Dynasty: Which Undderrated WRs to Target?
By: Christopher Krause
Welcome back! Last week I brought you five running backs to target this offseason. This week we have another skills position to discuss: the wide receivers. Wide receivers are some of the best assets to construct your team around due to their career longevity and predictability. Therefore, they are exactly what we try to use as the foundations of our teams as dynasty managers. Let’s check out some that won’t break the bank but will still help the build.
Tyler Boyd
I bet you are wondering why I’m recommending a player who finished WR29 in 2020 and has a young emerging wide receiver on the same team. How easy we are to forget the Burrow injury-plagued the Bengals. In the ten games with Joe Burrow, Boyd averaged 16.2 PPR fantasy points and was WR11 when the injury happened. Even with Tee Higgins coming into his own, there will be 104 vacated targets available. I believe both Higgins and Boyd will get theirs and currently with an eighth-round ADP, Boyd is a value.
Curtis Samuel
One thing to remember with Samuel is that he is only turning 25 this August, even though it feels like he has been in the league forever. In 2019 he was one of the most hyped players to break out and he disappointed.
In 2020 he bounced back, even with up-and-down quarterback play from Teddy Bridgewater. He quietly finished as WR24, one spot ahead of his teammate, DJ Moore.
Now with Samuel going to free agency, he can pick his home. Also, with his duel-threat ability in the air or on the ground, he has Top 12 upside with a Top 24, or later, price tag.
Michael Pittman Jr.
The first selected player by the Indianapolis Colts in 2020. Yes, seven picks before Jonathan Taylor. So, the team definitely has a plan for him.
Pittman’s rookie campaign was plagued by injuries that he was playing through, but he definitely flashed. With the torch seemingly being passed from TY Hilton, we can expect Pittman to be the alpha in that offense.
The biggest factor here is that there will be a new quarterback in Indy with Phillip Rivers retiring. But, almost any quarterback available through free agency, trade, or draft will surely be an upgrade from Old Man Rivers’ noodle arm.
DJ Chark
One of 2019’s biggest breakouts became one of 2020’s biggest let downs. After taking a big step forward in his sophomore season, we all thought he would continue to grow into one of the best young speedsters.
According to his fantasy points, that didn’t happen. BUT it isn’t entirely his fault. Chark finished WR49 in PPR scoring in 2020, averaging 11.8 fantasy points per game. Nothing to write home about, especially when we compare it to his WR17 finish. So, what changed?
The short answer is quarterback play. In 2020, Chark had only a 70.2% catchable pass rate, which ranked him 91st amongst eligible receivers. It’s hard to produce when nearly 30% of your opportunities are uncatchable.
With Trevor Lawrence most likely being drafted by Jacksonville at the 1.01 in the 2021 NFL Draft, we can expect that catchable rate to go up, along with DJ Chark’s fantasy stock.
Christian Kirk
Kirk is one of my favorite receivers that came out of the 2018 draft class. He is a very quick and shifty route runner with solid release angles and NFL-ready YAC capabilities. The optimal slot player.
The only problem was he got drafted to the Arizona Cardinals who had their slot player in the Legend Larry Fitzgerald. Now with Larry’s likely retirement, the door is open for Kirk to slide into his most optimal space on the football field.
Kirk has shown flashes and big games in his first two years on the outside, but with this new opportunity available to him and 72 vacated targets up for grabs, I think 2021 could be the year he has a solid Top 20 finish. With Hopkins being the alpha and keeping defenses honest, I believe Kirk can make linebackers look silly coming out of the slot and take advantage of soft coverage with his yards after catch ability.
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