Same Faces, New Places: The fantasy stock of the WRs who changed teams

There was a ton of WR movement during the 2021 NFL free agency period. And it wasn’t just small pieces moving around — 2021 was one of the most active free agencies for big-name WRs in recent memory. 

The Lions were gutted of their WR talent with Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones both finding new teams, Will Fuller will suit up for the Dolphins this fall, Corey Davis gets a new shot to be a team’s WR1, and the Patriots completely redid their WR room.

This piece will run through the fantasy implications for all the veteran WR faces in new places.

Kenny Golladay gives the Giants their first WR1 since OBJ

Kenny Golladay signed a massive four-year, $72 million deal to give QB Daniel Jones his first true alpha WR1. The Giants are now loaded with offensive talent in Golladay, Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton and first-round pick Kadarius Toney.

Golladay will be the team’s WR1, but there are more mouths to feed in New York than there were in Detroit, and he’s looking more like a mid-pack fantasy WR2 than tail-end fantasy WR1.

And don’t overlook the fact that Jones is a major downgrade at QB from Matthew Stafford. Jones’ progression could play a big role in Golladay’s output.

Will Fuller gets a one-year deal with the Dolphins

Will Fuller was setting the fantasy world ablaze last season, performing as an every-week fantasy WR1 while operating as Houston’s top target with DeAndre Hopkins out. He also stayed healthy, which was a career-first.

And then he was suspended for a PED violation. The suspension derailed what had been a successful season, and it also likely cost him big in free agency (he ended up signing a one-year $10 million deal with the Dolphins).

The Dolphins have a great group of pass-catchers now, with Fuller joining DeVante Parker, Mike Gesicki and top-10 pick Jaylen Waddle. The depth means Fuller is relegated back to flex duties for fantasy purposes, but he’ll still have some big weeks thanks to his big-play ability. 

Corey Davis gets a crack at WR1 duties for the Jets

Corey Davis never fully caught on as Tennessee’s WR1, but the former top-five overall pick did have a breakout year of sorts in 2020, posting a 65-984-5 line in 14 games (including two games with no catches).

Davis had five games with over 100 yards, including in three of his last seven contests. It was the most promising stretch of his career.

Now Davis has a chance to be the Jets top wideout with new rookie QB Zach Wilson in town. New York’s other top WRs are Denzel Mims (a second-round pick last year) and Jamison Crowder, which should put Davis in the WR1 seat for at least 2021.

His fantasy potential for 2021 depends largely on Wilson’s rookie-season skills and the assumption Davis really is the top target. But it’s safe to say Davis will take a step back in 2021 after finding a great role in Tennessee’s highly efficient offense. Davis is set to be a WR4/5 in fantasy.

Marvin Jones joins the Jaguars and is in familiar territory

Marvin Jones carved out a solid, if inconsistent, fantasy role with the Lions. He now finds himself in a similar position with the Jaguars. The Jaguars have a formidable WR trio in Jones, D.J. Chark and Laviska Shenault.

The problem with having such a solid trio is that they will all eat into each other’s volume. That said, Jones has never been “the guy” in his career and he has still maintained fantasy value, so not all hope is lost. Peg Jones as a tail-end fantasy WR4 entering the season.

Curtis Samuel adds yet another playmaker to Washington

Curtis Samuel finds himself on a Washington roster that suddenly has solid firepower on offense. He will not be asked to be the team’s No. 1 WR, with stud Terry McLaurin holding that title, but Samuel has a clear path to be the team’s No. 2 wideout in 2021.

Samuel put together a career year in 2020, catching 77 passes for 851 yards with the Panthers. It will be challenging for his stats to go much beyond those levels, but Samuel is still lining up to be a potential weekly flex option in 2021.

Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne revamp the Patriots WR corps

Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne headline New England’s revamped WR room. Of the two, Agholor has more fantasy appeal, as he figures to be the team’s top target in 2021. Neither player is a lock to be a weekly fantasy starter, but Agholor is in the WR5 range heading into the season and should be on your fantasy radar.

And for some of the smaller moves …

• A.J. Green will look for a late-career revival in Arizona, where he’ll play alongside alpha DeAndre Hopkins and rookie Rondale Moore (and maybe Larry Fitzgerald, if Fitz decides to return). Green, who fell off a cliff last season, will be a low-impact fantasy player barring a major turnaround.
• Tyrell Williams is the Lions new top WR, joining Breshad Perriman and Kalif Raymond atop the depth chart. It’s not an exciting situation, but Williams should see enough volume to belong on fantasy rosters.
• Emmanuel Sanders signed a one-year deal with the Bills. It’s a good landing spot for the late-career Sanders. He won’t be an every-week starter for fantasy, but there will be some spike weeks big enough to make him a name to keep tabs on.
• Sammy Watkins will operate as Baltimore’s WR3 and their No. 4 or 5 target behind Rashod Bateman, Marquise Brown, Mark Andrews and potentially the RBs. In a run-first offense, there’s not likely to be enough volume for Watkins to be a trustworthy fantasy asset.
• DeSean Jackson gives Matthew Stafford a deep threat with the Rams. As usual, he’ll have some big games — but predicting when they will be will be the challenge.
• John Brown is heading to the Raiders, where he will compete with Bryan Edwards and Hunter Renfrow for WR targets behind Henry Ruggs. If he can emerge as the team’s WR2, there’s a path to flex relevancy.