Many of you have probably heard the assessment that the WR2s in Dynasty (WR13-24 overall) are one long, flat tier. If you’re on the clock in your Dynasty Superflex startup in the fourth and fifth rounds and are targeting a wide receiver, deciding between this list of players can feel overwhelming. Generally, the best strategy is to trade back in this situation, get whatever “plus” on top, and draft towards the end of this tier. Most of the WR2s have similar enough fantasy projections that I’d prefer to let someone else take “their guy” while they provide me with an extra rookie pick or startup pick, and I’ll take whoever is left.
While this is a nice idea, if you have been through enough startup drafts, you know it can be challenging. This strategy requires a trade partner willing to pay up for your draft spot, and if you play with a lot of like-minded players like I do, you may need help finding takers. Sometimes, we simply have no choice but to sit and draft from our original spot. You have to be willing to #PlantYourFlag on a WR2 from time to time, and I’m here to help you with that process.
In this article, I’ll be ranking the WR2s in Dynasty from 12 to 1. I’ll also provide their current WR ranking, according to Dynasty Data Lab, and a brief explanation of my reasoning. You’ll certainly find value this season with these players via NFL betting on FanDuel. Let’s jump right in and take a look at our 12th player!
12. D.K. Metcalf
Dynasty Data Lab: WR20
If I’m being frank, D.K. Metcalf might be out of my Top 24 rankings. He’s had four straight Top 24 fantasy points per game (FPPG) finishes but has been WR20 or worse in each of the past three seasons. Entering his sixth season, we know precisely what Metcalf is: a low-end WR2 entering the back half of his career. You’re not getting a WR1 finish from Metcalf, so he doesn’t excite me.
11. George Pickens
Dynasty Data Lab: WR23
George Pickens is a projections-based bet, as we have yet to see him finish as a WR2. Pickens finished as the WR48 and WR36 in his first two seasons from an FPPG perspective. His highest finish was last season, with 12.3 FPPG. But we know he’s one of the most gifted athletes in the NFL, and with Diontae Johnson headed to Carolina, Pickens is stepping into the WR1 role in Pittsburgh. The quarterback play won’t be great, but it should be an improvement from prior years. It’s a risky bet but one with a high ceiling.
10. Zay Flowers
Dynasty Data Lab: WR21
Flowers had a solid rookie campaign, posting 12.9 FPPG and ranking WR31 overall. He appears to be Baltimore’s clear WR1 and second overall option behind TE Mark Andrews. I just don’t love betting on Lamar’s pass-catchers outside of Andrews. Lamar has only supported two total thousand-yard receiving seasons, both in 2021 with Marquise Brown and Mark Andrews. Outside of this one outlier season, the receiving options in Baltimore haven’t done much to help win you fantasy championships. I expect Flowers to be a WR2/WR3 for most of his career, but he’s young, so at least you have lots of production left.
9. Tee Higgins
Dynasty Data Lab: WR24
Higgins has been all over the headlines this offseason, as he was seeking a big extension that Cincinnati was unwilling to provide. He’s signed a one-year deal with the Bengals, keeping him in Cincy for 2024. Higgins is the clear WR2 behind Ja’Marr Chase, but playing with Joe Burrow in that offense should alleviate any concerns about volume. We saw Tee post a WR12 overall finish in FPPG in 2021, but he has failed to meet expectations since. This may be just my Bengals fandom talking, but if he can stay healthy, Higgins can post a Top 15 finish in 2024. And he may find himself in an even better role as a team’s top option in 2025. Higgins is entering Year 5 but is only 25 years old; there’s plenty of good football left in him.
8. Tank Dell
Dynasty Data Lab: WR22
Tank Dell is a DFF favorite pretty much across the board. I’m not quite as high on Dell as most of the analysts at DFF, but I still really like his profile. He was an electric rookie, with nearly a 25% target rate and reaching 15 FPPG. He’s tied to one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL for the next three years and should see a ton of volume. The main concern is that Dell may only be the third option on his own team in 2024, behind Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs. But Diggs is entering his age 31 season and has shown some signs of decline, so I wouldn’t be panicking, especially if Stroud is throwing for 5,000 yards.
7. Michael Pittman Jr.
Dynasty Data Lab: WR18
I wrote a strategy article earlier this offseason, discussing how we can use Underdog rankings to help improve our Dynasty teams (you can check that article out here). In the article, I had Michael Pittman Jr. listed as a “sell” in Dynasty, as he was valued as the WR15 overall. Well, his startup value has dropped a bit since then, to the point where I think his market value is fair. MPJ is a reception merchant, which is excellent for PPR formats. He’s posted 13.5 FPPG or higher in each of the last three seasons. But similar to Metcalf, we know who Pittman is at this point, and his ceiling is capped at high-end WR2, in my opinion. He’s already entering his age 27 season despite only being in Year 5. Pittman is a must-start every week, but I don’t see him ever being a league-winner.
6. D.J. Moore
Dynasty Data Lab: WR19
Like most Dynasty players, I’ve been a D.J. Moore stan since Day 1. He’s such a gifted athlete and is so damn fun to watch on Sundays. Unfortunately, Moore spent the first five years of his career playing in Carolina. Once Cam Newton left, Moore was stuck with a series of journeymen as his quarterbacks, which made it tough to produce fantasy points. Fast forward to last season, and Moore gave us 16.9 FPPG and a WR1 finish with Justin Fields at the helm. He’ll now have what we expect to be a significant QB upgrade in Caleb Williams. He’s also getting added competition in Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, but I think Moore will still be the top option in 2024. I’m probably a bit too high on Moore, and maybe this is too “vibes-based”, but I still really like him for Dynasty.
5. DeVonta Smith
Dynasty Data Lab: WR17
The Slim Reaper got the bag this offseason, signing a three-year, $75M extension with the Eagles. This puts him in Philly for at least the next three seasons. While Philadelphia is a great football team, it’s not the most ideal for fantasy receivers, as the passing volume is generally in the bottom half of the NFL. Still, this team scores a lot of points, and Smith is fairly young. He’s not surpassing A.J. Brown as the WR1 but has produced back-to-back seasons of 14+ FPPG, so he’s a safe bet with some decent upside. I’d like to see a little more consistency from Smith in 2024. He’s a must-start option but has been known to give us some duds occasionally.
4. Rome Odunze
Dynasty Data Lab: WR15
Rome Odunze has yet to play an NFL snap but is already a consensus Top 20 WR in Dynasty, and for good reason. Odunze was a Top 10 overall pick and will be catching passes from the first overall pick, Caleb Williams. This Bears offense will be much improved from recent seasons, and I expect Rome and Caleb to be a lethal tandem for years to come. Odunze likely won’t be producing WR2 numbers immediately, so you’ll need some patience. If you’ve seen Rome’s Reception Perception, you know this kid has the talent to excel at the NFL level.
3. Brandon Aiyuk
Dynasty Data Lab: WR14
Aiyuk and San Francisco still have yet to agree on his contract extension, which has resulted in Aiyuk skipping OTAs and mandatory minicamp. Aiyuk feels he deserves a big extension after his 2023 performance, amassing 1,300 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on the season. Regardless of whether Aiyuk is in San Fran for the long term or not, he’s proven he’s an elite fantasy and real-life wide receiver. He’s coming off a 15.6 FPPG season and is in the prime of his career. I’m a big Aiyuk believer and believe he has WR1 upside for the next several years.
2. Nico Collins
Dynasty Data Lab: WR16
Like DeVonta, Nico also landed himself a massive contract extension, signing a three-year, $72M deal with the Texans. Nico is going as the top Texans’ WR in Underdog drafts, suggesting the market believes him to be the top option for C.J. Stroud in 2024. He’s only 25 and will be in a high-powered, pass-heavy offense with an incredible quarterback for at least the next three seasons. Sure, Nico was a late bloomer, failing to break out until Year 3. But his peripheral numbers have improved drastically year over year, suggesting last season was no fluke. His 17.4 FPPG put him at WR7 overall last year. I’m buying Nico everywhere I possibly can.
1. Jaylen Waddle
Dynasty Data Lab: WR13
Jaylen Waddle is my top option out of the current list of WR2s, which the market also agrees with. Waddle has produced 14 FPPG or more in each of his first three seasons. His target rate of 27.5% ranked WR10 overall in 2023. The biggest annoyance for Waddle owners is that Tyreek has shown no signs of slowing down. And recent news came out suggesting Tyreek may be planning to stick around for several more seasons. I’m not overly concerned about this for Waddle’s Dynasty outlook, however. He’s still just 25 and has given us incredible production since Day 1. Waddle struggled through some injuries last season, only playing in 14 contests, and still cracked 1,000 yards. Had he remained healthy, he was pacing for 126 targets, 87 receptions, 1,231 yards, and five touchdowns. He’s an elite talent who should give us low-end WR1 production for the next 3-5 years.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and I hope you got some valuable information you can use for your fantasy team! If you’d like additional insight into Dynasty Football news and analysis, please follow me on Twitter at @jim_DFF. Until next time, keep grinding out there, DFF family! #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding
