The fantasy football season is almost here now that the preseason schedule is getting underway across the league. It won’t be long until you’re in the middle of your fantasy draft hoping to build a championship-caliber team for the 2018 season.
Ranking the top 50 wide receivers in standard leagues
The SB Nation crew ranks the top 50 wide receivers in standard leagues heading into the 2018 season. Check out our full 2018 Fantasy Football Draft guide!
When it comes to wide receiver, you’ll have a very deep group of big-time pass-catchers from which to choose. If you take one with your first pick, it’s hard to go against DeAndre Hopkins, who finished No. 1 in fantasy scoring among receivers in 2017. However, he may even outdo that in 2018 if he has a healthy DeShaun Watson for 16 games.
In his last four games with Watson, Hopkins racked up 24 grabs for 402 yards and six scores. Unfortunately, Watson tore his ACL midway through the year, but Hopkins still finished as the top fantasy wideout, and he could easily do the same again this year.
As good as Hopkins was, it was Antonio Brown who led the league in receiving yards (1,533) to go with 101 grabs and nine scores. No receiver has been as consistently dominant as Brown since the 2013 season, so starting your team off with him is always a good move.
Standard league wide receiver rankings, preseason
(JM: Jason Marcum; DG: Derek Gordon; SK: Scott Kaliska; AW: Alex Welch)
WR standard rankings
Rk | Consensus | Tm | JM | DG | SK | AW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antonio Brown | PIT | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | DeAndre Hopkins | HOU | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Odell Beckham Jr. | NYG | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | Julio Jones | ATL | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | Michael Thomas | NO | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| 6 | Keenan Allen | LAC | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| 7 | A.J. Green | CIN | 6 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| 8 | Davante Adams | GB | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| 9 | Doug Baldwin | SEA | 7 | 7 | 11 | 10 |
| 10 | T.Y. Hilton | IND | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
| 11 | Mike Evans | TB | 12 | 12 | 9 | 12 |
| 12 | Stefon Diggs | MIN | 10 | 11 | 13 | 13 |
| 13 | Adam Thielen | MIN | 20 | 17 | 12 | 9 |
| 14 | Amari Cooper | OAK | 13 | 13 | 15 | 20 |
| 15 | Tyreek Hill | KC | 15 | 16 | 14 | 19 |
| 16 | JuJu Smith-Schuster | PIT | 13 | 14 | 20 | 22 |
| 17 | Demaryius Thomas | DEN | 17 | 19 | 19 | 15 |
| 18 | Josh Gordon | CLE | 16 | 15 | 24 | 16 |
| 19 | Larry Fitzgerald | ARI | 18 | 20 | 17 | 17 |
| 20 | Alshon Jeffery | PHI | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
| 21 | Allen Robinson | CHI | 22 | 27 | 16 | 14 |
| 22 | Golden Tate | DET | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23 |
| 23 | Marvin Jones Jr. | DET | 24 | 24 | 21 | 21 |
| 24 | Brandin Cooks | LAR | 23 | 23 | 22 | 26 |
| 25 | Michael Crabtree | BAL | 25 | 26 | 28 | 27 |
| 26 | Emmanuel Sanders | DEN | 26 | 21 | 31 | 30 |
| 27 | Chris Hogan | NE | 31 | 30 | 26 | 24 |
| 28 | Sammy Watkins | KC | 28 | 28 | 25 | 31 |
| 29 | Jarvis Landry | CLE | 27 | 25 | 27 | 33 |
| 30 | Pierre Garçon | SF | 30 | 29 | 30 | 25 |
| 31 | Corey Davis | TEN | 34 | 32 | 29 | 29 |
| 32 | Devin Funchess | CAR | 32 | 33 | 33 | 28 |
| 33 | Robert Woods | LAR | 37 | 31 | 32 | 32 |
| 34 | Robby Anderson | NYJ | 29 | 36 | 34 | 39 |
| 35 | Cooper Kupp | LAR | 36 | 34 | 35 | 34 |
| 36 | Randall Cobb | GB | 35 | 37 | 36 | 36 |
| 37 | Jamison Crowder | WAS | 38 | 35 | 38 | 38 |
| 38 | DeVante Parker | MIA | 39 | 39 | 40 | 35 |
| 39 | Marquise Goodwin | SF | 44 | 41 | 37 | 41 |
| 40 | Marqise Lee | JAC | 33 | 38 | 48 | 45 |
| 41 | Julian Edelman | NE | 41 | 40 | 45 | 42 |
| 42 | Sterling Shepard | NYG | 43 | 46 | 43 | 44 |
| 43 | Will Fuller V | HOU | -- | -- | 39 | 37 |
| 44 | Nelson Agholor | PHI | 45 | 44 | 42 | 48 |
| 45 | Martavis Bryant | OAK | 40 | 43 | -- | -- |
| 46 | Rishard Matthews | TEN | -- | 48 | 47 | 40 |
| 47 | Jordy Nelson | OAK | -- | 42 | 46 | 47 |
| 48 | Allen Hurns | DAL | 42 | 50 | 49 | 46 |
| 49 | Kelvin Benjamin | BUF | -- | -- | 44 | 43 |
| 50 | Kenny Stills | MIA | -- | -- | 41 | 50 |
| -- | DeSean Jackson | TB | 46 | 45 | -- | -- |
| -- | Tyler Lockett | SEA | 49 | 47 | -- | -- |
| -- | Josh Doctson | WAS | 47 | 49 | -- | -- |
| -- | Mohamed Sanu | ATL | 48 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Mike Williams | LAC | -- | -- | -- | 49 |
| -- | Kenny Golladay | DET | -- | -- | 50 | -- |
| -- | John Ross | CIN | 50 | -- | -- | -- |
