Author: PT Props, Twitter: @PTProps
Pictured Above: Julio Jones (Danny Karnik/Associated Press)
Rankings referenced are according to ECRs on ESPN
Honorable Mentions
- Jerry Jeudy WR 42
- Jeudy finished as WR 47 as a rookie with terrible QB play last season. Yes Sutton is coming back, but there is a good chance this is more of a 1A 1B situation. Denver is a popular landing spot for Aaron Rodgers so drafting Jeudy could end up being a league winner.
- Corey Davis WR 46
- Davis finished as WR 30 while playing 14 games in a run first offense in 2020. Davis finds himself in 2021 on the Jets in a situation where he could lead the team in targets on a team that will have to throw A LOT.
- Robby Anderson WR 32
- Finished as WR 19 in 2020 with Teddy Bridgewater as his QB. Coming into 2021 with Sam Darnold who has previous chemistry with Anderson and is willing to throw deep more than Teddy.
5. Adam Thielen
ECR Rank: 18
2020 Finish: 10
Thielen quietly finished as WR 10 last season while missing a game. Thielen finished as a top 10 WR in 3 of the last 4 seasons (2019 only played 10 games). Jefferson’s emergence last year has people worried about a little Thielen entering this season. However, he’s still only 30 and has been able to produce WR 1 numbers past while sharing targets with Diggs. There is plenty of volume for Thielen and Jefferson to thrive in 2021.
4. Brandin Cooks
ECR Rank: 27
2020 Finish: 16
Probably the biggest reason for the low ranking is the Watson situation in Houston. Likely Watson will not be playing this year, but Cooks is still a value at where he is being drafted. The slim chance Watson does suit up this season will cause Cooks value to sky rocket. The Texans receiving core is one of the thinnest in the league so Cooks should see plenty of targets regardless of who’s under center. There is a false narrative that Cooks has injury problems, but he has played at least 14 games in 6 straight years and finished as a top 16 WR in 5 out of those 6 years.
3. Tyler Lockett
ECR Rank: 28
2020 Finish: 8
I am really struggling to find a reason why his ranking is so low. Lockett has finished as a top 20 WR in the last 3 seasons with his best finish coming last year. DK is emerging as the team’s top target, but that means Lockett will see softer coverage. The Seahawks defense is terrible and Russ will have to air it out in order to keep them in games. Lockett should finish as middle WR 2 in 2021 and is a steal where he’s going in drafts.
2. Brandon Aiyuk
ECR: 29
2020 Finish: 35
Aiyuk had a strong rookie season that was cut short by injuries. While only playing 12 games last season, Aiyuk scored about 15 ppg. Put that over a 16 game span and Aiyuk finishes as the WR 14. Aiyuk looked like the top option for the 9ers and I see him building off his strong rookie season in 2021.
1. Julio Jones
ECR: 17
2020 Finish: 51
Julio only played 9 games last season while averaging over 16 ppg which would have made him a top 10 WR through 16 games. Julio is 32 years old entering 2021, but he is a freak athlete and has been super productive in the 9 games he played last season. Going all the way back to the 2014 season, last year was his first season not finishing in the top 10 and the only season he missed more than 2 games. Julio is elite and should dominate in the NFL and in fantasy regardless of if he gets traded or not.
Probably Wondering 