After years of dominance from running backs in fantasy football, the era of the wide receiver is alive and well. Pass-heavy offenses and a transition to a running back-by-committee approach from many teams means the value of wide receivers has dramatically increased in recent years.
Heading into the 2024 season, The Sporting News has first-round grades on a whopping eight wide receivers. This is a far cry from the four receivers who were selected in Round 1 just five years ago.
2024 PPR Rankings
Top 250 Overall | QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST | K
With more options on the table, decisions become tougher. Drafters truly have to split hairs when determining which wide receiver they want to select in Round 1.
Thankfully, we've sifted through all of the data and relevant information to help drafters make the best decisions at wide receiver. Here, you can find a breakdown of each of our Tier 1 wide receivers. Leaving drafts with any of these players is phenomenal, but there are a few options that stand out from the bunch.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: 2024 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet
CeeDee Lamb vs. Tyreek Hill vs. The Field: Who is the best WR for fantasy football in 2024
CeeDee Lamb fantasy outlook
CeeDee Lamb is coming off a WR1 season, and he slots right back in at that position in The Sporting News' rankings. Last season, Lamb benefitted from a massive philosophical shift in the Cowboys' offense. Following a Week 7 bye, the Cowboys leaned on their passing attack and became one of the league's pass-heaviest offenses.
From Week 8 on, Lamb went on a tear that rivaled Josh Gordon's 2013 blowup. In the final 11 games of the season, Lamb averaged a ridiculous 28.9 PPR points per game.
Considering the Cowboys essentially ignored the running back position this offseason, we can expect another pass-heavy offense in Dallas this year. The wide receiver room is rather thin behind Lamb, so he is a prime candidate to lead the league in targets for a second year in a row. As long as he's on the field, Lamb will contend for the WR1 title.
2024 FANTASY SLEEPERS
QB | RB | WR | TE | Each Team
Tyreek Hill fantasy outlook
Lamb may have dominated down the stretch, but Tyreek Hill came out of the gates scorching hot last season, including opening up the season with a 44.5-point day against the Chargers. Through his first five games, Hill cleared 30 points three times.
Hill's season was ultimately derailed by an ankle sprain that he suffered in Week 14. This was devastating for fantasy managers as this perfectly coincided with the fantasy playoffs.
Prior to this injury, Hill averaged 26.4 PPG and was the WR1 by a wide margin. As is the case with many receivers who suffer ankle injuries, he struggled to return to form following the injury.
But Hill is back and healthy in 2024 and will return to Mike McDaniel's offense, which fits him like a glove. He is past the age-30 threshold but is still one of the game's elite receivers.
Amon-Ra St. Brown fantasy outlook 2024
With each year that passes, Amon-Ra St. Brown continues to prove that 31 NFL teams made a mistake by not selecting him. It's unlikely, but the chip may be off St. Brown's shoulder after he signed a 4-year, $120M contract this summer.
This contract is well-deserved as St. Brown is coming off a year in which he ranked top-5 in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. As a result, St. Brown was fantasy's WR3 in 2023.
The Detroit Lions feature one of the league's most potent offenses and should do so once again in 2024. Detroit features multiple explosive weapons, but St. Brown is undoubtedly the engine that makes the offense run. He is one of the few receivers who can command a 30-percent target share, making him incredibly valuable in PPR leagues. Drafting him inside the top-5 picks is anything but crazy.
Justin Jefferson fantasy outlook
Justin Jefferson was the 1.01 in the majority of leagues last season, but injuries prevented him from living up to his draft capital. Jefferson suited up for just 10 games but somehow managed to put together a 1,000-yard season.
With Kirk Cousins out of the picture, some drafters are nervous to take Jefferson. While Cousins would be the preferred quarterback, Jefferson proved that he is a bona fide stud regardless of who's under center.
Jefferson played in four full games after Cousins tore his Achilles. He surpassed 150 receiving yards in two of those contests. Jefferson is the type of player can take over a game as long as his quarterback can get the ball in his general vicinity. Sam Darnold is a clear step down from Cousins, but Jefferson is essentially quarterback-proof.
2024 POSITION TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY
QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST
Ja'Marr Chase fantasy outlook
Unlike Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase may not be fully quarterback-proof. Chase has an uncanny connection with Joe Burrow. The connection has allowed them to dominate on the field, dating back to their time at LSU.
When this duo is firing on all cylinders, they're hard to stop. This was on full display in Week 5 when Chase went for 192 yards and three trips to the endzone en route to a 52-point performance. Unfortunately, an injury-riddled season for Burrow meant the Burrow-Chase connection was at full strength for just a handful of games.
Burrow is reportedly back to 100 percent following wrist surgery. If he can stay healthy for 17 games, expect fantasy fireworks in Cincinnati.
A.J. Brown fantasy outlook
Like Tyreek Hill, A.J. Brown opened the season at a blistering pace. Brown had 125-plus receiving yards in six consecutive games (Weeks 3-8). As many NFL fans recall, the Philadelphia offense fell apart in the back half of the season. Brown's fantasy production suffered as a result, and he had just one weekly WR1 performance after Week 10.
But there's reason to believe that the Eagles offense will have sustained success this year. They hired Kellen Moore to breathe life into the offense and prevent a stall-out like we saw in 2023. Moore has been incredibly fantasy-friendly for wide receivers during his time as an offensive coordinator. Just last season, Keenan Allen was the overall per-game WR3 playing in Moore's offense.
Expect Brown to return to his early-season form in 2024. If he can cross the double-digit touchdown threshold and post his third consecutive 1400-yard season, Brown will be a top-5 receiver.
2024 FANTASY AUCTION VALUES (PPR & STANDARD)
Overall | QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST | K
The verdict: Who is the No. 1 fantasy WR in 2024?
There are several worthy candidates for the WR1 crown, and it would not be shocking to see any of these six players claim the throne. But there is a clear upper echelon at the position which consists of Tyreek Hill and CeeDee Lamb. These two have separated themselves from the pack and could realistically be in their own tier.
Of these two receivers, Lamb has a slight edge due to his age and lack of target competition. Drafting Hill ahead of Lamb is by no means a bad choice. As previously mentioned, we're splitting hairs at this point.
It's just too hard to look past Lamb's utter domination down the stretch last year. 28.9 points per game is unheard of across this large of a sample size. It's unlikely that he will keep this pace up, but he is the strongest candidate to finish as the WR1 this year.
