Undervalued Players: 11 Wide Receivers to Target

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A fantasy draft is all about obtaining the most value with each selection. Value is available throughout a draft; grabbing it is one of the most important keys to a successful fantasy team. To point out this value, we asked our staff to identify players available in the top half of your draft who should outperform their draft position.

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Here are the wide receivers who received the most votes:

• Christian Watson, Green Bay
• Amari Cooper, Cleveland
• Tee Higgins, Cincinnati
• George Pickens, Pittsburgh

And here are all of the players with multiple mentions and the reasons why.

Undervalued Player Receiving 5 Votes

Christian Watson, Green Bay

Bob Harris: We've seen the ceiling here. Remember that four-game, seven-touchdown stretch Watson delivered as a rookie in 2022? While tender hamstrings have been a limiting factor in his first two campaigns, Watson went through an intensive program to help him avoid those issues this year. Coach Matt LaFleur recently told reporters the Packers will feel pretty good about Watson's hamstrings holding up for the season if he can make it through training camp without another such injury. If that's the case, Watson, who has 69 catches for 1,033 yards and 12 touchdowns in 23 games, is a very reasonable risk given the WR4 price tag.

Gary Davenport: Watson entered last year surrounded by more than a little hype last year after peeling off seven scores in a month as a rookie, but an injury-marred 2023 (and WR69 PPR finish) was a massive disappointment—the kind of disappointment that leads to players being undervalued the following season. It's too early in Watson's career to slap the "injury-prone" label on Watson. The Green Bay offense has a real chance to be something special in 2024, and the argument can be made that a healthy Watson is the most talented receiver on the roster.

Chad Parsons: Christian Watson has Will Fuller-type vibes where any significant string of health will result in an impactful fantasy outcome. How many times will fantasy teams get that in his career? For Fuller, it was one massive season and moments of others. Watson is one of the cheaper bets on a team's WR1 possibilities, attached to a strong quarterback with the physical upside to finish in the top 12. 

Zareh Kantzabedian: Watson, a highly athletic wide receiver, is the WR1 for a team that ranked second in passing touchdowns per game in 2023. He's being selected 13 picks after fellow slot receiver Jayden Reed, who sees fewer snaps per game. Watson played through significant soft tissue injuries last year but has now addressed these issues. His potential, combined with his improved health, could see him dominate in 2024.

Andy Hicks: Durability is the biggest issue facing third-year receiver Christian Watson. His numbers, when fit, justify a much higher ranking than his ADP. Starting a draft with reliable players in the early rounds will allow you to take that risk with Watson. After struggling with hamstring injuries in 2023, his final three games for the season showed the upside. Recording four touchdowns in those three games,  as well as seven in a four-game stretch in 2022, demonstrates the big-play ability desired by fantasy managers. There will be plenty of safer choices that will exceed mediocrity afterward. 

Undervalued Player Receiving 4 Votes

Amari Cooper, Cleveland

Bob Harris: Have I mentioned the whole "less-than-ideal quarterback" thing? Cooper finished last year as WR20, but that's deceiving. His performance down the stretch last year, with Joe Flacco as his quarterback, was dominant. He averaged 22.9 fantasy points per game, including his league-winning Week 16 showing against the Texans. In 2022, Cooper finished the year as WR8, with Jacoby Brissett as his starter for most of the season. What should we expect this year? Cooper was WR18 over the first three games last year with Deshaun Watson under center. Watson returned from injury at midseason and delivered two healthy starts. Cooper was WR5 over those two weeks. It's hard for me to imagine Cooper not outperforming his current ADP.

James Brimacombe: Sometimes Cooper feels like an afterthought when discussing star wide receivers that are currently in the league. Playing in 15 games last year with subpar quarterback play, he still managed a 72/1250/5 stat line and finished as WR16. The hope is that in 2024, he gets a healthy Deshaun Watson for the entire year, and top 10 WR numbers are not out of the question.

Corey Spala: Cooper finished as the WR20 (PPR) in 2023 and the WR18 in points per game (PPG) in 15 games played. You may remember Cooper flashing with Joe Flacco, notably his two-game stretch for 15 receptions for 374 yards and three touchdowns. Maybe his 30th birthday in June has people concerned? I am not worried about Jerry Jeudy or Cooper's age. He averaged 8.2 targets and 17.6 points per game in five games playing with Deshaun Watson. I am betting Cooper will outperform his WR28 ADP.

Matt Montgomery: The slander for Cooper is amazing to me. Last season, he finished as a top-15 wide receiver, and this season, he is sitting in the WR28 range. I understand he scored nearly 1/3 of his output in two games, which is why I believe he is undervalued. Not many players can go for 200+ yards. Amari Cooper has done so the second most times ever. Granted, you can't build a team on hope for this, but the ability is there. If you are looking for high upside, Cooper is on a short list of the highest. 

Undervalued Players Receiving 3 Votes

Tee Higgins, Cincinnati

Hutchinson Brown: Tee Higgins at WR27 sounds low to me. His points per game in PPR over the last three seasons have been at 15.7 in 2021, 16.0 in 2022, and, eliminating all games where he got knocked out early, 13.4 this past season. Yes, it was a down year, but putting up 13.4 points per game while dealing with a lot of injuries and a crazy quarterback situation is still a very solid season. His upside is capped due to Ja'Marr Chase dominating the WR1 role, but he should definitely beat WR27 this season as long as he stays relatively healthy on a contract year where he's playing for his NFL future.

Dan Hindery: In the five games Joe Burrow was healthy last season, he threw for 1,480 yards and 12 touchdowns (full-season pace of 5,032 yards and 41 touchdowns). With a healthy Burrow, an improved offensive line, and a third deep threat (Jermaine Burton) to keep defenses honest, the Bengals offense has a chance to be the best in the NFL. Higgins will be highly motivated in a contract year and should earn a huge chunk of the targets in this offense. Expect 1,200+ yards and 10+ touchdowns from Higgins this season.

Matt Montgomery: The revenge tour is coming, folks. Higgins didn't get traded and didn't get a contract this offseason, which is a blessing for fantasy managers. We know what we are getting from his situation, so now we must focus on what we will get from him. I believe the best way to motivate a player is with the “prove me wrong” approach. The Bengals know he is a good player but aren't comfortable tying the salary up to keep him. So, this season, Higgins is playing to show the entire NFL he is a worthy long-term investment in a league filled with talent. My money is on Higgins showing the world that he can be #1 on any team without a Ja'mar Chase 

George Pickens, Pittsburgh

Jason Wood: Riddle me this, Batman: How does a 23-year-old No. 1 receiver who finished WR23 last season have an ADP five or six rounds lower this year? George Pickens is criminally undervalued due to an overzealous disdain for Arthur Smith, the Steelers' new offensive coordinator. I won't defend Smith's handling of the Falcons' offense, but the Steelers' situation is more analogous to Smith's time in Tennessee when he fielded back-to-back top-10 offenses. While this will be a run-heavy system, let's not forget the Steelers only threw the ball 506 times last season when Pickens was WR23. I project Pittsburgh to throw 530 times this year, and both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are capable of overloading their No. 1 receiver with targets. Pickens has a floor higher than his ADP and a ceiling that far surpasses it.

Ryan Weisse: George Pickens finished last season ranked 30th among fantasy wide receivers despite catching balls from Kenny Pickett and competing for targets with Diontae Johnson. Now, he has a better quarterback in Russell Wilson or Justin Fields and is the clear-cut No. 1 receiver in Pittsburgh. Yet, you can still draft him based on his 2023 finish. There is a boom-or-bust nature to his game, but all signs seem to point to him being a bigger part of the offense.

Sigmund Bloom: Pickens was producing at an elite fantasy clip when the Steelers offense made the revolutionary move of going to Mason Rudolph at quarterback. His main target competition, Diontae Johnson, was traded to Carolina. The Steelers added Russell Wilson and Justin Fields at quarterback. Either would be the most dangerous downfield passer Pickens has played with. It's easier to see Pickens making a similar leap to DJ Moore's 2023 season (with Fields at quarterback!) than it is to see him producing at his ADP level.

Rashee Rice, Kansas City

Jeff Bell: Are we going to talk about it? Yeah, we are going to talk about it. Rice is pending league discipline regarding a significant off-season car accident. To further pile on his ADP, he had charges against him stemming from a nightclub incident. Those charges are dropped; meanwhile, we have seen players avoid punishment until their legal matters are complete, most recently Alvin Kamara in 2022. Players with legitimate top-12 positional outcomes are very thin at Rice's current ADP of WR44.

Chad Parsons: The bet with Rice is whether or not (and for how long) Rice will be suspended in 2024. There are avenues where Rice is not disciplined until 2025 due to the legal process playing out or a shorter-than-expected suspension is levied in 2024. Either of those outcomes makes Rice a significant target as a bench option price point in drafts. Shallower redraft formats allow more latitude to make up for the boom-bust selection of Rice if he turns into a dud selection due to missed games.

Corey Spala: Offseason legal issues have plummeted Rice down to WR44. A potential suspension looms, and the uncertainty of the length explains the ADP plummet. Rice provides top-12 positional potential (full season) and can be drafted at WR44. If he does get suspended, he may not surpass "WR44" in the season-end-finish, but he will have a significant effect in his points-per-game (PPG) finish. Justin Jefferson missed seven games in 2023 and finished as WR33; he was WR5 in PPG. Rice was WR29 (PPG) as a rookie, but more notably, WR14 following Kansas City's Week 10 bye. 

Calvin Ridley, Tennessee

Jeff Bell: After missing nearly two full calendar years, Ridley did not look quite right for large portions of the 2023 season. But his year-end numbers look just fine, finishing at .5 PPR WR17 overall and WR25 per game. Tennessee should see one of the most dramatic offensive shifts in the NFL, with Derrick Henry and Mike Vrabel's “ground and pound” scheme replaced by Brian Callahan running a Shanahan / McVey offshoot. Callahan's Bengals offense targeted wide receivers at a 65.5% rate, the sixth-highest total in the NFL. The Bengals have used Ja'Marr Chase much closer to the line of scrimmage, with an 8.4 average target depth, giving him opportunities to create after the catch and funneling volume. Between Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins, Ridley is more adept at creating after the catch, while Hopkins profiles more to the Tee Higgins role.

James Brimacombe: Say what you want about Ridley's up and down 2023 season, but he still produced quality stats, ending the season with 76/1016/8 stat line and finishing as the WR17 on the year. Now he gets big money in Tennessee and has another year to prove himself. His current ADP price is too low for his floor production and there also could be some ceiling on a new team and offense.

Dan Hindery: When a team gives a wide receiver a $92M contract, you must assume they have big plans for him. With Brian Callahan coming over from Cincinnati (one of the most pass-heavy offenses in the NFL) and Tennessee expected to have game scripts that favor passing, the volume should be there for Ridley to make a major fantasy impact.

Undervalued Players Receiving 2 Votes

Tank Dell, Houston

Hutchinson Brown: As the third Houston receiver off the board, this is one of the easiest picks in fantasy football for me. As a rookie, he was pacing with third-year veteran Nico Collins in terms of catches and yards and narrowly outproducing him in fantasy points. Before his injury, he was on pace for over 1,000 yards. It is evident that he and Stroud have an amazing relationship, and Stroud thinks he is supremely talented; he literally asked the team to draft Dell in the first place. When looking at him against Diggs, he could most definitely be better than Diggs, given what they both did last year and thinking about the jump Dell should make in year two. I see Dell as a top-12 wideout for this season, making him my WR1 in Houston.

Jeff Haseley: In many ways, Tank Dell has tendencies and skills similar to Amon-Ra St. Brown, especially his work ethic. What makes Dell such a value is twofold, he is returning from a major injury, and he has two excellent receivers in the huddle with him. What if Dell winds up being Batman and not Robin? At best, you have a WR1 producer who was drafted as a WR3. At worst, you have potentially the leader in receptions on a team with loaded passing prowess.