By: Brandon Carr
1.) Michael Thomas
Michael Thomas enters the 2020 season as the top wide receiver on the season for me. Michael Thomas this past season had one of the most dominant seasons by a wide receiver in fantasy football history. Thomas posted out of this world numbers as he broke the NFL record in receptions with 149 receptions on 185 targets for 1,725 yards with 9 touchdowns. This made Thomas the WR1 this past season by a landslide when he scored 300.1 fantasy points (HALF PPR) which was the most in a season since 2015 by any wide receiver.
Positives
Michael Thomas this upcoming season is still in for monster production at the position. Thomas ever since he has entered the NFL has had at least 121 targets or more in every single season he has played in and for the past two seasons has led the NFL in total targets. Thomas showed this dominance even without Drew Brees in the lineup for the 5 games that Teddy Bridgewater started. Thomas in the games that Bridgewater played averaged 10.4 targets, 8.4 receptions, and 110.2 receiving yards per game. To put into perspective how dominant Thomas was, his 300.1 fantasy points was still 67 more points than the WR2 (Chris Godwin) this past season. A little added bonus is that Thomas has never missed a game due to injury and hasn’t even been listed on the injury report in his entire professional career.
Negatives
There aren’t that many negatives to say about Michael Thomas and his 2020 outlook. Could Emmanuel Sanders steal some targets away from Thomas? He will but this is something that I would not worry about too much. This could even help Thomas if he receives less attention from the defense with another proven pass catcher playing alongside him. Sanders figures to split work from the outside and in the slot depending on what personnel group the Saints are in. Thomas in his rookie season received 121 targets and that was with Brandin Cooks still on the roster. Alvin Kamara could take some targets but Thomas again has shown that he can command a lot of targets even with Kamara getting his usual high target volume out of the backfield.
Overall
There is not much that can make you from fading Thomas in your draft this year. He has shown how consistently dominant he has been for fantasy owners during his career and this year should be no different. Thomas is my top fantasy wide receiver and you can draft him as such with supreme confidence. Thomas’ current ADP in half PPR drafts is the 1.03.
2.) Davante Adams
Davante Adams is my number 2 wide receiver for the 2020 season. Adams last season despite missing 4 games due to a toe sprain that he suffered in Week 4 against the Eagles still finished as the WR24 with 171.2 fantasy points this past season. That was ahead of Odell Beckham Jr, DK Metcalf, and Jamison Crowder who played in all 16 games this past season. Adams on the season finished with 83 receptions on 127 targets for 997 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Positives
Heading into the 2020 season, Adams is in for a huge bounce-back year. Adams, before he suffered the toe sprain, was on pace for 100 receptions for 1,512 yards on the season which would’ve placed him right in the conversation to finish as the top fantasy wide receiver on the season. Adams on a point per game basis this past season finished with 14.3 fantasy points per game which was 6th amongst wide receivers. I expect that number to increase with him being healthier throughout the season and with other player’s situations changing that were ahead of him. Adams’ situation remains about the same with the Packers. The Packers didn’t make many additions to their receiving corps except for Devin Funchess who missed the entire 2019 season due to a clavicle fracture. Jimmy Graham and Geronimo Allison who were 3rd and 5th in total targets on the team departed in free agency which leaves 115 more targets to go around. Adams doesn’t face any competition for targets in this offense and Aaron Rodgers will be looking Adams’ way quite often this season.
Negatives
There are a couple of small concerns with Adams’ 2020 outlook. Aaron Rodgers is 36 years old and has seen his touchdown numbers take a decrease from past years which could have some pause for concern if those numbers continue to take a dip. However, Adams was the recipient of 16 out of Rodgers’ 25 passing touchdowns back in 2018 which is not far removed. This doesn’t make me too worried. Another concern that people may have is that the Packers could lean more towards a run-first offense. The Packers opted to draft running back AJ Dillon in the second round which potentially could indicate the Packers desire to run the ball on more of their plays to do what they can to preserve Aaron Rodgers. With all of that being said, I am not concerned by any of this for Adams in 2020.
Overall
Adams has consistently been a great fantasy option for owners and I believe that he is due for a huge bounce-back year with the Pack next year. I have Adams as my number two wide receiver for 2020 with a very high volume of targets being the guy in the Packers passing attack. Adams’ current ADP is the 1.07.
3.) Julio Jones
Julio Jones for the 2020 season is my wide receiver three. Jones continues to produce at an elite level despite being 31 years old. Jones this past season had 99 receptions on 157 targets for 1,394 yards and 6 touchdowns. Jones’ 224.6 fantasy points this past season ranked 3rd even with missing a game due to injury.
Positives
Julio Jones will now enter his 10th season in the NFL and still has shown no signs of slowing down. A guy of Julio Jones’ talent and ability can keep him producing at an elite level for a long time. It also helps that he happens to be in an offense that is among the top in the NFL in passing attempts for the past few seasons. They finished first this past season when as a team, they attempted a total of 684 passes which was 51 more than the next team (Carolina Panthers). I don’t expect this to change because of a Falcons defense that hasn’t been very good which means they need to put up a lot of points in order for them to compete. This means Jones’ target volume is going to remain high and it helps even more than 93 targets are being left behind with Austin Hooper out of the picture would have been even more if Hooper didn’t miss 3 games.
Negatives
Julio Jones also doesn’t have a lot of negatives heading into the 2020 season. What many have pointed to with Jones’ production is that he lacks a lot of receiving touchdowns. However, this hasn’t made a difference in where Jones has finished on the season. In 2017, Jones finished with only 3 touchdowns on the season and he still finished as the WR4 on the season in fantasy. That says enough of how good Jones is for fantasy if he can produce a top 5 season at the position with a lack of touchdowns. If you are worried about his age, look at his numbers, and tell me where he has shown any signs of slowing down.
Overall
Julio Jones has always been one of the more safer bets when it comes to fantasy football. I expect once again he will insert himself with the elite fantasy options for this season and he will finish as such. Draft Jones and expect similar outcomes to years prior. Jones is my third wide receiver in my rankings and his current ADP is the 1.11.
4.) DeAndre Hopkins
DeAndre Hopkins is my wide receiver four for the 2020 season. Hopkins with the Houston Texans this past season had another great season. Hopkins finished the season with 104 receptions on 150 targets for 1165 yards and 7 touchdowns. Hopkins finished the season as the WR5 with 217.5 fantasy points in 15 games played.
Positives
DeAndre Hopkins in the 2020 season is now on a brand new team as he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in the offseason. What Hopkins provides the Cardinals is consistent production and dominance at the wide receiver position. Hopkins has had three straight seasons of 1,100+ yards and 95+ receptions, along with finishing inside of the top 5 for fantasy football wide receivers in those seasons. He doesn’t suffer a huge dropoff in quarterback play from Deshaun Watson to Kyler Murray, who is an up and coming star in the NFL and was the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year last year. Murray also finished ahead of Deshaun Watson in terms of passing attempts with Murray having 542 attempts to Watson’s 495 attempts. Hopkins will have a good chance to have another top 5 season this year with his new team.
Negatives
Going to a new team is definitely a challenge considering how unpredictable it can be. Especially with a potentially shortened offseason on the horizon, it is going to be hard to start building chemistry especially if you are a wide receiver. DeAndre Hopkins I think is too talented to face that difficult of a time with this change. Hopkins, I do expect will see a slight regression in his targets. Hopkins in Arizona is going to face more competition for targets than he had with Houston. Christian Kirk and Larry Fitzgerald both had over 100 targets this past season while meanwhile in Houston, Will Fuller finished with 71 targets even though he missed 5 games. So will Hopkins hit 150 targets again this season? I don’t believe so, but I don’t believe that Kirk or Fitzgerald are going to eat into Hopkins’ production. I suspect he still tops over 135 targets with his new team. It will be more so Kirk and Fitzgerald who are going to take a massive hit in their passing volume.
Overall
DeAndre Hopkins is still one of the best receivers in the NFL and has proven that in his career. Arizona is just as good of a situation for Hopkins and Hopkins has proven time and time again that he can produce with whoever is throwing him the football. Remember the Tom Savage and Brock Osweiler and Brian Hoyer years in Houston? Hopkins still found a way to remain relevant. Even the down year he had in 2016 in Houston he was close to 80 receptions and 1,000 yards even with Osweiler and Savage throwing mostly inaccurate passes Hopkins way. Hopkins in 2020 will be the alpha on an up and coming Arizona team and once again will prove that he is more than capable of producing another elite WR season. Don’t fade Hopkins with going to a new team; he is my wide receiver four this season. Hopkins’ current ADP is 1.09 in half PPR formats.
5.) Tyreek Hill
Tyreek Hill is my wide receiver five heading into the 2020 season. Hill last year missed 4 games due to a clavicle injury that caused a down year for Hill. Hill on the season finished with 58 receptions on 89 targets for 860 yards and 7 touchdowns. Hill only finished as the WR30 this past season with 159.3 fantasy points.
Positives
Tyreek Hill had a rough year this past season but that was due to Hill himself missing time. Hill missed 4 games and was taken out of another game early when he played the Chargers in week 11. Pat Mahomes may have also missed a couple of games, but Hill still played exceptionally well in those two games when he had a total of 12 catches for 216 yards and a touchdown. It shows how good Hill really is but now he comes into the season with both him and Mahomes healthy and coming off of a Super Bowl victory. Don’t forget that Hill was the wide receiver one in 2018 when he played a full 16 games with Mahomes under center, that’s how high Hill’s ceiling can be in fantasy.
Negatives
Tyreek Hill has had his fair share of boom and bust type of games which some people can see as a risk. This past season, Hill finished in the top 10 in 4 different weeks, but he also had 4 weeks where he finished outside the top 30. You could also point to the fact that Hill isn’t someone who catches a lot of passes which could hurt his PPR value. His career-high in receptions on a season is 87 in the year he was the wide receiver one. Do I believe that you should fade Hill because of these reasons? No, and that is because you have to remember how good Hill is for fantasy. As I said, he finished as the WR1 in half PPR formats even with the low reception total that season. Hill’s ceiling is one of the highest ceilings in all of fantasy football with a relatively safe floor. Travis Kelce or Sammy Watkins haven’t diminished any of Hill’s fantasy value even when they get a high percentage of targets.
Overall
Tyreek Hill going into the 2020 season is going to have a monster bounce-back season. Hill has the luxury of being the number one wide receiver and the deep threat for the best quarterback in the NFL and that alone makes the sky the limit for Hill and his fantasy outlook for the 2020 season. I confidently have Hill as my wide receiver 5 for the 2020 season. You can confidently draft him and hope that he falls in drafts if people are afraid to take him early. Hill’s current ADP is the 1.08.
Brandon's Breakdowns 
Extremely excited to see what Arizona can do this year
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