Taking advantage of uncertain WR Rooms: NFC East and North

New York Giants: Malik Nabers (ADP: 27), Wan’Dale Robinson (ADP: 167), Darius Slayton (ADP: 205.1), Jalin Hyatt (ADP: 211.9)

Nabers:

Nabers is a bit too high priced given the concerns of the Giants offense. Ideally he’s going a round or two later, as it could be tough for him to match some of the top receivers going around his ADP, even with a high target share.

Robinson:

Robinson should probably not be the 2nd Giants receiver being selected, especially on a .5 ppr site. He could end up splitting the slot role more, and doesn’t have a high TD outlook. Overall I am avoiding selecting him, given his lack of spike week potential.

Slayton:

Every year people try to discount Slayton, and every year he ends up as the Giants top WR with 50ish catches, 700+ yards and 3-6 TDs. This year Nabers might be the top WR, but Slayton should be out there and a solid number 2. He has some deep-threat ability and can be a minor spike-week player. Given where he’s going in drafts he is a great 17th or 18th round option.

Hyatt:

Hyatt is a deep-threat option, who could see some work outside when Nabers is in the slot, or he might take some slot work himself. Though his targets could be more limited, as well as his snaps, he does have a little spike-week ability. That’s why I don’t hate him as a late option vs say Robinson, four rounds earlier.

Analysis:

I will be underweight on Nabers as it is very tough for him to pay off his ADP, but the talent and targets are there. Maybe he has enough big spike-weeks and at the right time to be who you want, but in terms of total points or ppg he is likely to be behind most guys in this range. Slayton I think is one of the best values out there, as even in a secondary role he can be one of the better 17th-18th round options available. He won’t challenge Nabers for the target lead, but keep in mind the Giants lost both Barkley and Waller, so more targets could filter to the receiver position.

Chicago Bears: D.J. Moore (ADP: 30.9), Keenan Allen (ADP: 54.2), Rome Odunze (ADP: 67.2)

Moore:

Moore came on in a big way last season in the Bears, and he is primed to be the Bears top WR. He has the upside to be a true star receiver and should match well with Caleb Williams. The concern is the WR room is deep in Chicago, and if he doesn’t end up as the top WR, he might still be a fantasy asset, but not pay off his ADP.

Allen:

While people keep trying to throw Keenan Allen off the age cliff, he continues to prove his doubters wrong. Through 14 weeks last season, Allen was WR 3 in .5 ppr. He finished as WR 1 overall 3 times last season. This wasn’t just a one-season blip as Allen has aged, he finished as WR 13 and 16 in the previous two seasons. He might not be what he was last season, especially in a crowded room, but he can still pay off his ADP.

Odonze:

Odunze would have likely been the top receiver drafted in most drafts over the last 10 seasons, but in this stacked class he was the 3rd one taken. Unlike the receivers taken ahead of him (and even a number taken behind him), he goes to a situation where it will be very tough for him to be WR1 and honestly even WR 2 could be a stretch. The talent and physical ability are there, the question is more just the opportunity presented. He still should see plenty of playing time, and he does have the skill set to be an effective deep threat/Red zone weapon. While generally, it will be hard for him to pay off his ADP, he does have the potential for more spike weeks, especially if the TDs go more to him.

Analysis:

The Bears offense has a chance to be very good this season, and could be like the Texans a year ago. I think both Moore and Allen are good values if they end up as WR 1 and 2 on the team, but there is a risk they don’t with the presence of Odunze. I am drafting Odunze less, but see him as more of a spike week guy, who is a bit overpriced.

Green Bay Packers: Jayden Reed (ADP: 57.6), Christian Watson (ADP 69.3), Romeo Doubs (ADP: 106.5), Dontayvion Wicks (ADP: 115.5)

Reed:

Reed was the Packers 2nd round rookie last season and turned that into a very strong rookie season. He was 2nd in targets and tied for first with 8 receiving TDs. Reed though is a dynamic player and also got over 100 yards rushing and a pair of TDs on the ground. While his snap count was inconsistent at times and he had to leave a couple of games early, he’s definitely a player that the team schemes up, especially in the Red Zone. It would be nice to know that he had a more locked-in snap count, but the upside is here for Reed.

Watson:

Watson is the team’s high-risk/high-reward option. He has elite speed and can be a major downfield threat, with massive spike week potential. On the other hand, he also represents the receiver who doesn’t have the best hands/route-running, to go along with his major injury concerns. Watson has the potential for massive spike weeks, but he’s likely to not hit your line-up a fair bit given his style of play. There are ways that he can pay off this ADP, but he’s not as certain as an every-down player as most receivers in this area.

Doubs:

Doubs is probably the safest of the Packers receivers. He’s not going to be the fastest or most dynamic, but he probably gets the most total snaps and has proven to be a reliable target. He led the team in targets last season, and was tied for the receiving TD lead. If everyone is healthy he’s probably the 3rd option on the team, but he can still produce steady numbers to pay off this ADP. The one concern is that Wicks could squeeze him more this year, but overall he should be a good solid option. He probably won’t have many massive spike weeks, but will have more usable weeks than a number of receivers in this area.

Wicks:

Wicks came out of nowhere last season as a 5th-round rookie, to be one of the Packers better receivers down the stretch. He’s got good size and runs routes extremely well, and in many ways is the Packers best all-around receiver. The issue is that given his lower draft status, he still might be the 4th option on this team. With Green Bay probably kinda rotating their receivers, he does offer upside in that he’s the lowest drafted of the bunch. If he ends up with a bigger role due to injury or just his talent, you could see him being the most valuable option.

Analysis: 

When it comes to the Packers you want to have pieces of this offense, as they have one of the best offensive coaches and Jordan Love looks like the real deal. Honestly I want pieces of all four receivers at and around their current ADPs. I think the best way to handle it is how they are viewed in your WR room. Reed has the highest upside, Watson the best spike weeks, Doubs the strongest floor, and Wicks the best potential value. If you are going to draft Watson for instance, make sure you have a lot of other safe WRs that can give you usable weeks. Doubs is the inverse, draft him with other more “spike week” type receivers.