After putting up record numbers for most of this decade, wide receivers had a drop off in productivity in 2017. After 12 wide receivers topped 1000 yards in 2016, only six joined the same club in 2017. Injuries at quarterback decimated NFL fantasy teams and seasons, as offenses shifted more towards relying on the running game.
Some of the biggest names at the wide receiver position disappointed in 2017. Injuries also cost players like Odell Beckham Jr. the majority of their season. Odell was playing well before his injury and would have been a top-12 fantasy receiver if he lasted the whole season. The players on this list all played at least half the year and under-performed their preseason rankings. Here are the biggest NFL fantasy disappointments at wide receiver for the 2017 NFL season.
Dez Bryant – Dallas Cowboys
Dez Bryant played 16 games in 2017, the first time he played a full-season worth of games since 2014. Bryant’s production over those 16 games was a disappointment. Bryant set a career-low, averaging just 12.1 yards per reception. His six touchdowns were half of his previous career-low when he played 16 games. Bryant has now failed to top 1000 yards and reach double-digit receiving touchdowns for the third straight seasons, after having done it each year from 2012 to 2014. With the Cowboys turning into a run-first team over the last two seasons, Bryant is no longer a top-tier fantasy receiver. And given the way his season ended, he might not even be a part of the roster in the 2018 season.
Jordy Nelson – Green Bay Packers
With Aaron Rodgers sidelined for a good portion of the season, Jordy Nelson had his worst statistical season since 2010. After leading the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 2016 (with 14), Nelson only caught six in 2017. The drop off in yardage was even more substantial. Nelson finished with just 482 yards or 770 less than his total in 2016 and 1037 less than his total in 2015. Nelson turns 33 this summer and may no longer be an elite option in NFL fantasy.
Amari Cooper – Oakland Raiders
After two good seasons to start his NFL career, Cooper floundered in his third season. Cooper set a career high in receiving touchdowns with seven but finished the year with only 680 receiving yards and 48 catches (both career-lows). Cooper had a 210-yard performance in Week 7. Removing that game from his totals, Cooper had only 470 receiving yards in 13 games or an average of just 36.2 yards per game. That was extremely disappointing. Cooper will only be 24 at the start of next season and should bounce-back with a healthy Derek Carr and Jon Gruden’s offensive coaching style. At this point, though, he’s a buy-low candidate. He’s not someone you want to overpay for.
Martavis Bryant – Pittsburgh Steelers
Coming into the season, there was a lot of talk about Martavis Bryant taking big steps this year, becoming an elite wide receiver. Bryant was more of a distraction than anything else in 2017, falling on the depth charts, behind rookie Juju Smith-Schuster. Bryant played in 15 games this season and failed to top the 100-yard plateau. In fact, he only once topped 65 yards. Bryant has all the talent to be an elite receiver. His attitude is the problem. Bryant may be on a different team next season, hoping to get a more significant share of the targets.
Terrelle Pryor – Washington Redskins
Quite possibly the biggest disappointment in all of fantasy football this season, Terrelle Pryor flat out stunk in 2017. Pryor played in nine games this season, catching a total of 20 passes for 240 yards and a single touchdown. Expectations for Pryor were quite high coming into the season. Pryor finished 2016 with 1007 receiving yards as a member of the Cleveland Browns. Coming to Washington, a much more pass-friendly offense, Pryor was expected to, at a minimum, match his totals from 2016. Pryor was not even on pace for 500 yards when he was placed on the IR. Who knows what to expect from Washington this off-season. If Kirk Cousins is gone, their offense will look much different in 2018, meaning Pryor may end up being a one-hit wonder, not a reliable option in fantasy.
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