It’s becoming more important to draft a quality WR2 to compliment those top-tier wide receivers on your roster. If you miss out on a complimenting wide receiver, then your team could suffer through a season of agonizing drops and lack of production.

I’m a big believer in running backs, but I’ve been on the wrong side of the wide receiver carousel before…and it’s not a pleasant weekly experience. Getting a WR2 who can be a consistent scorer, without having to play the matchup game of avoiding good pass defenses, is a desirable strategy for any fantasy football team.

Here’s three predicted WR2/WR3 according to average draft position who can not only be consistent scorers, but could jump into that top-12 of fantasy scoring by the end of the season.

Amari Cooper, 13th ranked

This is almost cheating, but technically Cooper is ranked outside the top-12, which would be the requirements of being a WR1 in a standard 12-team league.

Oakland is supposed to be much better this season, especially on the offensive end, where they have talent all around, including a revamped offensive line. That line should give Derek Carr enough time to put more balls in Cooper’s direction this season.

During his rookie campaign, Cooper finished 16th in targets among wide receivers in the NFL. Even with the Raiders likely not trailing as much this season, Cooper should still amass more targets as he surpasses Michael Crabtree as the dominant receiver on the offense. The Raiders had two receivers rank in the top-20 in targets last season. Expect that number to be only one this year, with Cooper being the main man in Oakland. In my rankings, I have him as a low-end WR1, with solid upside.

Kelvin Benjamin, 20th ranked

I have him slated as a strong WR2 in my rankings, but he could slip into that WR1 role depending on how much he’s improved since his rookie year two years ago. Reports out of camp say Benjamin is a beast. Even though I don’t necessarily trust camp reports, I’m encouraged by the news.

Cam Newton was desperate for a No. 1 receiver last season. He made due, but without Benjamin, defenses focused too much on Greg Olsen. This year, defenses will have to contend with both players and must stop Newton’s legs. Benjamin isn’t likely going to get you a top-10 amount of targets. But he should get enough looks each week to justify a high draft position. And his big body will allow plenty of red zone targets, taking away some production from Olsen. I’m higher on Benjamin than Olsen in Carolina’s offense, and if Benjamin stays healthy, he should be a high-ranked WR2, and possibly sneak into the WR1 discussion.

Golden Tate is poised for a breakout season. Flickr
Golden Tate is poised for a breakout season. Flickr

Golden Tate, 25th ranked

Tate isn’t even a WR2 in drafts, which is a mighty mistake. Do I believe you should draft Tate in the second or third round? No, especially based on his ADP of 55th overall, putting him in the middle of the fifth round.

But he has the ability to take a major step forward in production with the absence of Calvin Johnson. Even with Johnson across from him, Tate still attracted 8.1 targets per game, a top-20 mark last season. He’s the main option for the Lions this season, which will look for more out of its skill position players. And the reason why I rate Tate higher than players like Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker is that I trust Matthew Stafford more than other mid-level quarterbacks.

Stafford can still sling it and I anticipate the Lions to be trailing early and often this year, necessitating more throws. Tate has produced in the past and now as the main man in Detroit, he is one of the best value WR2 in the fantasy football draft and could contend for a WR1 position.

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