Fantasy Football: 3 wide receivers you want on your team the rest of this season

Who are the wide receivers that are going to be league winners this year? For those owners that don't have Justin Jefferson (when healthy), Ja'Marr Chase or Davante Adams, we have that answer for you.

The NFL is a passing league and has been for a while. But many fantasy managers still fall in love with the running back position. This trio of wide receivers could carry you to the championship.

If you have any of these guys, hold onto them as they are going to hit their stride at the perfect time. If you don't have any of them, perhaps you want to go to the manager in your league that does and propose a trade.

Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers

Not too many people would have predicted this when the season started, but Adam Thielen has been one of the most consistent wide receivers in the league in his first year with the Carolina Panthers.

His 49 receptions rank seventh in the entire league as he has become the No. 1 target in the passing game for Bryce Young. That's not likely to change as a rookie QB needs a player they can trust often and for Young, that will clearly be Thielen.

In three of the Panthers' last four games, Thielen has been targeted at least 13 times, has 11 receptions in all three of those games, well over 100 yards and a touchdown. So not only will Thielen have a chance to produce, he has a chance to produce a lot.

The Panthers have been rumored to be looking for another wide receiver ahead of the trade deadline and it's possible that one of the Denver Broncos' guys, Courtland Sutton or Jerry Jeudy, could end up there. Even if they do, don't fade Thielen.

Thielen is a guy who won't be looked at as a top option in the passing game this season, so he's great for DFS lineups too. He is going to finish this season with big numbers and be in consideration for a trip to the Pro Bowl.

George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers

George Pickens is the wide receiver you want in Pittsburgh ahead of Diontae Johnson, and I don't feel it's particularly close.

Pickens is a guy a lot of fantasy players overlook because of the quarterback throwing him the ball. But Kenny Pickett is quietly having a good season and Pickens is not so quietly having a big year as well.

As a Pickens owner, you'd like to see him find the end zone a little more often (he has 2 TDs on the season) but he is averaging eight targets per game and he has topped the 100-yard mark three times.

The Steelers' offense seems to be finding its footing and as the season progresses, the second-year wide receiver out of Georgia should become a strong option for fantasy owners who is a week-in, week-out fixture in the starting lineup.

If there is an owner in your league who isn't in love with Pickens (maybe he doesn't like his QB situation), float him an offer and see if you can take him off of your hands. I feel that many fantasy league champions will have Pickens on their roster at season's end.

Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts

Coming off of the first 100-yard game of his career against the Cleveland Browns in Week 7, Josh Downs is a guy you want to get on for the remainder of this season. The third-round pick out of North Carolina is quietly putting together a solid rookie season.

Downs has been targeted at least five times in all but one game this season and he has five receptions or more in four of the Colts' last five games. On top of that, he seems to be a favorite of Gardner Minshew, who will be the team's quarterback the rest of the way as Anthony Richardson opted to have season-ending surgery.

Michael Pittman is the team's No. 1 wide receiver but Downs has emerged as the unquestioned No.2 at this point. If you have him on your roster, especially if you were able to grab him in a dynasty league, good for you. But if you can grab him in a trade, before his numbers grow even more, now is the time to do so.

The Colts aren't flashy and with Minshew at QB, other owners in your league may easily scoff at them and this offense. Swoop in and see if you can get Downs off of their hands.

All three of these wide receivers will help fantasy owners immensely as the 2023 fantasy season hits a crucial stretch.