Who will be the must-have 2020 fantasy football breakout wide receiver? SI Fantasy analyst Corey Parson reveals his choice to make the leap into the elite this season.
This is an article from our Breakout Player series.
Unlock premium access to the full outlook by subscribing to FullTime Fantasy where we will help you dominate with our Draft Kit, customized rankings, expert consensus rankings, Preseason Pro, Advanced ADP, Premium forums to ask our experts unlimited questions 24/7 & more. Check us out! Click here to subscribe now using promo code TD30 for 30% off your first two months!
Every fantasy football season is different. Last year it was quite easy to predict that Chris Godwin would be the year’s breakout wide receiver. He had an offensive scheme set up perfectly for his skill-set, and a quarterback who would throw the football a ton. The community of experts nailed that one as Godwin posted top WR numbers. This season is not as cut-and-dry.
Many pundits are gravitating toward Pittsburgh Steelers WR Diontae Johnson. I can’t say that I disagree with that! Johnson put up impressive numbers last season with stiffs at the quarterback position. This season with Ben Roethlisberger back, Johnson really does have a chance to break out.
However, for my pick to be 2020’s breakout WR, I will be going in a different direction. Out of the NFC West, where San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has a chance to be a very productive fantasy asset in one of the league’s top offenses. The good thing about Bourne is that he can be had in the very late rounds of your fantasy football drafts or likely often left undrafted altogether.
49ers insider Jose Luis Sanchez breaks down one reason why Bourne has a shot to be a breakout player:
“Jimmy Garoppolo skewed his targets in the red zone for Bourne, so there are clear scoring opportunities for him. Not to mention that he should be in for a leap in production next season.”
Bourne is the veteran of the WR corps, and he knows the offense. What he needs to accomplish a big season are targets. He should get enough targets early in the season to pay immediate dividends. With that momentum, it can carry through a full season should Samuel also need a couple of games to warm up during the season. Remember, you are spending a late-round draft pick on Bourne, so he will likely be in your flex or bench spot, making him a lottery ticket asset in your lineup weekly.
Samuel will return, and Aiyuk will grow into his role, but I like Bourne’s fantasy value to exponentially grow in the Niners’ high-powered offense.
To check out the full article with more in-depth stats, analysis, and projections from our high stakes guru Shawn Childs, subscribe now by Monday, July 27th using promo code TD30 for 30% off your first two months!