Wide receivers to target if you go RB early in fantasy football

The best fantasy football draft strategy is a flexible approach. Going into a draft with just one strategy in mind isn’t going to provide you with long-term success. In the early rounds, you really need to take what the board is giving you.

Sometimes, that will mean a balanced roster in the early rounds where you end up with two running backs and two wideouts. Other times you may be slanted more toward one position or the other.

If you end up going running back heavy over the first few rounds, you’ll need to have a plan of attack in place for wide receivers to start targeting in the fifth round and beyond. The good news is that I put together that list based on current ADP data. Below you will find 23 wide receivers to target if you go RB-early in 2020 fantasy football drafts. While I included their current ADP, don’t take that information as a recommendation for where you should draft them. Be sure to use a set of tiers, or better yet, my fantasy football draft board so that you can see their value during your actual drafts.

Our 2020 fantasy football rankings page has rankings for each position with over 500 players listed across all of the main fantasy football scoring settings. Want 2020 fantasy football projections? We have you covered there too. And don’t forget to check out the 2020 Fantasy Football Game Plan draft guide for everything you need to dominate your fantasy football drafts.

Tyler Lockett — ADP 5.04

He’s the No. 1 receiver in Seattle and a top-20 option in my 2020 fantasy football rankings, and you’re getting him at a slight discount. Sure, the Seahawks are a run-heavy offense, but Lockett is coming off his first 1,000-yard season and has major big-play upside.

Keenan Allen — ADP 5.05

Concerns about the Chargers quarterback situation are valid, but Allen screams value at this point in the draft. He’s been as consistent as they come, and should benefit when Justin Herbert takes over in L.A.

Terry McLaurin — ADP 5.06

He certainly comes with some volatility given the Washington quarterback situation and the overall state of the offense, but McLaurin enters 2020 as the clear No. 1. He also has major fantasy upside thanks to his healthy air yards total from last season.

Courtland Sutton — ADP 5.11

Thankfully, we’ve seen Sutton’s ADP dip a bit over the offseason, and now he’s actually a bit of a bargain in this range of the draft. Even with Jerry Jeudy in house, Sutton is locked in as the top receiving option in Denver and is coming off

Stefon Diggs — ADP 6.02

Sure, the Bills are a run-heavy offense, but this isn’t the worst landing spot for Diggs. He ranked 17th among wideouts in air yards last year with 1,130, and is pair up with a quarterback who loves to push the ball downfield in Josh Allen.

Marquise Brown — ADP 6.08

Big-play upside abounds in Brown, as we saw in his rookie season. He will not be the most consistent option on a weekly basis, but he has top-10 potential in any given week. He’s especially appealing if the Ravens do in fact prioritize deep-ball passing this season.

DeVante Parker — ADP 6.10

This one feels a little late, as I’d be happy to take Parker in the fifth round. He’s coming off a breakout year and is position as the No. 1 in Miami. The quarterback situation is far from solidified, but Tua Tagovailoa should have no problem getting Parker the football.

Will Fuller — ADP 7.12

Injury concerns are very real with Fuller, but he could end up providing a massive return on investment if he manages to stay healthy. The injury discount is more than enough in this range to warrant taking a shot on Fuller.

Tyler Boyd — ADP 8.02

ADP may seem a tad low for Boyd, but he’s good here or even a round ahead of this spot. Boyd gets an upgrade at quarterback in Joe Burrow and should benefit from the Bengals fast-paced offense that average a play every 22.8 seconds last season.

Diontae Johnson — ADP 8.07

One of the most popular middle-round breakout candidates, Johnson may not actually last this long in August drafts. Regardless, he’s positioned well as the No. 2 option in what should be a pass-heavy Steelers offense with Ben Roethlisberger back under center.

Marvin Jones — ADP 8.12

Perennially underrated, Jones has shown massive weekly upside in his career. Sure, he’s the No. 2 in Detroit, but the Lions were trending in the right direction before Matthew Stafford’s injury last season. There’s some injury baggage here, but Jones is nice value in this range.

CeeDee Lamb — ADP 9.07

There’s a crowded house at wideout in Dallas, but it’s just too tough to ignore Lamb’s talent in this range of drafts. He’ll likely open the season as the No. 3, but we certainly can’t rule out Lamb moving up the target pecking order.

Henry Ruggs — ADP 9.12

The rookie out of Alabama should step right in and be the immediate top wide receiver target for the Raiders. Sure, the Vegas beat has been talking up Nelson Agholor, but pay that no mind. Ruggs offers major fantasy juice just as we make the turn into the late rounds.

Mecole Hardman — ADP 10.02

We’re hanging on for dear life to a late-round ADP with Hardman, but I think we’re still good with him in the ninth round. He showed explosive upside on minimal touches last season, and should be more involved in Year 2.

Jerry Jeudy — ADP 10.08

His situation isn’t quite as good as fellow top rookie CeeDee Lamb, as Jeudy has a lot of uncertainty at quarterback. But he’s a silky-smooth route runner who offers plenty of upside if you can get him this late in drafts.

Christian Kirk — ADP 10.12

Getting to play opposite DeAndre Hopkins is a good thing for Kirk, as Hopkins will draw the attention of opposing defenses. Kirk also showed us last season that he does have the potential to go off in any given week.

Jalen Reagor — ADP 11.03

The Eagles enter 2020 thin at wide receiver, which means we could see Reagor as the top target. Keep in mind that he will be out-targeted by Zach Ertz and possibly by Dallas Goedert. However, Reagor’s upside in the Eagles’ offense is appealing.