Having regular success in fantasy football depends on how well the wide receiver position is judged. Even kickers don't have the volatility of a wide receiver. One week, it's a 200-yard game with three touchdowns, and the next week, it's one catch for nine yards. Therefore, it's unsurprising that the top-rated receivers before the season are very different from the top-rated receivers at the end of the season in Madden NFL 21.
Still, a star is a star and some of these players managed to find a way past many cornerbacks and safeties all season long. With one notable exception, these players made 2021 a year to remember. Those playing in the franchise mode will want to strongly consider playing on some of these teams if they plan on exploiting the passing game mechanics.
Updated on August 12th, 2021 by Hodey Johns: Given that player ratings are being revealed for Madden NFL 22, it felt right to wrap up this list and see where every player ended up by the season's end. There is a strong likelihood that barring any surprises from the rookies, these closing ranks for Madden NFL 21 will be very similar to the ranks that Madden NFL 22 opens with, so another review of this list here will save a little bit of time when studying players for the upcoming game. A few more players have been added as well, because in a league of thirty, having a top ten wide receiver is a rarity.
14 Terry McLaurin – 88 OVR
Considering the disastrous situation that went down with the quarterback situation for the Washington Football Team last year, there is a legitimate argument to be made that McLaurin is actually undervalued.
Despite having nothing close to a top ten quarterback (or a top thirty, for that matter), McLaurin broke 1100 yards in fifteen games and caught seventeen passes for 20+ yards. He was a highlight real and one of the very few joys to watch on offense in D.C. Next year is also murky for the QB spot, but fans are hopeful that Fitzpatrick will at least be able to exploit their best weapon for a few long bombs.
13 Adam Thielen – 89 OVR
In fifteen games, Thielen caught fourteen touchdowns. Many assumed that the trading of Stefon Diggs would sink Thielen's ability to produce, but harder matchups haven't stopped him from being an endzone nightmare for opposing defenses.
In fact, the folks over at Madden slapped Thielen with the Double Me badge due to how he was able to produce even with double coverage. For a player considered a "slot" receiver, his numbers are better than most first-string wideouts in the league.
12 D.K. Metcalf – 89 OVR
While the next game promises to have some more improvements over the last, Seahawks fans will justifiably be upset if those changes don't include a massive boost to D.K. Metcalf's OVR.
He's become the go-to guy for Russell Wilson over the last two years, playing every game in both of them, and going over 1300 yards in 2020. Averaging over 15.5 yards per catch in his career, it's a genuine shock to see him ranked below wideouts that he has outplayed.
11 Odell Beckham Jr – 90 OVR
Beckham Jr narrowly misses the top ten despite being tied for tenth, because Madden games have these small tiebreakers and he just barely misses the cut. Fans are divided on whether he should be higher or lower down.
On one hand, his touchdowns per game increased after a shockingly down year in 2019. But he was limited to a mere seven games and his yardage was nothing to write home about. With so many wide receivers proving doubters wrong last year, he'll have another year to redeem himself.
10 Allen Robinson II – 90 OVR
How many times does Allen Robison II have to prove that he will succeed no matter what quarterback is throwing to him? He was left off of this list at the season's opening, but by the end of it, the rating adjusters had to admit that he's worthy of top ten recognition.
Those who are learning the ropes for the Face of the Franchise mode might want to consider playing for the Bears. Of all the people who deserve a teammate that can hit them when they're open, Robinson II makes a strong case.
9 Mike Evans – 91 OVR
Some people lose and have to comfort themselves with memes about the game. Others win the Super Bowl and comfort themselves with championship rings. Mike Evans falls into the latter category.
Catching 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns are statistics that show he was far more than a bystander on the journey. Evans had immediate chemistry with Brady on the long ball and his highlight reel was as good as any other receiver's.
8 Amari Cooper – 92 OVR
When making the trip from Las Vegas to Oakland a few years back, many were worried Amari Cooper would stop producing at a top-tier level. He proved those dissenters wrong in a hurry.
It's too easy to say that 2020 was a down year for Cooper. Prescott went down after a few weeks in and he ended with only five touchdown catches. Yet Cooper still caught 1,100 years passing even with a ragtag crew of quarterbacks.
7 Keenan Allen – 93 OVR
Chargers fans expected the world of Keenan Allen after paying him like a superstar last offseason. They were well-rewarded in 2021 and they likely have no idea exactly how lucky they got.
While Justin Herbert was the story of the San Diego offense in 2021, he leaned heavily upon the established star receiver in key moments. Allen had a season he's accustomed to having, which meant Herbert had one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history.
6 Michael Thomas – 94 OVR
It's safe to say that Madden NFL 21 was hit-and-miss in places. It's even safer to say that Michael Thomas' NFL season was only a miss. He entered 2020 with a rare 99 OVR ranking and people believed he was the best receiver in the game.
Then he was injured early. Then when he was poised to come back, he punched someone in practice and got suspended. Then he came back and didn't look right. With weeks to go, he was deactivated for the remained for the season. The most painful stat on his sheet: 0 touchdowns for the entire campaign. Only lowering him to 94 OVR was an undeserved kindness.
5 Julio Jones – 95 OVR
Julio Jones is something of an enigma. He has only been an all-pro only once. He's only caught double-digit touchdowns in a season only once. His best successes don't seem to make it to the stat sheet.
But Jones always gets high marks because anyone with eyeballs can see that he's an incredible talent. Even with an injury that wiped out half of his season, he caught over 700 yards.
4 Stefon Diggs – 97 OVR
Was Stefon Diggs a product of Kirk Cousins being an amazing quarterback and Adam Thielen taking some heat off of him? Was he an overrated receiver who was destined to fail in Buffalo?
After leading the league in receptions and yardage, all of those people who asked those loaded questions have to eat a whole lot of crow. He's been instrumental in making Buffalo's offense one of the more prolific units in the league.
3 Tyreek Hill – 98 OVR
Would Patrick Mahomes be Patrick Mahomes without Tyreek Hill? The Kansas City management team has made sure that nobody will ever have to ask such a question; they're prioritized keeping the speedy receiver with the Chiefs.
To be clear, Tyreek Hill is an unbelievable player no matter who is at quarterback. Aside from his natural talent, analysts can't stop harping about his route running and intelligence. The league will be watching his signature peace sign celebration for years to come.
2 DeAndre Hopkins – 99 OVR
It's hard to impress anybody more than DeAndre Hopkins did in 2019. His stellar season had the Madden ratings team give him a 98 OVR and pegged him for one of the best all-time catchers.
After a trade to a team with a raw quarterback, Hopkins still found his receptions and yardage to be in the top three. Naturally, he needed a boost to his OVR and the only number above 98 was 99.
1 Davante Adams – 99 OVR
Aaron Rodgers might have won the NFL MVP award, but Packers fans made a case that Davante Adams deserved the award just as much. When plays broke down and got ugly, Adams came up clutch.
He led the league in touchdowns with 18, three ahead of the second-place receiver. With a nose for the endzone and hands that would not drop the ball, Adams ended the season as Madden's top-rated wideout.