In fantasy football, we spend a lot of time discussing the benefits of running back handcuffs and even more contemplating whether we should draft our own running back handcuffs or, instead, draft other players. At wide receiver, though, the conversation is quite different.
Inherently wide receivers don’t leap into prominent roles like running backs do when a player ahead of them gets injured. This is because, typically, there is only one running back on the field at any time. Whereas at receiver, there are often between two and four on the field at a time, depending on the scheme. Running back is also a position where volume is largely what matters with replacement-level backs. In contrast, at receiver, not every receiver runs the same route trees or has the same abilities as the others on their teams.
Some receivers, though, do have that ability to seize a more significant role and make themselves a prominent part of the offense. In this article, we’ll highlight some of the ones that stand out across the NFL and make the case why you should be drafting them in best ball, deeper leagues and keeping an eye out for them in dynasty.
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With Kevin O’Connell taking over as the head coach of the Vikings, we should expect, given his history with the Rams, a lot more wide receiver-heavy formations. Former head coach, Mike Zimmer, favored a run-heavy approach which stopped depth players at receiver getting on the field consistently. K.J. Osborn is coming into his third season in the league on the back of a solid sophomore campaign where he picked up 82 targets and turned them into 655 yards and seven touchdowns.
Most impressively for Osborn were his splits in games that Adam Thielen missed. In those games, Osborn’s average targets jumped from 4.85 to 6.75, and his touchdowns more than doubled from 0.31 to 0.75. If either Adam Thielen or Justin Jefferson were to miss time this year, Osborn could be in line for a huge role and should be rostered in most formats.
Kirk Cousins drops a dime to KJ Osborn in the corner , beating Cam Dantzler in individual drills. #Vikings @FOX9 pic.twitter.com/HHlkMfSjhn
— Jeff Wald (@JeffWaldFox9) August 10, 2022
The Miami Dolphins were aggressive in pursuing Cedrick Wilson Jr. early on in free agency, with the receiver hot off a good campaign for the Cowboys, which saw him top 600 yards for the first time in his career after setting career highs in targets (61) and yards per reception (13.4). Before the Dolphins added Tyreek Hill, it looked like Wilson would have a reasonable role from day one.
Now with competition from Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Wilson will find himself the WR3 and consigned to a bit-part role primarily. Still, if anything should happen to the two ahead of him, Wilson will find himself the clear WR2 in this offense. If Mike McDaniel can turn them into an efficient offense, then Wilson could have an interesting role.
Most of the players on this list will require a change in circumstances to hit their peak value. Meanwhile A.J Green might start the season with the best his value will be all year. DeAndre Hopkins will serve a six-game suspension, and while he does, the Cardinals’ receiving room will be a little shorter without him. Neither Marquise Brown nor Rondale Moore is close to Hopkins’s build at 6-foot-1.
However, Green is 6-foot-4. Though he doesn’t break games in the same way as he used to, he can still be a danger in contested catch situations, which Kyler Murray is fond of relying on his receivers to make. In deep leagues, best ball or dynasty leagues, Green could prove useful over the opening six games if you’re waiting on a rookie to become productive or a player to recover from injury.
The Panthers reunited Baker Mayfield with Rashard Higgins. Higgins never truly broke out in his six seasons with Cleveland, but he had some noteworthy performances where he put up double-digit fantasy points. Higgins profiles predominantly as a deep threat. So his main path to success would be if the team found themselves in a situation where Robbie Anderson wasn’t available or if Mayfield displayed far better chemistry with Higgins.
When Byron Pringle was in Kansas City, he had a knack for turning up in big games when defenses took away the threats of Hill and Travis Kelce. Pringle ranked 10th amongst receivers in fantasy points per target in 2021 but found himself on the free agent market as Kansas City remade their receiver room. The Bears signed Pringle to a one-year, $4-million-dollar deal. Behind Darnell Mooney, Pringle represents the best receiver on this roster. It remains to be seen how well this Chicago team can play. Yet, if Mooney were to miss any time, Pringle would slot right in as the WR1.
The Bengals have potentially the best three-receiver set of any team in the league currently, and Tyler Boyd might just be the best WR3 any team has. While Ja’Maar Chase and Tee Higgins have dominated the target share lately with 23.7% and 23.9%, respectively, Boyd’s 18.4% is still healthy that he has enough value to be drafted in all formats. If anything should happen to either Chase or Higgins, we can be sure that Boyd will vault into a much larger role.
Behind him, the options are thin, and Boyd has already established a rapport with quarterback, Joe Burrow. When we talk about an offense that can be as electric as the Bengals, we always want exposure to them, and Boyd is a low-cost, high-upside play.
Tyler Boyd has been a Top 31 WR for four straight years
— Alex Caruso (@AlexCaruso) August 10, 2022
When Josh Reynolds signed with the Lions midway through the 2021 season, he reunited with quarterback Jared Goff. Reynolds proved that connection was still strong down the stretch as he averaged six targets and 59 yards per game. With the Lions re-signing Reynolds to a two-year deal, he looks set to be a part of the team this season. Reynolds faces competition from the start of the season in D.J. Chark, who also profiles as an outside the numbers deep-threat, and Jameson Williams will return from injury late into the season. If, for any reason, Goff and Chark fail to click, Reynolds could prove to be a very cheap receiver in a Lions team many believe can be feisty this year.
Quick Hitters
The Chargers opted to bring back Jalen Guyton despite deciding Josh Palmer would step into the unquestioned WR3 role in L.A. Guyton knows the scheme and has played well in spells with the Chargers. If anything happened to any of the three ahead of him, he’d become roster-worthy.
The Patriots’ training camp hasn’t been pretty, with plenty of pessimistic talk surrounding it. Thornton, however, has been a bright spot and continues to garner attention. Beat reports are starting to whisper about the idea of moving on from Nelson Agholor, and if that comes to fruition, Thornton could have a better chance at gaining first-team opportunities.
The Jets are slowly reshaping their offense into a new look, and Garrett Wilson profiles as a big part of that, with Elijah Moore also seeing a large workload. If Wilson struggles or doesn’t build a rapport with Zach Wilson, it’s easy to see Corey Davis gaining more snaps.
What other wide receiver handcuffs stand out to you? Let us know in the FantasyPros Discord or find me on Twitter @NFL_Tstrack
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