Tyreek Hill, Ja'Marr Chase lead Top 75 fantasy football wide receiver rankings

MIAMI, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Tyreek Hill and Ja'Marr Chase sit atop my Top 75 wide receiver rankings for the 2024 fantasy football season. CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown and Puka Nacua are among my other Top 5 targets at the position.

Justin Jefferson, Garrett Wilson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Chris Olave and Davante Adams join those elite pass catchers inside my Top 10.

I view the wide receiver position as the most consistent and important position in fantasy football, favoring these players as first- and second-round draft targets in most leagues.

My favorite wide receiver targets are players with great quarterbacks who have a proven record of consistency, health and production. You also should consider players who are projected for high targets, as well as those who should see a lot of looks in the red zone.

I split my top wide receiver targets into five tiers: Hall of Fame, All-Pro, Pro Bowl, Just Napping (early to mid-round targets) and Deep Sleepers (mid- to late-round sleepers). My Top 75 positional rankings are below.

Hall of Fame

1. Tyreek Hill, 2. Ja'Marr Chase, 3. CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown

You can't go wrong with this elite group, as each player is a proven playmaker. I would consider any of them as my first-round pick and team cornerstone.

Hill is my No. 1 target at the position. The Dolphins star is the only wide receiver in NFL history to total at least 1,700 yards in consecutive seasons. He also returns as the top target for a Miami Dolphins offense that led the NFL in yards last season.

Look for Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to approach the 5,000 yard mark this season, with Hill again racing toward 2,000 yards.

Chase was my top wide receiver last season, but the Cincinnati Bengals offense was sluggish early on. Chase also played through injury and was catching passes from a backup quarterback in the second half of the season.

Look for the Bengals star to be more consistent this season, as the Bengals' improved offensive line takes Joe Burrow 's game to another level. Chase has the talent to provide the best all-around statistics among wide receivers.

Lamb remains involved in a contract holdout with the Dallas Cowboys. His status should be monitored leading into fantasy football drafts. When on the field, Lamb is one of the best game breakers at the position.

Lamb led the NFL with 135 catches last season. He turned those looks into a career-best 1,749 yards. He also scored 14 touchdowns. He either scored and/or scored a touchdown in 14 of his 17 appearances last season.

Look for the Cowboys offense to excel again, with Lamb as the key cog in the machine. Lamb also will play a somewhat easy schedule, with six games against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for the most fantasy points allowed to wide receivers.

Brown totaled 303 targets over the last two seasons. He turned those looks into 194 catches, 2,952 yards and 18 scores. The Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver totaled a career-high 258 targets and 106 catches last season. I expect him to improve on those statistics this year, and to eclipse his career-high of 11 touchdowns.

All-Pro

5. Puka Nacua, 6. Justin Jefferson, 7. Garrett Wilson, 8. Amon-Ra St. Brown

Nacua, Jefferson, Wilson and St. Brown are worthy of late first-round or early second-round selections.

Nacua was a fantasy football breakout sensation in 2023, exploding for 1,486 yards in 17 starts last season for the Los Angeles Rams. Look for that success to continue and for this emerging talent to improve on his 2023 production.

Jefferson was a no-brainer first-round pick in previous years, but I dropped him to my No. 6 wide receiver in 2024 because of concerns at the quarterback position for the Minnesota Vikings, including the recent knee injury sustained by J.J. McCarthy.

He certainly will be peppered with targets, and the Vikings could frequently be playing from behind, keeping Jefferson active. For those reasons, and Jefferson's supreme talent, he remains a WR1 in fantasy football. I just don't expect him to match or surpass his best statistics from earlier in his career.

Wilson is one of the more intriguing options for your fantasy football WR1, but would be an ideal WR2 if you could snag him at the second-round turn. The New York Jets pass catcher was on track to be Aaron Rodgers ' top target last season, before the veteran quarterback sustained a season-ending injury in Week 1.

Wilson caught a career-high 95 passes last season, despite playing with a revolving door of quarterbacks. He averaged 11 yards per catch, two fewer than he did in 2022. Look for the Jets to air it out a bit more this year with a healthy Rodgers, which should benefit Wilson and his fantasy football stock owners.

He should provide career-highs across the board if Rodgers remains healthy, surpassing 1,300 receiving yards and finding the end zone 8 to 10 times.

St. Brown registered career-highs with 164 targets, 119 catches, 1,515 receiving yards and 10 scores last season for a Detroit Lions offense that ranked second in passing yards. The Lions should again be a force offensively, led by St. Brown and several other playmakers. He is a solid WR1 option.

Pro Bowl

9. Chris Olave, 10. Davante Adams, 11. Nico Collins, 12. Jaylen Waddle

There are several questions about this group, but each of these players remain worthy of second-round selections. Olave is my No. 9 wide receiver.

The New Orleans Saints pass catcher struggled with consistency in 2023, but that was likely tied to quarterback play. That trend could continue in 2024 with Derek Carr throwing passes for the Saints. But Olave's best days are ahead, and there is reason to believe the offense will improve after the Saints made efforts to improve their offensive line and hired a new offensive coordinator.

Also, the Saints' schedule includes five games against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for points allowed to wide receivers.

Collins hauled in 80 catches for 1,297 yards and eight scores last season for the Houston Texans while catching passes from breakout rookie C.J. Stroud. Look for the Texans offense to take another step forward with Stroud this year.

The Texans made several additions to their already strong offense, including Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon . Collins should remain the top target, could see more favorable looks from defenses and is worth a second- or third-round pick.

Just Napping

19. Marvin Harrison Jr., 23. Terry McLaurin, 26. Christian Watson , 33. Malik Nabers

These players should be great values in your fantasy football draft. Harrison, the first wide receiver taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, will immediately be the Arizona Cardinals' top offensive weapon. He also should earn plenty of looks late in games, when I expect the Cardinals to trail often.

He currently has an average draft position in the second- or third-round, but could drop in your league if other owners are worried about potential struggles for the rookie. Harrison is an ideal WR3, but could often provide Top 10 value at the position.

Watson is one of my favorite wide receiver targets. The Green Bay Packers playmaker has some injury concerns, but could be the top weapon for one of the top quarterbacks in the league this season if Jordan Love fulfills expectations. Both Watson and Love should be great draft-day values.

One of the most intriguing stats for Watson is that his schedule does not include a single game against a team that ranked inside the Top 10 for the fewest fantasy points allowed to wide receivers last season. He also will get six games against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for the most fantasy points allowed to wide receivers.

Deep Sleepers

39. Xavier Worthy, 47. Khalil Shakir, 50. Rome Odunze, 72. Ricky Pearsall

Worthy, who provided the fastest 40-yard dash time in NFL combine history this off-season, was matched with the most prolific quarterback in the league on draft day.

At first, it seemed like a crowded cast of Kansas City pass catchers could result in dampened production for the rookie. Now, veteran pass catcher Hollywood Brown is expected to miss time because of a shoulder injury. Brown's absence should result in more looks for Worthy, who can turn any of those targets into long touchdowns.

Worthy could struggle with consistency, but also has the upside to be a week-winner for your fantasy football team. He is "worthy" of a look if you plan to rotate your WR3 on a weekly basis. His is a strong value at his eighth-round average draft position.

Stefon Diggs' off-season departure will undoubtedly create opportunities for Buffalo Bills pass catchers in 2024. Look for Shakir to be one of the greatest benefactors. Shakir totaled 611 yards and two scores on 39 targets last season. He should close in on his first 1,000-yard effort this season.

Shakir could still struggle with consistency, making him a matchup-dependent fantasy football play early on, but should develop into a WR3 later in the year. He is a great player to target as a WR4 or WR5, especially if you select a running back in the first or second round and need wide receiver depth.

Top 75 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings

1. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins, Bye Week 6

2. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals, Bye Week 12

3. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys, Bye Week 7

4. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles, Bye Week 5

5. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams, Bye Week 6

6. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings, Bye Week 6

7. Garrett Wilson, New York Jets, Bye Week 12

8. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions, Bye Week 5

9. Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints, Bye Week 12

10. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders, Bye Week 10

11. Nico Collins, Houston Texans, Bye Week 14

12. Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins, Bye Week 6

13. D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears, Bye Week 7

14. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams, Bye Week 6

15. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons, Bye Week 12

16. DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks , Bye Week 10

17. Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts, Bye Week 14

18. Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers, Bye Week 9

19. Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals, Bye Week 11

20. Mike Evans , Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bye Week 11

21. George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Bye Week 9

22. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals, Bye Week 12

23. Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders, Bye Week 14

24. Amari Cooper , Cleveland Browns , Bye Week 10

25. DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles, Bye Week 5

26. Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers, Bye Week 10

27. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers, Bye Week 9

28. Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens , Bye Week 14

29. Calvin Ridley , Tennessee Titans , Bye Week 5

30. Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs, Bye Week 6

31. Stefon Diggs, Houston Texans, Bye Week 14

32. Tank Dell, Houston Texans, Bye Week 14

33. Malik Nabers, New York Giants, Bye Week 11

34. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bye Week 11

35. Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions, Bye Week 5

36. Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars, Bye Week 12

37. Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers, Bye Week 10

38. Keenan Allen , Chicago Bears, Bye Week 7

39. Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs, Bye Week 6

40. Dionatae Johnson, Carolina Panthers , Bye Week 11

41. Courtland Sutton , Denver Broncos, Bye Week 14

42. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks, Bye Week 10

43. Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings, Bye Week 6

44. Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers, Bye Week 5

45. Keon Coleman, Buffalo Bills, Bye Week 12

46. DeAndre Hopkins , Tennessee Titans, Bye Week 5

47. Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills, Bye Week 12

48. Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders, Bye Week 10

49. Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars, Bye Week 12

50. Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears, Bye Week 7

51. Tyler Lockett , Seattle Seahawks, Bye Week 10

52. Ja'Lynn Polk, New England Patriots, Bye Week 14

53. Mike Williams , New York Jets, Bye Week 12

54. Curtis Samuel , Buffalo Bills, Bye Week 12

55. DeMario Douglas, New England Patriots, Bye Week 14

56. Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons, Bye Week 12

57. Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints, Bye Week 12

58. Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers, Bye Week 10

59. Josh Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers, Bye Week 5

60. Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers, Bye Week 10

61. Jalen Tolbert, Dallas Cowboys, Bye Week 7

62. Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts, Bye Week 14

63. Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders, Bye Week 14

64. Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns, Bye Week 10

65. Brandin Cooks , Dallas Cowboys, Bye Week 7

66. Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals, Bye Week 11

67. Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens, Bye Week 14

68. Adam Thielen , Carolina Panthers, Bye Week 11

69. Gabe Davis, Jacksonville Jaguars, Bye Week 12

70. Adonai Mitchell, Indianapolis Colts, Bye Week 14

71. Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers, Bye Week 9

72. Roman Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers, Bye Week 9

73. Marvin Mims, Denver Broncos, Bye Week 14

74. Jermaine Burton, Cincinnati Bengals, Bye Week 12

75. Quentin Johnson, Los Angeles Chargers, Bye Week 5