Wide receiver is an incredibly deep position in the NFL, especially these days when passing numbers are off the charts.
But in the midst of guys like Julio Jones, DeAndre Hopkins and Odell Beckham Jr. are young, talented wideouts who could be on the verge of breakout years in 2019 and should be considered in your Fantasy Football drafts as a result.
So, here are five breakout candidates at wide receivers going into this season.
5. Chris Conley
Chris Conley is certainly not a household name.
He scored just one touchdown over his first three NFL seasons, and while he finally logged five scores in his fourth year in 2018, he caught just 32 passes, so he was not incredibly productive.
But now, Conley is playing for a Jacksonville Jaguars team that houses Nick Foles, a quarterback with whom he connected in practice with the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2016. And by all indications, Conley and Foles have rekindled their camaraderie this offseason.
The Jaguars have a lot of interesting young wideouts, but Conley could very well end up being Foles' favorite due to their history.
4. Zay Jones
The Buffalo Bills didn't exactly have a great quarterback situation in 2018, but that didn't stop Zay Jones from hauling in 56 receptions for 652 yards and seven touchdowns in what was just his second season.
Now that Josh Allen has a year under his belt, the Bills' passing game should expand a bit in 2019, which should mean more targets and, thus, more production for Jones.
A second-round pick of Buffalo's back in 2017, Jones was an absolute monster at East Carolina, and at 6-foot-2 with solid speed, he has the size and athleticism to be a formidable receiver on the NFL level.
He won't be a No. 1 in fantasy football this year, but expect a decent bump in his numbers from 2018.
3. Dante Pettis
Dante Pettis is probably going to end up winning the San Francisco 49ers' No. 1 receiver job, and while Jimmy Garoppolo should spread the ball around to some of his other young receivers (not to mention tight end George Kittle) as well, Pettis will likely see the bulk of the targets as far as wideouts are concerned.
A speedy receiver entering his second season, Pettis caught 27 passes for 467 yards and five scores in 12 games during his rookie campaign, and that was with the 49ers' quarterback situation in flux due to Garoppolo's torn ACL.
The jury is still out on Garoppolo, but if he can at least have a decent season, Pettis should reap the benefits and could end up being a legitimate play in your fantasy football league(s).
2. Devin Funchess
It has essentially been the T.Y. Hilton show ever since Andrew Luck arrived on the scene back in 2012. Sure, Luck has had some good tight ends to throw to, but in terms of wide receivers, it has basically been Hilton and not much else.
But now, the Indianapolis Colts have added Devin Funchess to the mix, a 6-foot-4, 236-pound monster who was never really fully utilized during his days with the Carolina Panthers.
Funchess should represent a big-time red zone target for Luck and could very well end up catching in the neighborhood of 10 touchdown passes this coming season.
That is, of course, assuming Luck ever gets healthy.
1. D.J. Moore
D.J. Moore is clearly the Carolina Panthers' No. 1 wideout and is coming off of an impressive rookie year in which he snared 55 balls for 788 yards and a couple of touchdowns.
Obviously, the Panthers' passing game is dependent on Cam Newton's health, but so long as his shoulder is alright, everything should be just fine, and Moore should be a significant threat as a result.
And for Steve Smith's sake, this just had to be done.
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