Week 3 NFL Picks, Predictions & Best Bets | NFL Picks Against the Spread | NFL Props | Survivor
Chris Meaney
When discussing handcuffs in fantasy football, the running back position is always at the forefront. But what about the wide receivers? Of course, historically, we don’t see wide receivers miss as much time as running backs. However, finding pass-catchers who can not only become relevant if an uptick in playing time presents itself, but really good, can be quite valuable. Especially in the later rounds of your fantasy football drafts.
Here are some of the top handcuff options at wide receiver for 2024.
2024 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Handcuffs
Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers
What happens when the industry’s favorite sleeper is talked about almost every day? Is he still a sleeper? Regardless, there are plenty of reasons to be talking about Wicks entering the 2024 campaign. Although in a limited role, Wicks impressed during his rookie season, hauling in 39 passes for 581 yards and four touchdowns. He ranked 22nd among all wide receivers in EPA/TGT (0.44) and third in success rate (60.3%), according to FTN Fantasy’s StatsHub. He still operated as the clear WR4 in Green Bay when everyone is healthy and barring anything crazy happening, he’ll start the 2024 season in the same role. However, we know that Christian Watson has struggled to stay healthy, missing 11 games over the past two seasons. And with Watson sidelined last year, Wicks averaged nearly 11 PPR fantasy points per contest.
Demarcus Robinson, Los Angeles Rams
Very quietly, Robinson gave this Rams offense even more firepower down the stretch last season. Of course, all of the headlines centered around Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams, but Robinson emerged as the WR3 in this offense, passing Tutu Atwell on the depth chart. From Week 14 on last year, Robinson ran a route on 88% of dropbacks, while sporting a respectable 17% target share during that span. He also averaged 16 PPR points per game in that stretch, which isn’t what you should expect for the full season but shows he can be productive in this offense. And despite playing alongside Cooper Kupp and Nacua for all but one game during that span (Kupp missed Week 18), Robinson ranked second in the entire NFL in end zone targets with seven. And you certainly want pieces of this high-powered Rams offense. In the games where the Rams were fully healthy on offense, they averaged 28.5 points per game, scoring 30-plus points in half of those contests. At the moment, Nacua is banged up, while Kupp is 31 years old and has dealt with multiple injuries.
Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Almost every day, someone from the Bucs organization is speaking highly of McMillan, who Tampa Bay selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Apparently the rookie has already won the WR3 job, which doesn’t make him fantasy relevant right away, but gives him a terrific opportunity to play in three-wide sets, which the Bucs might do a lot more this season with Liam Coen coming over from the Rams. But on top of that, McMillan is playing behind two great wide receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, though they aren’t exactly the youngest wideouts in the league. If McMillan wasn’t dealing with injuries in 2023, he likely would have been drafted a lot higher.
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts
Downs may have the best chance of having some standalone value in Indianapolis, but regardless, he’s a very strong wide receiver to target where he goes in drafts. He showed flashes as a rookie, possessing the ability to win against both man and zone coverages. Make no mistake — Michael Pittman Jr. will remain the clear WR1 in the Colts RPO-centric offense. But the pace of play in Indianapolis can help Downs produce alongside him, while he’d comfortably lead this team in targets if Pittman was forced to miss any time. Last season, the Colts operated at the league’s fastest pace, averaging 24.0 seconds per snap, while their 16.6% no-huddle rate was the highest in football. And in one game with Pittman sidelined last year, Downs saw nine targets.
Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers
An obvious one, though Pearsall may actually be an every-down player for San Francisco by the end of the week. If the 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk finally come to an agreement, Pearsall will struggle to carve out a consistent role in year one. But we know if Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel missed any time, Pearsall would find himself in one of the most fantasy friendly environments in all of football. We’ve seen Jauan Jennings produce when called upon to start in this offense and Pearsall, a first-round selection, can certainly do the same.
