Fantasy Football 2018: Early NFC North wide receiver rankings

6. Golden Tate, Detroit Lions

Golden Tate is far more valuable in PPR formats than standard scoring, but he’s a solid mid-round draft pick no matter the league you play in. According to FantasyPros, Tate ranked 24th among wide receivers in standard scoring last year (114.1 points) compared to 15th in PPR (199.1 points).

Tate finished seventh in the NFL for receptions last season (92), and also hit the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the third time in four years since arriving in Detroit.

While Tate’s overall numbers are good, he can be a frustrating week-to-week starter in fantasy. Let’s look at a four-game stretch from last season as an example. After making a combined 13 receptions for 210 yards and a touchdown in games against the Packers and Browns in consecutive weeks, he followed it up with just seven receptions for 39 yards in his next two contests.

Still, Tate remains a solid depth option on fantasy rosters, and is particularly effective in PPR formats and leagues that start three wide receivers.

According to Fantasy Football Calculator, Tate’s ADP in standard and PPR scoring is the fifth round. Tate is a safer selection than Cobb, but Meredith has more upside than both.