This season’s fantasy options at wide receiver might seem as vast as the reaches of deep space. But there are outer limits to the number of possibilities that can support life on your roster.
Though you can wait until after drafting running backs, and possibly even a quarterback, before addressing the WR position, when you do so you need to have your targets properly calculated to make sure the correct players are in your tractor beam.
FIRST CONTACT
Everyone would love to have Calvin Johnson, but it doesn’t do the rest of your roster justice to draft a WR in the first round, where Megatron likely will go.
Instead, once our favorite RB options are exhausted, we look to A.J. Green, Dez Bryant, Julio Jones and Brandon Marshall as possible late-second- or early-third-round targets.
But if our favorite RBs and preferred WRs are gone, we would opt for a QB here before we reach for Demaryius Thomas, who is better suited as a fourth-round pick.
QUICK ROUTES
If the fourth round rolls around and you have yet to grab a receiver, you haven’t dropped the ball. There are some quality options over the span of several rounds.
Our favorite after the top group is Larry Fitzgerald, who could shine with a decent QB in Carson Palmer. We don’t mind Andre Johnson, Vincent Jackson or Randall Cobb, but we will let them pass then nab Victor Cruz a round later if we miss on Fitz.
We will pass on Jordy Nelson, Marques Colston and Wes Welker in favor of Dwayne Bowe, Danny Amendola, Steve Smith or Hakeem Nicks. The only catch is, if you end up with the brittle Amendola, make sure you build some WR depth quickly.
PASS ON THEM
There are a few in this range whom we will pass by in virtually any scenario. We will not pick Colston. The Saints spread the ball around too much to warrant an early-middle-round pick.
Ditto Welker. Though we are comfortable with Thomas, we think Welker will cut into Eric Decker’s numbers, making neither worthy of a pick in the first six rounds.
Though Nelson faces a similar dilemma — with Cobb and James Jones in the mix — we are not as worried about him.
We expect the presence of Mike Wallace will help the Dolphins offense improve, however we’re not convinced his fantasy numbers will. QB Ryan Tannehill took a liking to Brian Hartline last season. We’re not convinced that will change, and TE Dustin Keller likely will get plenty of red-zone looks, which detracts from Wallace’s value as well.
DEEP ROUTES
One guy to keep an eye on nearing the late middle rounds is Anquan Boldin. With Michael Crabtree lost for the season, we think Boldin can make a smooth transition, and he is well worth an eighth- or ninth-round pick.
Don’t sleep on Antonio Brown in the late sixth or early seventh round or Danario Alexander in Rounds 8-10.
With Percy Harvin out, Sidney Rice gets another shot to prove he can become a star. Even though we’re not as high on QB Russell Wilson as other fantasy nuts, we are not going to overlook Rice once he slips past the 10th round.
OUTER REACHES
Primarily, there are two types of late-round WR — veterans with a limited ceiling and young, unproven guys with potential. With rare exception, we opt for potential, particularly late.
So no Santonio Holmes. You burned us too many times Kenny Britt. Stevie Johnson was your older brother’s starting WR. Greg Jennings is ancient and on a new team, without a solid QB. Malcom Floyd has been on the verge of a breakout season for years without actually breaking out.
As you bolster your roster in the middle rounds and later, look for Tavon Austin, Chris Givens, Kendall Wright and DeAndre Hopkins.
But remember those rare exceptions? To wit: DeSean Jackson’s stock is rising after the injury to Jeremy Maclin, but if he slips into the eighth round or later, he is worth a gamble. No one is certain what the Eagles high-tempo offense will look like, but we expect a lot of short, quick routes to set up a few bombs per game — which plays into his strengths. And after possible Maclin backup Riley Cooper decided to expose his inner bigot, we fear he could be in for a painful season (don’t you think defensive backs will be itching to deliver some crushing blows?).
Our favorite late pick: Hartline. All the buzz is about Wallace, but Hartline is coming off a 1,000-yard season, and was Tannehill’s favorite target. With Wallace to stretch the field deep, this should open it up even more for Hartline, who can be had as late as the 14th round in most drafts. But if you nab Hartline, steer clear of Keller. You don’t need that many Dolphins on your roster.
Next week: Game-changing TEs have been a hot commodity in recent years, but the Tracker tells you why you should pass the big names by. Plus, when to take a defense, and the alien creatures known as kickers.
dloftis@nypost.com