drafted in the sixth round. I was lucky enough to add him recently in the seventh round of an industry draft. Too bad it’s only a mock.
D.J. Chark — Jaguars
Chark joins Darius Slayton as my two biggest waiver adds from 2019. The 23-year-old out of Auburn ascended up the Jags’ depth chart and took over the top spot at the position. His overall body of work is a bit deceiving. His stat line will show you he played in 15 games, but the reality is he was out or playing through injury in the final three. At seasons’ end, Chark finished with 78 receptions, 1008 yards, and eight touchdowns. Uncle Rico clone Gardner Minshew got the headlines in Jacksonville, but Chark’s ability to make plays downfield made Minshew’s job a bit easier. The group of receivers in Jacksonville is overall very talented, but Chark is clearly the best of the lot. In terms of dynasty players, his situation sets up nicely as he is the only Jaguars veteran receiver signed beyond the 2021 season. However, if he keeps improving, he could be demanding elite receiver money at some point. No one questions Chark’s ability, but we need to see more than a partial season out of Minshew. If he proves to be the real deal, Baby Chark could be a top ten fantasy wideout. He’s a bit more costly than the two previous guys on this list. However, giving up that fifth-round draft capital could land you a big-time dynasty wide receiver.
Do you have your eye on other dynasty wide receivers? Drop some names in the comments below!
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