Week 4 Rankings (2019): Top 50 Wide Receivers: Surprising Top 20 Options Emerging, Rebound Candidates & More

We all know who the elite wide receivers in the game are, though they haven’t necessarily been showing it on a weekly basis. Does that mean we send them spiraling down our rankings? Of course not, because all it takes is one big day to get the narrative back where we expected it to be (see Evans, Mike for instance). So who are the receivers we should be trusting? Who carries too much risk heading into Week 4? Let’s take a look at how our rankings currently look:

1. Julio Jones – Atlanta Falcons – vs. Tennessee
2. Keenan Allen – Los Angeles Chargers – at Miami
3. Amari Cooper – Dallas Cowboys – at New Orleans
4. Davante Adams – Green Bay Packers – vs. Philadelphia
5. Sammy Watkins – Kansas City Chiefs – at Detroit
6. DeAndre Hopkins – Houston Texans – vs. Carolina
7. Odell Beckham – Cleveland Browns – at Baltimore
8. Michael Thomas – New Orleans Saints – vs. Dallas
9. T.Y. Hilton – Indianapolis Colts – vs. Oakland
10. Julian Edelman – New England Patriots – at Buffalo
11. Kenny Golladay – Detroit Lions – vs. Kansas City Chiefs
12. Cooper Kupp – Los Angeles Rams – vs. Tampa Bay
13. Tyler Lockett – Seattle Seahawks – at Arizona
14. Sterling Shepard – New York Giants – vs. Washington
15. Mike Evans – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – at Los Angeles Rams
16. Tyler Boyd – Cincinnati Bengals – at Pittsburgh
17. DJ Moore – Carolina Panthers – at Houston
18. Adam Thielen – Minnesota Vikings – at Chicago
19. JuJu Smith-Schuster – Pittsburgh Steelers – vs. Cincinnati
20. Chris Godwin – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – at Los Angeles Rams
21. Terry McLaurin – Washington Redskins – at New York Giants
22. Brandin Cooks – Los Angeles Rams – vs. Tampa Bay
23. Robert Woods – Los Angeles Rams – vs. Tampa Bay
24. Calvin Ridley – Atlanta Falcons – vs. Tennessee
25. Larry Fitzgerald – Arizona Cardinals – vs. Seattle
26. D.J. Chark – Jacksonville Jaguars – at Denver
27. Allen Robinson – Chicago Bears – vs. Minnesota
28. Marquise Brown – Baltimore Ravens – vs. Cleveland
29. Mecole Hardman – Kansas City Chiefs – at Detroit
30. Christian Kirk – Arizona Cardinals – vs. Seattle
31. Stefan Diggs – Minnesota Vikings – at Chicago
32. Tyrell Williams – Oakland Raiders – at Indianapolis
33. Emmanuel Sanders – Denver Broncos – vs. Jacksonville
34. Josh Gordon – New England Patriots – at Buffalo
35. Marquez Valdes-Scantling – Green Bay Packers – vs. Philadelphia
36. Curtis Samuel – Carolina Panthers – at Houston
37. John Brown – Buffalo Bills – vs. New England
38. Demarcus Robinson – Kansas City Chiefs – at Detroit
39. Mike Williams – Los Angeles Chargers – at Miami
40. John Ross – Cincinnati Bengals – at Pittsburgh
41. Will Fuller – Houston Texans – vs. Carolina
42. DK Metcalf – Seattle Seahawks – at Arizona
43. Courtland Sutton – Denver Broncos – vs. Jacksonville
44. Marvin Jones – Detroit Lions – vs. Kansas City
45. Nelson Agholor – Philadelphia Eagles – at Green Bay
46. Diontae Johnson – Pittsburgh Steelers – vs. Cincinnati
47. Jarvis Landry – Cleveland Browns – at Baltimore
48. Dede Westbrook – Jacksonville Jaguars – at Denver
49. Preston Williams – Miami Dolphins – vs. Los Angeles Chargers
50. Corey Davis – Tennessee Titans – at Atlanta

Thoughts:

• Who would’ve expected Keenan Allen to be so highly ranked?  He’s been targeted at least 10 times in each of the first three games, putting up at least 98 yards (he’s averaging 134.7 yards/game) and scoring 3 TD.  Taking on a Miami defense that’s allowed 7 TD and is among the 10 worst at stopping opposing wide receivers, why wouldn’t we expect another big day?
• The numbers for Davante Adams haven’t been impressive thus far, with 15 receptions for 198 yards and 0 TD, but he also has had some difficult matchups.  The Eagles have allowed the fourth most points per week to opposing wide receivers, including 6 TD allowed, so there’s a good chance that Week 4 brings his breakout performance.  He’s one of the best and should continue to be viewed as such.
• After missing Week 2 Sterling Shepard returned for Daniel Jones’ NFL debut and showed an instant rapport with him.  He turned 9 targets into 7 receptions, 100 yards and 1 TD and now faces a Washington defense that’s allowed the most points per week to opposing wide receivers (9 total TD, with 8 receiving and 1 rushing).  With Saquan Barkley sidelined the Giants will likely be taking a pass-heavy approach once again, making Shepard a WR1 for the coming week.
• Is it a surprise that Mike Evans took advantage of the New York Giants’ secondary in Week 3?  He was targeted 15 times, turning it into 8 receptions, 190 yards and 3 TD.  Based on those numbers it would be easy to push him up the rankings significantly, but the Rams pose a much stiffer test (third fewest points allowed to opposing wide receivers).  Despite the big day, he’s a WR2 this week.
• Speaking of the Giants, this week it will be Terry McLaurin’s turn to expose their leaky secondary.  The third round pick has scored a TD in each of the first three games this season, picking up at least 62 yards per game while averaging 8 targets per contest.  Most weeks he’s going to be a WR3, but for this one consider him a solid WR2 due to the upside.
• In the first game post-Ben Roethlisberger JuJu Smith-Schuster was still a little productive, as he was targeted 7 times and managed 3 catches, 81 yards and 1 TD.  The Bengals have allowed the seventh fewest points per week to opposing wide receivers, so if Mason Rudolph can’t become more efficient he is likely to struggle.  At this point he still has WR1 upside, but it’s better to consider him a solid WR2 on a weekly basis.
• Larry Fitzgerald looked like the lead receiver over the first two weeks, but Christian Kirk was the more targeted option in Week 3 (he was targeted 12 times, putting up 10 catches for 59 yards).  It brings question as to who the go to option will be this week, especially as the Seahawks improve defensively.  Both are options, but they are more WR2/3 as opposed to “good” plays for the coming week.
• The Chiefs’ Mecole Hardman is going to be a boom or bust option, at least until Tyreek Hill returns, but he’s shown a lot of boom over the past two weeks (6 receptions for 158 yards and 2 TD).  Taking on the Lions there’s every reason to bet on him to boom again, and while the risk keeps him more as a WR3 he’s going to be worth considering.
• Marquez Valdes-Scantling is coming off a big day against the Broncos, turning 10 targets into 6 receptions, 99 yards and 1 TD.  This week he gets a Philadelphia defense that’s allowed the fourth most points per week to opposing wide receivers, as one of just seven teams to allow 600+ receiving yards to them over the first three weeks.  He’s the number two receiver in a positive matchup, and that makes him a worthwhile WR3.

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Make sure to check out all of our Week 4 rankings: