The wide receiver position in fantasy football has a breadth of talent, and the pool grows each season. Still, there are some top wide receivers you’ll draft. Having options that will step in their place and see an increase in production could be a good strategy, so you’re not hoping to land them on the waiver wire via a FAAB bidding war.
Below are three wide receiver handcuffs to consider adding to your roster later in drafts.
Spoiler: They’re all going at WR64 or later. All data is courtesy of the FantasyPros ADP 2024 tool.
- 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 Best Ball Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Late-Round Draft Picks: Wide Receiver Handcuffs
Dontayvion Wicks (WR – GB) | ADP: WR64
Going as the WR64, Dontayvion Wicks has plenty of potential to have a lot of production in 2024. Entering the season, Christian Watson is the player directly ahead of him on the depth chart. Over the last two seasons, Watson has played in just 23 games. Both Wicks and Watson are deep threats. Wicks averaged 14.9 yards per catch. Packers quarterback Jordan Love is coming off a season where he threw for nearly 4,200 yards and 32 touchdowns. He should be even more productive in 2024.
This production came despite the Packers averaging just 61.5 plays per game (25th).
With Watson an injury risk waiting to happen, Wicks should see some time as a starting receiver in 3-WR sets and get some deep ball action.
Malachi Corley (WR – NYJ) | ADP: WR80
Malachi Corley is likely the slot weapon, but if Garrett Wilson were to miss time, he’d likely see an increase in production. Right now, the depth chart at Ourlads lists Wilson, Mike Williams and Xavier Gipson starting in 3-WR sets. Gipson played 277 snaps in the slot and 212 outside. If something happened to Wilson, Gipson could easily move outside, allowing for more targets to come Corley’s way.
Some may even view Corley as quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘ 2024 version of Randall Cobb. Corley can be a solid, deep threat, but he can also eat up plenty of targets near and just over the line of scrimmage.
In 2023 with Western Kentucky, Corley saw 110 targets. He caught 75 for 959 yards and scored 11 times in 12 games.
If Wilson went down, Corley would get plenty of action, as Gipson is a bit between special teams and playing wide receiver and Williams gets hurt more often as the years go by.
Jalen McMillan (WR – TB) | ADP: WR108
Ahead of Jalen McMillan on the depth chart are two titans of the position: Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Evans has never had fewer than 1,000 yards in a season. Godwin has had 1,000+ yards in each of the last three seasons.
McMillan was drafted No. 93 overall in the third round by the Buccaneers despite dealing with knee injuries in his final season with Washington. In 2022, McMillan caught 71 passes for 1,040 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s proven to be a versatile player and can make plays at all levels of the field.
According to Greg Auman of FOX Sports, McMillan could very well become the WR3 on this offense. Auman added that McMillan’s display of separation has been the key to separating himself from Trey Palmer.
Thus, if something happened to Evans or Godwin, he could step right into an offense that was top-12 in passing yards per game (233.6).
At the price of WR108, he’s likely to go undrafted in your league.
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