With the NFL season quickly approaching, fantasy draft season has arrived. Examining the wide receiver position, here are a few breakout candidates to add to fantasy rosters. While each candidate has yet to breakout into that elite wide receiver category, these players provide the requisite upside to finish as an WR1 in 2020. Let’s get into some fantasy football breakouts for your 2020 NFL fantasy drafts.
Tired of the industry consensus and of the hot take machine? How about a data driven approach for a change? The world’s No. 1 daily fantasy player has put his projections talents to work, creating Awesemo’s first ever Fantasy Football Draft Kit. In it, users will receive access to:
- Awesemo’s Fantasy Football Rankings
- The Draft Wingman
- Breakouts, Sleepers and Busts Table
- Awesemo Cheatsheets
- Customizable Strength of Schedule Tool
- Awesemo’s Live Mock Drafts (coming soon)
All this for just $29.95 and that includes a $35 credit for new users at FFPC. Sign up HERE!
Fantasy Football Breakouts: Wide Receiver
Breakout #1: Calvin Ridley
Now entering his third season with the Falcons, Ridley notched 821 and 866 receiving yards in his first two NFL season. As Julio Jones continues to age, Ridley provides immense target upside in a pass-first Atlanta Falcons offense.
Look at the Atlanta offense. The Falcons ranked first overall in pass attempts and second overall in plays per game last year. Their defense certainly struggled with injuries, causing them to allow 24.9 points per game. This also kept Atlanta throwing the ball in negative game script. Looking forward, Atlanta’s defense still remains a project. They drafted Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell in the first round, but they also let top corner Desmond Trufant walk in free agency.
Despite retaining both Jones and Ridley, Atlanta still vacates a league-leading 258 targets heading into 2020. With Austin Hooper, Devonta Freeman, Mohamed Sanu and Justin Hardy playing in new locations, targets remain available in Atlanta. Behind Ridley, Russell Gage remains the favorite for the third wide receiver role.
With over 1,000 yards in his last 16 games played, Ridley’s career trajectory remains upward. Meanwhile Jones notched a career-low 8.9 yards per target. Likely to see an increased target share in 2020, Ridley looks like a solid breakout candidate in rounds four and five this offseason.
Breakout #2: D.K. Metcalf
Entering his second season, Metcalf proved all detractors wrong with 900 yards and seven scores on 58 catches. Originally drafted as a late-second-round pick, Metcalf quickly emerged as a primary receiver in Seattle’s offense late last season.
Last year, the Seahawks ranked 23rd in pass attempts but 10th overall in plays per game. Now dealing with Rashaad Penny‘s injury, as well as questions among the secondary, this team should see an uptick in passing volume.
Looking at Metcalf as a player, his role with Seattle also grew as the year progressed. Metcalf averaged just 5.6 targets per game in Seattle’s first eight games. However, that number jumped to 6.9 in the final eight games of the season. Metcalf also showed explosive play-making ability, receiving a league-leading 18 end-zone targets.
Still a mid-round pick, Metcalf’s increased usage in an efficient Seattle offense warrants a pick in fantasy football. With only room to grow, Metcalf remains a breakout candidate this season.
Breakout #3: Marquise Brown
Another player entering his second season, Brown suffered from a debilitating ankle injury through most of 2019. Still, Brown managed to record 584 yards and seven scores on 46 receptions. With the injury depressing his average draft position, Brown remains one of the most attractive breakout candidates in all of fantasy football.
Last year, Baltimore’s offense ranked 32nd in pass attempts per game despite ranking seventh overall in plays per game. Despite the volume concerns, Baltimore’s offense thrived on efficiency. This team ranked first in points per game and second in yards per drive, creating scoring opportunities for the entire offense.
As a rookie, Brown only averaged 51% of Baltimore’s offensive snaps. However, that number jumped to 64% in Baltimore’s final five regular season games. Brown also played 85% of Baltimore’s snaps in their lone playoff game. He showed his elite ceiling with seven catches for 126 receiving yards on 11 targets in this outing.
Now participating in a full offseason without injury, Brown reportedly added muscle this off-season. More importantly, Brown spend his time on football activities instead of rehabilitation. Continuing to build rapport with Lamar Jackson, Brown remains a strong breakout candidate in 2020.
Breakout #4: Will Fuller
The oft-injured Fuller has yet to play a full season in the NFL. Last year, Fuller missed four games with a hamstring strain and another two with a core muscle injury. However, with over 1,000 yards receiving in his last 16 healthy games, Fuller looks primed for a 2020 breakout season.
As an offense, Houston continues to win off Deshaun Watson’s efficiency. The Texans actually had a negative point differential last season and still managed a 10-6 record. This year, bookmakers project the Texans for just 7.5 wins. Likely to see more negative game script, Watson and Fuller should have plenty of opportunities to develop on-field chemistry.
In addition, Houston also now moves forward without DeAndre Hopkins’ 150 targets from 2019. Traded to Arizona for David Johnson and some change, Houston now must rely on Fuller as their alpha receiver. Competing with Brandin Cooks, Kenny Stills, and Randall Cobb, Fuller easily possesses the most on-field rapport with Watson.
Still falling into the late-single-digit rounds in most drafts, Fuller’s upside in a full season remains WR1 territory. Coming at a steep discount, Fuller’s breakout potential continues to fly under the radar ahead of the 2020 season.
Check out our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more great Awesemo fantasy football breakouts content.
Don’t forget to check out the loads of free content on our Fantasy Football home page, including more fantasy football breakouts. Sign up for just $29.95 (includes a $35 credit at FFPC for new users). Sign up HERE!
