Making a List: Wide Receiver Values

Ryan McDowell Posted On April 12, 2012

I’m a list guy. I make “to do” lists, follow “honey do” lists, and will take time to read a top five or top ten list of almost anything. This new series of articles will bring you top five lists about a myriad of topics in the world of dynasty fantasy football.

The dynasty value of a player is very dynamic and can be effected by anything from a surprise injury to an offensive lineman to a covered up assault at a night club. With the seemingly unlimited access to information available to the average fan specifically via Twitter, fantasy owners must be aware of the current value of the their players and of the players they hope to acquire. Often, how an owner values a player can be different than how he would rank that player. For example, many owners and experts would rank Roddy White, Wes Welker or Vincent Jackson in the top ten, but during a startup draft or a trade discussion, the true value of players is discovered.

Here are the top five most valued wide receivers in PPR dynasty leagues, according to the most up-to-date information and data. The ages listed are as of September 2012, as well.

1.) Calvin Johnson, WR DET (26.9 years old)

Not only is Megatron the most valued wide receiver, he is the most valued player in dynasty at any position, and with good reason. Johnson finished the 2011 season as the top wide receiver in PPR leagues, averaging over 22 points per game. Although he is the focal point of the offense, he is surrounded by other young reliable weapons including quarterback Matthew Stafford and tight end Brandon Pettigrew. The only possible knock on Calvin is the concern that Stafford is an injury risk, which could affect his production. However, while the duo certainly lived up to the hype in 2011, Calvin has still proven he can perform at high levels with the likes of Shaun Hill at quarterback, as he did in 2010.

Current Startup ADP (average draft position): 2.5

Recent Trades:

Team A gave Calvin Johnson
Team B gave Kenny Britt, Jonathan Stewart, DeAngelo Williams, 2.07 rookie pick, 2013 1st round draft pick

2.) AJ Green, WR CIN (24.1 years old)

With Johnson in a tier of his own based on value, the next two guys are neck and neck with each other when assessing their respective dynasty value. Green gets the slight edge here, mostly due to his narrow advantage in ADP. As many expected, Green burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2011 with the Bengals. He took over where Chad Ochocinco left off as the leading receiver for the orange and black, collecting 65 receptions for over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns. Although he did have some disappointing outings (three games below ten PPR points), that can be attributed to a combination of hitting the “rookie wall” as two of those poor games came in weeks 16 and 17, as well as playing with fellow rookie Andy Dalton, who could have hit the wall himself.

Current Startup ADP: 10

Recent Trade:

Team A gave AJ Green
Team B gave Victor Cruz, Mark Ingram, Robert Meachem

3.) Hakeem Nicks, WR NYG (24.6 years old)

As I said, Nicks and Green are very close in value at this time. Owners obviously see both guys as cornerstones in their lineup for years to come. After a breakout sophomore season of 2010 where he finished as the WR8 in PPR leagues, owners had enormous expectations of Nicks. While he had a very respectable third season, the Super Bowl champion was actually upstaged and outscored by his lesser known teammate Victor Cruz, who finished as the WR3. Despite that, Nicks is the Big Apple receiver that still carries the most value among dynasty owners.

Current Startup ADP: 11.6

Recent Trades:

Team A gave Hakeem Nicks
Team B gave Dwayne Bowe, 2.02 rookie pick

4.) Larry Fitzgerald, WR ARI (29 years old)

The final two players on the list are also very close in value, but this time, represent two different strategies. First, for the owner in “win now” mode, Fitz still carries great value, despite nearing 30 years old. This could be attributed to his dedicated workout regimen. For a while this season, his perceived value really increased as owners held out hope that Peyton Manning would arrive in Arizona to revive the Cardinals franchise. Instead, we are left with the disappointing Kevin Kolb hurling the ball to Fitzgerald. Even with Kolb’s struggles and no other strong option on offense, Fitzgerald was able to finish the season as the WR6 in PPR leagues.

Current Startup ADP: 13.6

Recent Trades:

Team A gave Larry Fitzgerald
Team B gave Chris Johnson

5.) Julio Jones, WR ATL (23.6 years old)

For owners concerned more about the long term look of their team, Jones would get the nod over Fitzgerald. A year ago, the Falcons, worried about their aging offense, paid dearly to move up and select the former Alabama wideout. So far, their move has paid off and given quarterback Matt Ryan another weapon to go along with Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez and Michael Turner. Jones finished as the WR13 in average points per game (he missed four games with a hamstring strain) and unlike Green, exploded as the season drew to a close. In fact, Jones was the WR3 the final month of the season.

Current Startup ADP: 14.6

Recent Trades:

Team A gave Julio Jones, 2.01 rookie pick, 2.07 rookie pick
Team B gave Roddy White, DeSean Jackson, Rashard Mendenhall

Keep it here at DLF for the next installment in Ryan’s “Making a List” series – Running Back values.

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Ryan McDowell

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

In addition to his senior leadership role here at DLF, Ryan is also a husband, father of three and PE teacher. Ryan is the commissioner of multiple dynasty leagues, most notably the Kitchen Sink Dynasty Leagues. Here at DLF, Ryan’s focus is on identifying, monitoring and analyzing player value.