Outlook: Although no one truly doubted Adams could remain an elite talent without Aaron Rodgers, it was still nice to see him prove it a year ago, catching 100 passes for 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns from the combination of Carr and Jarrett Stidham. It marked the fourth time in the last five years that Adams has reached triple digits in receptions, topped 1,350 yards, and scored double-digit TDs. While others may have surpassed the 30-year-old wideout physically, he remains arguably the best route runner in the business, and his red-zone exploits are elite with 83 touchdowns over the past seven seasons.

Durability is another strong suit. After playing all 17 games in 2022, Adams has now missed two games or fewer in all but two of his nine NFL campaigns, and he's never appeared in less than 12. Partnering with Garoppolo probably represents the low-water mark in terms of talent at the position, not counting games started by backups, but Jimmy G can deliver the ball on time, and the veteran QB been around long enough to know he needs to feed the ball to a player of Adams' caliber. Adams remains a solid WR1, though he should go after names like Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase.

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Outlook: They are certainly developing some quality NFL receiving talent over there at USC. Addison joins fellow Trojans Drake London, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Michael Pittman Jr., and Juju Smith-Schuster as players that are surely to be in fantasy starting lineups this season. All of those aforementioned players came into the NFL ready to ball, and contributed right away. In what was widely considered a deep position in the draft, Addison was the 4th receiver picked in the first round. While not as physically gifted as the other receivers drafted, Addison makes up for it with superior technical ability and elite production over his collegiate career. Rookie receivers adjust to the NFL game faster than ever, and if Addison can prove to be a quick study and establish chemistry with Cousins, he could overtake Osborne as the 3rd option in this passing game. Add Addison as an upside bench stash that could develop into a reliable WR3.

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Outlook: Opinions of Aiyuk have been all over the map since the 49ers made him a first-round pick in 2020, especially when his much-anticipated breakout in 2021 got off to an extremely rocky start. It's time to move past that. The Arizona State product led the team in targets (114), receptions (78), and yards (1,015) last year while appearing in all 17 games for the second straight year, which was a refreshing development on a team that battled key injuries all season long. His eight touchdowns were also a career high, though he trailed George Kittle (11) in that department.

The 49ers exercised Aiyuk's fifth-year option during the offseason, and the arrow looks to be pointed up entering Year 4. Still, it's worth noting that Aiyuk didn't have huge numbers with Purdy under center, topping 80 yards just twice in the then-rookie's eight starts despite Samuel missing several games with an ankle injury. Although he's arguably a safer choice than his teammate, Aiyuk is better suited to a WR3 role with the hope that he can ascend into WR2 territory.

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Outlook: A model of consistency over the previous five seasons when he caught at least 100 balls four times and topped 1,000 yards four times, Allen missed the better part of two months dealing with a hamstring injury, leading to a 66-752-4 effort that was his worst since 2016 when he missed all but one game due to a torn ACL -- on the bright side, Allen's per-game production remained strong, as his 17-game pace was 112 receptions, 1,279 yards, and 7 touchdowns.

At 31, Allen is entering the latter stages of his career, though elite athleticism was never his calling card, as he's more of a route technician with great hands, both of which are skills that should continue to serve him well. Allen does have a lot of mileage on his body, however, having now played 10 seasons in the NFL, and though he's not a full-fledged durability risk, he hasn't played an entire season since 2019. Target him as a middling WR2 to mitigate your risk.

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Outlook: 2022 was mostly a wash for Bateman as a promising start was dashed by a broken foot in Week 8. Health has been an issue for the former 1st rounder, as he's only played 19 games in his two seasons. Even more concerning is that even after seven months of rehab, Bateman still needed a "cortisone type shot" in his foot and missed several days of minicamp earlier this month. While Bateman and the Ravens hope that will be a non-issue by Week 1, the signing of OBJ might have a bigger impact on Bateman's role than his foot. Finances and hype have knocked Bateman down a peg in the pecking order, and that's not a great place to be on a team transitioning into an entirely new offense.

At best Bateman is the third passing option between Andrews and OBJ, and will stay there until he proves otherwise by being healthy and efficient. I haven't even mentioned the addition of 22nd overall pick Zay Flowers, and how he'll be another mouth to feed. I do think one of these receivers is going to be a surprise fantasy value, but like lots of players on this offense, the range of outcomes varies wildly. For now, add Bateman at the end of your drafts and hope the foot holds up.

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Outlook: The last time we saw Beckham on the field, he was on his way to winning Super Bowl MVP. But a 2nd torn ACL ruined that Cinderella ending and Beckham Jr. spent 2022 rehabbing and seeking out his next payday. Inexplicably he found that in Baltimore this spring, signing a 1-year deal to prove to the NFL that his game still lives up to his name.

Unfortunately for the mercurial OBJ, I think those days are long gone. Since reaching the stratosphere during his first three years in the NFL, injuries and ineffective play have made him an afterthought. He hasn't been a fantasy relevant player since 2019, and even then, he was barely a WR3. But he hyped his way to the Ravens, and slots in as the WR1 on a team that has no doubt loaded the receiver room with talent. How quickly he can build chemistry with Jackson, as they all learn a new system is not the only question Beckham Jr. faces. The specter of two torn ACLs, and a host of other leg injuries loom large. Despite what he thinks of himself, he's not the player he was in his last elite season with the Giants in 2016, and is more of a complimentary player at this stage of his career. If he can stay healthy and play 14 or so games, he'll have a nice season, and maybe win you a week, but the bar for starting fantasy receivers has risen greatly over the last few seasons, and the position and his own team is flush with young talent.

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