Dominate Your 2024 Fantasy Football League With These Wide Receiver Tiers (and Sleepers!)

Some of the fantasy season’s most polarizing debates happen before the games start. There will be heated trade talk, rules called into question, even relationships put to the test. Before all of that, though, is the topic of the draft. It’s the first hurdle for any league, new or old. Coordinating the schedules of 12 people (14-16 for the hardcore out there) is the bane of any commissioner's existence. It’s not until 10 of your league mates have settled on a date that Steve jumps into the chat after three days of ghosting and says the Saturday before Week 1 doesn’t work for him. The league compromises with Steve and his schedule, only to draft during Week 1 of the preseason.

It’s the only day he was available, don’t ask questions.

Then, you draft Jahmyr Gibbs and Steve is the first person to text you when he hobbles off with a hamstring later that week. The point here is don’t be the Steve of a league. For those trying to identify Steve, it’s likely you.

Now that’s out of the way, this is the first installment of a new series where we try to make fantasy a little easier for everyone. Fantasy managers already have to deal with the Steves, the one-sided trade deals that “honestly help you more than they help them” and being outbid on the waiver wire. Don’t sweat about who to draft.

Wide receivers will be a hot commodity early in 2024 fantasy football drafts. There are multiple acceptable answers when asking who the best wide receiver in fantasy football might be. For those with a pick in the two-to-five range, some tough decisions will need to be made. Even beyond the first round, a formidable one-two punch at the position might be a must. In an attempt to add some clarity, we’ve taken a tier-based approach to ranking our top fantasy football wide receivers for 2024. We’ve even added some wide receiver sleepers to take your draft over the top.

All to beat Steve when the games matter.

Half-PPR Scoring Used for All Stats

Tier 1 Wide Receivers

No-Brainer, lock it in, don’t need to say anything about these guys…but I will.

CeeDee Lamb - Dallas Cowboys
Tyreek Hill - Miami Dolphins
Ja'Marr Chase - Cincinnati Bengals
Amon-Ra St. Brown - Detroit Lions
Justin Jefferson - Minnesota Vikings

It feels a little cheap to start with a Big Five for my first tier. I looked at the names on the list and tried to move one of these guys to Tier 2. I just couldn’t do it. They’ve all proven to be world-beaters across multiple seasons for different reasons. These five players have some of the highest floors you’ll come across in fantasy and it would be a shock to see any of them make it into the double-digit picks.

Tyreek Hill has a case to be the first overall pick in any draft. Despite finishing as the second-highest scoring player in Half-PPR leagues behind CeeDee Lamb, Hill actually averaged more points per game than Lamb. It may have been by 0.1 point on average, but anything with these guys is splitting hairs. Since being traded to the Dolphins, Hill has averaged 18.1 points per game in Half PPR (everything is going to be in Half-PPR, if you missed that up top) over 33 games. He’s only missed one game over that span. He’s got the floor, he’s on the field, and he was the most targeted player in the NFL last season on average with 10.3 looks per game. There really isn’t a knock on Hill this year.

Source: Cincy Jungle

Speaking of Lamb, the fifth-year wide receiver reached another level last season. In fact, he ascended to the hallowed ground of the No-Brainer, Lock it in, Probably don’t need to say anything about these guys but I’ll still try tier. I can’t imagine he’s not paid by the time the season starts. The Cowboys are in a dicey spot right now with contracts coming due. Still, Lamb has to be a priority. Right? You’d think. 10.6 targets per game, 31 red zone targets, targeted on 54 percent of Dallas’ red zone passing attempts, 14 total touchdowns, 29 plays of 20 or more yards, should I go on? Lamb is electric on any scale. If Hill is 1A, Lamb is 1B and even that is close. Will the holdout affect him ramping back up to game speed? Even if it does, that’s a very temporary issue.

Everyone who has watched even an hour of RedZone while the Bengals or Vikings are playing has seen what Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase are capable of. Before losing Joe Burrow in Week 11, Chase was WR7 with 15.4 points per game with 106 targets, the fifth-most over that span. He played in 12 games in 2022, all with Joe Burrow. He finished as WR12 on a total points basis and had the sixth-highest points per game average at 16.9. Burrow is going to make all the difference here. Chase is in a similar position as Lamb with his contract. He’s up for an extension and he missed practice on Tuesday. Zac Taylor called him “day-to-day.” Do with that information what you please.

For Justin Jefferson, my pause isn’t related to him in the slightest. Calling it a pause might even be overselling it. I can’t take him out of this tier. He’s Tier 1 material. I just don’t know what life will be like if it's Sam Darnold throwing him the ball. His 2023 was weird. He got four full games with Kirk Cousins before Jefferson missed seven games due to injury. When he came back, Nick Mullens was his quarterback and Minnesota beat Vegas 3-0. From Week 14 to 18, though, he was WR4 and averaged 15.4 fantasy points per game. Maybe Jefferson transcends quarterback play and Kevin O’Connell’s system is built for him to carry your fantasy team. That’s certainly a possibility here. It’s also worth mentioning that Darnold played in a system not dissimilar to Minnesota’s last year in San Francisco. Maybe I’m overthinking this. Jefferson is a first-round talent, so obviously draft him there. Just be aware of the fact that his quarterback is the least-inspiring name mentioned in this tier.

The Sun God. Amon-Ra St. Brown. He would stand alone in a ranking of elite names. He’s not far off in a ranking of wide receivers. His 28.6 percent target share was tied for the ninth-highest mark in the league last season. It’s also worth noting Jared Goff threw the ball 605 times, tied for second-most in the league behind Sam Howell. St. Brown saw 23 red zone targets, snagged 24 receptions of 20+ yards, and picked up an average of 5.6 yards after the catch. His 17 fantasy points per game ranked behind only Lamb and Hill. Couple the rate at which Detroit throws the ball with St. Brown’s talent and you get one of the safest picks in fantasy.

Tier 2 Wide Receivers

Will put up numbers, with a slightly lower ceiling.

A.J. Brown - Philadelphia Eagles
Garrett Wilson - New York Jets
Puka Nacua - Los Angeles Rams
Davante Adams - Las Vegas Raiders

You could easily argue these guys belong in Tier 1. Or some sort of Tier 1.5. They’re studs. Each and every one of them. If you decided you wanted to go with someone like Breece Hall or Bijan Robinson in the first, then turned around and added one of these guys as your WR1, it would be tough to fault you.

I don’t know how Tennessee will ever live down the trade that sent A.J. Brown to Philadelphia. Financially motivated, obviously. Still, reports at the time indicated Brown wanted to stay. Not getting sidetracked, that’s a discussion for a different day. What’s important is Brown has posted back-to-back seasons with at least 1,450 yards and been to a Super Bowl since his Titans days. Despite what people might think, it doesn’t seem like he’s complaining. Much was made about Philly’s offensive identity last season, or the lack thereof. Calling the scheme a high-school level offense might’ve been a compliment. There was plenty of freelancing. The staff clearly relied on players to win matchups rather than scheming them open. Jalen Hurts regressed, and the Eagles collapsed.

Source: Gang Green Nation

If Brown can somehow finish with 106 catches, 1,456 yards and seven touchdowns given those circumstances, the move to Kellen Moore might have him closer to where he finished in 2022 as WR5 with 543 yards after the catch when the dust settles.

Speaking of yards after the catch, Garrett Wilson finished with 370 as a rookie in 2022. He also finished as WR19 with a trio of Zach Wilson, Mike White, and Joe Flacco throwing him the ball. Stop me if you’ve heard that before. It’s been the story of Garrett Wilson’s young career to this point. If he had a quarterback, he’d be a WR1. That makes his production to this point all the more impressive. The thought of him playing with Aaron Rodgers had fantasy managers jumping to invest in him. Then, Rodgers got as far as running out of the tunnel for the team’s opener. Still, a healthy Rodgers, even at 40, should push Wilson to the third-year breakout everyone expected last year. Wilson’s 29.8 percent target share ranked fifth-highest in the league last season. His role is set and now the reinforcements are coming.

First and foremost, Sean McVay has confirmed Puka Nacua won’t miss any regular season time. Now that’s out of the way, Nacua put together an absurd rookie season. His 14.7 fantasy points per game was the seventh-highest mark in the league. He saw 28.8 percent of his team’s targets in a season where Cooper Kupp – albeit an injured Cooper Kupp – saw 17.1 percent. He took 10 passes for 30 or more yards and 25 for 20 or more. His 632 yards after catch were the fifth-most in the league. All as a rookie. Should Kupp play a more consistent role this season, both receivers will likely benefit. McVay is one of the best coaches in the NFL at putting his players in positions to be successful and he knows what he has in both players. Don’t let Kupp or the sample size scare you away from Nacua near the end of the first round or early in the second.

Going from Aaron Rodgers to the Derek Carrs and the Aidan O’Connells of the world can’t be the easiest transition for a receiver to make. Still, Davante Adams took the leap and has two 100-catch seasons to show for it. A testament to his ability. Should Garner Minshew win the job for Vegas, Adams could be in for a more steady 2024. Minshew took over for an injured Anthony Richardson for good in Week 5 during his time in Indianapolis. Over that span, Colts receiver Michael Pittman was the WR15. It was fringe-WR1 production, with the seventh-most targets, a top-ten target share, and 907 receiving yards. His three touchdowns left more to be desired. Still, it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Pittman finished with 14 red zone targets in those 13 games. If Minshew’s time with Pittman is any indication, Adams is going to get fed a season removed from a 100/1,516/14 line. Bear in mind, though, Vegas isn’t running Shane Steichen’s system and Minshew still has to win the job.

Tier 3 Wide Receivers

Could easily climb or drop a tier. These wide receivers will keep you afloat if you go running back early.
Marvin Harrison Jr. - Arizona Cardinals
Drake London - Atlanta Falcons
Nico Collins - Houston Texans
Mike Evans - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
DJ Moore - Chicago Bears

Marvin Harrison Jr. has all the tools. I won’t spend a ton of time on him, since there are plenty of unknowns. I do know, though, that Kyler Murray forcefed Trey McBride to the tune of a 25.2 percent target share in his eight starts. For reference, Greg Dortch had the second-highest mark over that span with 14.9 percent. Hollywood Brown is gone. Outside of Michael Wilson, who I’ll touch on later, there are very few mouths to feed in the offense. Harrison Jr., as talented a prospect as he is, is going to step into a massive target share in Year 1. He’s got the most upside out of this tier.

Drake London is an intriguing guy here. Free from the constraints of Arthur Smith’s offense (can you call it an offense?) and Desmond Ridder/Taylor Heineke under center, London might unlock some consistency. He’s had games. He dropped 24.2 on Tampa Bay last season and posted marks of 17, 15.7, and 11.7 against Washington, Green Bay, and Houston respectively in 2023. Still, there were games like his 1.3 point performance against the Jets and 4.1 against Detroit. Kirk Cousins is a massive upgrade over what he’s played with, as is Zac Robinson at offensive coordinator. He’s likely the riskiest proposition in this bunch and you’d feel a lot better to land him as a WR2 if he slips beyond his mid-to-late second-round average draft position.

Next is everyone’s favorite pick to pop, Nico Collins. Or, pop again. Depending on your definition of pop. I no longer want to type the word pop. That was the last time. If the fear with Collins is the addition of Stefon Diggs to an offense that already features Tank Dell and Dalton Schultz, I’m optimistic. Primarily because Collins did what he did last year without an other-wordly target share. His 19.3 percent was the 29th-highest mark in the NFL last season. He still caught 80 passes for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns and finished as the WR9. Even if Dell takes on a bigger role than his 13.3 percent over 11 games would suggest, and Schultz stays around his 15.5 percent mark, Diggs can still take on over 20 percent of targets without much of a threat to what Collins saw last season. In short, even if 19.3 is the best it gets for Collins, you could do a lot worse than WR9 production.

Source: Bucs Nation

The old reliable of fantasy football. This is another guy who could easily be in Tier 2 and I’m okay if you laugh at me for putting him here. Mike Evans is already known for being the 1,000 yard season machine. Possibly most impressive, though, might be his WR5 finish on 79 catches. His 1,899 air yards were the third-most in the league and his 15.9 yards per reception was the third-highest mark among the top 15 fantasy wide receivers last season. That deep ball production, coupled with his 13 touchdowns, led to one of the most productive fantasy seasons of Evans career. He’s now 30 and is coming off a season in which he played in all 17 of Tampa Bay’s games. His fit with Baker Mayfield clearly works. If he continues to be available, it’s possible he’s being undervalued yet again.

This might be my favorite bet for a player who will outplay their draft position. DJ Moore is currently being picked near the end of the third round as WR19. For reference, that’s after Stefon Diggs and just before Malik Nabers. Just so we’re clear, this is 27-year-old DJ Moore, who finished as WR6 in his first season with the Bears. The same guy who was catching passes from Tyson Bagent for five games last season. That DJ Moore. The biggest concern here might be the additions of Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze. While that might cut into his target share, bringing Caleb Williams into the fold should offset the drop in share with an increase in passing attempts from the 513 the Chicago posted last season. For reference, that was the fifth-lowest total in the NFL.

There are plenty of other dudes outside of the confines of my not-yet-observed-or-sanctioned tier system. Always do your own research and find the guys who are right for you. What I value might not be what you value. That’s okay. We can all win our leagues.

Sleepers Wide Receivers:

You know the drill. Wide receivers who are drafted later but have the opportunity to explode. Dart throws, or rather, educated guesses based on their situation and hand-cuffing.

Darnell Mooney - Atlant Falcons

He had a big year in Chicago back in 2021 when he finished as WR22. Sure, this is a what have you done for me lately game we all love to play. Outside of Drake London and Kyle Pitts, though, there isn’t much competition for targets in Atlanta. Zac Robinson being a McVay disciple helps too. What does that mean? I’m glad you asked. It means he understands how to scheme receivers open for easy snags and YAC potential. He turns 27 in October. Time is still on his side.

Michael Wilson - Arizona Cardinals

Very similar to what I touched on with Marvin Harrison Jr.. There is a ton of target share to go around in Arizona. Michael Wilson is familiar with Drew Petzing’s offensive scheme. He dealt with injuries last season, but still posted 565 yards on 38 receptions. His 14.9 yards per reception mark was by far the top among Cardinals receivers. There’s opportunity here for Wilson, McBride, and Harrison Jr. to thrive.

Dontayvion Wicks - Green Bay Packers

Source: Acme Packing Company

One of the Packers many contributors at receiver. His 14.9 yards per reception last season were second on the team behind Christian Watson’s 15.1. Wicks snagged four touchdowns to go with his 39 receptions and 581 yards. Names will start to separate themselves from this crowded wide receiver room. As a rookie, Wicks made a case to be one of the guys who contributes.

Romeo Doubs - Green Bay Packers

Another year, another Romeo Doubs entry on a sleepers list. The reason he hasn’t graduated from this list comes down to consistency for the most part. Still, he led the Packers in air yards with 1,126 last season and a 17.1 percent target share. His 18 red zone targets were also the most among Packers receivers. As Jordan Love grows into his role as Green Bay’s next franchise quarterback, Doubs looks like he can be a guy who grows with him.

Brian Thomas Jr. - Jacksonville Jaguars

Another rookie checks in. The Jaguars let Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones walk in the offseason, leaving their combined 32.9 percent target share up for grabs. Christian Kirk will likely see his share increase if he’s able to stay on the field and the team also signed Gabe Davis. Still, the lack of an incumbent WR1, the draft capital invested in Brian Thomas Jr., and the fact that Trevor Lawrence is throwing the ball sets up a massive opportunity for the LSU product in Doug Pederson’s system.

Since you’ve stuck it out until the end, thank you. I hope these insights can help you in some way. I’ll be covering running backs and quarterbacks in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, keep mocking and perfecting your approach. The draft is only the beginning.