We are now at the quarter-season mark of the season (sort of). Four games in, and we have learned a lot about the rising and falling stars of the NFL. The fantasy wide receiver rankings are drastically different compared to the beginning of the season. Here are some of the most noteworthy players that have been blowing our minds:
Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings: Good Surprises
Puka Nacua
Did anyone think that a 5th round pick from BYU would have such an impact on the first four games of the year? Maybe a few Rams fans saw this coming, but most people did not. Puka Nacua has amassed a record 52 targets and caught 39 through only four games. The Rams are a surprising 2-2, and Nacua’s fast rise to the top of the Rams receiver room has been a vital part of the early season success. He capped his quarter-season stretch with nine catches for 163 yards and a walk-off touchdown.
Assuming the Rams have their starting left tackle Alaric Jackson back and playing full-time, they should be fine and allow Matthew Stafford some time to throw. It was clear once Jackson went out against the Bengals, Trey Hendrickson looked like a first-team all-pro against the backup tackle. It is hard to say what the role for Nacua will be once Kupp returns, but it is safe to say he has earned his playing time and will be the number two option at the least. Puka doesn’t have game-breaking speed, but he is a savvy route runner and sure hands that can be trusted. Now that team is going to have two Cooper Kupp receivers out there. This will be fun.
Mike Evans
Mike Evans is on a mission this year. He did not get the contract extension he desired from the Bucs and will likely play elsewhere next year. He has settled in nicely with Baker Mayfield under center. His current pace is ADD YARDS through the first four games, which would be a career-best. Evans’s case for his best season was put to the test against the tough Saints’ defense. He managed three catches for 40 yards against Marshon Lattimore, who has always defended him well.
With Chris Godwin only totaling 255 scoreless yards so far, it is clear Mike Evans is the number one. Although, once Evans went down, we did see Godwin step up and gain 114 yards in his absence. Evans remains my favorite Bucs receiver for fantasy moving forward. He gets the bye week to rest his injured hamstring and will be ready to go by week 6.
Nico Collins
The Texans are a team to pay attention to. This offensive line has had countless injuries, but rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has been lighting it up. Nico Collins has been the biggest beneficiary of that so far as the WR5 through four weeks. After two seasons of less than 500 receiving yards each, Collins already has 428 for the year. He has taken that jump and has established himself as a WR in Houston. Rookie Tank Dell has stolen a little thunder, but they are a nice tandem and should grow with Stroud more as the season progresses.
The team expects Noah Brown off of IR soon, which should not cut into Collins’s workload. I would expect Brown to work in place of Robert Woods or John Metchie III. As long as CJ Stroud is in at QB, Collins is a must-start after destroying a very good Steelers defense. Consider the league on notice that this team is for real.
Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings: Disappointments
Ja’marr Chase
Another year, another 0-2 start for Cincinnati and slow fantasy starts for Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. This looks like a pattern that will continue until proven otherwise. The good news is Chase got some good production in the game against the Rams in week 3. He followed up with a solid 73 yards against the Titans, but still no scores. After listening to the Monday Night Broadcast, it is clear the Bengals have a boring and predictable offense. Nobody ever motions and formations are simple. Remember hearing Dan Orlovsky constantly talking about how the team put Chase in motion so much? Watch Miami for a quarter and you’ll see they do it every play.
I expect Chase to rebound on the slow start and he has already started showing signs of it. The ESPN broadcast pointed out several times he was put in motion countless times and featured out of several places within the formation. This could be a huge break for those who drafted him in the top five in their fantasy drafts. The talent on this offense is there and arguably a top-five unit. With a little bit of creativity, Ja’Marr Chase is set to take over and be the guy we know him to be. I just hope that Joe Burrow’s calf injury gets better and allows him to run and buy time to throw deep shots. I don’t expect Chase to sit in this section of the fantasy wide receiver rankings for long.
There are a lot of factors working against Chase right now, but his talent and upside are too great to give up on him quite yet. A wise man once told me, stick to your studs. The ultimate kicker is his post-game comments to reporters saying: “I’m always f***ing open.” The next game they played just got way more interesting.
Jaylen Waddle
This criticism is a bit unfair considering Waddle was inactive for the Broncos game resulting in the most incredible accumulation of statistics for skill position players that I have ever seen. Through the three games, Waddle is the only player to have not scored a touchdown. Given his draft capital, that is not good enough. I’m not saying bench him, but I want more from him. Waddle was drafted to be the yards-after-catch threat on your fantasy squad. So far it has been the Tyreek Hill show through the air.
Things will certainly pick up because Miami’s offense is amazing. They are a problem for opposing defenses in all areas. Last season, Waddle did shred the Bills defense. Eventually, he will get his due when teams sell out to stop Tyreek Hill. The yards are there, but there has not been any scores. That 70+ yard catch-and-run moment will come sooner rather than later.
Weeks 1-3 Disappointment
AJ Brown
Okay… I started writing this before week 4. But I will still feature Brown in this section of the fantasy wide receiver rankings due to his slow start in weeks 1-3.
Brown along with the Eagles offense has started a bit slow. There was not much preseason action for this crew so the first few games are showing how rusty they are. Brown was able to come down with 141 receiving yards in week 3 after an outburst on the sideline the week prior. This Eagles team needs a little time to find their groove. They lost their offensive and defensive coordinators on top of losing last year’s Super Bowl. There is a lot for them to adjust to as defensive coaches are catching up to their offensive scheme from the year prior. After three weeks, I was feeling a little bit uneasy about his output. But after week four happened, you can cross him off this list.
With AJ, it’s not just one touchdown after a three-week drought. It’s two or three in a game to bounce back. This is another example of someone who got their action sooner rather than later. AJ Brown is that guy in Philly. A prime example of STICK TO YOUR STUDS!
Bonus Section! A Late Round Flop and Steal
Late Round Flop: Treylon Burks
The Tennessee Titans are upsetting to watch. Everything needs to be revamped. Burks has been incredibly disappointing. Anyone will tell you the team should have just paid AJ Brown because he was a proven superstar. They traded him for a draft pick that “could” be a superstar wideout. The promise was there for Burks in his rookie year by making a lot of big plays. Ryan Tannehill may not have a lot of time to throw, but at some point, you have to give a guy a chance. With Hopkins being a jump ball and short route player, Burks is the team’s only hope at chunk plays through the air. He had a 70-yard catch in week two but was otherwise nonexistent.
Burks was a late-round player with a lot of potential to outperform that draft stock. Four games in, and he performing like an undrafted player. I took him late in a few leagues and watching him underperform low expectations has been frustrating. At least he was a late-round flyer instead of someone like Cam Akers. DROP.
Late Round Steal: Tank Dell
Two Texans players?! Yep! Tank Dell has officially arrived. We knew someone had to step up in the Houston wide receiver room it was just a matter of who. I had thought it would be Dell or John Metchie III. At least I was half right, given that Nico Collins has played as great as Dell. It has only been four games and it’s not too late for him to explode just like Dell did in week 3. Tank Dell and fellow rookie CJ Stroud have developed a nice chemistry and it can easily carry on through the season. He and Nico Collins are the most proven explosive playmakers the Texans have at this point.
The team’s running game has been suffering so far. Injuries have destroyed the offensive line and a lot has been put on Stroud. Luckily, he has responded to the challenge and carried the team to an upset victory over the rival Jaguars. With Stroud’s smarts and talent, I feel confident he can consistently deliver accurate passes toward Dell and keep him in the fantasy WR2 range. Though he had a down game against Pittsburg, the team controlled the game and won with ease.