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Fantasy Football Rankings: WR Tiers (Non-PPR)

(Updated Sept. 3)

Rankings are great, but they never tell the whole story.

There could be a much bigger difference between Player A and Player B than between Players B and C -- even though all 3 appear consecutively in the position’s rankings.

That’s where tiers come in. Breaking the rankings down into groups can help you determine when it’s OK to pass on a particular player because you can expect 2-3 similar guys to last until your next turn -- or when you need to go ahead and jump.

Your MVP Board remains the primary tool for guiding you through fantasy football draft day, of course. But let these tiers add clarity and help you figure out your targets at each turn.

And before you get to the real thing, make sure you spend some time with our brand-spankin’-new (and FREE) Mock Draft Trainer to hone your strategy.

See also:

QB Tiers
RB Non-PPR Tiers
RB PPR Tiers
WR PPR Tiers
TE Tiers
IDP Tiers

The Studs

These 3 will -- and should -- be the 1st wideouts off the board in nearly every fantasy football draft this season, regardless of format.

Antonio Brown
Odell Beckham
Julio Jones

The Near-Studs

These guys have a shot to reach the top shelf by season’s end but start the year still looking up toward it.

A.J. Green
Allen Robinson

The Clear #1s

These 5 draw clear #1 WR target shares on their teams, but their situations or volume keep them short of “stud” or “near-stud” level.

DeAndre Hopkins
Mike Evans
Alshon Jeffery
Brandon Marshall

Lower-Volume #1s

This crew -- except for Cobb -- also represent #1 targets for their respective teams. They should just expect either less volume or lower efficiency with questionable QB play. (Lookin’ at you, Denver.)

T.Y. Hilton
Jordy Nelson
Brandin Cooks
Amari Cooper
Randall Cobb
Keenan Allen
Dez Bryant

Solid WR2s to strong WR3s

Watkins would belong to a higher group if he hadn’t suffered a foot fracture in the spring. Overall, though, this group represents just what the heading says.

Sammy Watkins
Demaryius Thomas
Michael Floyd
Golden Tate
Jeremy Maclin
Donte Moncrief
Eric Decker
Kelvin Benjamin
Jarvis Landry
John Brown

Breakthrough candidates

Our rankings put these 2 second-year players within the next group, but Parker and Lockett could break out in 2016 if they get larger target shares than we’re projecting -- or if they fare particularly well in TD rate.

Tyler Lockett

Solid WR3s

Nothin’ wrong with any of these guys filling your 3rd WR role.

Jordan Matthews
Allen Hurns
Doug Baldwin
Julian Edelman
Larry Fitzgerald
Marvin Jones

Boom/Bust WR3s or WR4s

These 3 will present more bust risk if you rely on them as WR3s, while the boom potential looks more enticing at WR4 level (or beyond).

DeSean Jackson
Josh Gordon
Kevin White

Potential WR3s

This crew doesn’t begin the season ranked inside WR3 range, but any player in this segment could finish there.

Emmanuel Sanders
Vincent Jackson
Michael Crabtree
Corey Coleman
DeVante Parker
Stefon Diggs
Willie Snead
Tavon Austin
Sterling Shepard
Mike Wallace
Kamar Aiken
Torrey Smith

Upside Flexes and Fill-ins

There’s plenty of guesswork in projecting this group, but some combo of talent and/or situation presents interesting upside.

Travis Benjamin
Markus Wheaton
Michael Thomas
Phillip Dorsett
Terrance Williams
Laquon Treadwell
Devin Funchess
Sammie Coates

Low-Ceiling Volume Plays

You won’t pump your fist after drafting any of these 3, but they can all be helpful. Smith’s tough to fit in a category in his return from an Achilles’ tear, but this seems like a fair spot based on his draft price. All 3 could see more than 100 targets this season.

Mohamed Sanu
Pierre Garcon
Steve Smith

The Rest

You’ll find all varieties of fantasy prospects in this range. Where you direct your focus will depend heavily on exactly what you’re looking for. There’s also room at this point to ignore your rankings and just grab the player(s) you like.

Breshad Perriman on

Matt Schauf, Editor

Matt has earned two Fantasy Pros accuracy awards for IDP rankings and won thousands of dollars as a player across best ball, dynasty, and high-stakes fantasy formats. He has been creating fantasy football content for more than 20 years, with work featured by Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon, Sirius XM, and others. He's been with Draft Sharks since 2011.