With Week 5 of the NFL season in the books, we’re continuing to focus on the best rookie playmakers nationwide. The 2023 rookie wide receiver group is putting up impressive numbers early on. With Week 6 right around the corner, here are our best rookie receivers for fantasy football for the upcoming slate.
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Who Are the Best Rookie WRs for Fantasy This Week?
Our NFL Week 6 dynasty wide receiver rankings are courtesy of the PFN Consensus Fantasy Rankings.
1) Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
Well, we wanted to see how the NFL’s No. 2 receiver would perform with Cooper Kupp in the lineup, and Puka Nacua didn’t let his fantasy managers down. Both Nacua and Kupp had more than 10 targets, and while Kupp took his mantle as the team’s top target, Nacua pulled in seven passes for 71 yards and a touchdown.
Nacua will easily finish as this rookie class’ top receiver even at that trajectory. Our No. 2 receiver has only hit Nacua’s Week 5 pace in two of his five games played. Nacua is on a totally different playing field right now.
It’s fair to wonder whether it’ll continue as the season progresses. The Los Angeles Rams traded Van Jefferson to the Atlanta Falcons for pennies, reducing their depth even more. At worst, Nacua seems more like a situational starter for stronger wide receiver lineups.
2) Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens
Last week was the perfect time for Zay Flowers to have a big game, and the Baltimore Ravens’ rookie was solid. With a season-high 11 targets, Flowers caught only five passes for 73 yards. It was his first game under a 75% catch rate as Lamar Jackson struggled mightily.
Flowers is still looking for his first touchdown on the season, and that lack of red-zone opportunities is concerning for his upside. He has seven targets and five catches within the 20 but has negative six yards.
Fantasy managers can’t trust Flowers yet as a full-time starter, but he also seems due for a touchdown considering the team’s red-zone play has been fantastic.
3) Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings
We predicted a solid bounce-back game for Jordan Addison after seeing only one target in 28 offensive snaps in Week 4, and he had a great outing against Kansas City. With six receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown, Addison is setting himself up to be a consistent WR15 finisher this year.
Of course, not getting to the end zone would have hurt him. But with another three targets in the red zone last week, Addison’s skill set is clearly getting him opportunities even before Justin Jefferson’s injury. With Jefferson out for the next month, expect Addison to be the true WR1 in Minnesota.
4) Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs
Playing with Patrick Mahomes gives his playmakers a unique upside to explode for a big game any given week. However, it’s also possible to overvalue his receivers because we don’t know the consistency or value of targets they’ll get weekly.
Rookie Rashee Rice is a good example of this. He’s been fine in 2023, catching 17 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. But the speedster was supposed to be more than a short-yard target who wins more with his length than his ability to stretch the field. And yet, his longest catch through five games is only 25 yards.
Kansas City simply hasn’t been a stellar, explosive offense in four of its five games. For Rice to have value, he has to score. He’s worth playing in Week 6 against a weak Denver Broncos secondary, just as he was last week.
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Andy Reid might give Rice schemed targets in the red zone, but he’s far from a lock to see those opportunities.
5) Tank Dell, Houston Texans
After turning in a stellar preseason, Tank Dell hasn’t needed long to prove he’s a viable producer at this level. Despite concerns about his size and the Houston Texans’ offense, Dell benefits from C.J. Stroud’s strong early play and Nico Collins’ emergence.
Dell’s blazing speed and fluidity put immense strain on individual defenders having to stay in front of him. He creates easy separation against man looks and can dice up zone coverages after the catch.
It’s fair to be concerned whether Dell will ever get the volume of targets needed for him to be a bona fide weekly starting option in fantasy. However, he’s a strong Flex option, capable of exploding for a matchup-winning performance.
6) Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts
As soon as I thought Josh Downs had settled into a mediocre upside where he’d average around 10 yards a catch, Anthony Richardson’s shoulder injury brought Gardner Minshew II back onto the field. Minshew starting is a plus for Downs, who benefits from Minshew’s willingness to get rid of the ball quickly and in the rhythm of the offensive design.
Downs responded with a career game. His 97 yards was 40 more than his second-best game. It was the second time he and Minshew showed real chemistry that could redefine Downs’ potential.
It’s unclear whether Downs will be a consistent red-zone threat. The Indianapolis Colts’ offense is still a run-heavy approach, and Downs’ frame is a deterrent for frequent targets besides quick patterns that require elite accuracy and precision.
7) Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals
Michael Wilson, a notably good route runner for someone 6’2″, finally earned a bigger workload in Week 4. He caught all seven targets for 76 yards and his first two touchdowns. Before that week, he had no more than four targets in any game.
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Unfortunately, Week 5 was back to the previous trend of Wilson not seeing a significant workload. In fact, it was his worst game yet, with one catch on two targets for 18 yards. With the Rams up next, it’s more likely Wilson has another quiet game than a sudden explosion.
8) Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
We thought Quentin Johnston would immediately step into Mike Williams’ big-play role after their big man tore his ACL, but Justin Herbert hasn’t fed his first-round pick. With a measly 11 targets in four games, Johnston is still an unknown product in the NFL. He has only six catches for 44 yards.
9) Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
The idea of Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the slot for the Seattle Seahawks was mouth-watering, but the transition for the Ohio State rookie hasn’t been as seamless as expected. His best game came in Week 2, producing five receptions for 34 yards. JSN is averaging just 5.4 yards per catch this season.
Seattle has to get Smith-Njigba downfield more often to get his best production. He’s not as shifty as someone like Tyler Lockett, so using him more as a power slot makes sense.
10) Marvin Mims Jr., Denver Broncos
Marvin Mims Jr. leads the NFL with 24.6 yards per catch. That’s excellent, and his ability to create big plays is perfect as a Flex flier when your team needs an unlikely performance to win as an underdog.
However, Mims has only 12 targets and 10 catches in five games. He’s far from a sure thing to produce and can only be viewed as a high-risk, high-reward play.