Ideal Landing Spots in Free Agency: Wide Receiver

Free agency is almost here, and the upcoming changes will lead to some exciting times for football fans and fantasy football managers alike. A change of scenery can do wonders for a player’s fantasy value if he winds up in the right destination, and receivers in particular can get a significant bump if they wind up in a high-powered offense, find themselves tethered to a good quarterback, and/or land in a situation with little competition for targets.

This year’s crop of receivers lacks the star power we’ve seen hit free agency in year’s past, but don’t let that convince you this isn’t an impactful group. There’s still plenty of talent available to get signed, and there are numerous quality players available even if many of them are better equipped to play a WR2 or WR3 role in their respective offenses. 

With that said, let’s take a look at what the dream landing spot (for fantasy purposes) would be for the top WRs in this year’s free agent class.

Check the other entries in the series: QB | RB

JuJu Smith-Schuster

Ideal Fit: Minnesota Vikings

It’s been an up-and-down career for JuJu Smith-Schuster. After looking like a budding superstar playing alongside Antonio Brown in Pittsburgh, he’s cooled off a bit and looked much more pedestrian. Smith-Schuster appears to operate best as a second fiddle, and putting him alongside arguably the league’s best receiver in Justin Jefferson could help him once again post the elite numbers he flashed early in his career. Throw in the fact that Minnesota’s now in need of a No. 2 WR with Adam Thielen being cut, and this feels like a perfect mutual fit.

Jakobi Meyers

Ideal Fit: New Orleans Saints

The Saints continue to convince themselves they’re one offseason away from a Super Bowl, and signing Derek Carr indicates they’re still operating with that mindset. Chris Olave was a sensation during his rookie year, but Jarvis Landry is a free agent and Michael Thomas’ status remains a massive question mark. New Orleans needs a solid No. 2 alongside Olave, and Meyers fits that role perfectly.

Odell Beckham

Ideal Fit: Dallas Cowboys

Some things just make too much sense. Signing Odell Beckham would be a classic Cowboys move that soaks up all the headlines. In this particular instance, the fit makes perfect sense as well. Dallas swung and missed last year when they tried replacing Amari Cooper’s role in the offense with Michael Gallup, and now the team needs a better No. 2 option alongside CeeDee Lamb. Beckham would be a glove-like fit in Dallas, and he could thrive catching passes from Dak Prescott alongside Lamb.

Adam Thielen

Ideal Fit: Buffalo Bills

Hot off the presses, Adam Thielen is the NFL’s most recent free agent WR. While he’s approaching the end of his career (he’ll be 33 at Week 1), Thielen still has some gas in the tank and could be a good complementary weapon in a team’s passing attack. We’ve seen Thielen and Stefon Diggs both finish as top 10 receivers with Kirk Cousins as their quarterback in the past, so just imagine what this duo could do with Josh Allen slinging the rock.

DJ Chark

Ideal Fit: Los Angeles Chargers

It feels like forever ago that DJ Chark was a 1,000-yard receiver (yes, that actually happened back in 2019). Chark hasn’t been the same since suffering an ACL injury in 2021, but now that he’s two years removed from that injury, he could be poised for a breakout season. The Chargers are in desperate need of a better deep threat to help get the most out of Justin Herbert’s rocket launcher of an arm, and Chark may be the perfect low-cost option to give their offense a much-needed boost. He’d be the No. 3 option behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, but neither of those two is a stranger to injury, which could open the door for more targets for a guy like Chark.

Allen Lazard

Ideal Fit: Green Bay Packers

Whether it’s Aaron Rodgers or Jordan Love under center in Green Bay this year, having a familiar face in the passing game would provide value for the Packers’ offense. Allen Lazard’s likely not a player who’s going to stuff the stat sheet with a change of scenery, and the best option for him, his fantasy managers and the Green Bay Packers is likely a reunion.

Parris Campbell

Ideal Fit: Indianapolis Colts

Much is changing in Indianapolis this offseason, but that doesn’t mean everything needs to. With a new head coach and almost certainly a new quarterback in town, having some familiar pass catchers around would help ease the transition in this new regime. Parris Campbell’s likely not going to light up the stat sheet wherever he ends up, but he could fight for the No. 2 job in Indy and be a much-needed veteran presence for whoever’s under center in 2023.

Mecole Hardman

Ideal Fit: Houston Texans

While it may seem crazy at first, the Texans could sneakily be a great landing spot for Mecole Hardman, even after their Friday signing of veteran Robert Woods. It sounds like Brandin Cooks may be on the move sooner rather than later, and Hardman’s a similar type of player who could step in and fill Cooks’ role in their offense at a much cheaper cost while being a strong complement to the skillsets of Woods and incumbent Nico Collins. Cooks had some productive years in Houston, and there’s not a ton of competition for targets on their current roster. While the offense may be uninspiring, there’s opportunity for Hardman to step in, play a key role, and see a career high in targets if he lands in Houston.

Trade Targets

The next two guys aren’t free agents, but they’re both heavily rumored to be on the move this offseason, so we’ll include them.

DeAndre Hopkins

Ideal Fit: New York Giants

It sounds like only a matter of time until DeAndre Hopkins is on the move. The Giants surprised everybody last year when they went from bottom of the barrel in 2021 to a Wild Card team. They did this despite not having any above-average pass catchers on their roster, and Hopkins would change that quickly. He’d immediately slot in as far and away the best WR on the offense, and he’d soak up a majority of the targets in a Giants’ offense that’s sneakily trending upward.

Brandin Cooks

Ideal Fit: Baltimore Ravens

I don’t know about you, but I’m not convinced the Ravens are going to let Lamar Jackson play for another team in 2023. Brandin Cooks is apparently on the trade block, and his acquisition would give Jackson a much-needed deep threat in the passing game that helps take the roof off the defense. Cooks would be the perfect complement to Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman, and his addition could help take Baltimore’s passing attack to new heights.