Final Rookie Report Card: Wide Receivers, Part One

Throughout the season, the Rookie Report Card has covered some of the biggest rookies and not only looked at their performance to date – but also their long-term upside. Now that the regular season has wrapped up and fantasy owners are looking towards the future, we have an opportunity to take one last look at the 2020 season and assess the rookies – a final report card if you will.

We covered 37 rookies throughout the season, including 18 wide receivers. Let’s wrap the season up by taking one more look at these rookies’ first shot catching passes as pros, as well as a quick glimpse into their futures.

Brandon Aiyuk, WR SF

Season Stats: 60 receptions, 748 receiving yards, five touchdowns (96 targets), six carries, 77 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns

Aiyuk showed exactly how dynamic he can be over a six-game stretch late in the season when he caught 45 passes for 568 yards and four touchdowns. San Francisco’s best pass-catcher over that stretch, George Kittle, was sidelined the entire time and Deebo Samuel missed all but two games.

The question dynasty managers must answer is whether Aiyuk was so go good because he’s that talented and established himself as the alpha among 49ers wideouts, or if he was just the only NFL-caliber option remaining and the team force-fed him targets because of it. While his stat line in week 17 (1-15-0) with Kittle back on the field suggests it may be the latter, I feel the jury is out on the jack-of-all-trades weapon. Already the WR20 (44 overall) in ADP, the price is too high for me to be investing, however.

Lynn Bowden, WR MIA

Season Stats: 28 receptions, 211 receiving yards, no touchdowns (37 targets), nine carries, 32 rushing yards

Although it took a while for him to get on the field, Bowden took advantage of his opportunities late in the season, averaging 6.4 touches for 47 yards over the final five games of the season. The slot receiver was used frequently on jet sweeps and end-arounds and proved to be a solid underneath option in the passing game – which Miami was in dire need of throughout the year.

The hope is that Bowden builds on his late-season success and takes off as the Dolphins’ primary slot receiver in 2021. Though he’s the leader in the clubhouse for the job going into the off-season, it will come as a surprise to nobody if Miami adds another do-it-all receiver over the off-season. Currently valued as a third-round rookie pick on the trade market, he’s properly priced.

Quintez Cephus, WR DET

Season Stats: 20 receptions, 349 receiving yards, two touchdowns (35 targets)

Cephus wasn’t used a lot as a rookie but made a few impact plays. As I wrote back in week 13, Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones, Danny Amendola, and Mohamed Sanu all have expiring contracts though so there is a path to regular playing time as soon as next season depending on what the Lions do in the off-season. A big-bodied (6’-1”, 200 pounds) outside receiver who is aggressive with the ball in the air and has excellent hands, he has the potential to be red-zone threat on a team that appears desperate for receivers. He’s a back-of-the-roster bench player in most dynasty leagues.

Chase Claypool, WR PIT

Season Stats: 62 receptions, 873 receiving yards, nine touchdowns (109 targets)

One of the most explosive rookies in the class, Claypool proved his combination of size (6’-4”, 238 pounds), speed (4.42-second 40-yard dash) and leaping ability (40 1/2” vertical jump, 126” broad jump) translated well to the next level. Regular burning outside corners in man coverage, he showed a knack for bending routes to the middle of the field in order to make room to catch the ball on the boundary.

With JuJu Smith-Schuster’s bags all but packed to get out of Pittsburgh, Claypool is in line for a bigger role and target share as a sophomore. Currently valued at WR24 (49 overall) he presents the best value of the 2020 rookie class for those looking for a WR1 ceiling at a reasonable price.

Gabriel Davis, WR BUF

Season Stats: 35 receptions, 599 receiving yards, seven touchdowns (62 targets)

Despite being stuck behind Stefon Diggs, John Brown, and Cole Beasley on the depth chart, Davis made a big impact as a rookie by turning seven of his 35 receptions into touchdowns and averaging 17 yards per receptions. With Brown likely moving on this off-season, Davis is in line for a bigger role in 2021. If he’s able to establish himself as Josh Allen’s deep threat and a red-zone presence (as he began to do already), he could realize his WR2 upside sooner rather than later.

Devin Duvernay, WR BAL

Season Stats: 20 receptions, 201 receiving yards (26 targets)

Little used in the Ravens’ run-heavy attack, Duvernay saw just 26 targets and played more than 45% of the team’s snaps just three times. Although he failed to overcome slot receiver Willie Snead in the starting lineup, Snead is a free agent so he may be in line for a bigger role as soon as next year. With Baltimore sure to lead the league once again in rushing attempts though, it’s unknown how valuable Duvernay can be for dynasty managers. He’s an end-of-roster hold at this point.

Bryan Edwards, WR LV

Season Stats: 11 receptions, 193 receiving yards, one touchdown (15 targets)

All the news out of Vegas before the season that Edwards was dazzling Raiders brass on a daily basis made his rookie season one of the more disappointing among this year’s wide receivers. Despite not being able to supplant Nelson Agholor however, he entered the league with a reputation as a physical receiver that can make plays at all three levels of the defense. Personally, I’m chalking his lousy rookie season up to the ankle injury that sidelined him early and a little bad luck. Currently the WR57 in ADP (113 overall), he’s a solid trade target for those in the market for some upside at wideout.

Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR WAS

Season Stats: one reception, three receiving yards (seven targets)

Coming out of Liberty, Gandy-Golden was unable to get his feet under him as a rookie. A deep threat with good size (6’-4”, 223 pounds), perhaps a full off-season will get him up to speed and give him a shot to make an impact on a depth chart in need of playmakers behind Terry McLaurin. Barely worthy of a dynasty roster spot right now, he’s a player to monitor throughout the off-season.

KJ Hamler, WR DEN

Season Stats: 30 receptions, 381 receiving yards, three touchdowns (56 targets)

Hamler had a solid rookie season out of the slot in Denver but much like his rookie counterpart Jerry Jeudy, struggled with inconsistent quarterback play. A big-play machine coming out of Penn State, he has the potential to be an inside field-stretcher for the Broncos with Courtland Sutton, Noah Fant, and Jeudy taking defensive attention away. Although it will take becoming a steadier underneath route runner and an upgrade at quarterback to become a starting-caliber option, he has the potential to be a WR3 for dynasty managers down the road.

Tee Higgins, WR CIN

Season Stats: 67 receptions, 908 receiving yards, six touchdowns (108 targets)

One of the most productive rookie receivers this season, Higgins burst onto the scene by putting up mostly consistent numbers up until Joe Burrow was lost to a knee injury in week 11. When Burrow went down, Higgins was on pace for 75 catches, 1,131 yards, and eight touchdowns which has pushed him all the way up to WR14 (37 overall) in ADP. Although I like him a lot and see him as a future fringe WR1, at that price he’s not a great investment.

Justin Jefferson, WR MIN

Season Stats: 88 receptions, 1,400 receiving yards, seven touchdowns (125 targets)

Five WR1 finishes and three more WR2 games, and that came after the Vikings’ coaching staff insisted on starting Bisi Johnson over him the first couple of games of the season. Jefferson had one of the truly brilliant rookie seasons ever, catching 88 passes for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns. What’s really impressive, however, is that he hasn’t come close to reaching his ceiling.

With just 125 targets, there’s room for Jefferson to reach even bigger numbers if he gets into the 140-160 range (which Adam Thielen has done a couple of times in his career despite Mike Zimmer’s run-heavy philosophy.) Already a first-round startup pick at ninth overall (WR3) in ADP, there isn’t a lot of room to grow but it’s absolutely possible. Nobody should be surprised when he becomes the WR1 in ADP over the off-season.

Final Rookie Report Card: Wide Receivers, Part One