Fantasy Football Wide Receivers with a Wide Range of Outcomes: Marquise Brown, George Pickens, Stefon Diggs and More

Marquise Brown, Kansas City Chiefs

We have seen Brown flash superstar ability and have also seen him struggle to live up to his potential at times throughout his career. Some of his issues have stemmed from his own shortcomings such as subpar route running and unreliable hands, while other things have been out of his control.

Injuries, poor quarterback play and low-volume passing attacks have all held him back as well. After peaking as a fantasy asset in 2021 with the Baltimore Ravens, his numbers have fallen off a cliff the past two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Despite seeing 208 targets during that two-year span, he only managed to catch 118 passes for 1,283 yards, and seven TDs.

It's unclear how much of his lack in production is due to his own play, how much is due to poor QB play, and how much is due to nagging injuries. 

This season, we know his issue won't be poor quarterback play in Kansas City and it also won't be a scheming issue like we saw in Baltimore. Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid have proven that they are a step ahead of the rest of the NFL and among the best to ever do it at their respective jobs.

Still, unpredictability is still very much a factor this season due to the legal woes and potential looming suspension of Rashee Rice. There is a chance that he isn't suspended at all this season and the matter doesn't resolve itself until 2025 or he could miss close to an entire season due to multiple alleged exploits. If he is Mahomes's top target for the majority of the season and lives up to expectations, being a WR1 and finishing in the top eight overall at his position is realistic.

However, if Rice or rookie Xavier Worthy separate themselves as the WR1 or he simply proves not to be that guy, Brown could be just a volatile flex option this season.  

George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers

Pickens is coming off a strong, but inconsistent season in 2023. His 1,140 yards and five TDs on 63 receptions were a step in the right direction. This season, target-hog Diontae Johnson has been shipped to Carolina, with Kenny Pickett also sent packing out of Pittsburgh. With that said, the quarterback room is still very questionable with Russel Wilson and Justin Fields, and we don't know that Pickens can be a true WR1 just yet. However, he will get the shot to be that guy and we are sure he'll give you some huge games.

What we don't know, is whether or not he can sustain that production consistently throughout the season. Wilson was unable to produce a coveted fantasy asset at wideout in Denver. In Chicago, D.J. Moore did have strong overall numbers with Fields, but they came from big boom games leaving fantasy owners frustrated most weeks. Odds are Wilson will be the Week 1 starter, so we will see if he can get the most out of Pickens or if he gets stuck in purgatory once again on a team that struggles to throw the ball. 

Diontae Johnson, Carolina Panthers

As we previously mentioned, Johnson was shipped to Carolina this offseason and will be expected to serve as Bryce Young's top target while the former first-overall pick looks to get his career on track. This is a different case because we know that Johnson can be a top guy and produce when the volume is there.

It's hard to imagine that volume not being there this season in that offense. However, it remains to be seen if Young can look like a legitimate NFL quarterback.

In 2023, we did see the corpse of Adam Theilen but up great fantasy numbers early on in the season before falling off a cliff. That fall was due to poor play from both quarterback and receiver. Johnson is a massive upgrade for Young and the hope will be that he elevates his play.

It is possible that Young just isn't that guy though and Johnson could suffer the consequences of that if it proves to be true. On the other hand, he could also catch 120 passes this season and prove to be PPR gold with TD upside. 

Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos

Despite playing in 16 games and catching double-digit TDs in 2023, Sutton still finished as just the WR35. A lot has changed in Denver heading into 2024, whether those changes make things any better remains to be seen.

Jerry Jeudy has been sent off to Cleveland and Bo Nix will be the new quarterback in town. The Jeudy issue feels like a wash because he wasn't able to do much either, but there should be at least a few more targets heading Sutton's way this season.

The big change is the new rookie quarterback the team picked shockingly high in the first round of this year's draft. Your belief in Nix will likely go a long way in shaping your view of Sutton. We don't think he's very good, so we are lower on Sutton and anticipate and even tougher year than last season based on quarterback play for him if that's even possible. Nevertheless, if we are wrong and Nix looks even like an average NFL QB, big things could be in store for Sutton in 2024. 

Stefon Diggs, Houston Texans

Diggs may have the widest range of outcomes of any wideout in the league this season. It's possible that C.J. Stroud takes a huge next step and Diggs looks like the top guy he has been for years in Buffalo prior to falling off a cliff late in 2023.

His plummet in production may have been due to an offensive coordinator change and an inaccurate quarterback after all. If that does turn out to be the case, he could finish as a top-three wideout overall this season.

However, it's also very possible that entering his age 31 season he has lost a massive step. The volume was still there when he struggled last year and it's the second year in a row we saw a late-season dip from him. If that turns out to be the case, he could end up serving as the WR3 on his own team behind Nico Collins and Tank Dell. This would surely leave both him and fantasy owners visibly disgruntled.