It’s NFL Draft season, baby. In this article, I’m going to go in depth on some of the top wideout picks in the draft class and examine how they will affect the upcoming Fantasy season. If you want to read on the big moves of FA at the WR position, check out this article: NFL Free Agency: Fantasy Implications. But regardless, enough of that. Let’s get down to business.

John Ross, Cincinnati Bengals

Ah, the speedster himself. If you haven’t heard already, Ross is an absolute speed demon, running the fastest recorded 40 yard dash at the Combine. But the beauty of Ross is that his speed translates to the field, with his undeniable physical gifts that are paired with great vision and tracking that make him a legitimate deep threat. But let’s pump the breaks a little. Ross isn’t going to be a WR1. He’s a huge boom-or-bust guy, probably a really good matchup based DFS play, but in terms of long-term, season-long fantasy value, he should be on the fringes of most rosters. John Ross’s value comes in his impact on the greater Bengals offense. He’s a field stretcher, a guy who will take the secondary down the field, which should open up opportunities for both AJ Green and Tyler Eifert. Sure the guy will steal targets and catches, but the positive effect of having more room and less attention from secondaries will outweigh the lost opportunities, at least for those two. The real issue comes in the other receiving targets in the offense. Brandon LaFell, Cody Core, and Tyler Boyd are going to encounter stiff opposition in the passing attack, and I’d bet two of those three are going to fall off from fantasy relevance. If you put a gun to my head and forced me to choose the one that would stay relevant, I’d say Tyler Boyd. He’s got usage in the slot that should guarantee him time on the field. The big benefactor I see from John Ross is Andy Dalton. Dalton is no Aaron Rodgers, but he’s a solid QB that can excel given time and targets. The Bengals O-line is not great, I’ll give you that, but the sheer amount of targets makes Dalton a fringe QB1 in my eyes. I’m not saying go out and grab him, but the guy has lackluster name value, and if you see him fall, I’d pick him up. I wouldn’t be surprised if he puts together a solid season.

Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers

If there’s an offense that “won” the draft, I would have to say the Chargers. A bit weird to say the LA Chargers, I know. But let’s look at the cold hard facts. Mike Williams is arguably the best receiver in the draft, up there with Ross for sure. He’s a traditional and deadly high-point catch receiver, a la Alshon Jeffrey. At 6’3″ and 225, he’s got size to pair with explosive athleticism that should make him another asset in the red zone for Phillip Rivers. Talking about Rivers, the man is made with the assets he has this season. When you look at the weapons at his disposal, Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, Mike Williams, and Dontrell Inman, the potential for a high-powered passing attack is undeniable. Coupled with the two new and promising guards they drafted in Forrest Lamp and Dan Feeney, the future is bright for the passing attack undoubtedly. Going off topic, those guard additions and the lack of any RB additions are only more indicators of the reliability going forward of Melvin Gordon. He’s a locked in, all systems go RB1 for next season, and the belief that the Chargers have in him is icing on the cake. Back to receivers, Williams is like Ross in that he’s probably not a viable fantasy option. He’s less boom-or-bust than Ross in terms of yardage, but could become very touchdown-dependent as a red zone option. Looking outside Williams, the rest of the passing attack outside of Keenan Allen looks grim. Dontrell Inman and Tyrell Williams to a lesser extent are going to see drops in targets, and it’s tough seeing Tyrell improve on his already strong 2016 campaign with the addition of the rookie Williams. Regardless, this is all dependent on health. If Allen or Tyrell goes down this season, we might see Mike Williams emerge as a viable fantasy option.

Corey Davis

Finishing off this list is the versatile Corey Davis of Western Michigan. Drafted by the Titans, the 6’3″ 215 pound receiver is a master improviser and skilled route runner. The guy is no Julio Jones, but he shows the skills and polish to be a very effective receiver. Oh and look where he landed, right into the lap of Marcus Mariota. Like Andy Dalton, I see Mariota as another sleeper-type, low end QB1 entering the 2017 season. He’s maturing as a QB and now has a legit weapon to bolster the admittedly mediocre Titans receiving corps. When you look solely at Davis, it’s tough to say, similar to the other rookies, that he’s going to be a legit, draft-able fantasy option, but if you had to choose between the three guys on this list to draft, I’d say unquestionably Corey Davis. His level of talent isn’t too much different than the other two, but the big difference is his situation. He’s entering a passing attack that has no AJ Green or Keenan Allen, and this lack of true number one options should guarantee him targets from the effective and developing Mariota, who again, is not a shabby QB. I see Davis as a high end WR3 entering the season, but monitor the depth charts and evaluate come draft time. When you analyze the offense as a whole. I have to say that the rushing attack should become more potent. Yes, you could argue that Mariota will develop and that Davis’s presence will take away carries from DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry, but teams cannot stack the box against the run and will have to begin to respect the Titans downfield, which should open up lanes for the aforementioned tailbacks. Overall, the Titans offense is going to be more balanced and lethal in the 2017 season from my perspective, and that should benefit everyone except for the receiving corps. Rishard Matthews, Tajae Sharpe, and Harry Douglas aren’t exactly big-time receivers, and the presence of a talented rookie target with the draft capital of the fifth pick will certainly cut into their carries. The Titans passing attack has always been questionable, and I’m surprised myself that I’m saying this, but if you could give me one receiver in this corps, I’d choose Davis. The other guys just don’t seem as talented and could not produce at a high level when given targets last season, and the presence of Davis should only diminish their value moving into next season.

That’s it for the big WR rookies, stay tuned for more content. If you want to read the rest of my articles, click here. Thanks for stopping by!