The industry’s most accurate fantasy football expert is bringing his fantasy football rankings & projections to FantasyLabs this summer. Get a sneak peek as Sean Koerner breaks down 10 early wide receiver values for Underdog Best Ball drafts.
With the NFL Draft now complete, I created my initial fantasy football rankings and projections for the 2024 season. I will sharpen my projections over the following weeks & months so I may be even higher or lower on these players further into the summer.
Here are 10 players that my fantasy football wide receiver rankings show value on relative to today’s ADP, plus some high-level thoughts on their 2024 outlook.
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Underdog Fantasy Best Ball WR Rankings, Top Values
Michael Pittman Jr., Colts (ADP WR21, My Rank WR17)
The Colts selected WR Adonai Mitchell in the 2nd round, who was considered by many to be a first-round talent. I think he dings Josh Downs/Alec Pierce’s projections the most, while Pittman will remain the top target in this offense. There was a chance that the top TE in this year’s draft class, Brock Bowers, landed in Indy and I think that could have led to Pittman’s 2024 outlook taking more of a hit.
I like the idea of landing Pittman at WR21 because he should be able to beat this ADP if Anthony Richardson manages to stay healthy for all 17 games this season. However, if Richardson were to miss time this year, backup Joe Flacco would likely unlock Pittman’s top 10 upside. Most WRs would see their value take a hit if the starting QB were to miss time, but in Pittman’s case, it would likely benefit him. This gives him a rare high floor/ceiling combo where he is essentially QB-proof. I think Pittman’s current Best Ball ADP (WR21) is overlooking this.
Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins (ADP WR20, My Rank WR13)
The Dolphins did very little to upgrade their third WR slot this offseason. They spend their 6th/7th round picks to select WRs Malik Washington and Tahj Washington to compete with Braxton Berrios and River Cracraft for the no. 3 slot on the WR depth chart. This passing attack will continue to flow through Tyreek Hill/Jaylen Waddle. Waddle stands out as a value at WR20 right now.
Devonta Smith, Eagles (ADP WR23, My Rank WR15)
Similar to the Dolphins, the Eagles will remain a top-heavy passing attack with AJ Brown/Devonta Smith/Dallas Goedert. This is the time of year people are excited to take rookies after seeing which team they’ve landed on, but you can’t go wrong with taking one of the better younger WRs in the game, in Smith, who is in the middle of his prime at age 25. 2024 could end up being his best season yet and you can get him as a low-end WR2 currently.
Brandin Cooks, Cowboys (ADP WR64, My Rank WR47)
Cooks had a fairly quiet debut season with the Cowboys last year. However, after losing Michael Gallup to free agency, they have done very little to upgrade the no. 3 WR slot and Jalen Tolbert will likely step up to take over that role.
The Cowboys are reuniting with Zeke Elliott who will likely be their lead back this season. They may struggle to run the ball and become even more pass-heavy, as a result. Meanwhile, CeeDee Lamb is arguably the league’s best WR and will command more attention from defenses this season. A player like Cooks could benefit from more open looks, currently making him too cheap at WR64.
Terry McLaurin, Commanders (ADP WR36, My Rank WR29)
Terry McLaurin has been able to produce at a high level over the first 5 seasons of his career despite poor QB play. The Commanders using their 2nd overall pick to land their QB of the future in Jayden Daniels is something that could give McLaurin’s fantasy value a boost.
Daniels is going to scramble at a high rate, which could hurt the overall volume of Washington’s passing attack. But his accuracy and ability to throw downfield seems like the ideal fit for McLaurin and I think he’s too cheap at WR36.
Mike Williams, Jets (ADP WR46, My Rank WR33)
There was a chance the Jets would select a top WR like Malik Nabers/Rome Odunze or top TE Brock Bowers at pick 10. Instead, the only pass catcher they came away with from the draft was WR Malachi Corley in the 3rd round. Therefore, my projection for Mike Williams received a slight boost based on having less target competition than expected.
At this point, we know exactly what we will get from Mike Williams as a volatile downfield threat and he should become Aaron Rodgers’s no. 2 target this year. I think that makes him an ideal target in Best Ball and we are still a long way out from Week 1, but as of now, he remains on track to be ready for Week 1 coming off last season’s ACL tear. I think he’s currently offering value at WR46.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks (ADP WR43, My Rank WR38)
Seattle drafting JSN last year reminded me of the Cowboys drafting CeeDee Lamb in 2020 when they already had two proven wide receivers. JSN might not turn into one of the best receivers in the game in four years, like Lamb, but his career trajectory could be similar as he will step up whenever DK Metcalf & Tyler Lockett miss time.
In 2023, Metcalf/Lockett only combined for one missed game, when DK Metcalf was unable to play Week 7 against the Cardinals. JSN stepped up that game with a 4/63/1 receiving line and gave us a glimpse of his upside for when he operates as a top 2 WR within the offense.
He still faces the same issue heading into 2024, but I think he is a second-year breakout candidate who should have more opportunities to step up as a top 2 WR with Metcalf/Lockett likely to miss more time between the two of them than they did last season.
Ladd McConkey, Chargers (ADP WR54, My Rank WR46)
The Chargers were an ideal landing spot for any receiver after they decided to move on from both of their top wideouts, Keenan Allen & Mike Williams. It’s an offense with a ton of potential targets up for grabs, coming from one of the better quarterbacks in the game in Justin Herbert. McConkey profiles as more of a no. 2 WR at the NFL level, but he has a real chance to become the top WR for the Chargers as soon as this season and absorb a ton of the targets left behind by Keenan Allen. I love this spot for McConkey and unlike most rookies, I think his current ADP is too low and is a steal at WR54.
Keon Coleman, Bills (ADP WR62, My Rank WR48)
The Bills were another ideal landing spot for a wide receiver as they also moved on from their top two downfield targets in Stefon Diggs & Gabe Davis. Coleman is a prospect with a wide range of outcomes, but this is the ideal landing spot for him and he’s worth the gamble at WR62 in best ball.
Wan’Dale Robinson, Giants (ADP WR76, My Rank WR64)
The Giants landed Malik Nabers with the no. 6 overall pick and he’s an elite prospect who will be their top WR for years to come. Wan’Dale Robinson flashed at times last season and should continue getting better heading into year three. I think he could benefit from opposing defenses trying to stop Nabers and will likely be Daniel Jones’ no. 2 target. I think the market is overlooking the leftover targets from not only Saquon Barkley’s departure but also Darren Waller’s potential retirement. It’s looking more likely that Waller will step away from football. The Giants don’t have a TE on the roster that will absorb all of his leftover targets and I’m projecting a decent percentage of them to go Robinson’s way. I think his ADP will end up closer to my rank if/when Waller’s retirement becomes official.
