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Ask the Commish.Com 2018 Draft Kit
One year after pacing the NFL with 1,448 receiving yards and posting a career-best fifth-place finish in fantasy points, Hilton fell under 1,000 yards for the first time since 2012 and matched his worst fantasy season (27th). The reason for the deep dip was, of course, Andrew Luck's season-long injury. Hilton was still his explosive self, ranking fifth at the position with a 16.9 YPR and posting a trio of 150-plus yard games. Luck is expected to be back in 2018, and assuming that's the case, the 28-year-old Hilton is right back in the WR1 discussion.
Gordon returned to the field for five games in 2017 after missing all but five games of the 2014-16 seasons due to suspension. He didn't seem to lose a beat, ranking 21st at the position in fantasy points during the five weeks he was active, thanks to 8.6 targets per game and despite a horrid 42 percent catch rate and only one touchdown. Gordon, who posted an absurd 87-1,646-9 line in only 14 games back in 2013, is still only 27 years old. He's an elite talent and the No. 1 receiver in Cleveland's improved offense, though he figures to be limited a bit by a low-volume passing game. Gordon is a good bet for WR2 numbers if he stays out of trouble.
Cooper set a career-high with seven touchdowns in 2017, but other than that, it was a highly disappointing campaign. The 2015 fourth overall pick had managed 70-plus receptions and eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards during each of his first two years, but he missed two games and was held to a 48-680 line in 2017. He was limited to a 52 percent catch rate and posted one of the three worst drop rates at the position for the second time in his career. On the plus side, Cooper finished strongly with a pair of top-15 fantasy weeks. He's also only 24 years old, and new coach Jon Gruden plans to feature him as the team's top receiver. There's risk here, but Cooper is an intriguing post-hype target.
Hogan was one of the offseason's biggest 'winners,' and his biggest jolt forward came when the Patriots traded Brandin Cooks to the Rams. The trade sets up Hogan with a clear path to an every-down perimeter role and consistent target share. Hogan has never finished a season better than 60th at wide receiver in fantasy points, but he posted a 54-33-438-5 line and sat 10th among wide receivers in fantasy points prior to suffering a shoulder injury last season. Hogan's big-play ability and role as one of Tom Brady's top targets supply him with big upside. With Edelmann possibly out of the mix to start the season, Hogan has the potential to be a strong WR2 in fantasy.
Fuller is one of the hardest players to project this season. During the four weeks both he and Deshaun Watson were healthy last season, Fuller posted a 22-13-279-7 line and was fantasy's No. 2 scoring wide receiver. During his six other games in 2017, Fuller posted a 28-15-144-0 line and failed to post a single top-40 week. He has also missed eight games to injuries in two seasons. The 2016 first-round pick has ranked in the league's top four in aDOT each of his two seasons and has tremendous upside as the team's vertical complement to DeAndre Hopkins with Watson back under center. He's a risky midround investment, but there's breakout potential here.
JuJu Smith-Schuster is a lot of fun on and off the field, but will he help your Fantasy team win? When given a chance to play a large role in effectively three games last season without Antonio Brown on the field, including a home game against the Patriots when Brown left early, Smith-Schuster averaged 7.7 targets, 7.0 catches and 110.7 yards and two touchdowns. In Smith-Schuster's other 12 games, including the postseason, he averaged 5.1 targets, 3.3 receptions and 49.2 yards per game with six scores. The knack for scoring touchdowns goes back to his college days where he scored 10 times in each of his final two seasons at USC. It's probably not wrong to drop the "touchdown-dependent" label on Smith-Schuster, meaning that if he doesn't score for you, he won't help your team win. That said, the departure of M. Bryant could open the door for more targets for JuJu in 2018.
Golladay missed six games of his rookie season due to injury, but it was otherwise a successful campaign for the third-round pick. The Northern Illinois product was on the field for 69 percent of the team's pass plays when healthy, and he caught 28 of 47 targets for 477 yards and three touchdowns. Golladay, who stands 6-foot-4 with 4.50 wheels, will enter his second season buried behind Marvin Jones and Golden Tate, but he has shown flashes to suggest that a breakout could be on the horizon. At the very least, he'll play a significant role near the goal line and make for a high-ceiling handcuff.
Garcon was averaging 9.0 targets per game and, despite having failed to score a single touchdown, sat 20th among wide receivers in fantasy points prior to suffering a season-ending neck injury last season. The heavy volume and low touchdown production was nothing new for Garcon. In 10 years in the league, he has yet to find the end zone more than six times in a season. Since 2009, he ranks sixth in the NFL in targets (969), but 21st in end zone targets (65). Garcon turns 32 this year and has posted only one fantasy season better than 24th (13th in 2013), but he has WR2 upside as Jimmy Garoppolo's top target.
Hurns is now with the Cowboys after spending the first four seasons of his career in Jacksonville. The 2014 undrafted free agent burst onto the NFL scene with 115 receptions for 1,708 yards and 16 touchdowns in 31 games during his first two seasons. Injuries have limited the former Miami Hurricane to 74 catches for 961 yards and five scores in 21 games over the past two campaigns. Hurns is going from one run-heavy offense to another but could emerge as Dak Prescott's top target with only Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley and rookie Michael Gallup as his primary competition. Hurns is in the flex mix and has WR2 upside.