The wide receiver position is one of the cornerstone positions in dynasty football. This even includes Superflex leagues. Three wide receivers have a first-round ADP in dynasty startup formats: Justin Jefferson (WR-MIN), Ja’Marr Chase (WR-CIN), and Ceedee Lamb (WR-DAL). Even with the quarterback controversy, it’s safe to say Justin Jefferson is firmly established as the WR1 overall in dynasty startups. The real question is, who is the WR2 overall? Heading into the 2023 season, the answer was simple amongst the dynasty community: Ja’Marr Chase. But 2023 saw CeeDee Lamb post a WR1 overall finish with 181 targets, 135 receptions, 1,749 receiving yards, and 12 receiving touchdowns. He also had 14 carries for 113 rushing yards and two touchdowns, which led to 23.72 fantasy points per game. I know which wide receiver I have ranked at number two. Do you?
Ja’Marr Chase (WR-CIN)
The hype of Ja’Marr Chase didn’t start in his rookie year. It began in 2019 when we saw the 19-year-old kid go for 84 receptions, 1,780 yards, and 20 touchdowns on his way to a Fred Bilentnikoff award and a national championship. The 2019 LSU Tigers are highly regarded as one of the most dominant college football teams of recent memory. At the center of all of that was Ja’Marr Chase. Chase entered the league in 2021 and quickly took the league by storm. We saw him go for 128 targets, 81 receptions, 1455 yards, and 13 receiving touchdowns. This led to a top-five receiver finish as a rookie, averaging 18.09 fantasy points per game. At this point, I gave him the title of WR1 in dynasty. Unfortunately, in the 2022 season, Chase missed four games with a hip injury, and in 2023, we saw Joe Burrow (QB-CIN) go down with a wrist injury, costing him seven games. The combination of these two injuries led to Chase finishing outside the top ten fantasy receivers for back-to-back years. If we get a fully healthy season from Both Burrow and Chase, though, the sky’s the limit for the young wide receiver.
CeeDee Lamb (WR-DAL)
I had high hopes for CeeDee Lamb when he came out of Oklahoma in 2020. He was a guy who could do it all, and it showed on his tape. He boasted the ability to beat you outside or in the slot, his ability to beat you in all areas of the football field, and he showed off his elite body control and catch radius when attacking the football. Unfortunately, he competed for targets on the Dallas Cowboys with Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, Dalton Schultz, Ezekiel Elliott, and Tony Pollard. Lamb still earned solid volume in years one and two, earning 111 and 120 targets, respectively. It wasn’t until year three that we saw the elite version of CeeDee Lamb that we see today. In 2022, we saw him finish as the WR6, and in 2023, we saw the WR1 overall finish. Once Amari Cooper left town, CeeDee’s volume skyrocketed. In 2022, he saw 156 targets, and in 2023, he saw 181 targets. The most impressive feat, though, must be scoring a touchdown in nine consecutive games, which led to 11 total scores in that nine-game stretch. Elite!
My Pick
While I don’t think we’ve seen the best possible play from Ja’Marr Chase and the Cincinnati Bengals offense, I believe CeeDee Lamb is the safer pick. Yes, Chase is the more explosive down-the-field option. Yes, on average, he scores more touchdowns a year. And yes, I think Chase will eventually crack the 160-target threshold. I believe that in the Dallas Cowboys offense, CeeDee Lamb will continue to be peppered with a very high number of catchable targets, leading to 115+ catches per year with high yardage and consistent touchdowns. As every football analyst says, “Volume is king.” Go where the volume is, ladies and gentlemen, and that’s with CeeDee Lamb.
Thank you for taking time to read this article. If you have questions, you can reach me @FFChalmers on Twitter/X. #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding
