Football season is just around the corner, and it’s time to set your dynasty lineups! These rankings will break down the top 12 receivers in dynasty football before the start of the 2023 season.
Dynasty rankings are one the most challenging things to do. This is because teams are retooling, rebuilding, or contending. Based on your roster construction, certain wide receivers have more value than others. This list below considers a multitude of factors to provide the most accurate tier list of the wide receiver landscape.
S Tier
1. Justin Jefferson, MIN
Starting off this list, we have Jefferson, the unquestioned WR1 in dynasty. Not only is he going as the WR1 for this year, but he’s only 24 years old.
In just his third year, Jefferson posted the best season for a 23-year-old receiver of all time. Jefferson finished the year with an absurd 128-1,809-8 season, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he hits the 2,000-yard mark this year.
2. Ja’Marr Chase, CIN
There isn’t much debate for the WR2, as that title clearly belongs to Chase. Chase has put up better numbers on a PPG basis than Jefferson in years one and two. With that said, Chase suffered a hairline fracture last season, and he’s not quite the receiver Jefferson is yet.
Chase is attached to Joe Burrow, one of the best quarterbacks in the league for a long time. There’s an argument to be made, but I believe Chase is the WR2 for this year and in dynasty.
A Tier
3. CeeDee Lamb, DAL
Dropping down to the A tier, we have a group of similar players, but Lamb is the top dog at number three. Lamb finally broke out in year three, averaging 17.7 PPG after finishing his first two seasons with 13.2 and 14.6 PPG.
At only 24, Lamb gives you a ton of value this year and in the future. Right now, Lamb is being drafted with an ADP of 11.7 on Underdog for 2023. Lamb is a phenomenal player, and I expect him to keep improving going into year four.
4. Jaylen Waddle, MIA
Next up on this list, we have Waddle. Before we start, I know I’m going to receive a ton of hate from the Garrett Wilson fan club already. That said, Waddle is one of the best real-life receivers, and he’ll be stepping into a phenomenal situation in just a few years.
Jaylen Waddle
— Joe Orrico (@NoExpertFF) August 24, 2023
Since Waddle joined the league in 2021…
Only 8 WRs have scored more Fantasy Points.
With Tua healthy, Waddle averaged 6.0+ more Fantasy Points per game.
He is an ELITE option and should be respected as a strong WR1 in lineups. pic.twitter.com/ipDjTt4AFO
Although Waddle won’t be as good as Lamb or possibly even Wilson for 2023, he still has an ADP of 19. Waddle averaged 15.4 and 15.2 PPG in the first two years of his career. In his first year, he was dominating as a rookie, and in his second year, he played next to Tyreek Hill, on top of his starting quarterback missing time.
Hill is still the WR1, but he’s 29 years old compared to Waddle, who’s 24. Hill has openly said he’s going to retire after the 2025 season, which I honestly believe. Even so, every year that goes by increases the chance that Waddle will take over as the WR1 in this offense.
5. Garrett Wilson, NYJ
I understand the argument to move Wilson even higher than this, but five is a fair ranking. Wilson is a 23-year-old wide receiver who had a phenomenal rookie season with anyone but Zach Wilson throwing him the ball. Through those eight games, he averaged 17.29 PPG. With Wilson, he averaged 8.82 PPG.
Wilson has an ADP of 13.4, as he will give you elite-level production this year. There’s no doubt Wilson deserves to be in this tier, but I can’t have him higher than this due to the small sample size of dominance last year.
6. A. J. Brown, PHI
Brown has always been one of the best real-life receivers, and last year, he was one of the top fantasy options as well. Jalen Hurts took a massive step up and propelled Brown to a 17.6 PPG season.
He checks all the boxes you want in a dynasty-wide receiver. He’s young at only 26, and he’ll be connected to a good quarterback in Hurts for the foreseeable future. Brown is going to produce this year with an ADP of 10.6.
The only concern I have is the target competition with DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. Nonetheless, Brown has to be in this A-tier of receivers.
7. Chris Olave, NOS
Olave is one of my favorite players in fantasy football, and I feel like he’s being underrated in both dynasty and redraft. Olave had just as good of a rookie season as Garrett Wilson, but he didn’t get a massive quarterback upgrade this off-season. Wilson got an exciting, proven quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, while Olave got a descending Derek Carr.
Although Olave only averaged 13.2 PPG during his rookie season, he was fantastic when you look at the advanced numbers. A stat I found from Alex Caruso was that the only rookies with 2.25 or higher yards per route run were Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Odell Beckham Jr., Tyreek Hill, A. J. Brown, Christian Watson, and Chris Olave.
Reminder: 7 WRs have had 2.25 or higher yards per route run as a rookie
— Alex Caruso (@AlexCaruso) August 9, 2023
Odell Beckham
Tyreek Hill
AJ Brown
Justin Jefferson
Ja'Marr Chase
Christian Watson
Chris Olave
They other 5 all finished as Top 7 WRs in Fantasy PPG in their second year
DRAFT OLAVE AND WATSON
Besides Watson, who is also stepping into year two, every single one of these guys has been a hit in dynasty football. I’m betting on the talent with Olave and praying that the Saints bring in a better quarterback than Carr in the near future.
8. Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET
At number eight, we have the Sun God, St. Brown. He has been dominant since the end of his rookie season and just finished 2022 with a 16.7 PPG year. He’s a target hog and is continuing to improve every year.
Jameson Williams doesn’t concern me, as I think his field-stretching ability should help out St. Brown. However, the additions of Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs are slightly concerning since both are rookies who specialize in running routes close to the line of scrimmage.
Even with these concerns, St. Brown has an ADP of 13.4 at age 23. Although there are a few red flags, you should still feel comfortable with him as your WR1.
B Tier
9. Tyreek Hill, MIA
For our B Tier, we have two players who are top-five wide receivers for 2023 but are much older than the other guys on this list. Hill is my WR3 for 2023, and he can help win you a dynasty championship if you’re contending. The issue beyond that is his age.
As we mentioned before, Hill is 29 years old, and he’s even said that he plans to retire in 2025. If that’s the case, you’re getting a top wide receiver for two years, and that’s it. With that being said, Hill is still a top-10 receiver in dynasty due to how many points he’s going to score in the next few years.
10. Stefon Diggs, BUF
Just like Hill, Diggs is an older wide receiver who can give you a top-five season for the next few years. On the other hand, Diggs is 29, and he’ll likely begin to decline quite soon. As significant as age is in dynasty, you need points to win championships. Diggs is being drafted with an ADP of 8.8 this year, and he can help you make a playoff push for the next few years.
C Tier
11. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, SEA
For our last and final tier, we’re kicking things off with Smith-Njigba. He was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft this year, and I expect him to take over as the Seahawks WR1 sooner rather than later.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a BETTER WR than both Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) March 5, 2023
source?
Garrett Wilson himself
cc: @MattHarmon_BYB pic.twitter.com/mydgRUW5yN
In college, Smith-Njigba was absolutely phenomenal. I could go on and on, but all that needs to be said is that he outproduced both Wilson and Olave at OSU despite being the youngest of the three. Trust the talent.
12. Tee Higgins, CIN
To round out this list, we have Higgins at number 12. Out of everyone on this list, Higgins has the lowest ceiling, but he also has an extremely high floor, which is important in dynasty. While Higgins is stuck behind Chase, there’s enough volume to go around in this offense. Higgins will consistently finish as a low-end WR1, and more importantly, he’s only 24 years old.
Playing in an offense with Joe Burrow does give Higgins the upside to have a monster year if he gets lucky with touchdowns. 12 is the perfect spot for Higgins, as moving him higher wouldn’t make much sense, but moving him any lower than this would be disrespectful.
Make sure you subscribe to the #NerdHerd, where you get exclusive content, dynasty/rookie/devy rankings, a buy/sell tool, and a bonus podcast. Dynasty Nerds also recently launched the #DynastyGM tool, a complete game-changer in the fantasy industry. Click here for a free trial. We truly are your one-stop shop for all your fantasy football needs!
