3 WR’s Looking To Bounce Back After Injury Plagued Rookie Seasons

One of the best pieces of advice to follow amidst fantasy football draft season: look for second-year wide receivers that missed time during their rookie year due to injury, with high draft capital, and noteworthy combine metrics.

Last season, D.J. Chark would fit this bill. Chark only played 11 games as a rookie and vastly underperformed, hauling in 14 receptions from 32 targets for 174 yards and no touchdowns in 2018. However, the 2018 second-round pick bounced back in his sophomore campaign, ranking top-20 in targets and receptions, and was tied for seventh among wideouts in receiving touchdowns. From Weeks 1-14, Chark was the WR8 in PPR, posting 214.6 points across 13 games. Chark averaged 15.1 fantasy points per game in a breakout, bounce-back second season, fortifying himself as one of the leagues up-and-coming wide receiver talents.  

Finding the next sophomore breakout could be easier than one would assume. There are a few factors that play into the potential second-year wide receiver breakout: draft capital, an injury that derailed their rookie season, and college production.

Each player on this list fits this model of second-year receivers looking to bounce back this season.

N’Keal Harry – New England Patriots

2019 was a lost season for N’Keal Harry. After the Patriots drafted Harry to close out the first round of the 2019 draft, Harry did not see the field in a regular-season game until Week 11 due to an ankle injury endured in training camp. When he did play, Harry showed short glimpses of his potential, but his touches never materialized into valuable production, posting 12 receptions from 24 targets, 105 yards, and two touchdowns in seven games played. What is promising is Harry’s college production, compiling 236 touches for 3,033 yards and 25 touchdowns in three years at Arizona State, his high draft capital, selected with the last pick of the first round in the 2019 draft, and his great combine metrics. If Harry can carve out a large role in the Patriots offense and cements himself as a reliable option for Newton and displays why the Patriots used a first-round pick on him, Harry could be a strong flex option with upside. His ADP is 158.2 and he’s ranked as WR60, meaning he can be drafted in the back-half of drafts at a great value. If he earns a significant role in the offense, he will be an excellent sleeper in fantasy drafts this year.

Marquise Brown – Baltimore Ravens

Before his season was derailed by injury, Marquise Brown burst onto the scene in his first professional game, hauling in 4 of 5 targets for 147 yards and two scores. The following week, Brown was targeted 13 times, bringing in 8 catches for 86 yards. Both games showcase Brown’s big-play ability as well as his reliability as a pass catcher, in particular in the end zone, where he was targeted 10 times, tied for 11^th most among WRs. Brown was also tied for 14^th in fantasy points per target. Brown has the fourth-highest Cushion rate (5.08), an 83.6% True Catch Rate, which ranked in the top-30 among wide receivers, and top-25 in yards per route (2.25). Despite his foot injury, Brown showed he can produce at a high level. In 14 games, Brown saw 71 targets, hauling in 46 receptions for 584 targets and seven touchdowns, averaging 10.5 fantasy points per game in PPR. Brown would end up missing significant time due to a foot injury and never failed to return to early-season form, but offseason surgery to remove a screw from his foot has put Brown in prime position to take off this season.

#Ravens WR Marquise “Hollywood” Brown had offseason surgery to remove the screw from his foot that plagued him last season, sources say. While it may limit him in the offseason program, he’ll be fine by camp. The move eliminates any complications moving forward for Brown’s foot.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 25, 2020

Brown was dominant in his two seasons at Oklahoma, hauling in 132 receptions, 2,413 yards, and 17 touchdowns, leading the Ravens to draft him in the first round of the 2019 draft. Brown did not participate in the combine due to Lisfranc surgery during the offseason, but his college production and draft capital are an indication that the Ravens will continue to find a way to utilize him this season. Despite the Ravens being a run-first, run-heavy team, Brown has set himself up to be Lamar Jackson’s WR1, with Mark Andrews being Brown’s main competition for targets. Even if Brown only sees five to seven targets a game, those targets will be much more valuable compared to other WRs receiving eight to ten targets that are a little less meaningful. Brown has an ADP of 64.3, coming in as WR27. Brown is currently a great value in fantasy drafts and should return WR2 numbers with low-end WR1 upside, leaving many fantasy managers thrilled they invested in “Hollywood” Brown.

Parris Campbell – Indianapolis Colts

Parris Campbell’s rookie campaign was a major disappointment due to nagging injuries, including, “abdominal injury in Weeks 5 and 6, a fractured hand from Weeks 10-13 and a fractured foot that ultimately ended his season from Weeks 15-17.” Campbell’s pre-injury start to his rookie campaign was not noteworthy either, failing to do much of his opportunity. Campbell played in only seven games, starting three of those games, bringing in 18 of his 24 targets for 127 yards, and one touchdown. Luckily, Campbell has impressed his coaches and teammates thus far in training camp and has his great college production, posting 166 touches for 1,978 yards and 17 touchdowns in three years as a starter at Ohio State, fantastic metrics from the combine, and high draft capital, selected in the second round of the 2019 draft, on his side. Campbell enters the season as the WR68 with an ADP of 178. Taking a chance on Campbell late in drafts could pay off exponentially if Campbell establishes himself as a viable weapon for Philip Rivers. Campbell does have competition with 2020 second-round rookie Michael Pittman Jr., but there is room for both young receivers to be fantasy relevant in 2020, especially if TY Hilton’s injuries persist.

Conclusion

N’Keal Harry, Marquise Brown, and Parris Campbell all have a chance to prove themselves after their rookie season was cut short due to injury. Each player can be drafted at a discount relative to their potential production if they can establish themselves in their respected offenses. I believe all three of these second-year receivers will have fantasy significance this season with a chance to produce at the high-level they are projected to produce at when they were drafted within the first two rounds of the NFL draft. I expect these three receivers to smash expectations this season.