Fantasy Football 2016: Top 100 wide receiver rankings, early season favorites
By Alex Butler
1 of 8 | Cincinatti Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green breaks a tackle before running in for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&M Bank Stadium on September 27, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Bengals won the game 28-24. Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI | License Photo
MIAMI, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- Fantasy football draft weekends are upon us.
Although it doesn't quite have the ring of an official holiday, many men, women, and children will be making billions of draft selections over the next few weeks. One of the most important positions to draft this season will be wide receiver.
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The days of the workhorse running back have nearly vanquished. Now many of your friends and foes will begin their drafts by selecting pass catchers. You might not be surprised to see your draft begin with some variation of Odell Beckham Jr., Antonio Brown, or Julio Jones being picked with the first three picks. But don't be shocked if the run doesn't end there.
If you haven't jumped into a mock draft yet [what are you waiting for?], do it now and see how many of the NFL's elite wide receivers are selected in the first round of even the 'practice' drafts. While Todd Gurley, Adrian Peterson, David Johnson, and other prolific running backs will undoubtedly land in the top-8 picks of your draft in some order, they will be outnumbered by the emerging position.
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That is why, at UPI, we have ranked our top 100 wide receivers for your 2016 fantasy football draft kit.
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For clarity, here are some of the best pass-catchers to look out for in five separate tiers, as well as some unheralded sleepers.
HALL OF FAME
1. Odell Beckham Jr., 2. Antonio Brown, 3. Julio Jones
As noted in UPI's top 150 fantasy football player rankings, Beckham Jr. should be a lock for another monster season. He is a touchdown threat on every route, turning short slants into sprints for six or ending up behind safeties and on the end of bombs from Eli Manning.
Beckham Jr. and Brown also have some money match-ups this season. Beckham Jr.'s Giants play seven games against team's that ranked in the bottom five in terms fantasy points surrendered to opposing wide receivers last season. Brown has six such match-ups. Jones has one matchup against those teams, while he has four match-ups against the most stingy defenses against fantasy wide receivers last season.
Choosing between these three studs is obviously your preference, but Beckham could be seen as even more explosive than Brown. Brown has inarguably been the safest wide receiver in terms of production throughout his career, but he has yet to catch a touchdown pass from any Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback not named Ben Roethlisberger. Jones is arguably the best player on the Atlanta Falcons and provides a little bit of Beckham's explosion and Brown's safety, as terms of the times he has his hands on the football.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green had a decent season last year, but could be in for Julio-Jones-like-looks in 2016. With Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu leaving as free agents this offseason, he was already primed for more targets. Now his team could be without another of Andy Dalton's favorite targets in tight end Tyler Eifert for several games to begin its 2016 campaign. Cincinnati is expected to lean on running backs Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard, but Dalton has no choice but to rely on his favorite set of hands, who wears the No. 18. Green has eight of those money match-ups against the most porous defenses against wide receivers last season.
Bryant should benefit from a stellar, yet rejuvenated, Dallas Cowboys running attack. While he will lineup with a familiar crew of wide receivers, Bryant could see more space on the outside if rookie Ezekiel Elliott even modestly fulfills expectations. Hopkins will continue to be a target monster in Houston, despite the additions of several skilled offensive players this offseason. Look for him to dominate defensive backs again in George Godsey's system.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers really missed Nelson last season. With his No. 1 target back and a slightly-slimmer Eddie Lacy running the rock, Rodgers and Nelson should reignite their explosive relationship for double-digit scores once again.
While this tier includes several players with lingering injuries, it also includes players with enough talent to climb into a No. 1 receiver role on your squad. Marshall is a huge target, enjoying success under quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick with the New York Jets. Fitzpatrick passed for a Jets-record 31 touchdowns in 2015. With one year under his belt, with Marshall and Eric Decker out wide, and the addition of Matt Forte, look for Fitzpatrick to best his 2015 touchdown numbers.
Landry has undeniable talent and will see an insane amount of targets this season from Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Beckham Jr.'s LSU roommate out-produced him when both suited up for the Tigers in 2013. Landry is a safe option too. In two seasons he has 278 targets and 194 grabs. Although his catches have only produced nine receiving scores, the addition of offensive-minded head coach Adam Gase should send shockwaves through the Dolphins offensive repertoire, leaving room for a few more of Landry's end zone dances.
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DRIFTING OFF [MID TO LATE-ROUND SLEEPERS]
25. Michael Floyd, 34. Donte Moncrief, 35. Marvin Jones, 38. Stefon Diggs, 40. Kevin White, 41. Tyler Boyd