Wide receiver position battles 2024: 12 WR depth charts to watch most in training camp | Sporting News United Kingdom

Fantasy football managers are always trying to find good draft values and sleepers out of uncertain situations. Training camp battles line up with that thinking, as position competitions can open the door for rising stars and undervalued sleepers.

With that in mind, here’s looking at the wide receiver rooms to watch most across the league to help make the best possible mid-to-late round fantasy draft decisions.

Inevitably, these battles will go back and forth throughout the preseason, but getting familiar with the most notable depth charts now will only prove beneficial in the coming weeks.

MORE: 2024 fantasy rookie rankings

Wide receiver position battles: 12 WR depth charts to watch most in training camp

Kansas City Chiefs

Xavier Worthy vs. Marquise Brown. Both Worthy, the rookie first-rounder from Texas, and Brown, the former Raven and Cardinal, are going just outside WR3 range (top 36) in early half-point PPR drafts. The Chiefs are trying to replace only 56 key wideout targets, but a potential suspension for Rashee Rice can lead to more shots from Patrick Mahomes.

Brown’s experience gives him the edge over Worthy, as Rice was the exception in rookies producing for Andy Reid. Brown is slated to be the replacement deep threat for Marquez Valdes-Scantling and can also eat up a chunk of Justin Watson’s work in that outside capacity. Brown is shaping up as the preferred short-term sleeper, while Worthy has the greater long-term dynasty appeal.

Green Bay Packers

Christian Watson vs. Romeo Doubs vs. Dontayvion Wicks. Rising slot star Jayden Reed remains Green Bay’s worthiest WR asset for Jordan Love, but the perimeter pecking order should remain in flux given that Watson, Doubs, and Wicks all have flashed, but health and other factors have prevented any from having sustaining substance. 

Watson is going as a WR4, not far behind Reed as an underrated WR3, while Doubs (WR5) and Wicks (WR6) have slipped well behind. The bigger battle for Watson is fighting off soft-tissue injuries to stay on the field as a scoring and big-play threat. Doubs and Wicks should keep showing well in camp to push him, too, to vie for more high-leverage targets behind Reed.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Roman Wilson vs. Van Jefferson vs. Calvin Austin III. George Pickens is the clear No. 1 overall with his big-play ability for big-armed Russell Wilson after Diontae Johnson was traded to the Panthers. Johnson and Allen Robinson account for 136 vacated wide receiver targets from 2023, so there’s a Black and Gold(en) opportunity for someone behind Pickens’ bump.

The Steelers will be a run-heavier team with Arthur Smith and use a lot of two-tight end 12 personnel to increase the target share of Pat Freiermuth. At least one wide receiver will be on the field often with Pickens, with a dropoff for the rest at the position. That spot is up for Wilson to reach out and grab en route to rookie fantasy relevance. The key is Wilson showing he can toggle well from outside to slot at 5-10, 186 pounds.

New York Giants

Wan’Dale Robinson vs. Darius Slayton vs. Jalin Hyatt. These guys are going somewhere between WR7s and WR8s, well behind rookie first-rounder Malik Nabers, a borderline top-25 option at the position. The Giants have a modest 130 vacated targets — matching Nabers’ total at LSU in his final college season.

There isn’t much upside in a shaky passing offense led by Daniel Jones when you consider the sudden crowd at wideout and tight end. The best bet to have any real value would seem to be Robinson, given he’s less big-play dependent as a versatile slot.

Indianapolis Colts

Josh Downs vs. Adonai Mitchell vs. Alec Pierce. This is more of a battle to see who will get the second-most targets from Anthony Richardson behind dominant, well-rounded No. 1 Michael Pittman Jr. The Colts have only 51 total vacated targets. Downs, out of the slot, is going as WR5; Mitchell as an WR6.

Downs had 98 targets last season, but that also was with not much other wideout promise beyond Pittman. Downs should stay in that range. Pierce flashed big plays with his speed but he was inconsistent, leading to sporadic targeting. Mitchell, the rookie second-rounder, is leading the way to displace him in 11 personnel going into camp. Mitchell can carve out a busier No. 2 outside role than Pierce with a better overall skill set.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Brian Thomas Jr. vs. Gabe Davis. Thomas, the rookie first-rounder, is going among the WR4s in the top 50, while Davis, the former Bills deep threat, is just outside the WR5s. Slot Christian Kirk and tight end Evan Engram will get the familiar, comfortable short-to-intermediate targets inside for Trevor Lawrence, but the Jaguars also had 251 vacated targets. A combined 200 of those were tied to Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones, their 2023 outside starters.

That lines up well for someone to emerge as a robust top-three option playing off Kirk and Engram. Davis was hyped in Buffalo before last season, only to salvage his overall fantasy values with a few spikes. Thomas would be more in the Jones role and Davis in the Ridley spot. Thomas is more likely to be less big-play and big-game oriented. Davis again may be treated as the deep threat, with Thomas tapping more into the overall volume.

Seattle Seahawks

Tyler Lockett vs. Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Seahawks used a first-rounder on JSN in 2023 with the thought that he can be a worthy successor to the venerable Lockett, who is now 31. Between Lockett (122), DK Metcalf (119), and a rookie JSN (93) last season, the target share was split 37-36-27. That was tight enough to think Metcalf bumps up to the top, while JSN slides into second and Lockett sees the true dip as the team flips to a new passing offense under Ryan Grubb.

Grubb managed three top future NFL receivers in Seattle last season with the University of Washington. Rome Odunze put up the biggest numbers with big plays and TDs, while Ja’Lynn Polk was a strong No. 2 producer, and Jalen McMillan was a solid No. 3. Now, Metcalf profiles as the Odunze-like No. 1, with Smith-Njigba better positioned to be Polk than Lockett. JSN should emerge as the better WR3/WR4.

Tennessee Titans

Calvin Ridley vs. DeAndre Hopkins. Ridley and Hopkins can both be found near the bottom of the top-36 as near-equal WR3 draft picks. That says to watch which target will emerge ready for the better volume connection with Will Levis. Hopkins was key for Levis early as a rookie QB, but Ridley is the newcomer who played last season with Titans OC Nick Holz, the former passing game coordinator for the Jaguars. There also is a vision for offensive-minded coach Brian Callahan, formerly of the Bengals, to expand Ridley’s role.

Hopkins is 32 and showed signs of slowing last season, dependent on enough volume to produce in the old offense. Ridley is 29 with less wear and has proved to be most effective when opposite the right other target (Julio Jones, Zay Jones). Think of Ridley-Hopkins as a lesser version of Ja’Marr Chase-Tee Higgins. Ridley is set up to separate well from Hopkins in key production for Levis.

Los Angeles Chargers

Ladd McConkey vs. Josh Palmer vs. DJ Chark vs. Quentin Johnston. The Chargers need to replace 226 key wide receiver targets, led by Keenan Allen’s 150 from last season. This, however, expects to be a majorly reduced passing game with Justin Herbert operating under Greg Roman. 

McConkey is the best choice, even as a rookie, to replace Allen as the savvy slot-heavy option. He’s going as an intriguing WR4, while Palmer is going as a WR5, Johnston at WR6, and Chark at WR8. Watch McConkey to see if he can emerge as the true No. 1 in camp, with Palmer maintaining the key veteran starting work over Johnston, Chark, and more in the crowd.

New England Patriots

Kendrick Bourne vs. Demario Douglas vs. Ja’Lynn Polk vs. K.J. Osborn vs. JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. Javon Baker. It’s time to get a little ugly and dig deeper.  Douglas led the team with only 79 targets last season. Along with Bourne and Smith-Schuster, they combined for 181 targets. Enter the rookies Polk and Baker and former Viking Osborn to help replace DeVante Parker.

Between a shaky transitional passing game involving Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye and a potentially run-heavy approach, the focus is watching whether Douglas can expand his slot volume and if Polk can emerge as the more dynamic perimeter option in 11 personnel over Bourne, who turns 29 in August.

Denver Broncos

Courtland Sutton vs. Marvin Mims Jr. vs. Josh Reynolds vs. Tim Patrick vs. Troy Franklin. Sutton is going only as a WR4 with concerns over Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, or Zach Wilson leading this passing game. The door is rather wide open, however, in the Joe Lombardi offense. Reynolds is a serviceable journeyman and Patrick has major recent knee injuries, giving them little shot at relevance in this situation. A second-year Mims battling a rookie Franklin for key targets after Sutton then becomes the most interesting. Sean Payton likes Mims’ dynamic playmaking, while Franklin was Nix’s go-to guy at Oregon.

Mims has the inside track because he is set up for a significant slot role with his quickness, while Franklin might need to settle as an outside backup in the short term. Mims should be fun to watch battle in camp as he works to become a better version of Jerry Jeudy playing off Sutton.

Cleveland Browns

Jerry Jeudy vs. Elijah Moore. Speaking of Jeudy, he was traded to the Browns in one of the most ho-hum wideout moves. The offense is flipping to pass-happier Ken Dorsey, who is pushing the team to 11 over 12 personnel. Jeudy is better suited for the slot to help Amari Cooper, while Moore can stay on the field as the No. 2 outside. Jeudy is going near the bottom of WR5s, while Moore is a late-round draft flier as a WR7.

One should not forget Moore saw 104 targets last season, third on the team behind Cooper and David Njoku. While Moore will be pushed outside by 2023 third-round Cedric Tillman, Jeudy has to contend with 2022 third-rounder David Bell to lock down main slot duties. This is an uninspiring crowd behind Cooper, so let’s hope camps provide “a sorting helmet” and answers to this and the other WR situations.