Through two seasons, wide receiver Michael Wilson has not proven to be a weekly fantasy football producer. Still projected to be the WR2 of the Arizona Cardinals, is there any untapped upside that would compel fantasy managers to draft Wilson at the end of fantasy drafts?
Should You Draft Michael Wilson in Fantasy?
Most NFL teams have at least two wide receivers drafted in fantasy. After averaging 8.8 fantasy points per game as a rookie in 2023, Wilson was at least on the fantasy radar last year. He finished as the WR57, and typically, we see around 70 wide receivers drafted.
💥BIG PLAY MIKE💥
MICHAEL WILSON TOUCHDOWN pic.twitter.com/fZVZP7bsIS
— PHNX Cardinals (@PHNX_Cardinals) December 8, 2024
Fantasy managers weren’t expecting a superstar, especially with the Cardinals drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. Still, with Wilson maintaining the WR2 role without any real competition, the hope was that he could emerge as a useful bye-week fill-in.
Instead, we got mostly the same player. Technically, Wilson took a minor step backward, falling to 7.8 PPG. He had 17 fewer receiving yards despite playing three more games.
MORE: Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
While Kyler Murray can sustain multiple fantasy-relevant wide receivers, the talent of those players matters. Harrison and Trey McBride are locked in as his top two targets. Any potential third option would have to be good enough to command volume.
Wilson only commanded a 14.5% target share and was targeted on 14.5% of his routes run. That’s not going to cut it.
Throughout the season, he gave fantasy managers four startable weeks, plus two more in which he would’ve been a passable Flex. You can find that production through streaming and spot starters in most leagues.
Wilson’s averaged draft position (ADP) is around WR83. He’s right on the border of being drafted in standard-sized leagues. I have Wilson ranked as my WR76.
He is almost certain to outperform his ADP, but getting a WR5 at a WR7 price does nothing for fantasy managers. WR5s are not startable. Managers are better off throwing a dart at a player with more upside. There’s simply no need to draft Wilson this year.
Frank Ammirante’s Michael Wilson Fantasy Projection
Michael Wilson caught 47-of-71 targets for 548 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games last season. The third-year wideout has now failed to eclipse 600 yards in each of his first two seasons in the NFL.
He is what he is at this point: a deep threat who doesn’t offer much upside in fantasy leagues. Wilson is firmly behind Marvin Harrison Jr. and TE Trey McBride in the pecking order for targets in Arizona.
I’m not interested in taking Wilson in any format, even in Best Ball if I’m building a Cardinals stack. If you look at other players available at Wilson’s ADP, there are options with more upside, such as second-year wideout Jalen Coker of the Panthers.
Wilson would likely need an injury to Harrison to force his way into more targets. But even then, there’s a chance that all that would happen is WR Greg Dortch would be thrust into a larger role. I suggest looking elsewhere if you’re looking for a late-round wide receiver.
