Fantasy Football Advice: Which No. 3 Receivers to Draft
As your fantasy football draft progresses and the bigger names are chosen, you're left with the decision between a slew of No. 3 receivers. Do you roll the dice with the rookie, get the new face in a new place, or just target the more powerful offenses? Well, every circumstance is different, and depth charts can change over the course of time, but I'll rank my current favorites below...
1. John Brown, ARI
Even though he's the No. 3 in Arizona, I ranked Brown as the 35th receiver to own in fantasy football. For the second-consecutive season, Brown was targeted over 100 times. Also, he set career-highs in receiving yards (1,003) and touchdowns (seven) in 2015.
2. Tyler Lockett, SEA
With Marshawn Lynch retired, Seattle could look to the air more in 2016. Lockett is my WR-38, for now. In his first year of the NFL, Lockett caught 51 passes on 68 targets for 664 yards and six TDs. He was also second on the team in receptions and touchdowns.
3. Michael Thomas, NO
With Drew Brees as the quarterback, any Saints receiver is in play. In 2015, four wide receivers caught at least 30 balls and scored at least two TDs. Since Marques Colston is now a free agent, Thomas could contend for a starting role with Willie Snead and Brandon Coleman (Brandin Cooks is a given). In his last two seasons with the Buckeyes, Thomas averaged 55 receptions and 790 receiving yards, along with nine touchdowns.
4. Dorial Green-Beckham, TEN
Even though DGB was fourth on the team in receptions (32 catches), he trailed only Delanie Walker in receiving yards (549). That averaged to 17.2 yards per catch, which was the eighth-most in football. Green-Beckham was also second on the Titans with four receiving TDs.
5. Breshad Perriman, BAL
He missed the entire 2015 season due to a torn PCL. In his final year at UCF, Perriman tallied 1,044 receiving yards on 50 catches and scored nine touchdowns. With Steve Smith Sr. returning for a final season, he and Kamar Aiken can handle the deep threats while Perriman handles the tough possessions. He'll battle with Mike Wallace for the starting job, but I like Perriman's upside.
6. Sterling Shepard, NYG
Let's assume Victor Cruz is back for 2016 (I know, I made that unfortunate assumption last year, too), with Rueben Randle now in Philly (more on him later), Shepard will compete with Dwayne Harris, Geremy Davis, and Myles White. If Cruz misses some games, that's even better for Shepard, because you know that teams will shift their coverage towards Odell Beckham Jr. In his senior season at Oklahoma, Shepard caught 86 passes for 1,288 yards and 11 TDs.
7. Ted Ginn Jr., CAR
When Kelvin Benjamin got hurt, the question was raised whether the Panthers passing game would suffer. Well, Newton still threw for 3,837 yards and set a career-high with 35 passing TDs. A large percentage of the touchdowns went to Ginn. He scored 10 of them. Though he's been known to drop passes, Ginn is also prone to the big play. He averaged 16.8 yards per catch last year.
8. Darrius Heyward-Bey, PIT
Martavis Bryant is suspended for the 2016 season, so someone needs to step up for the Steelers. DHB caught 21 passes for 314 yards and two TDs last season. His biggest competition will be second-year player, Sammie Coates, who only caught one pass in 2015.
9. Stevie Johnson, SD
Philip Rivers has thrown for at least 4,200 yards in three-consecutive seasons and six of the past seven campaigns. Though Rivers tends to spread the wealth, seven players recorded at least 400 receiving yards last year, that doesn't mean that Johnson will be towards the bottom of that list. Last year, he made 45 catches for 497 yards and three TDs in 10 games of action.
10. Rueben Randle, PHI
Man, these NFC East receivers love staying within the division. Randle spent the past four years with the Giants and will now become a solid No. 3 option in Philly. He also hasn't missed a game in his career, which is great for reliability. Last year, he caught 57 passes for 797 yards and set a career-high with eight TD receptions.
Other notables:
Davante Adams/Jared Abbrederis, GB
Jamison Crowder/Josh Doctson, WAS
Andre Holmes/Seth Roberts, OAK
Marquess Wilson, CHI
Devin Smith, NYJ
Who is your favorite current No. 3 receiver? Post your comments below.
