One of the toughest decisions to make in fantasy football is when teammates are log-jammed together with a similar ADP. In this case, wide receivers.
Last week, I wrote about four second-year running backs stuck in their own ADP log jam. There are four popular wide receivers, two sets of teammates, that may cause you to use up your entire draft clock if you have to choose between them. Find out below who they are and how I rank them.
The Numbers
| Targets | Receptions | Yards | TDs | |
| Mike Evans | 109 | 70 | 1,006 | 13 |
| Amari Cooper | 130 | 92 | 1,114 | 5 |
| Chris Godwin | 84 | 65 | 840 | 7 |
| CeeDee Lamb | 111 | 74 | 935 | 5 |
An ADP Log Jam
1. Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys
IDP Guys Rankings: WR14, 41.75 ADP
Why Amari Cooper is being drafted so low is something that confuses me daily. If there is a concern for injury, I understand. Aside from that, it does not make sense. Naturally, the targets decreased for Cooper after Dak Prescott’s week 5 injury, but they remained consistent enough for Cooper to receive 130 targets on the season.Â
Fantasy managers should rejoice that Prescott is likely to return, barring any further damage to his now injured shoulder. Cooper saw 51 targets in weeks one through four while Prescott was healthy. I think the easy thing to do is get hyped about second-year receiver CeeDee Lamb. Cooper is a model of consistency and Dak will rely on him more.Â
2. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
IDP Guys Rankings: WR13, 41.25 ADP
Has there ever been a wide receiver as underappreciated as Mike Evans? Evans is Mr.Consistent in my eyes. He is approaching his eighth year in the NFL and has never had a season with fewer than 1,000 yards or 100 targets.Â
Antonio Brown emerged towards the end of the 2020 season but did not negatively impact Evans, as he still managed two 100 yard games. In week 15, Evans had 10 catches for 181 yards and two touchdowns. There is little risk in drafting the consistency Evans brings to your teams.Â
3. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
IDP Guys Rankings: WR16, 43.00 ADP
The excitement and hype for CeeDee Lamb is valid. We very well may be talking about him the way we talk about Justin Jefferson if Dak Prescott had been healthy all season. Whether Prescott is on the field or not, there are targets to go around in Dallas. Lamb saw 111 targets alongside Cooper’s 130.Â
I do not fault those who would take Lamb over Evans or Cooper. The intrigue is there. In a redraft league, I still want to see how Lamb progresses and will side with the veterans and their consistency.Â
4. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
IDP Guys Rankings: WR15, 42.50 ADP)
If there is one receiver in this group I am staying away from, it is Godwin. Antonio Brown being in Tampa hurts Godwin the most and Tom Brady has made it clear he will find Mike Evans in the endzone. Godwin is the guy I will pass by on the draft board each time.Â
Summary
If you can pass on the temptation to draft the flashy young gun, I encourage you to take Amari Cooper. There is a disclaimer to this. If news comes out before your draft that Dak Prescott's shoulder injury is going to keep him out for a few weeks, I would move Evans ahead of Cooper. Stick with the consistent veterans in your redraft leagues with their ADP.Â
Thank you for reading! You can find me on Twitter at @ClintonHolmgren and @IDPGuys. Check out all of my IDP, Devy, and Offensive work at idpguys.org. Be sure to order our rookie draft magazines, which we load with fantastic player profiles and landing spot analysis.
