Best Fantasy Slot Receivers

Receptions and targets are always important when putting together fantasy WR rankings, but in PPR leagues, they obviously take extra precedent. That doesn't mean 'possession' receivers are suddenly worth more than big-play, high-touchdown pass-catchers, but they certainly move up sleeper lists and draft cheat sheets in even half-point PPR formats.

• Best Slot Receivers Fantasy Football
• Top Fantasy Slot Receivers

Michael Thomas is the easy call as the top-ranked receiver after catching 149 balls last year, but DeAndre Hopkins, who was tied for second with 104 catches, could challenge him even more this year. Arizona's uptempo offense will likely be throwing often, and Hopkins is set to receive the bulk of the targets. But the top tier isn't where most fantasy owners have questions. Even big-play, lower-catch guys like Tyreek Hill and Kenny Golladay will have immense value. It's the second and third tiers where things get more interesting.

Dede Westbrook (JAC) – Maybe Laviska Shenault is newer and shinier, but Westbrook is a speedy slot receiver with 66 catches for around 700 yards and four scores for the last two years. A more experienced Gardner Minshew should help trend up those stats if only incrementally. “The slot receiver’s kind of the quarterback of the receivers,” he said in 2015. “More so because the slot receiver has more responsibilities in terms of reading coverages and different adjustments based on what coverages you’re seeing. It’s a lot more complicated. You have to know a lot more. In Episode 2, a pair of notable slot receivers - Julian Edelman and Jarvis Landry - were revealed at Nos. 90 and 84, respectively. With that in mind, Cynthia Frelund unveils her top projected. My love for slot Wide Receivers in PPR scoring formats is tough to match thanks to their reliable route trees and high catch probabilities. But I also love big-play upside pass catchers that get utilized downfield. Rarely do slot Wide Receivers stretch the field, but there are exceptions to the rule. Here are four stud.

DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2020 cheat sheet

Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore, Allen Robinson, and Robert Woods are among the notable risers from our standard rankings, and while all three showed their PPR bona fides last year, it's important to note that the first three will likely have new quarterbacks throwing to them this year (we're projecting Nick Foles wins the Bears starting job). That's not necessarily a bad thing, especially for Moore and Robinson, but in Allen's case, it could lead to fewer targets and timing issues. That's also true for third-tier risers Julian Edelman and Tyler Boyd, though we expect fellow riser Emmanuel Sanders to flourish even more in New Orleans.

2020 PPR RANKINGS:

Running back Tight end Superflex Top 200

Some fantasy owners go too far in favoring high-target receivers. While you'll often get more week-to-week consistency with Jamison Crowder or Curtis Samuel as your WR4, you'll miss out on those monster three-catch, 100-yard games from someone like Mecole Hardman or DeSean Jackson. You never know when you'll need a home run hitter, especially during the bye weeks, so don't be shy about drafting one or two big-play guys. You can often find them at a value during your PPR draft.

2020 STANDARD FANTASY RANKINGS:

Quarterback Running back Wide receiver Tight end D/ST Kicker Superflex Top 200

We'll continue to update our WR PPR rankings throughout the preseason, so check back for the latest movement. For our standard WR rankings and player analysis, click here.

Best Slot Receivers Fantasy Football

2020 FANTASY SLEEPERS:

6 QBs 16 RBs 14 WRs 10 TEs 5 D/STs One from each team

Top Fantasy Slot Receivers

2020 Fantasy WR PPR Rankings

The following rankings are for full-point PPR leagues.

DRAFT STRATEGY AND RANKINGS TIERS:

Quarterback Running Back Wide Receiver Tight End D/ST