The influx of high-end wide receivers has altered fantasy football over the last few years. Antonio Brown has warranted discussion as the No. 1 pick in drafts and that’s something unseen in the game previously.
But it’s not just Brown. It’s the transition of the NFL turning into a passing league that has led to wide receivers with more gaudy numbers than running backs.
The depth for running backs is minimal these days with later-round selections hit-or-miss every week. It’s a little different for WRs as seen on the FantasyPros consensus rankings. There are viable options as far as No. 25 in Golden Tate, No. 36 in Kevin White and even No. 43 in Markus Wheaton. The list goes on with sleepers and underrated options. The same can’t be said about running back.
That said, it’s a big help if you don’t have to look at matchups each week and can start your top receiver without thinking twice. Since Brown is the hands down No. 1 wide receiver (unless you’re crazy), let’s look at the guys next in line.
In the consensus rankings, Odell Beckham Jr. and Julio Jones are the no-brainer wide receivers behind Brown. OBJ is rated more highly, with an average ranking of 2.1, while Jones is just behind at 3.0.
The reasoning for Beckham at two is evident. He’s been unstoppable in his first two years in the league, topping out at 96 catches for 1,450 yards and 13 touchdowns last year. However, you can tell there’s still room to grow for him and that’s exactly why Eli Manning came out and said he wants OBJ to “raise his level.” If your quarterback thinks you can do better, then you probably can.
But for this year, the Giants (hopefully) get back Victor Cruz and add rookie Sterling Shepard from Oklahoma. That’s great news for the Giants offense, but is it for Beckham?
OBJ finished with 159 targets last year, just seventh in the league, and there were times when people wondered why he wasn’t getting more looks. But will those looks go up with Cruz and Shepard in the offense to go with tight end Will Tye who improved steadily last season? That’s hard to say.
Looking at the positive side of that, maybe with more talent outside of Beckham, it’ll be difficult for defenses to double-team him.
Everyone is in love with OBJ because of the insane catches he can make. While he’s been extremely consistent, he still falls second to Julio Jones in my book.
Jones comes into this season still only 27 years old having played in 31 games the past two seasons. For some reason he gets labeled injury-prone more so than other guys, but he’s battled through the last two years en route to fantastic season. OBJ is as big of an injury risk as Jones.
And then there’s quarterback Matt Ryan, who looks at Jones on almost every play, and that’s not going to change as that’s how the Kyle Shanahan offense runs. Sure, Mohamed Sanu joins the team as well as another tight end in rookie Austin Hooper, but that shouldn’t affect how Jones is used.
Jones had a ridiculous 204 targets last year for 136 receptions, 1,871 yards and eight touchdowns.
Yes, his downside is that he’s never been a huge red-zone threat, which doesn’t fully make sense with his 6’3” frame. Of course, a lot of those struggles have to do with the Atlanta offense has a whole, often failing to succeed inside the 20 since Tony Gonzalez left.
Either way, Jones should be in line for another huge season with 100-plus receptions. In Points Per Receptions leagues, Jones is the definite choice over OBJ. But in standard leagues, it’s a bigger question because of Beckham’s 25 touchdowns in the 27 games he’s played in.
While I like Jones more than OBJ, there’s very little separating them. And even then, who’s to say DeAndre Hopkins won’t break out even more with Brock Osweiler as his quarterback? Or that Dez Bryant won’t return to relevance with Tony Romo in tow? Maybe even A.J. Green could be set for a career year with Cincinnati losing its second and third receivers from a year ago.
For the most part, it’s not a huge deal. But why not take someone who could get close to 200 targets again?
There’s a little more uncertainty surrounding OBJ with newer options on the Giants and that’s enough for me to select the receiver who is just as good and isn’t getting media attention for who he is dating.
Is it worth it to mention that OBJ now has to face Josh Norman two times this year, while Jones doesn’t? It’s only one guy, but Norman was a nuisance to both of them last season.
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