Most rookie drafts present an opportunity for each fantasy owner to go out there and nab multiple high-upside wide receiver options. It happens each and every season, but sometimes the depth of a particular draft class impacts what owners do in these annual rookie drafts.
The 2013 draft was seen as somewhat weak at wide receiver. That being said, some rookie broke out big time, which enabled owners to pick up some surprise fantasy performers. If you were lucky enough to pick up a couple of these players, you are now presented with somewhat of a decision. Who do you start? Which players become FLEX options? Who do you relegate to the bench?
eDraft plans to help you with answering those questions right here.
Note: Check out our second-year running back rankings.
1. Keenan Allen, San Diego Chargers
2013 Statistics: 71 receptions, 1,046 yards and eight touchdowns
Allen put up one of the most surprising years for a rookie receiver in the recent history of the league. He tallied a rare 1,000-yard season for a first-year player, and in doing so, showed everyone why he was a first-round talent. Allen finished as the 17th-ranked fantasy receiver, which made him a decent WR2 option in standard leagues.
The interesting dynamic here is that Allen came into the season as San Diego's No. 4 wide receiver and was its top receiving target by the time the regular season came to an end. Most of this had to do with injuries to other receivers, but Allen made the most of his opportunities. He ranked 10th in our consistency metrics, tallying 100-plus yards or a touchdown in eight of his 15 games. In addition to this, Allen caught a ridiculous 68 percent of the passes thrown in his direction.
Moving forward, Allen is now clearly Philip Rivers No. 1 receiver and should find himself as a solid WR1 option in standard leagues. He will receive more red-zone opportunities and should see an uptick in targets from the 104 he tallied in 2013.
2. Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota Vikings
2013 Statistics: 45 receptions, 469 yards and four touchdowns
It may surprise many that Patterson is No. 2 on this list, but he showed enough last season to provide us a sample size that indicates major upside. Realistically, Patterson should find himself in the FLEX conversation in standard 12-team 2WR leagues. He's going to see more targets, especially with the Vikings moving Greg Jennings to the slot in three-wide sets and Patterson lining up wide in base formations.
Patterson played in only an average of 27.9 snaps last year. Expect those numbers to at least double. This seems to indicate that the youngster will put up close to 1,000 yards, which doesn't even take into account natural progression from Year 1 to Year 2.
3. DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans
2013 Statistics: 52 receptions, 802 yards and two touchdowns
If Andre Johnson is traded prior to the start of the regular season, Hopkins likely slides up to No. 2 on this list and a solid WR2 option. If not, he's going to pretty much stay put as a mid-tier FLEX or top-tier bench option. The one issue that Hopkins had in a solid rookie reason was consistency. He put up 43 percent of his total yards in four games, compliling the other 57 percent in 12 games.
In terms of our consistency metrics, Hopkins ranked 95th overall. Unless he starts receiving more targets, he's simply not going to be consistent enough to be a viable starter on a weekly basis. It's that simple.
4. Kenny Stills, New Orleans Saints
2013 Statistics: 32 receptions, 641 yards and five touchdowns
Some may say that the addition of Brandin Cooks in the draft will have a negative impact on Stills' production. That's simply not going to be the case. He's going to come in and replace some of the 95 targets recently traded running back Darren Sproles received last season. As it relates to Stills, he should still see an uptick in production.
The second-year put up the second-most snaps of any Saints receiver in 2013, but he was targeted just 46 times on the season. Expect Stills to see action in more passing plays, which will increase his number of targets. Overall, the Oklahoma product caught 69.6 percent of the passes thrown in his direction and led the NFL in average yards per reception. Those are some solid indicators right there. Buy low as a bench option and expect top-tier FLEX production.
5. Markus Wheaton, Pittsburgh Steelers
2013 Statistics: Six receptions, 64 yards and zero touchdowns
There is absolutely no sample size here to indicate that Wheaton will be a solid fantasy option in 2014. He caught just six passes on 12 targets and averaged about 10 snaps per game. The idea behind ranking Stills here is that Pittsburgh lost Jerricho Cotchery and Emmanuel Sanders in free agency, which indicates that Wheaton will break camp as a starter. With Big Ben under center, we know very well how young Steelers receivers surprise. Wheaton will be the latest in the long line of surprising fantasy options for Pittsburgh.
Rounding out the Rankings
6. Terrance Williams, Dallas Cowboys
7. Justin Hunter, Tennessee Titans
8. Aaron Dobson, New England Patriots
9. Robert Woods, Buffalo Bills
10. Ace Sanders, Jacksonville Jaguars