Last season, Adam Thielen burst onto the fantasy football scene, producing a 91-catch season with 1,276 yards and four touchdowns while helping the Minnesota Vikings reach the NFC Championship Game. The undrafted free agent finished ninth overall among wide receivers in PPR scoring leagues and currently sits at a 3.05 average draft position (ADP) heading into the 2018 NFL season.

After disappointing seasons from top flight receivers in 2017, including Odell Beckham’s lost season to injury, Jordy Nelson’s stats being crushed by the injury to Aaron Rodgers, and Mike Evans finishing 18th overall among wide receivers, there are never any guarantees when selecting any player in the world of fantasy football. Who is poised to burst onto the fantasy scene at wide receiver like Thielen in 2017 or Michael Thomas in 2016?

Corey Davis readies for fully healthy season

The fifth overall pick in 2017 never really got going during the regular season, battling injuries, and being limited to 11 games with nine starts.

He totaled 34 receptions for 375 yards with zero touchdowns and was one of the major disappointments of last season. In 2018, Davis hopes to enjoy a fully healthy 16-game season and see an increase in targets with the departure of veteran wide receiver Eric Decker. Only Rishard Matthews has any real experience behind Davis on the depth chart and with Marcus Mariota looking for a new elite quarterback contract after this season, Davis has a real chance to showcase his talent as the No. 1 receiver in Tennessee. 70+ receptions, 1,000 yards, and double-digit touchdowns are a possibility.

Chris Hogan set for increased workload

The departure of Brandin Cooks and a New England receiving corps tough to prognosticate has Chris Hogan poised for a top 25 performance during the 2018 fantasy season.

Injuries limited Hogan to nine games last season with seven starts, producing 34 receptions for 439 yards and five touchdowns. The return of Julian Edelman from injury, Kenny Britt remaining on the roster, the signing of Cordarrelle Patterson, a break-out candidate in his own right, and Malcolm Mitchell trying to return from a myriad of injuries, has fantasy owners shying away from Hogan, resulting in an ADP of 7.11. The presence of Rob Gronkowski, an older Tom Brady, and injury history are concerns, yet Hogan has proven a favorite target when on the field. 70+ receptions, 1000+ yards, and double-digit touchdowns are realistic.

Marqise Lee could be Blake Bortles’ favorite target

Jacksonville lost Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns to free agency, prompting the signing of Lee to a four-year $34M contract with $16.5M in guarantees.

While Donte Montcrief was added in free agency and DJ Chark was drafted in the second round, Lee has the most experience of any Jaguars receiver which includes second-year players Dede Westbrook and Keelan Cole. The expectations are high in Jacksonville after their surprise 2017 AFC Championship Game appearance and while Bortles can be erratic, someone on this team is going to grab 70+ receptions, net 1,200 yards, and score double-digit touchdowns. I’m going with the fifth-year receiver out of USC as my No. 1 wide receiver break-out candidate during the 2018 fantasy football season.

Josh Doctson benefits from presence of Alex Smith

There’s an adage in the NFL and supportive data indicating that a receiver is poised to break-out in his third year in the league.

Doctson, entering his third year, could fit into this data set, and will benefit from the presence of Alex Smith, a fully healthy Chris Thompson, plus the addition of Paul Richardson at wide receiver via free agency. Last season, Jamison Crowder led the team with 66 receptions as the Redskins finished in the middle of the pack in total offense. A healthy season from Jordan Reed and Thompson, coupled with Derrius Guice living up to expectations, has the entire Redskins offense flying under the radar three months before the 2018 NFL season begins. Doctson, with his size at 6’2”, is going to have plenty of match-ups one on one and I say Alex Smith makes Josh Doctson a top 20 wide receiver during the 2018 NFL season.

Josh Gordon finally ready for full season

He reminds me of Julio Jones, the All-Pro receiver from Atlanta, only Josh Gordon is stronger, weighing five more pounds than Jones, and faster because Gordon is still just 27 years old. Could Josh Gordon replicate Jones’ 2015 season with 136 receptions, 1,800 yards, and eight touchdowns? Gordon’s speed and physicality are going to be a problem for the Browns’ opponents in 2018. The addition of Jarvis Landry in the slot, coupled with either Corey Coleman or Antonio Callaway on the opposite end of Gordon, plus David Njoku in his second year, plus teams having to defend Duke Johnson running routes from the backfield, has Gordon poised for a monster season. His ADP is in the fourth round, being taken after wide receivers like Doug Baldwin, Larry Fitzgerald, Thielen, Stefon Diggs, and T.Y. Hilton.