1. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers
This should almost go without saying. The top fantasy wide receiver in 2015 is heading into an even better situation for 2016. Martavis Bryant is out for the season, Sammie Coates and Markus Wheaton are battling for the number two position, and Ladarius Green is fighting mysterious health issues. Brown has the potential to see 140-150 receptions and could break records this year. This is a no-brainer.
2. Odell Beckham Jr, New York Giants
The real debate starts when you try to decide between Beckham and Julio Jones. I went with Beckham because he has a quarterback who was able to finish top five in both passing yards and touchdowns in 2015 (Eli Manning). Beckham is on a team that is poised to keep being pass-first and doesn’t have a clear cut running attack either. Beckham’s potential may not have been reached yet and could continue to get better in his third season.
3. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons
A man who had the most receiving yards (1,871) and was tied for most receptions (136) is not one to be trifled with. Jones had a career year in 2015 and will continue to be a fantasy football superstar in 2016. There is some reason to believe he hit his ceiling as the team has upgraded at their number two wide receiver position with Mohamed Sanu along with the fact that the Falcons may run the ball more with Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman this year. Make no mistake though, Julio is a top three wide receiver.
4. A.J. Green, Atlanta Falcons
A personal favorite of mine, I like Green’s upside this year. Finishing as the eighth best wide receiver in 2015, Green may have more targets coming his way. Both Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu have left, Tyler Eifert is coming back from surgery and Brandon LaFell is now dealing with a torn ligament in his hand. Also, having Andy Dalton back after missing a large chunk of the 2nd half of 2015 will be a big help. Green could take the next step this year with less competition around him for targets.
5. DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans
Coming off a superstar performance in 2015, Hopkins is poised to have another big year in 2016. He has a new quarterback in Brock Osweiler, which should provide some stability after playing with multiple in 2015. But, the team also invested heavily in Lamar Miller, who could enable the team to run the ball more this year. Also, the Texans drafted Will Fuller and Braxton Miller in this past NFL Draft, who could steal some targets away. Along with Jaelen Strong looking ready to step up as a contributor as well. Hopkins is the clear-cut number one wide receiver there, but may see a small dip in his numbers this season.
6. Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys
Bryant played less than one full game in 2015 before going down with a foot injury that required surgery. He did return later in the season, but was clearly hobbled still. Now that 2016 is here and he is practicing fully, Bryant is in line for a major bounce-back season. Not to mention the return of Tony Romo as well, Bryant will take his place as the number one wide receiver on the Cowboys. His potential is sky-high as this offense with rookie running Ezekiel Elliott could be very good in 2016. Bryant should be back to his normal self as a top eight wide receiver in 2016.
7. Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars
A break-out player from 2015 in which we saw him tie for the most receiving touchdowns (14) along with the sixth most receiving yards (1,400), Robinson finally emerged as a top fantasy wide-out. With the Jaguars offense hopefully ready to take another step forward with third year quarterback Blake Bortles, Robinson will be a key factor. He continues to get better and will be Bortles’ number one target as we could see him surpass the 80 reception total he had in 2015. He is a sure-fire top ten wide receiver in fantasy.
8. Keenan Allen, San Diego Chargers
Allen was on a tear in 2015 before going down with a kidney injury during week eight. Through the first eight weeks of the season, Allen was the number four overall wide receiver in PPR. While his torrid pace (67 receptions, 725 yards, four touchdowns) was probably impossible to sustain (would’ve been 134 receptions, 1,450 yards and eight touchdowns over full season), he clearly was doing well and should go right back to being the number one wide receiver for Philip Rivers and the Chargers. Allen has had issues with staying healthy (missed 11 games in three seasons), but if he can play for a full season, he could have a top 10 season on the horizon.
9. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Evans came into 2015 with a lot of hype surrounding his sophomore season. While he still finished as a low-end WR2 (23th best wide receiver in PPR), he disappointed based on where he was being drafted (9th overall in PPR re-draft leagues, MyFantasyLeague). Evans still had 74 receptions with 1,206 yards but faltered in touchdowns (had three in 2015, 12 in 2014). Evans also dealt with drops and developing chemistry with rookie quarterback Jameis Winston. Evans is expected to bounce-back in 2016 with another year under his belt alongside Winston and could easily have a top 10 season in him.
10. Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers
While Nelson did not play last season and is approaching the age where wide receivers start to decline (turned 31 in May), Nelson appears ready to return to fantasy dominance. Having just come off the PUP list after he suffered an ACL tear in 2015, Nelson will be all systems go for week one. He will return to his usual post as Aaron Rodgers’ most trusted target and could easily have a 2013 type of season (85 receptions, 1,314 yards, eight touchdowns). Though his age and slow recovery are a tad concerning, Nelson should be viewed as a safe pick to do well in 2016.
11. Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears
Very talented albeit a walking injury waiting to happen, Jeffery is a very high risk/high reward type of player. He is coming off of a season in 2015 where only managed to play in nine games while fighting multiple nagging lower-body injuries. He still did manage to have 54 receptions, 807 yards and four touchdowns, which would’ve made him on pace for 96 receptions, 1,434 yards and seven touchdowns over a full season. He will be a great position in 2016 to bounce back if he can stay healthy despite Kevin White being ready to contribute as well.
12. Brandon Marshall, New York Jets
In his first season with the Jets after being traded from the Bears for a late round draft pick, Marshall showed his former team what they were missing out on. He finished as the third best wide receiver in PPR leagues for 2015 with 109 receptions, 1,509 yards and 14 touchdowns. Even as he comes into his age 32 season, Marshall is showing no signs of slowing down. There is bound to be some regression as quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick isn’t expected to throw for 3,900+ yards and 31 touchdowns again in 2015. Also, new running back Matt Forte is expected to steal a handful of targets away as well. Regardless, Marshall is a solid bet to be a WR1 again in 2016 as the number one wide receiver for the Gang Green.
13. Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders
On the surface, Cooper had a terrific rookie season with 72 receptions, 1,070 yards and six touchdowns. But Cooper faltered late in the season as he finished with 10 receptions, 150 yards and two touchdowns over his last four games in 2015. But as he comes into his sophomore season, Cooper is expected to improve on his great rookie season with quarterback Derek Carr. Cooper is oozing with playmaking ability and is a future WR1. But the team may not be forced to throw as much with an improved defense and a great offensive line to run behind. Regardless, Cooper should turn in a top 15 wide receiver season and continue to improve.
14. T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts
Hilton still put up a respectable 2015 despite dealing with Andrew Luck having a poor 2015 between bad play and injury (69 receptions, 1,124 yards, five touchdowns). When Luck had his terrific 2014 season, Hilton benefited greatly (82 receptions, 1,345 yards, seven touchdowns). Now that Luck is back and healthy, expect Hilton to put up stats closer to 2014 than 2015. He will resume his post as the team’s number one wide receiver. He will receive pressure from the emerging Donte Moncrief, but Hilton should be locked in for a top 15 season regardless.
15. Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos
Despite dealing with very turbulent quarterback play from Peyton Manning and Osweiler in 2015, Thomas still finished as the 11th best wide receiver in PPR leagues. He had his fourth consecutive season with at least 90 receptions (105) to go along with 1,304 yards and six touchdowns. His yardage and touchdown totals are the lowest in the past four seasons, but part of it can be blamed on the quarterback play. But in 2016, Thomas and the Broncos are faced with another quarterback debacle between Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian. Regardless of who is throwing to him, Thomas will finish as a solid top 20 wide receiver at worst as the Broncos number one receiver.
16. Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints
This ranking is a bit lower than most who have ranked Cooks, but it’s hard to trust him 100%. He did finish as the 13th best wide receiver in PPR for 2015, but was inconsistent. He was the 20th best wide receiver through the first half of the season while finishing 12th for the second half. He will be Drew Brees’ number one target again in 2016 on a very dangerous passing offense, but has a LOT of competition for targets. Willie Snead, Mark Ingram, Coby Fleener and Michael Thomas will all challenge for looks. Because of that, Cooks should finish as a top 20 wide receiver, but I wouldn’t be prepared to treat him as a top 15.
17. Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers
When Jordy Nelson went down with his knee injury last season, Cobb was expected to step up and be the new number one wide receiver for the Packers. Unfortunately, Cobb faltered and finished below expectations as the 25th best wide receiver in PPR. But with Nelson back and the run game hopefully improved, Cobb stands to benefit from this. He is a player I’m quite high on and he could easily surpass this ranking. In 2014 (when both Cobb & Nelson played last), Cobb had 91 receptions, 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns. There is reason to believe he could have a very similar season to that in 2016 with the “gang all back together” (i.e. Rodgers, Nelson, Cobb and Eddie Lacy).
18. Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills
Another player like Cobb, who I think can out-perform this ranking, Watkins finished off 2015 with a bang as the fourth best wide receiver in PPR over the second half of the season. Unfortunately, he dealt with some injuries during the first half that caused him to rank as the 84th (yes, 8-4) best wide receiver over the first half of the season. Watkins is also coming off of foot surgery and has dealt with multiple lower body injuries/surgeries in his short time at the NFL level. A superstar when healthy and on the field, Watkins is a high risk/high reward player who will undoubtedly be the number one target for Tyrod Taylor, but will be a constant worry for owners with his injury history.
19. Julian Edelman, New England Patriots
Another high risk/high reward player, Edelman was on a good pace before he went down with a foot injury (61 receptions, 692 yards, seven touchdowns in nine games) that cost him the rest of the regular season. He had two surgeries on it and had an injury scare during training camp recently, reminding everyone that he will be someone to monitor. A stud when on the field, Edelman’s inability to stay healthy (only one season playing all 16 games in seven seasons) will cause him to slide down rankings for fantasy football. Besides Gronk, Edelman is Tom Brady’s most trusted target and will garner a ton of looks from him when on the field. But how many games he’ll play, is another story. He could have a top 15 season, or top 30 season.
20. Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins
A reception-vacuum, Landry finished with 110 last season and has 194 overall in his first two seasons. Landry’s value is boosted big time in PPR leagues and will look to have another 80+ reception season in 2016. He will face competition for targets with the emerging DeVante Parker and new running back Arian Foster, but should still be a lock for around 90 receptions. His career 9.9 yards per reception total and nine touchdowns over two seasons will work against him, but Landry is still a PPR dynamo. With Adam Gase as the team’s new head coach, the Dolphins could boast a stronger offense in 2016, which would benefit Landry. Keep him in mind come draft day, PPR drafters.